The Rose Bowl Thread

[nogoodnick 0]

As the day draws nearer I have a feeling the ass munches at Texas will fuck this up.......

Who, Mack Brown?

[therealworldschampion 0]

CFN made a good point in their preview of this game. Whenever a team gets the label of "greatest of all time" by the media prior to finishing the season, they tend to lose. It happened in 2003 with Oklahoma before the Kansas State and LSU games, and it happened in 1983 with Nebraska before the Orange Bowl upset to Miami.

[Spicy McHaggis 0]

Here's my analysis...

 

Coaching: Pete Carroll versus Mack Brown should be interesting to see. There's a lot of counter-talk to the argument that giving Carroll a month to prepare is a huge advantage for SC. Some say that Mack Brown is a good coach and that his month to prepare will even the odds. But I point to Bob Stoops and the result of last year's championship game. I think Stoops is 10x the coach that Brown is, and what happened? USC laid 55 points on OU's vaunted defense. Personnel wise, Texas is the better defensive team. But combine the coaching of Pete Carroll with the oft-cited "month to prepare" and I think SC's defense should pull even with the Longhorns. The offenses are a different story, however, and I think Texas probably will bring an element that USC hasn't seen. The loss of Norm Chow is still a concern for me, but I believe the quantity, as well as the quality, of weapons at the disposal of the Trojan's offensive coaches should offset that. I give the coaching edge to USC.

 

Special Teams: I have to be fair here and admit that I have not seen much of Texas's special teams. However, with Reggie Bush as a return man, it's easy to give the offensive side of special teams to USC. The first thing Texas should do, is not kick it to him. Also, and as much as I'd hate to see it, the Longhorns could go the cheap way and do what Troy Polamalu did to a Kansas State return man when I was a freshman... punt one high and spear him in the chin. I have watched enough of the Trojans special teams' coverage unit to give the defensive side to Texas. Covering kicks is a real weakness for USC and UT will need to exploit it if they want to win. Special teams are even.

 

Defense: The Trojans will have some work to do on defense if they hope to control the game. They have three vulnerabilities that I think Texas needs to attack. Even with the Ohio State game, I think the Longhorns schedule strength is suspect. However, you don't go undefeated without having the right tools. So they need to use their bruisers and hit SC with a steady diet of runs up the middle. The Trojans may be weaker on defense than last season, but they are still quick. Going up the middle is the first way to counter that. The next way is to take advantage of their eagerness... and that is where Vince Young can break loose. The best side on which to break him loose is that of USC's defensive end Frostee Rucker. When he is excited, he breaks containment big-time. I know it will take him at least a quarter and a half to settle down. The Longhorns need to get off to a quick start. The final exploit should occur against SC's corners... Texas should test them deep as much as possible. Comparing the two defenses, I think Texas is better.

 

Offense: As good as Vince Young, the nation's leader in pass efficiency, and his teammates, leaders in points per game, are on offense, the USC Trojans are better. Young has the numbers, but I say that Matt Leinart is the better quarterback. Now why is that? Physically, Leinart is better mechanically. He can make all the throws, and make them with pinpoint precision. Now, he was shaky to start the UCLA game. And a Vince Young proponent can say, yes he may have a sidearm delivery but if it ain't broke don't fix it. However, in a huge game like this nerves become a factor. Good mechanics limit the impact of nervousness because it is easy to see what, in the throwing motion, is wrong and how to fix it. Mentally, Leinart is head and shoulders above Young in terms of reading defenses. Leinart is also far more battle tested. Two previous national championships, huge battles with Cal, and the game of the century at Notre Dame. Matt Leinart has the edge.

 

But he is only the start of the Trojans weapons. That's one Heisman winner and then we go to this year's winner Reggie Bush. But everyone knows what he can do, and there's no way to stop him. Then there is Lendale White... I believe he will be a factor because the best way to defend Texas is to keep Vince Young off the field, and you do that by grinding it out. Next, you've got Dwayne Jarrett an all-star receiver. We are already quite deep into the attack of USC and we haven't even talked about one of the best offensive lines in the country. I didn't even mention Steve Smith, their other near-thousand yard wide receiver. I believe he will have a huge impact just as he did in last year's championship. There are so many weapons Texas has to account for, they're bound to not be prepared for one of them. Don't forget about the tight ends, including Dominique Byrd, or the fullbacks catching passes out of the backfield.

