2006 Rose Bowl Texas vs. USC January 4, 2006

The Heisman race that year was between three of the players from this game. Quarterbacks Matt Leinart of USC, Vince Young of Texas and running back Reggie Bush of USC. Bush ultimately won the Heisman, but Young got many votes. Quite a bit more than Leinart who had won the Heisman the year before. Both teams had identical records at 12-0 coming into the Rose Bowl which happened to be the national title game as well. For once the BCS actually got it right, but only because there weren’t any other undefeated teams to stake a claim at the title.

Almost 94,000 people attended the best college football game of the decade. Texas were the underdogs going into the game. No one could have expected this game to be a shoot out that started in favor of Texas. Running back LenDale White of USC scored the first TD in the first quarter. Texas would answer in a big way when running backs Selvin Young and Ramonce Taylor both ran for touchdowns in the second quarter. Texas also added a field goal. USC would kick a field goal to end the first half down to Texas 10-16.

The fireworks began in the second half where Vince Young who was kept quiet for the first half, exploded in the third quarter. Young ran for his first touchdown, but USC answered with two rushing touchdowns from LenDale White. USC would have a 24-23 lead to end the third quarter. The game quickly became a one sided affair to start the fourth quarter. Reggie Bush capped off a 86 yard drive with a 26 yard run to extend the Trojans lead 31-23. Texas would answer with a field goal, but USC added another touchdown by Matt Leinart who found wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett for a 22 yard strike.

USC lead 38-26 with six and a half minutes to go in the game. It appeared the Trojans were about to add another national title to their trophy case. Vince Young missed out on the Heisman, but he wasn’t going to miss out on a national title. Young led the Longhorns on a 69 yard two and a half minute drive to be within five points of USC. The Trojans went for it on fourth down on their own 44 yard line. The did not succeed and the result gave Young and the Longhorns the break they needed with just over two minutes to go and a chance to win it on the final drive.

Vince Young kept the drive alive on every play either finding the open man down the field or running out of bounds past the first down marker. It was too much for the USC defense who seemed to forget that Texas was going to let Young win the game for them on that final gallop into the endzone to clinch Texas the national title. They have and will always be replaying this game every year on ESPN Classic or any other channel that has the authorization to replay it. It had future stars showing their skills to the entire country. Two power house football programs that would not give in for one second until the game was over. Looking back at it now, Vince Young wasn’t just going for the title, but wanted to take the Heisman as well.