AUSTIN, Texas -- Let's cut to the police escort shall we? The one leading the Texas team busses down I-5 from the Beverly Wilshire to the Rose Bowl on Jan. 4.
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| Vince Young's Longhorns debuted at No. 2 last week in the BCS. (AP) |
One half of the national championship game is filled. Second-ranked Texas can hit the snooze alarm for the rest of the season. Save an ineligibility, a broken leg or felonious bar fight, the Longhorns are in.
Your serve, USC.
Texas' last major hurdle was actually a minor puddle jump. Tenth-ranked Texas Tech lost by the five-touchdown margin it usually wins by, 52-17.
Words like "fraud" and "gimmick" will be attached to Texas Tech to diminish the Longhorns' best start in 22 years. But words like "number one" should be attached to Texas. Really, who is playing better?
"(Who is playing better) in the country, than Texas?" Texas linebacker Robert Killebrew said. "That's a trick question isn't it? You're trying to trap me."
No, just compare you to the two-time defending champions, USC, which, let's just say, has had issues. Meanwhile, Texas is leaving a vapor trail. Aside from the squeaker at Ohio State, its closest game has been 25 points.
The Dead Raiders on Saturday ran 88 plays, held the ball for 36 minutes and accomplished little more than cramping up Texas middle linebacker Aaron Harris.
"Nooo, they didn't," said incredulous Harris after being informed No. 1 USC had lost.
Just a test, Aaron, to see if the Longhorns really aren't scoreboard watching.
Better yet, let's go directly to the source, the nation's top passer Cody Hodges. If he had a vote on Saturday would the Texas Tech quarterback vote Texas No. 1?
"The way they played today, yeah, probably," Hodges said. "Texas deserves a lot of attention. They have a chance to run the table."
