Nation's only unbeatens headed for championship clash
LOS ANGELES -- The anticipation of a Southern California-Texas matchup in the Rose Bowl began long before the season.
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One by one, the other top teams lost, leaving the Trojans and Longhorns standing alone as the nation's only unbeatens. Both had to survive late-season scares, and both rolled to one-sided victories to finish the year.
That being the case, it was formally announced Sunday that USC and Texas will play for the national title Jan. 4 in Pasadena.
"It's a perfect matchup for everyone concerned," Trojans coach Pete Carroll said on a conference call. "This is an extraordinary opportunity for us, to be able to play in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. It's the goal of our program. We've done everything we can do to focus on that. It's all we could ever ask for."
USC will bring a 34-game winning streak into the title game and is shooting for an unprecedented third straight national championship. Texas has won 19 straight, including a 38-37 triumph over Michigan in last year's Rose Bowl.
USC and Texas, both 12-0, have been ranked 1-2 all season.
"This game is what everyone wants to see," USC star Reggie Bush said. "It's what we want to see. We want to see the best team. You aren't the best until you beat the best.
"It's going to be like a home game for us."
Texas coach Mack Brown said he'll bring his team west on Dec. 28 -- after a break for Christmas.
USC won't have to travel because the Rose Bowl is only about 15 miles from the campus.
"It'll be a tremendous challenge for us, but a great opportunity," Brown said. "I've really admired what Pete's been able to do -- he's taken a program that was struggling and made it the dominant program in college football. And he's done it with a smile."
Both coaches were certainly smiling Saturday after Texas beat Colorado 70-3 and USC trounced crosstown rival UCLA 66-19 to set up their anticipated matchup.
The Trojans and Longhorns are led by experienced quarterbacks who have proven themselves as winners -- USC's Matt Leinart is 37-1 as a starter, and Texas' Vince Young is 29-2.
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