Even in pros, there’s no escaping ’06 Rose Bowl

Remember when USC played in national championship games?

Remember when Texas used to go to the Rose Bowl?

On three fields in three NFL cities Sunday, Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush and Vince Young commemorated college football’s first Game of the Century of 2006 (Version Jan. 4), which seems certain to be discussed and remembered much longer than the second Game of the Century of 2006 (Version Nov. 18), in which Ohio State dominated Michigan everywhere except the scoreboard.

Put it this way: Which rematch, Texas-USC or Ohio State-Michigan, would have interested more people? Given the chance of a Buckeyes-Wolverines sequel, the BCS said thanks but no thanks, we want somebody else, anybody else ... how about those Gators?

Leinart and Bush, rekindling memories of bygone days when USC could score more than one touchdown against UCLA, had big days on the same day for the Arizona Cardinals and the New Orleans Saints, which is much easier said than done.

Leinart, after beginning his professional career 0-5, won for the second time in a row by completing 15 of 24 passes for 186 yards and a touchdown in Arizona’s 34-20 triumph over St. Louis.

Bush, after waiting three months for the kind of breakout game the league expected as soon as he made himself available for the draft, finally got there on the first Sunday of December. Bush scored four touchdowns and amassed 168 receiving-rushing yards as New Orleans defeated San Francisco, 34-10.

And, in a nice touch that showed a perfectionist’s attention to detail, Bush replicated his Rose Bowl performance down to breaking a long run into opposition territory before losing control of the ball -- only this time, he fumbled it harmlessly out of bounds.

Young, whose two feet helped overcome the Leinart-Bush double team to win that unforgettable Rose Bowl, pulled off a trio of unlikely feats in Tennessee’s 20-17 upset of Indianapolis.

Which feat was the most improbable?

Pulling off a sweep of the Manning brothers -- beating Eli in Week 12, then picking off Peyton in Week 13?

Dragging the Titans to three straight victories over Philadelphia, the New York Giants and the Colts?

Or reportedly getting a contract extension for Tennessee’s Jeff Fisher, a beleaguered 2-7 before Young began to figure out Norm Chow’s playbook?

Now 5-4 as an NFL starter, Young is beating big-name teams and quarterbacks in memorable and dramatic fashion.

Last Sunday, Young spotted the Giants a 21-0 lead, then scrambled and passed the Titans to 24 unanswered points -- the last three coming on a 49-yard field by Rob Bironas with six seconds left.

One week later, Young passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns and runs for 78 yards to put the Titans within range of a longshot victory -- the game-winner again provided by Bironas, this time on a 60-yard field goal with seven seconds remaining.

Bironas is the second NFL player to convert a 60-yard field goal this season, following the 62-yarder Matt Bryant delivered for Tampa Bay against Philadelphia on Oct. 22.

Two 60-yarders in the same season -- an NFL first.

Two 60-yarders in the same season -- after the NFL had produced four 60-yarders, total, in the league’s first 86 years.

It took the league 50 years to break the 60-yard barrier. Tom Dempsey’s 63-yarder was the first, coming in 1970.

It then took 14 years for someone to join Dempsey. Steve Cox was the second, making a 60-yarder in 1984.

It took 14 years after that to bump the club’s membership up to four. Morten Andersen converted from 60 yards in 1991, and Jason Elam scored from 63 yards in 1998.

Four 60-yard field goals in 86 years ... and now there are two in seven weeks?

Watching this, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa immediately demand an investigation.

Meanwhile, the Mannings, a combined 14-2 after eight games, are 2-6 over the last four weeks. Peyton has sandwiched losses to Dallas and Tennessee around a victory over Philadelphia. Eli has lost four in a row, the latest a 23-20 defeat to Dallas that gives the Cowboys a two-game lead in the NFC East with four games to play.

Dallas Coach Bill Parcells, continuing to tinker on the fly, picked a new kicker last Monday after giving Mike Vanderjagt the boot, and Martin Gramatica saved his new job for at least one week by kicking three field goals, including a 46-yarder to win the game with one second on the clock.

Three teams now share the league’s best record at 10-2. In the AFC, San Diego pulled even with Indianapolis after a 24-21 victory at Buffalo, highlighted by two more touchdowns by LaDainian Tomlinson, bringing his season total to 26. Tomlinson has four games to break Shaun Alexander’s single-season touchdown record of 28.

Chicago is also 10-2 after a bizarre 23-13 triumph over Minnesota. Bears quarterback Rex Grossman completed only six passes in 19 attempts for 34 yards with three interceptions -- and Chicago won by 10 points.

Incredibly, it was possible to win a game in Week 13 with an even less effective passing attack. Houston defeated Oakland, 23-14, despite netting minus-five yards passing. David Carr threw for 32 yards, but was sacked five times for minus-37.

That proved something we suspected all season long.

The Raiders are capable of losing any time to anyone, even to a team whose offensive attack is pass-backwards.

mike.penner@latimes.com