Stupid calls by USC that cost them the game.

[trotsky]

I didn't have a horse in that race - didn't really matter to me who won, but I sure did enjoy watching all the talented players on both sides of the ball work their magic. Vince Young, man, what a player!

But in watching the game, it was clear that several decisions by coaches and players of USC were extraordinarily stupid.

1) Early in the game, 4th and 1 inside(?) the Texas 20. Instead of taking the easy FG, building their lead, White is stuffed for no gain, Texas gets the ball and momentum. Those 3 points, and the game is tied instead of won by Texas at the end of regulation.

2) Later on, Reggie Bush is finishing off a monster gain deep into Texas territory when he's about to be tackled by a gang of Texas defenders. Instead of being satisfied with a fantastic play that sets his team up in scoring position, he LATERALS to a USC player that is not ready for it! Result: turnover, ending a drive that could have yielded points that again could have made the difference between being tied or even still ahead when Young scores his last TD.

3) The crucial 4th-and-1 near the end of the game. IIRC, they weren't even to the Texas 40 yet. So not only do they have the example of Texas stuffing a 4th-and-1 early in the game, turning the ball over gives Texas only ~50 yards for a winning TD. Even a bad punt would have put them at their 20, a pooch maybe inside their 10. Those extra 30-40 yards might have put the game out of reach, time-wise.

Dumb, dumb, dumb is all I have to say about those decisions. Of course if they had worked, we'd be hailing their genius. But in a tight game against a really good opponent, you only take the risks necessary to win. USC got greedy.

[kick-ass-bob]

1. My question is this: Why wasn't Bush at least on the field for that 4th an

and 2?

At least that way, Texas couldn't just key on stopping White - which they did.

As for going for it there, I knew before they did it that if they didn't make it, they were going to lose the game.

But in their defense, they did convert on short yardage chances all game long.

[trotsky]

2. That's a really good point. Line up Bush & White in the backfield.

Make 'em commit. Yeah, I dunno, Pete Carroll's coaching genius took a few hits in this game.

[argyl]

7. He should have been there to give White a shove. It's worked before.

The better team won. Texas just outgutted USC. Best team of all time gets beaten by the #2 team of 2005.

To believe the adoring media Mack Brown should have surrendered unconditionally to Pete Carroll and spared his guys the humiliation of a blowout on national TV.

Guess there'll be a little less blather about the "men of Troy" for a while anyway.

[ProfessorGAC]

3. Re: #2

Not only did he lateral to a guy who wasn't ready, but:

1) That guy had not touched the ball one time all season!
2) It was a rotten lateral. He didn't pitch it anywhere near that guy.

Bonehead play by Reggie.

The Professor

[bigwillq]

4. They should've punted on 4th-and-1

near the end of the game. The only thing I can think of why they didn't was a botched punt but that's the risk you take.

As soon as USC didn't get the first, I was like "OH, Texas is winning"
They had two timeouts and only had to go 50 some odd yards.

[hijinx87]

5. I was halfway expecting a fake punt on that play

a la WVU against UGA. it couldn't have turned out much
worse.

[democracyindanger]

6. Yes, but the blown knee-down lateral call

was huuuuuuge.

[MaineDem]

8. I totally agree

If they hadn't scored...

Who knows.

[terryg11]

9. USC wnt for it alot on 4th down situations this year

and converted many of them. Sorry I don't have the numbers I just remember watching them "take chances" all year and well, they were 11-0 doing it that way. Really can't question Pete CArroll and his 34 consecutive wins.

[Awsi Dooger]

10. Going for it both times on 4th down was the right call

No question about it. This wasn't a typical game or opponent and Carroll correctly understood that. It's just the like Indianapolis/New England game on Monday night earlier this season in which both teams successfully went for it on 4th down in the first quarter. Those coaches also realized the situation was unique and didn't clumsily default to traditional strategy. In game like that anything other than a TD is losing ground.

Bigtime Kudos to Pete Carroll for making the right decisions. You have to play probability, not results. Particularly on the final drive a punt would have been moronic. USC couldn't stop Texas' base plays so 20 or 30 extra yards meant nothing. Going for it gave yourself 2 chances to win, not 1. You make the first down and the game is over. If not, you can still somehow stop Texas. Punting would have left only the 1 chance and that relied on your weakest link, the defense. I'm amazed the strategy is questioned.

As a USC alum I questioned the formation, not the strategy. Reggie Bush was at WR on the 4th down attempt in the first quarter and on the sideline during the final drive. My god, just stick him at tailback and he'll petrify at least two defenders to follow him anywhere on a fake pitchout, potentially leaving just enough room for White to get the first down. You could see Texas bunch the interior when Reggie wasn't in the backfield.

For all the accolades toward Vince Young, he made by far the biggest bonehead play of the game, even surpassing Reggie Bush's idiotic lateral. When it was 38-26, Young scrambled to the left then threw a ridiculous weak lob across the field to the right sideline into double coverage. By all rights it should have been picked off to end the game, but the lame USC defensive back batted it down, accomplishing nothing. I've read that pro scouts are downgrading Young for that critical gaffe as much as they are impressed by his playmaking ability, since most of the plays he makes with his legs don't translate to the pro level at all.