ORANGE BOWL
USC vs. OKLAHOMA, January 4th, 8:00 pm
This is the big one and the hype leading up to it has been ?bigger and badder? than usual since these teams have been ranked No.1 and No. 2 for most of the season and both come into this game undefeated. USC owns the nation's longest winning streak at 21 games and Oklahoma has the nation's best record this century at 60-6. The coaches, Pete Carroll and Bob Stoops, are considered by many to be the top two coaches in the NCAA and both are playing for their second national championship since 2000.
There are a record four out of this season?s five Heisman finalists that will be on the field in this game; Matt Leinart of USC, Adrian Peterson of Oklahoma, Jason White of Oklahoma and Reggie Bush of USC. If USC loses in the National Championship game, Matt Leinart will continue a depressing trend; only twice in the past 27 years has a Heisman winner been part of a consensus national champion. The road to the most revered trophy in college sports is littered with the reputations of former winners. The Heisman paints a bull's eye on the winner and it is been theorized that the life changing experience of winning the award becomes too big of a distraction.
USC likely has a bit of a chip on it?s shoulder for this year?s Orange Bowl after being passed over for Oklahoma in last year?s BCS Championship game at the Sugar Bowl even though Oklahoma lost the Big 12 Championship game to Kansas State to close out their season. Oklahoma promptly got beat by LSU and USC won in the Rose bowl over Michigan to provide a split vote in the polls as to who should be the National Champions. Auburn, who also went undefeated this year, had a legitimate beef about not being invited to this game but the Tigers could not ever really get their offense going against Virginia Tech last night in the Sugar Bowl and eventually gave up 13 points in the 4th quarter in a 16-13 winning effort.
Auburn is not the only team to struggle with VA Tech?s defense this year as the Hokies pressured Trojan QB Leinart in their opener and USC was not able to find much running room in a 24-13 victory. The Trojans looked beatable in that game, and also in subsequent games against Stanford, California, Oregon State and UCLA. In those PAC 10 conference games, USC won by an average score of 28-22 and only outgained their opponents by slim 376-352 margin. Cal actually outgained USC by a 424-205 margin and QB Aaron Rogers was able to complete his first 23 passes against the USC secondary before turning the ball over on downs in the final two minutes in a 23-17 loss. The combined records of the four PAC 10 teams that played USC close, was 27-20 in 2004. After a closer look, you have to start to wonder how USC was ranked No.1 the entire season. Did you see the performances of California and UCLA in their bowl games?
The Sooners play in the very tough Big 12 South conference and the average score in games against the other five teams in the South was 31-17. Four of those teams played in bowl games and all four finished the regular season in the Top 25 in the BCS standings. Texas Tech was humbled by Oklahoma in a 28-13 loss in October yet the Red Raiders were able to outscore California by two touchdowns in the Holiday Bowl. That?s right, the same California that outgained USC by 219 yards and took the Trojans down to the wire were in turned outgained 597-467 by Tech. Oklahoma had only two games this season finish within 7 points and the Sooners held the Texas Longhorns scoreless in their game.
I will not bother to rehash the glowing offensive statistics of these two teams as they have been repeatedly shoved down our throats ad-nauseum. I will however point out that the team that controls the line of scrimmage usually wins the football game. The advantage here goes to Oklahoma without question. The defensive line of the Sooners should dominate their very young and inexperienced counterparts on the USC side and will be key in slowing the USC ground game while pressuring Leinart. Oklahoma allowed just 86 rushing yards per game and 2.8 yards per rush against some top-notch running teams in the Big 12. USC allowed 24 sacks this season and the Oklahoma defense has 38 to their credit. On the offensive side Oklahoma allowed only seven sacks with a big veteran line to protect White and to open holes for Peterson. This game will be won in the trenches. I played the moneyline on this game when USC was a 3 point favorite so I obviously believe that the points won?t matter in my Bowl Game of the Year.
