Hook 'Em Horns!!!!

                                

In the biggest college game in years....on a field littered with stars.....it was quite easy to figure out who the best player was.

He wore #10 and you usually can find him in the endzone.

Vince Young completed the Mother of all years.  His national legend was pretty much born in the Rose Bowl on the first day of 2005.  It grew in Columbus....and in Dallas....and in Dallas....and in Houston....and now back in Pasadena.  And though he fell short to Reggie Bush in the Heisman race....there was no doubt who was the biggest star last night.

                

Dude was UNREAL.  Young passed for 267 yards [pretty good] on a nearly insane 30-for-40 clip.  That's 75% to you and me.  Oh, but he also rushed for 200 yards.  Yeah...a double c-note.  Add that to last year's total....and Vince Young has accounted for 829 yards and 7 TDs in the last two Rose Bowls.  He also scored the final three TDs for the Longhorns....and even ran a 2-point conversion in for good measure.

The final TD was the best.  On a 4th down....he scrambled away from a Trojan rush and galloped his way into the corner of the endzone. 

                                   

But as much as I will throw love at Young and the Longhorns...I have to lambast USC and their very questionable playcalling.  With a 5 point lead and under 3 minutes remaining....USC passes the football, which the throw went incomplete and stopped the clock.  On 4th-and-2 just across midfield....the Trojans go for it.  What?  Punt that!!  At that time, Texas had 3 timeouts...so getting that first down wouldn't have iced it.  Not picking up the first down means you give the ball to Texas at their own 45 yard line with 2 minutes left and three timeouts....something you cannot do with a questionable defense [if they had a solid defense, it may be a better option].  Punt it...back them up...and make Young go, at least, 80 yards to beat you. 

USC decided to go for it....make it...and sit on the ball.  They went for it....were stuffed....then watched their defense surrender the lead.  And their Heisman winner was on the sidelines for what essentially amounted to their biggest play. 

The other big controversy will lie in the Longhorns' first TD.  On an option play, Vince Young was tackled...but pitched the ball to Selvin Young who ran it the rest of the way for the score.  Replays show that Young's knee was clearly down before the pitch out....but there was no official review of the play.  In a game of this magnitude in which they reviewed pretty much every borderline play....it is a crime that this play was not looked at. 

Maybe it delayed the inevitable.  No matter what...USC's 34-game winning streak - gone.  Their national championship streak - gone.  Matt Leinart - gone.  Reggie Bush - gone.  All that remains is some orange and white confetti.

                     

And a new legend born.  Vince Young can add another Rose Bowl MVP and a 20-game winning streak heading into next season.  And for those people expecting him to bolt for the NFL....think again.  He may well be back for a magical senior season. 

Mack Brown sure hopes so.  Brown has felt his redemption this year too.  I've been very critical of his inability to win the big game.  When he was the head coach of my beloved North Carolina Tar Heels.....I watched his great teams get smoked by Florida State every year.  Then at Texas, he was getting run over by Oklahoma.  Well, scratch all that.  He beat Michigan in the '05 Rose Bowl....Ohio State at the Shoe....Oklahoma in Dallas....and USC in Pasadena.

Congrats to all of Longhorn nation on a great season and a great game.