 

Texas will bring an offense to the table that USC has not seen, yes the Trojans stopped Oregon (in that game, the Ducks ran a similar attack). But Clemens, the Oregon quarterback, is not Vince Young. As good as the Longhorns are, the offensive edge has to go to USC. Texas is great at every offensive position... the Trojans are simply greater.

 

Intangibles: The three main personalities, Vince Young, Reggie Bush, and Matt Leinart all have something in common. They all have the experience of showing off their individual prowess in the Rose Bowl by beating up on Michigan. However, the experience advantage goes to USC because they have simply been in the national title picture much longer than the Texas players. And the Trojans didn't just survive the other championship games, they controlled and dominated them. I also think USC has a schedule strength advantage, but once that first-quarter starts it really does not matter. It's just about these two, awesome, undefeated football teams. Intangibles I give to the Trojans.

 

Prediction: Texas is simply better defensively. Special teams are a push. USC takes the edge in coaching, on offense, and in intangibles. I think this game will stay exciting for quite a while, and I think that the Texas Longhorns will be the best opponent the Trojans have faced in quite some time. Outside of the Notre Dame game this year, this game is one of the most anticipated I have seen. I think Texas will have some success evidenced by some big plays early in the game. I think Vince Young will have a spectacular first half. But I also think the Trojans will pull away in the third quarter, scoring 17, maybe 21 points. I see too many weapons for USC and too much of a coaching edge. My prediction is:

 

The USC Trojans 45-24.

[Damaramu 0]

-Texas has the better all around special teams.

-OU's defense last year was far from vaunted.

-The Texas O-Line should easily be able to handle the USC D-Line but it depends on what kind of blitzes come in but the Texas O-Line is f'n huge and fast.

I can't really find anything else you've said to be wrong so yeah.

[Bored 0]

Recent Rose Bowl History

2005: #4 Texas 38, #13 Michigan 37

2004: #3 USC 28, #4 Michigan 14

2003: #7 Oklahoma 34, #6 Washington State 14

2002: #1 Miami 37, #2 Nebraska 14

2001: #4 Washington 34, #17 Purdue 24

2000: #7 Wisconsin 17, #22 Stanford 9

1999: #9 Wisconsin 38, #5 UCLA 31

 

USC Bowl History

 

