Burnt Orange Report

USC is definately overconfident. I'm hoping that the Longhorns play a great game like last year's Rose Bowl and give USC hell. My prediction: UT 45 - USC 38

I refuse to predict, because my predictions are often wrong. Not enough to be an iron clad bad luck charm, but I'm not taking any chances. I have been waiting for this game for weeks, years really.

Here's how I see the key match-ups:

QB: Tie. Matt Leinart is the best representative of a dying breed--the only moderately mobile stand up pocket QB. Vince Young is the best representative of the most important development in football since the West Coast offense: highly mobile QBs who can beat you with their arms or their feet. If Young's accuracy was just a little better (and it has made leaps and bounds as time has gone on, with no signs of this improvement slowing), he'd be a much better QB. As it stands, the experience and maturity of Leinart bring it to a tie.

Rushing: USC. Reggie Bush is among the most unbelievably talented athletes I have ever watched. LenDale White would be an All Conference and All American starter on any other team in college football. That being said, Texas' RB committee of Young, Young, Charles and Taylor (obviously, Vince Young is not an RB, but he is our top rusher) can hang in almost any situation. USC wins, but you hit a point when both sides are so good that its just quibbles over magnitude.

Receiving: Texas. A controversial one, but between Ramonce Taylor's ability in the slot, Limas Sweed out wide and David Thomas at Tight End, Texas has a lot of tools to use. Bush works niftily as a receiver and Dwayne Jarrett would be a marquee player on almost any other team, but I think that Texas' passing game trumps just slightly.

Defensive Core (D-Line and Linebackers): Texas. Hands down. No question. We have some of the meanest mothers on the face of the planet in the box. If our D-Line with Rodrique Wright and Orakpo coming down on your throat doesn't scare you, our linebackers anchored by Robert Killebrew should do the trick. USC has yet to face ANYTHING like this.

Secondary: Texas, even more so than our core. We have among the best pass defenses in the country, with five guys (Michael Huff, Cedric and Michael Griffin, Aaron Ross and Tarell Brown) who play four positions better than any other group in the country, they defy convention. All five can hit and tackle and all five have wheels. This, I believe, is where this game will be won or lost. If they perform up to their standards, they can make life more difficult for USC, more so than any other position. At the same time, if they falter it will have the biggest impact of them all as there will be little stopping USC's offense at that point.

Special Teams: Texas. USC, believe it or not, is DEAD LAST in punt coverage in NCAA Division I-A football. Of course, they rarely punt the ball, so they probably don't get much practice with the process, though they can't come in tonight and expect that to fly. Texas can move it on punts and kickoffs and can set the tone for field position. Now, both offenses are good enough to score on any drive starting anywhere, but our special teams will be important in a game so evenly matched.

Intangibles: USC, controversially. Hype goes to Texas. It is a lot harder to keep 20 and 21 year olds' heads on their shoulders with a month of hype on ESPN than it is to fire up a bunch of underdogs like Texas. But USC's focus on ball control that resulted in college ball's best turnover margin, their coaching and most importantly their experience in these things adds up to an advantage. USC has a lot going for them, though hype is a biggie. USC edges out Texas.

In the end, this is going to be one for the ages, and it'll either be the best or worst day of my life.

HOOK EM HORNS!

I'm sick of the arrogance of the bandwagon-jumping Longhorns fans. For once, I'd like to see them shut up, if only for a year. But, of course, if USC wins, I'll be hearing a lot of sour grapes in Beaumont and elsewhere in Texas.

Go, Trojans!

UT 38 - USC 27

USC is overrated, ND damned near rang their bell. I don't think they've faced one single team of Texas' stature. Texas takes them this year, ND next.

Nd '56, Texas Law '61 Go horns!

USC 38 UT 10

rose bowl? pffftt (uh oh, i'm ducking now)!

yall missed one helluva game last night if you missed the orange bowl. my noles nearly toppled penn state in triple OT. that was a true classic.

but seriously, good luck longhorns, hope yall hook em!

USC is overrated and is primed for a fall much like Miami in the 2002 Rose Bowl. Texas over USC by a touchdown.

The offenses despite all the hype from ESPN are fairly even. The defense and special teams of Texas, however, are far and away better than those of USC, and that will be the difference in the game. Gene Chizik is a badass and will be remembered as the guy who finally stopped the juggernaut that is the USC offense.

btw, Sirena, there is no Texas bandwagon. Texans have a lot of pride and normally support other Texans. This has nothing to do with bandwagon-jumping. USC however has a bandwagon comparable to that of the Lakers during the Shaq-Kobe era.

UT 38, USC 31

Hook 'em.

phillip, it almost looks like you took the betting line and then reversed it to make your prediction. how unoriginal ;-)

I hadn't even realized that was the betting line. I just thought we could score as many on them as we did on Michigan.

Also, since I'm writing again, I had a dream that we were up 7-6 at halftime last night. Doubtful that was the case, but if it turns out true, then I'm going to start playing the tracks...

Touche on the Lakers thing. I never liked Kobe, anyway.