January 01, 2006

USC vs. Texas – Part 2



I can’t believe the amount of hype that is being built up for the USC vs. Texas Rose Bowl. Articles and polls were written about everything USC and UT, and I’m loving it. My first post on USC vs. Texas doesn’t seem to be sufficient; therefore, I am adding additional insights for the game.

The Streaks


Texas win streak – 19
The last time a 19 game winning streak was snapped were the 2003 Ohio State Buckeyes. The 2000 Florida State Seminoles also had their 19 game winning streak ended. Texas differs from those two teams since both of those teams were defending national champs when their streak was snapped and both were mid-season games. Although Texas has won 19 straight, they do not have a national title and their potential 20th straight win comes in a bowl game. If history stands correct, it is unlikely Texas will end their winning streak.

USC win streak – 34
The last time a 34 game winning streak was snapped was the 2002 Miami Hurricanes. When the Canes ended their streak, they were the defending national champions and they lost the 35th game in the BCS Championship game. The Trojans are also the defending champs and will be playing for their 35th straight win in the BCS Championship game. If history stands correct, USC will lose to Texas in the Rose Bowl.

The Weakest Link


Texas WRs
The knock on Texas has been that their offense is a one man show in Vince Young. There are no standouts at RB or WR. Non-Longhorn fans are especially quick to point out that Texas does not have a receiver with more than 40 catches and nobody with more than 700 receiving yards. Their leading receiver is a tight end and 5 is the leading touchdown catch number.

Well, I got news for you, non-Longhorn fans. There is a reason why Vince young is completing 64% of his passes, has 2700 yards passing, and has a 26 to 10 TD to INT ratio. There might not be any sexy names at WR, but David Thomas is one of the best receiving TEs in the country. Billy Pittman, Limas Sweed, Brian Carter, Quan Cosby, and Nate Jones can all stretch the field by getting behind the secondary. Pittman, Cosby, and Sweed averages 23.2, 19.5, and 17.1 yards per catch on the season respectively. The only reason why Texas WRs doesn’t have much of a flair when it comes to statistics is because Texas blows everyone out of the game by halftime! Texas ranks 102 out of 119 in the NCAA when it comes to passing attempts yet ranks 30th in total passing yards due to 9.5 yards per attempt which is 2nd in the nation. I believe Texas can put up 300 yards passing per game if they keep their foot on the pedal the entire game, but when you only need to play two quarters for 9 of 12 games, your passing numbers aren’t going to be as intimidating. Remember, that does NOT mean the Texas passing game and WRs are a bunch of no-talent bums.

USC Defense
The knock on USC has been their defense. If you read my previous post, you would know that the USC defense is not as weak as it seems. Another point I want to make here is that the USC defensive line has improved vastly over the course of the season, ending with a season high 5 sacks as a team against UCLA. Other than just sacks, the DL has also put more pressure on the opposing quarterback as can be seen by the 22 interceptions forced.

Individual Issues


Matt Leinart
What few see in the Trojans’ 66-19 route of UCLA in their season finale is that Matt Leinart had possibly one of his worst games as a collegiate quarterback. Leinart ended the day with 233 passing yards, but was missing his target in all kinds of ways, over throws, under throws, in front, behind… After the game, Leinart said it was because the emotions of that being his last home game as a Trojan, but despite everything else, he had the worst passing half of his career in the 1st half and should be something to keep an eye on.

LenDale White
Will LenDale White be overlooked? In all the articles I have read about USC and Texas, White’s name has probably been mentioned less than 10 times. When teams play USC, they scheme to stop Bush, the scheme to stop Leinart; nobody game-plans just to stop LenDale White. His incentive for having a big game in the Rose Bowl is that it could springboard him into a 1st round NFL draft pick as a junior.

Vince Young
Vince Young has an image of invincibility. His confidence couldn’t be shaken by the tenacious Ohio State defense, it couldn’t be moved by Oklahoma’s 5-year dominance in the Red River Rivalry, and it couldn’t be altered by Oklahoma State’s demanding lead in the 1st half. However, in the Texas A&M game, we can visibly see Vince Young lose his confidence. Texas eventually snuck by the pesky Aggies, but we got to see that Young isn’t the rock that couldn’t be moved. The long season might finally be taking it’s toll on Young mentally. Colorado didn’t put up much of a fight in the Big 12 Championship game. It will be interesting to see how Vince will react if Texas falls behind USC early.

Future Ramifications


Pete Carroll Staying or Going?
Is he staying or is he going? That question has been answered after Carroll signed a contract extension to remain as the head coach of the USC Trojans for an undisclosed number of years, but it is likely a contract similar to the ones of Charlie Wise and Mack Brown. One less distraction for the Trojans.

Reggie Bush Staying or Going?
Is he staying or is he going? That question has also been answered with Bush saying that he will go pro after the Rose Bowl. Before that announcement, I thought maybe there’s a slight chance he could be coming back since he said “…Matt Leinart’s decision to comeback changed my life,” during his Heisman reception speech. As you all know, Leinart decided to come back after his Heisman winning season.

Vince Young Staying or Going?
This question could still be up in the air although Vince said he’s going to be back. If Texas pulls the upset and wins the National Championship behind a strong game by Young, he could very well go into the NFL draft. However, his disappointment in not winning the Heisman might be a reason to come back for his senior year despite the Rose Bowl outcome.

Recruiting
Texas has already recruited most if not all of their players for 2006. Winning or losing will have little effect on their incoming class. On the other hand, USC only has 10 commits. Most of the players they are targeting are top recruits from around the nation, so if they lose the BCS Championship, they might also lose some future stars as well.

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