1923 Rose Bowl: def. Penn State 14-3

1924 Los Angeles Christmas Festival: def. Missouri 20-7

1930 Rose Bowl: def. Pittsburgh 47-14

1932 Rose Bowl: def. Tulane 21-12

1939 Rose Bowl: def. #3 Duke 7-3

1940 Rose Bowl: def. #2 Tennessee 14-0

1944 Rose Bowl: def. #12 Washington 29-0

1945 Rose Bowl: def. #12 Tennessee 25-0

1946 Rose Bowl: lost to #3 Alabama 14-34

1948 Rose Bowl: lost to #2 Michigan 0-49

1953 Rose Bowl: def. #11 Wisconsin 7-0

1955 Rose Bowl: lost to #1 Ohio State 7-20

1963 Rose Bowl: def. #2 Wisconsin 42-37

1967 Rose Bowl: lost to #7 Purdue 13-14

1968 Rose Bowl: def. #4 Indiana 14-3

1969 Rose Bowl: lost to #1 Ohio State 16-27

1973 Rose Bowl: def. #3 Ohio State 42-17

1974 Rose Bowl: lost to #4 Ohio State 21-42

1975 Rose Bowl: def. #3 Ohio State 18-17

1975 Liberty Bowl: def. #2 Texas A&M 20-0

1977 Rose Bowl: def. #2 Michigan 14-6

1977 Bluebonnet Bowl: def. #18 Texas A&M 47-28

1979 Rose Bowl: def. #5 Michigan 17-10

1980 Rose Bowl: def. #1 Ohio State 17-16

1982 Fiesta Bowl: lost to #7 Penn State 10-26

1985 Rose Bowl: def. #6 Ohio State 20-17

1985 Aloha Bowl: lost to #15 Alabama 3-24

1987 Citrus Bowl: lost to #10 Auburn 7-16

1988 Rose Bowl: lost to #8 Michigan State 17-20

1989 Rose Bowl: lost to #11 Michigan 14-22

1990 Rose Bowl: def. #3 Michigan 17-10

1990 Sun Bowl: lost to #22 Michigan State 16-17

1992 Freedom Bowl: lost to Fresno State 7-24

1993 Freedom Bowl: def. Utah 28-21

1995 Cotton Bowl: def. Texas Tech 55-14

1996 Rose Bowl: def. #3 Northwestern 41-32

1998 Sun Bowl: lost to TCU 19-28

2001 Las Vegas Bowl: lost to Utah 6-10

2003 Orange Bowl: def. #5 Iowa 38-17

2004 Rose Bowl: def. #4 Michigan 28-14

2005 Orange Bowl: def. #2 Oklahoma 55-19

 

Texas Bowl History

 

1943 Cotton Bowl: def. #5 Georgia Tech 14-7

1944 Cotton Bowl: tied Randolph Field 7-7

1946 Cotton Bowl: def. Missouri 40-27

1948 Sugar Bowl: def. #6 Alabama 27-7

1949 Orange Bowl: def. #8 Georgia 41-28

1951 Cotton Bowl: lost to #4 Tennessee 14-20

1953 Cotton Bowl: def. #8 Tennessee 16-0

1958 Sugar Bowl: lost to #7 Mississippi 7-39

1960 Cotton Bowl: lost to #1 Syracuse 14-23

1960 Bluebonnet Bowl: tied #9 Alabama 3-3

1962 Cotton Bowl: def. #5 Mississippi 12-7

1963 Cotton Bowl: lost to #7 LSU 0-13

1964 Cotton Bowl: def. #2 Navy 28-6

1965 Orange Bowl: def. #1 Alabama 21-17

1966 Bluebonnet Bowl: def. Mississippi 19-0

1969 Cotton Bowl: def. #8 Tennessee 36-13

1970 Cotton Bowl: def. #9 Notre Dame 21-17

1971 Cotton Bowl: lost to #6 Notre Dame 11-24

1972 Cotton Bowl: lost to #10 Penn State 6-30

1973 Cotton Bowl: def. #4 Alabama 17-13

1974 Cotton Bowl: lost to #12 Nebraska 3-19

1974 Gator Bowl: lost to #6 Auburn 3-27

1975 Bluebonnet Bowl: def. #10 Colorado 38-21

1978 Cotton Bowl: lost to #5 Notre Dame 10-38

1978 Sun Bowl: def. #13 Maryland 42-0

1979 Sun Bowl: lost to #13 Washington 7-14

1980 Bluebonnet Bowl: lost to #13 North Carolina 7-16

1982 Cotton Bowl: def. #3 Alabama 14-12

1982 Sun Bowl: lost to North Carolina 10-26

1984 Cotton Bowl: lost to #7 Georgia 9-10

1984 Freedom Bowl: lost to Iowa 17-55

1985 Bluebonnet Bowl: lost to #10 Air Force 16-24

1987 Bluebonnet Bowl: def. #19 Pittsburgh 32-27

1991 Cotton Bowl: lost to #4 Miami 3-46

1994 Sun Bowl: def. #19 North Carolina 35-31

1995 Sugar Bowl: lost to #13 Virginia Tech 10-28

1997 Fiesta Bowl: lost to #7 Penn State 15-38

1999 Cotton Bowl: def. Mississippi State 38-11

2000 Cotton Bowl: lost to Arkansas 6-27

2000 Holiday Bowl: lost to #10 Oregon 30-35

2001 Holiday Bowl: def. #15 Washington 47-43

2003 Cotton Bowl: def. LSU 35-20

2003 Holiday Bowl: lost to #16 Washington State 20-28

2005 Rose Bowl: def. #13 Michigan 38-37

[Guest]

I'm gettin a little amped for this game.

[Damaramu 0]

I'm ready for the game and all but I honestly could care less about Texas anymore. The Big XII has pissed me off to no end this bowl season and OU won their bowl game. I don't really care how the conference does now b/c my team won. I won't shed any tears if Texas is blown out.

