HOOK 'EM HORNS!! HOOK 'EM HORNS!!

Whoo-hoo!!!

In a post back in November, I had said that I was looking forward to the USC-Texas showdown for the national title. I had also said that if Vince Young didn't win the Heisman, someone was napping.

And on January 4, 2006 - TEXAS WINS!! TEXAS WINS!! HOOOOLLLLLYYYYYY COW!!

That Rose Bowl game, in which Texas won, 41-38, was one of the most amazing games I had ever seen. And I almost lost hope when USC took a 38-26 lead with 6 minutes remaining. Vince Young took all of two minutes to move Texas down the field to score again. With 4 minutes left, Texas was down, 38-33. Plenty of time, I thought - now what we need is a hell of a defensive stand. Easier said than done, because, up to that point, all 4 USC possessions in the second half resulted in touchdowns.

With two minutes left, I got my wish when Texas stopped USC on fourth and two. Two minutes remaining on the clock, and two timeouts left - and Vince Young on the field - what better odds could you ask for? Vince moves the ball down the field, and then comes fourth and 5 at the 8-yard line with 0:23 remaining. As I expected, no one was open, so Young takes it to the house himself. When he started running, I slowly & softly went, "touchdown, touchdown" and then yelled out, "YES!!!" Oh man, what a rush!!

I had seen, either on TV or in person, many exciting games in my 37 years on Earth, but I don't remember one as exciting as that. Even when USC got the ball back with 0:19 left, I said that I wasn't going to rest until I saw 0:00 on the clock. When the clock ran out, USC was about 15 yards - one good completion - away from field goal range. I would not have counted USC out by any means.

Matt Leinher finished with 365 yards passing, 1 TD and 1 INT. The Heisman winner, Reggie Bush, had 82 yards rushing (1 TD) and 95 yards receiving, but had the boneheaded play of the game with the funble on the lateral in the second quarter that woke up Texas. Still, a solid if unspectacular evening.

Vince Young? How is this: 267 yards passing, 199 yards rushing, 3 TDs. The 467 yards total offense totally shattered the Rose Bowl record for most yards by one person. Now the next question - will Vince enter the NFL draft & get picked by Houston (ironically speaking, his hometown)? Stay tuned.

Like I said, that may have been the most exciting game I had ever seen. I rank that with Doug Flutie's hail mary pass when he played for Boston College against Miami that beat Miami 47-45. The Super Bowl between St. Louis & Tennessee when the Titans came a yard and a half short when time ran out. The playoff game when Buffalo came from a 35-7 deficit to beat Houston in OT, 41-38, in the playoffs. Any comeback that the original comeback kid, Roger Staubach, may have generated in the 1970s.

And speaking of comebacks, I was at Salsa's Mexican restaurant Monday evening having some good Mexican food with friends when we were watching the Sugar Bowl, pitting West Virginia against Georgia. Well, being a SEC fan, I was all for Georgia. Georgia put up one hell of a fight, and they never quit. They were down at one point, 28-0, but came from behind and almost won the game - they lost, 38-35. That was one hell of a game.

I had also said in a previous post that I was rooting for any SEC team that was in bowl games. Six teams from the SEC played, and the SEC's record was 3-3. LSU won huge over Miami in a game that wasn't even that close. Alabama beat Texas Tech on a last second field goal. Florida beat Iowa impressively. I already talked about how close Georgia was to pulling off a huge comeback. Wisconsin upset Auburn - I don't even think Auburn showed up. Yeah, I'll give Wisconsin credit - they are a tough team. But I thought Auburn was better.

But I have to ask Nettiemac - why did South Carolina lose to Missouri?? Especially after leading Missouri at one point, 21-0? I was so upset at that! But it only goes to show that no lead is safe if you make mistakes (Missouri's first touchdown was an interception return) and if your defense can't get the job done. Still, I am proud of the SEC teams that played in Bowl Games.

But the Texas victory is something I will savor for a long time. So, congratulations to Mack Brown, Vince Young, and the Texas Longhorns - 2005 NCAA National Champions!

Hook 'em Horns!!

Bolivar "OK, let me catch my breath" Shagnasty