Game Story: 2006 College Football National Championship: Texas vs USC

I revisited an instant classic in the ‘06 title game in college football and wrote a game story as if it was 2006. Enjoy!
The Texas Longhorns defeated the Southern California Trojans 41-38 to win the National Championship on January 4th, 2006 at Pasadena, California’s scenic Rose Bowl. 

Doug Flutie’s performance against Miami in 1984 will have to take the silver medal for greatest college football game after the magic this one provided, especially with the pressure and thrills of a national championship. 

There was a steady load of scoring from beginning to end, but everything came down to the final 19 seconds, when Texas quarterback Vince Young ran it from the 8 yard line into the end zone to all but book a victory parade in Austin.

It was a superhuman game from the Longhorn QB, culminating in an incredible second half from Young, where he ran for three touchdowns and a two point conversion, an impressive total from any player, especially someone lining up under center. 

While Young carried Mack Brown’s offense on his back, Pete Carroll’s crew had star power in both the pass and run game. Heisman winner Reggie Bush was the bell cow on the ground. Quarterback Matt Leinart didn’t do a weak job of establishing the air game either, and had taken home Bush’s hardware the previous year. 

It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for the victors along the way. With only 6 minutes and 42 seconds left, the hometown hero Trojans had pulled ahead of the Lone Star State gang after Leinart threw a beauty of a pass for a 22 yard Dwayne Jarrett touchdown. However, two Vince Young TD rushes later, players in white and burnt orange were celebrating on the field.

Despite a rip your heart out loss, USC players’ future is bright, with countless NFL hopefuls led by recent pose-strikers Leinart and Bush. Their names will also be permanently etched in the record books with their 25 game win streak. 

On Texas’ end, Heisman runner up Young is also eager to enter the draft. 

Without their signature guys, it’s unclear how these programs will look going forward. 

This duel was a celebration of football, with the only sad part being the fact that it had to end.

Fellow Texas hero Selvin Young summed it up best, saying he “had a surreal moment that will last [him] the rest of his life.”

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