[The Czech Republic 0]

There's always going to be a part of me that resents the whole of college athletics because of every DeShawntoine Phelps and D'Awntwain Jones that gets free sex, a free education, carte blanche to do any sort of illegal shit they want because they didn't have a father and they need Coach to act as a surrogate daddy and unlock their potential, while there are actual deserving students who struggle to pay their tuition. That said, I do want to watch this Rose Bowl

[Fökai 0]

I don't know how I double-posted that.

[Fökai 0]

Some say that Mack Brown is a good coach...

I guess that was unintentional humor, but I'll take it.

 

This is the first time in a few years that I've had this type of excitement anticipating a college football game. The only thing I can say to add to the thread for now is that I'm not rooting for Texas. Perhaps, being in a room full of USC fans (all by default for whuppin' UH's asses) will bring out all of the hate. Mack Brown will be sucking his thumb in a fetal position by the end of the third.

 

 

USC 42

Texas 17

[iggymcfly 0]

There was a neat article on ESPN.com showing 40 reasons why USC will win and 40 reasons why Texas will win. However, even in the Texas list, they had to show us what they really thought at the end.

 

1. Everything's bigger in Texas. Even unrealistic optimism.

[Guest]

I've come a little off the blowout stance and now I think that it'll be 35-24 USC.

[Damaramu 0]

There was a neat article on ESPN.com showing 40 reasons why USC will win and 40 reasons why Texas will win. However, even in the Texas list, they had to show us what they really thought at the end.

 

1. Everything's bigger in Texas. Even unrealistic optimism.

 

That's so messed up. It's like ESPN wants to create the news so badly and create the outcomes that they throw this stuff in there. They've managed to engineer the Heisman winner the past couple of seasons and they're the ones trying to create each sports biggest stars.

I hate it when an ESPN announcer will ask one of the real sports writers they have on their show a question and when they don't get the response they want they start wording the question in that direction. They do it on 1st and 10 all the time(though woody and skip aren't real writers)

 

10 bucks says that if USC loses then ESPN declares Texas the greatest team of all time, forgets about them in a week and begin hyping the Irish going into next season.

Hell they've already sowed the seeds for the Texas thing with Herby and May saying that they'd pick Texas as one of the top 3 all time teams if they win.

[Guest Leelee]

It's like ESPN wants to create the news so badly and create the outcomes that they throw this stuff in there.

 

Not like they do. ESPN does this.

 

We'll get to the point where ESPN pays players to run their mouth and be assholes like Terrell Owens. And all sports can officially be sports entertainment.

[iggymcfly 0]

Somebpody mentioned the CFN quote earlier, but it's so good that I have to post it in its entirety.

 

What will happen: Oklahoma 26, USC 13. That was the CFN prediction for last year's Orange Bowl, and it might have been just a weeeeee bit off. Learning from the lesson of underestimating Pete Carroll and his staff with over a month to prepare, the pick up until just after Christmas was going to be USC to win in a classic. This appeared to be a dead-even game from the start with USC the slight favorite as long as something didn't tip the scales.

 

And then ESPN screwed things up.

 

The college football karma gods tend to kick teams in the cheese and biscuits when they're being called the best ever before the job is actually finished. 2003 Oklahoma was being talked about as the greatest of all-time until Darren Sproles and Kansas State ended that discussion. Articles were written about the 1983 Nebraska team being the most dominant ever before Bernie Kosar and Miami had other ideas. Now, ESPN had this Dewey Defeats Truman idea to compare USC to the top ten teams of all-time and letting the fans vote on who'd win. Shock of shocks, USC is blowing through everyone.

 

It's as if the world needs to be reminded that Texas is very, very good. College teams have a way of using that "disrespect" tag for motivation better than anyone in any other sport, and Texas is certainly feeling like the Nicole Ritchie on this show. Think Ohio State vs. Miami in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl.

 

Leinart will come up with three touchdown passes and over 300 passing yards, but look for the Longhorn defensive line to keep the Trojan ground game in check, and for Young to make just enough big plays to keep the game alive until one last clutch drive to pull off the semi-shocker. But if VY and UT ends up pulling a Jason White and OU, then it really will be time to call USC one of the best ever.

 

CFN Prediction: Texas 38 ... USC 34

[Carnival 0]

I bet my friend $5 on this game, I took Texas and gave him 21 points....this game is gonna be a repeat of the Fiesta Bowl when Nebraska kicked the shit outta the pussy Florida Gators.

