Move Over USC: Texas is New King

By Big12-Fans Writer Josh Cline

After their 51-17 dismantling of formerly undefeated and #7 in the BCS Texas Tech, it’s time to declare Texas “King of College Football.” Yes, football fans, I’m ready to declare Texas #1 in football along with the newly released BCS rankings. That means they are better than the USC Trojans this season…and they have earned it on the football field, not by media hype.

This is not to say that they are the best team ever, or even the best team of the decade, or even of the past two seasons. I believe that the 2004 versions of Oklahoma, USC, and perhaps Auburn would beat any team this year for fun, and probably run up the score doing so. But, Oklahoma has collapsed losing players to the NFL, graduation, and injury, so they are a non-factor in the Top 25, let alone the National Championship. USC, two-time defending Associated Press Poll Champions and defending National Champion has a great returning cast on offense, but due to graduation and injury has lost an important portion of their defense. Neither team is as good as it was the year before, and I don’t think even Trojan fans would argue this one.

The good news about college football debates is that each year is fresh; we don’t have to go on season’s past. The players change so frequently, that there is always a great new debate to ponder. So, even with Texas’ inability to beat Oklahoma in the 2000s until this season, and with USC having one of the best teams of all-time last year, we can still say that Texas is the best team this season, 2005.

I will be honest; I didn’t really buy into the Texas hype coming into the season. The Longhorns lost star-RB Cedric Benson and LB Derrick Johnson. I certainly didn’t buy into Vince Young as a leader. Maybe I should have after last season when Texas won out after the Oklahoma game and beat Michigan in the Rose Bowl, but I didn’t. I wrote off Vince Young as a running QB with no arm and no leadership capabilities. He has simply gone out and made the throws and has really not had to do as much with his legs.

While USC has shown huge flashes of brilliance on the offensive side of the ball this season, Texas has outdone them with a remarkable consistency. Like USC, they have had a tough road win against a top 10 team in a hostile environment. However, as electric as the crowd was in South Bend earlier this month, it was even more charged in Columbus at night. The Longhorns won by three points in a game they were the underdog. Other than that one narrow victory, Texas has won all of their games by no fewer than 25 points (a win over Big 12 North-leading Colorado).

USC has beaten up on some teams, but have also allowed certain teams to hang in against them. They beat Arizona State (3-4) by only ten points in a game which they trailed until the second half. They let Arizona (1-6) hang around until the fourth quarter. I know that a win is a win, but we are comparing two unscathed teams, so it is fair to compare consistency of domination…and I think it is fair to say Texas wins out on this category.

Also, Texas has faced a more difficult path to 7-0. Texas’s top two opponents Ohio State and Texas Tech would have a chance against anybody on USC’s schedule. While Notre Dame could give Ohio State and Texas Tech a good game, Oregon would be underdogs to either of those teams. The Massey Rating system (BCS component) rates Texas’s schedule as the 7th toughest in the nation and USC’s as the 50th. Not even comparable.

So while the BCS computers have validated my claims today, the BCS will likely shift back to USC’s direction because the computers will say that Stanford is a better opponent than Oklahoma State (and rightly so). Texas will move back to #2 before the season is over and USC back to #1. That doesn’t mean my opinion will change unless Texas has some severe changes. Texas is now King of the Hill and USC needs to be more consistent if they want to get back. I’m just glad the BCS exists so we can see them face off in January instead of Penn State-USC in the Rose and Texas-Notre Dame in the Fiesta…the argument gets to be laid out on the field in just a matter of time. Until then, it’s always fun to speculate.

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