Texas Longhorns - National Champions

Hell of a game last night. The Texas Longhorns came from behind late to knock off the USC Trojans in their bid to win their 3rd National Championship in a row. (Well, technically, their second and a half.. Two years ago they split it, something the BCS was supposed to prevent.) Great game. But really, the Trojans should have won the game. Why didn't they? Because Pete Carroll is not a good coach.

Yes, that's right. I said it. He was not a good coach in the NFL. He still is not a good coach in college. He's gotten by on talent, and talent alone for these past 3 years. How often has a USC game been so close that a coaching decision decided the game? How about never. Until last night.

USC had the ball up by 5 with less than 3 minutes left, and the ball near mid-field. Texas has all 3 timeouts, but it is first down. Run for 3 yards on first down. 2nd and 7. The next call is a little play action screen, except the pressure on Leinart is a bit much, and he throws it short, clanging to the ground, stopping the clock, and saving Texas a timeout. Mistake number 1. Now 3rd and 7, they run the ball again, this time for 5 yards. Timeout Texas, they have 2 remaining. 2:13 left in the game. (And let me remind you there's no two minute warning in college.) 4th and 2. Punt, right? Yes, Vince Young has been virtually unstoppable the whole game, but even they punt it through the end zone, that gives him an additional 30 yards he has to cover. But no, Carroll decides to go for it. Mistake number 2. And this wasn't a short 2 yards either, it was a long 2. Handoff to LenDale White, the whole Texas team saw it coming, and he's stuffed. Clock stops, and Texas takes over at mid-field with 2:09 left in the game.

Now, Vince Young has killed your defense all game (he finished with exactly 200 yards rushing and 267 yards passing). He's running ridiculous plays at this point, including QB draws from the shotgun into a blitz, and he's getting through for yardage on just about every play. He's doing a Michael Vick impersonation, but like 10 times better than the real thing. And what is one strategy for stopping Vick that works pretty effectively? Take your best linebacker, and have him play "spy" on the QB. He doesn't blitz and get lost in the offensive line. He doesn't bite on that running back out of the backfield acting like he's going to catch a screen in the flat. Just frickin SPY on Young. Shadow him on the other side of the line. If he runs, you don't even have to make the tackle, just slow him down enough to get help. I thought of this somewhere around the 3rd quarter, wondering why neither Keith Jackson or Dan Fouts even mention this. I'm baffled that Pete Carroll and his staff don't even seem to consider this tactic. Mistake number 3.

So, la la la, look at me, I'm Vince Young and nobody is assigned to me, I do my thing, and march down the frickin field to score the go ahead touchdown, a scramble into the end zone on 4th and 5 from the 10 when all his receivers are covered. Not a single USC defender came close to him as he casually strolled into the end zone. Texas now leads by 1 with 19 seconds left. As they celebrate a bit on the sideline, my immediate thought is "go for 2." There's not a lot of time left, but getting 2 puts them up by 3, just in case USC somehow gets close enough for a field goal attempt. So after some brief discussion they line up for 2. Which somehow, some way, seems to have confused USC. Who take their 3rd and final timeout. Before a two point conversion. With the clock stopped, and remaining stopped until the kickoff. Mistake number 4. Young does the same frickin play he's done a dozen times this game, and runs the QB draw in for the conversion. Texas up by 3.

Now I'm thinking, "Hey, USC can do this. They have the offense to get within field goal range. We could see overtime! That would be great! Yes, I want some OT baby! This game deserves some OT!" So Texas is lining up for the kickoff, and USC has Reggie Bush back to return the kick, the man many media people are hyping as the best (or "most exciting") college football player ever. Ever. No way Texas is kicking the ball right to him. I know that. You know that. The announcers know that. Somehow, Pete Carroll does not know that. There's Bush, standing around his own 5, waiting for a long kickoff. And here comes the squib kick. A bulky (and slow) tight end grabs it around the 25 and rumbles for all of 5 yards. Not once does he look back or even consider somehow trying to get the ball to Bush. How about a lateral, folks? It's not that hard to get the ball to your best playmaker on a kickoff. Ugh. Mistake number 5.

Ball on their own 30 with about 12 seconds or so left, no timeouts. But the clock stops when they move the chains for a first down. They need to realistically go about 40 yards or so for a chance at the tying field goal. It doesn't look good. On first down, Leinart drops back, somehow there's a bit of pressure despite Texas only rushing 4 and playing the Ultra Prevent defense. He drops it off to Bush who runs 26 yards to the Texas 43, and gets out of bounds. Now there's like 7 or 8 seconds left. (Somehow, I can't find a game log with the actual timestamp of time remaining.) But it was definitely have enough time for two plays if they're quick. 10-15 yards gives them a shot. So what does Leinart do? Scrambles around looking way downfield. Until he finally throws towards the sidelines as time expires. Over the guy's head, game over.

Hell of a game by Vince Young and Texas. Not so great clutch performance by Leinart and Bush. And definitely not a good coaching job by Carroll. Mark my words, with Bush and Leinart gone next year, USC will not be in a BCS game. The talent won't be there to overcome poor coaching decisions.

One more thing. The comment of the night, from legendary announcer Keith Jackson as they went to a commercial: "This is one doobie." Doobie?! I'm pretty sure Mr. Jackson meant "doozie" like "a doozie of a game." But he said "doobie." Funny stuff.