[SilverPhoenix 0]

Anybody thinking this is going to be a blowout on either side is fooling themselves, seriously. Both teams are great teams, and both teams have their strenghts and weaknesses. I predict a shootout, and the first team to exploit a critical mistake is going to win this. With that said, I think USC is going to win this on the last play, off of a field goal, with the final score being.

 

USC 40, Texas 37 in one of the best Rose Bowls' ever.

Edited January 4, 2006 by DragonLordKaiba

[2GOLD 0]

I'm still saying

USC 17

Texas 13

 

I hope I'm wrong, I want a damn shootout to the bitter end.

[iggymcfly 0]

I was initially thinking USC, and then all this disrespect for Texas almost had me thinking Texas would win the game. One thing stopped me short in my tracks however.

 

Mack Brown.

 

He's a notorious big-game choker, and there's no way he gets Texas up to take on the mighty Trojans. I remember an interview a few weeks ago where he said that he'd been been voting USC #1 all year himself. When he needs to play us-against-the-world, and tell Texas how the whole country is disbelieving their talent, he's disbelieving their talent himself.

 

I remember a similar comment from Coach K two years ago before Duke played UConn in the Final Four. The Blue Devils should have easily been the favorite as the #1 team in the nation at the end of the season, but UConn was still a 2 1/2 point favorite. Coach K basically said "UConn's the best team in the country and we just hope we can play with them," and then at the end the Blue Devils came up just short.

 

So let's see, the spread for USC/Texas is 7? I say my final, final prediction is:

 

USC 38

Texas 32

 

as Texas delights and angers gamblers everywhere by tackling Lendale White for a safety with 0:21 remaining.

[Matt Young 0]

We have a shit ton of USC fanatics down here who are freaking out over this game. I don't give a fuck about either team, but I'll be watching (or at least tuning in and out) since it should, hopefully, be a good game.

[Damaramu 0]

Yeah but Mack Brown's choking always came from QB woes. I doubt he'll have any QB woes in this game. Unless young underperforms in the first quarter and he loses confidence and yanks him.

I'm not going to care if Texas loses I'm only going to care that USC won again.

[Damaramu 0]

I can also say that the only way I see this being a blowout is in favor of the Trojans. I can picture Texas winning but I can't picture USC getting blown out but I can picture USC blowing Texas out.

[Guest Leelee]

USC 65

Texas 24.

 

Vince Young throws for 13 yards.

[Art Sandusky 0]

There's always going to be a part of me that resents the whole of college athletics because of every DeShawntoine Phelps and D'Awntwain Jones that gets free sex, a free education, carte blanche to do any sort of illegal shit they want because they didn't have a father and they need Coach to act as a surrogate daddy and unlock their potential, while there are actual deserving students who struggle to pay their tuition. That said, I do want to watch this Rose Bowl

If only all the players were well-off white kids from stable families in quiet little suburbs. GO ARMY IN '48!

[Damaramu 0]

ESPN's video game picked it 42-27 USC

[Guest Leelee]

I just simmed the game on NCAA 2006 and USC wins 73-66 in OT. Boo.

[The Czech Republic 0]

There's always going to be a part of me that resents the whole of college athletics because of every DeShawntoine Phelps and D'Awntwain Jones that gets free sex, a free education, carte blanche to do any sort of illegal shit they want because they didn't have a father and they need Coach to act as a surrogate daddy and unlock their potential, while there are actual deserving students who struggle to pay their tuition. That said, I do want to watch this Rose Bowl

If only all the players were well-off white kids from stable families in quiet little suburbs. GO ARMY IN '48!

So you think the system is perfect.

[Damaramu 0]

I just simmed the game on NCAA 2006 and USC wins 73-66 in OT. Boo.

 

That would be awesome if we could get that many points.

[Art Sandusky 0]

Oh, and now that it's game day and I'm in full anticipation mode (thus meaning I feel I don't have to continue to give each team their due), fuck Texas. In fact, I hope by some freak season next year we get Tennessee/Texas in a BCS bowl so that fake-ass UT can go down again.

[Damaramu 0]

I just remember last year when OU scored first and then USC scored the next 55. I have this bad feeling Texas will score and then USC will be like "fuck that!"