Sports Columnists

By northwestDAWG

January 5, 2006 04:19 PM | Link to this

couldn’t agree with you more. I think this game was even better than the Okla.-Nebraska of 1971. It also shows, in my opinion how far the DAWG program has to go. For several years Texas lost to Okla. and people said that Brown and crew choked and couldn’t win the big one. To use a well known phrase, they “finished the drill” last night and I believe broke the cycle. That’s something that Ga. must with the Reptiles and AU. We can’t continue to lose year after year to the Reptiles and expect to ever get in a posistion like those two teams were in last night. People may jump on Pete Carroll about his gamble on 4th down but it’s his attitude of “I’m always going to go for it” that helped put an agressive mentality in the Trojan team. That has won many a game for them. I was very excited to watch Vincent Young lead his Longhorns to victory

By Chris

January 5, 2006 04:39 PM | Link to this

This game was mediocre at best. Two overhyped, punk teams going for a title run that neither team had any business playing for. Its only flaw was that both teams couldnt lose. Texas exposed USC for the frauds they really are, but couldnt help exposing themselves in the process. We’re all just glad its over.

By Jman

January 5, 2006 04:44 PM | Link to this

USC should have lined up in a punt formation and at least faked like West Virginia did to UGAly the other night. Would have worked too.

By ben

January 5, 2006 04:58 PM | Link to this

Chris-did you watch the game? I think “we” is a small group who know little about football.

By northwestDAWG

January 5, 2006 05:26 PM | Link to this

I think that Chris’s we’re should be singular. Chris, did you go to harvard or Brown? Thought flashed thought my mind; will Carroll pull a W.Va.?

By Pete

January 5, 2006 05:41 PM | Link to this

Nice article, Mark - I’m glad to know you’re doing your job because you like it - I’ve suspected as much from reading your columns. Keep up the good work, and keep enjoying the great games you get to write about!

By jimmy

January 5, 2006 08:09 PM | Link to this

chris-just out of curiousity—-if neither of these teams had any business playing for the national championship, who did? i can’t wait for your answer because in my opinion, there are no other teams in the country who could consistently compete with either texas or usc.

By lawton

January 5, 2006 08:15 PM | Link to this

www.trademichaelvick.com

By Guy that agrees with Chris

January 5, 2006 08:19 PM | Link to this

As far as I’m concerned, LSU-UGA in the Ga dome was for the national championship.

By War Eagle

January 5, 2006 08:34 PM | Link to this

Great game…Vince Young was off the charts… A few comments, all of SC starting offense and majority of defense from California. Texas had all offense and defense starters from Texas. LA has more 4 and 5 start high school athletes than all of Georgia. High school football is KING in Texas.All this results in having the top recruiting classes in the country last 3 years.No SEC team could compete with either team this year. There conferences might be weak, but if strong, same results. I mention in a blog before holidays, UGA should be in the top 5 year after year with their strong recruiting program. I would love to see Auburn on that stage(NCG)like last night before I go into the sunset… Another world!!!

By edward

January 5, 2006 08:54 PM | Link to this

I think this Chris guy is simply ridiculous. If you didnt enjoy the game, then tell me, would you prefer watching mice skating instead?

By JOHNNY COMELATELY

January 6, 2006 01:20 AM | Link to this

Guy and Chris…then, why WATCH?

By The Dream

January 6, 2006 02:01 AM | Link to this

LSU vs GA the National title game? Are you freaking kidding me. I am a die hard Georgia fan, grew up in Athens, and I say you are out of your mind. LSU …a team that lost to an atrocious Tennessee team. And my Dawgs? Only GOT to the SEC championship game because South Carolina beat Florida?

I agree with the comments made by people. If WVU put 28 up on georgia with a freshman QB and RB in the first half…Leinart, Bush&Lendale would have doubled it at least. and Young? He has the highest passing efficiency in the entire NCAA is almost as fast and just as shifty as Vick..yea right. The Dawgs had such a vaunted defense also..didn’t give up more than oh about 17 during the regular season…where was the defense that day?

I agree the SEC is the toughest conference in college football. But not this year.

By jimmy

January 6, 2006 08:01 AM | Link to this

ga vs lsu for the national title. come on. don’t waste the space here with such nonsense. i know you are not serious and are trying to bait someone into an argument but put that stupidity on the dawg vent and let comments here be about the article by bradley.

By John

January 6, 2006 09:23 AM | Link to this

I agree with you, Mark. Until now, the best was the 1971 Nebraska-Oklahoma game, but USC-Texas kept you on your toes until the last second. Truly exciting, with exceptional performances all around. Everyone seems to have risen to the occasion (and Vince Young’s stock rose even further).

By Scott -- TN res. --- S. Carolina Fan

January 6, 2006 09:35 AM | Link to this

Chris …and the ‘guy who agrees with Chris’

Get up off the bar-co-lounger and look out your narrow-minded sports window. You will see that there is a Mason-Dixon line, and that there is a huge NATION beyond the borders of the Southeast. As much as I’m a big SEC fan, and a bigger fan of the Garnet and Black, the game-hens deserved the bowl they went to. So did UGA, and so did LSU for that matter (assuming Chris and ‘guy’ are thinking the same things).

