Texas Can Win if It Takes Bull by the Horns

We are Big BCS Brother and we know what you are thinking: Texas has about as much chance of beating USC as the Rose Parade had of beating that rainstorm.

They talk about Vince’s “vibe” in Austin, but tooling around Los Angeles this week, the Texas quarterback sensed a different kind of energy.

The bad mojo conveyed, “We’re going to get beat bad,” Vince Young said.

Why all the Longhorn faces?

For one, ESPN, the worldwide leader at wrapping its stage hands around every nook of Wednesday’s Rose Bowl, has been running spots comparing this year’s USC squad to some of the best teams of all time.

“I guess we’ve got 72 hours to put USC vs. Napoleon’s army ...” quipped an almost apologetic Chris Fowler of ESPN.

Never mind that this USC team probably isn’t as good as last season’s team and Trojan Coach Pete Carroll thinks his 11-2 team in 2002, by the end of the season, might have been his best.

Receiver Billy Pittman may be the only Texas player to have found a way to ignore the pregame USC coronation.

“I watch a lot of cartoons,” he said.

Right about now, Texas is Yosemite Sam with steam blowing out both ears.

Oooh, I hate those Trojans!

It would, in fact, be a stretch bordering on comic book superhero Mr. Fantastic to suggest USC is going to lose with so much posterity on the line.

But here are 10 ways/reasons Texas can win:

* 1: Don’t panic! USC is going to score points and sometimes make you tackle the way you did in Pop Warner. You can’t stop Matt Leinart, LenDale White, Dwayne Jarrett and Reggie Bush.

USC is going to make plays.

“When they make them, pat them on the head and say good job and get back up,” Texas Coach Mack Brown said.

Last year, after Oklahoma got behind, 21-7, you could almost see the Norman chapter of the Boy Scouts coming on the field to fold up the tents.

When USC makes a big play, make one to match it.

* 2: Texas is not Oklahoma. The most damning indictment against the Longhorns is guilt by association. See, Texas won the same conference Oklahoma won last season and the Sooners got whipped by USC, 55-19, in the Orange Bowl.

That 12-0 Oklahoma squad, in retrospect, was a paper Sooner. There were chemistry problems, coverage problems and as good as quarterback Jason White was, and he was good enough to win a Heisman Trophy, he in no way compares with Young.

Texas is not Oklahoma. Lather, rinse, repeat.

* 3: ESPN factor. First, the cable network got USC quarterback Matt Leinart ruled ineligible (temporarily) for doing a “SportsCenter” promo and then riled up Texas by arguing the 2005 USC team may be the best ever before this season is even over.

No wonder that, before arriving for the Rose Bowl, Texas was blasting the Trojan fight song in its locker room all month.

* 4: Streak fatigue. Hearing how great you are 24 hours a day has to be a royal pain and USC by now must be ready for a nap.

“I think there’s so much mental fatigue at carrying that win streak,” said Kirk Bohls, columnist for the Austin American-Statesman. “You can almost see it with Matt [Leinart]. I think that wears on a team as well.”

* 5: Special teams. Former coach turned television analyst Lee Corso has a theory.

“You might not beat them offensively, you might not beat them defensively, but you can beat USC, this great football team, on special teams,” Corso said.

Block a punt or field goal, run back a punt or kickoff -- find a way to change the game’s momentum.

Texas is terrific on special teams; USC is not so hot. Texas has blocked a nation-leading 43 kicks since the 2000 season. The Longhorns have not allowed a kickoff return for a score in 57 games. USC gives up 17.7 yards a punt return but has punted only 31 times. Texas’ Aaron Ross has returned two punts for touchdowns this season.

* 6: No team is ever as good as its hype. We’ve seen this game before. Miami won the 2001 national championship and entered the following season’s Fiesta Bowl riding a 34-game winning streak. Miami was being compared to the best teams of all time. Ohio State got so sick of hearing this it beat Miami.

* 7: Win the first quarter. Last year, Oklahoma handed USC a 14-7 lead when Mark Bradley fumbled a punt inside the Trojan 10, setting up a LenDale White touchdown run.

* 8: Keep the game close into the fourth quarter and watch Vince Young win it. Against Ohio State this season, Young connected with Limas Sweed for the game-winning touchdown pass with 2 minutes 37 seconds left in a 25-22 victory.

This guy loves big stages.

* 9: Put pressure on Matt Leinart. “I think you stop him like any quarterback,” said Dan Fouts, a Hall of Fame quarterback turned broadcaster. “You put him on his back ... and Texas has the people to do that.”

Texas’ defense has recorded 32 sacks this year; USC’s offensive line has allowed only 14.

Now comes the time when push comes to shove.

* 10: Texas might be the better team. Ever consider this one? You have all this talk about USC’s offense when Texas leads the nation in scoring at 50.92 points per game.

Texas has a better defensive line, better defensive backs and better special teams.

If none of these reasons impress you, consider the nothing-lasts-forever axiom.

Or, as Bohls posits, “Nobody wins a thousand in a row.”