The Verdict: OKLAHOMA (PK)
USC vs. OKLAHOMA, January 4th, 8:00 pm
This is the big one and the hype leading up to it has been ?bigger and badder? than usual since these teams have been ranked No.1 and No. 2 for most of the season and both come into this game undefeated. USC owns the nation's longest winning streak at 21 games and Oklahoma has the nation's best record this century at 60-6. The coaches, Pete Carroll and Bob Stoops, are considered by many to be the top two coaches in the NCAA and both are playing for their second national championship since 2000.
There are a record four out of this season?s five Heisman finalists that will be on the field in this game; Matt Leinart of USC, Adrian Peterson of Oklahoma, Jason White of Oklahoma and Reggie Bush of USC. If USC loses in the National Championship game, Matt Leinart will continue a depressing trend; only twice in the past 27 years has a Heisman winner been part of a consensus national champion. The road to the most revered trophy in college sports is littered with the reputations of former winners. The Heisman paints a bull's eye on the winner and it is been theorized that the life changing experience of winning the award becomes too big of a distraction.
USC likely has a bit of a chip on it?s shoulder for this year?s Orange Bowl after being passed over for Oklahoma in last year?s BCS Championship game at the Sugar Bowl even though Oklahoma lost the Big 12 Championship game to Kansas State to close out their season. Oklahoma promptly got beat by LSU and USC won in the Rose bowl over Michigan to provide a split vote in the polls as to who should be the National Champions. Auburn, who also went undefeated this year, had a legitimate beef about not being invited to this game but the Tigers could not ever really get their offense going against Virginia Tech last night in the Sugar Bowl and eventually gave up 13 points in the 4th quarter in a 16-13 winning effort.
Auburn is not the only team to struggle with VA Tech?s defense this year as the Hokies pressured Trojan QB Leinart in their opener and USC was not able to find much running room in a 24-13 victory. The Trojans looked beatable in that game, and also in subsequent games against Stanford, California, Oregon State and UCLA. In those PAC 10 conference games, USC won by an average score of 28-22 and only outgained their opponents by slim 376-352 margin. Cal actually outgained USC by a 424-205 margin and QB Aaron Rogers was able to complete his first 23 passes against the USC secondary before turning the ball over on downs in the final two minutes in a 23-17 loss. The combined records of the four PAC 10 teams that played USC close, was 27-20 in 2004. After a closer look, you have to start to wonder how USC was ranked No.1 the entire season. Did you see the performances of California and UCLA in their bowl games?
The Sooners play in the very tough Big 12 South conference and the average score in games against the other five teams in the South was 31-17. Four of those teams played in bowl games and all four finished the regular season in the Top 25 in the BCS standings. Texas Tech was humbled by Oklahoma in a 28-13 loss in October yet the Red Raiders were able to outscore California by two touchdowns in the Holiday Bowl. That?s right, the same California that outgained USC by 219 yards and took the Trojans down to the wire were in turned outgained 597-467 by Tech. Oklahoma had only two games this season finish within 7 points and the Sooners held the Texas Longhorns scoreless in their game.
I will not bother to rehash the glowing offensive statistics of these two teams as they have been repeatedly shoved down our throats ad-nauseum. I will however point out that the team that controls the line of scrimmage usually wins the football game. The advantage here goes to Oklahoma without question. The defensive line of the Sooners should dominate their very young and inexperienced counterparts on the USC side and will be key in slowing the USC ground game while pressuring Leinart. Oklahoma allowed just 86 rushing yards per game and 2.8 yards per rush against some top-notch running teams in the Big 12. USC allowed 24 sacks this season and the Oklahoma defense has 38 to their credit. On the offensive side Oklahoma allowed only seven sacks with a big veteran line to protect White and to open holes for Peterson. This game will be won in the trenches. I played the moneyline on this game when USC was a 3 point favorite so I obviously believe that the points won?t matter in my Bowl Game of the Year.
The Verdict: OKLAHOMA (PK)