NOBODY deserved to be in the Rose Bowl except for the two teams that played. And anyone else who might have given it a go would have been “Oklahoma embarrassed” by either team (see USC vs. OU — 2005). Auburn, from last year, is the only recent SEC team that comes to mind who deserved to be in the title game, and while they would have fared better than OU, USC (I’m speaking of last year) still would have put the hammer down.

I’m no PAC ten fan, trust me. And I’m dog-gone glad that Texas ended the USC run, but these teams are not going away. Get your head out of the sand, dude! If you don’t, your SEC/Southeast tunnel vision will keep you from witnessing some GREAT games (like the Rose Bowl) that have “instant classic” written all over it! Can I get an ‘Amen’?

By Darn Good Dawg

January 6, 2006 09:50 AM | Link to this

Guys, I’m a UGA fan but Mark’s article was about the National Championship game NOT involving UGA. Can we please for once talk about college football without bringing the Dawgs into it. We aren’t God’s gift to football.

By George

January 6, 2006 10:39 AM | Link to this

I am a Duke fan and not much into college football for good reason because Duke is terriable but the hype around this game made me watch and I am glad I did. It was one of the best games flat out that I have seen in football period. AMEN SCOTT and to Chris and his little band of maybe 1 follower nobody could have even played with them two teams. Wait I feel a change coming on YES YES I think DUKE should have been in the title game.

By Ala. Jim

January 6, 2006 11:07 AM | Link to this

Mark, you must not have watched Notre Dame- Southern Cal or Auburn - Georgia.

By Jay

January 6, 2006 11:15 AM | Link to this

I’ve been a Dawg fan since I could walk and I”m about as sick of USC as is humanly possible, but the fact remains that the two best college teams in the country played one of the best college games of the last few years. It wasn’t like UGA vs WVU where one team played great one half and the other team played great in the other half. It wasn’t like Michigan-Nebraska with horrible officiating. It truly was a clash of titans. Anyone that could not appreciate the magnitude and sheer greatness of that game is neither a bulldog fan, a football fan or even a sports fan for that matter. The BCS got it right this year and we (the fans) saw 4 classic BCS games and one game that’ll go down for the ages. Jay

By Paul

January 6, 2006 11:22 AM | Link to this

I think Vanderbilt should’ve been in the Rose Bowl. They got screwed.

By Harold

January 6, 2006 12:18 PM | Link to this

This was a rare game that suprised fans because it lived up to the hype. Two great teams who really are 1&2 No matter who we cheer for the only thing that could have been better would have been if our teams were involved. Congrats to Coach MacWorter UGA alum and former Tech Coach -Texas line coach

By Paul

January 6, 2006 12:31 PM | Link to this

I think Kentucky should’ve been in the Rose Bowl. They got screwed!

By Steve

January 6, 2006 12:50 PM | Link to this

While I’m glad some folks can remember back to 1971 (I’m an old guy too!)I’m surprised no one has mentioned the double-overtime Ohio State vs Miami classic in the Fiesta Bowl a couple of years ago. Until Wednesday, that was the best college game I’d ever seen, bar none. And I’m still undecided on whether USC-Texas was better.

By Young'un

January 6, 2006 03:44 PM | Link to this

GREAT!!!!!!! FAR OUT!!!!! FANTASTIC!!!!!!

By Paul

January 6, 2006 04:12 PM | Link to this

I think Mississippi State should’ve been in the Rose Bowl. They got screwed!

By Michael

January 6, 2006 05:51 PM | Link to this

I think we will never have “the greatest college football game I have ever seen” in our lifetimes. Why? Because unlike all the other sporting events mentioned, there is so much doubt behind college football’s championship system. Considering that, the USC-Texas game was less exciting to some of us than, say, the 2000 Outback Bowl or the 2002 Auburn-Georgia game.

See I’m no Penn State fan but they have as much claim to being in the national title game as USC and Texas do. The Big Ten was probably a little bit better than the SEC this year overall. Texas squeaked by Ohio State months ago. USC played nobody as good as Ohio State (no, not even Notre Dame). So who is to say Penn State isn’t better than those two teams? When you play vastly different schedules from other teams, comparing the two is folly. That’s why an 8-team playoff is needed and why I will never get a jones for a mythical national championship game.

By the way: ask any West Virginia fan what the greatest game they have ever seen was. I betcha it wasn’t the Rose Bowl.

By stan

January 6, 2006 07:10 PM | Link to this

Those who watched the Rose Bowl and didn’t think it was one of the best football games ever, aren’t football fans. Can’t be. They’re pretenders.

By brewerfaninATL

January 6, 2006 07:27 PM | Link to this

Paul: I think you haven’t seen the SEC play this year. They looked screwed up!