[Vision2020] Rose Bowl, the Vandals, or look out, USC

[Ron Force]

Allen Barra had an article in yersterday's Wall Street Journal in which he
compared USC, Texas, and the Super Bowl Champion 1985 Chicago Bears. The
differences are startling:

"..It's increasingly difficult to distinguish top-level college football
from the professional game. Some comparisons between the 2005 Trojans and
Longhorns and the 1985 Bears are eye-opening. The '85 Bears had perhaps the
greatest defense in NFL history; according to the Sports Encyclopedia -- Pro
Football, Chicago averaged 271 pounds a man across its defensive line. This
year's Trojans outweigh the Bears on the defensive line by an average of
four pounds a man. The Longhorns are even bigger, averaging out to 290
apiece.

The difference in the offensive lines is even more staggering. The mean for
the '85 Bears' front offensive five was 267 pounds; their 2005 USC and Texas
counterparts average 312 pounds a man. Excuse us -- did we say the 1985
Bears? The offensive lines of this year's first- and second-ranked college
teams outweigh that of the defending NFL champion New England Patriots by
nine pounds a man.

And that's just the linemen. The quarterback for the '85 Bears was Jim
McMahon, who was 6-1 and about 195. USC's Matt Leinart is 6-5, 225, while
Texas QB Vince Young is 6-5 and 233. The quarterbacks in tonight's
championship match average 229 pounds -- or a pound more than the
linebackers for Chicago's 1985 champions.

It isn't just the size of modern college players. The level of coaching,
training and competition in big-time college football has become so keen
that many believe their top players can go right into the pros and
immediately become starters or even stars. "You could take Southern Cal's
and Texas' top players and put them into the pros right now," says a scout
for an NFL draft Web site. Most scouts contend that as many as two-dozen
players from the two teams will eventually be drafted into the pros, led by
USC's 2004 Heisman Trophy winner Mr. Leinart, 2005 Heisman Trophy winner
running back Reggie Bush, fullback LenDale White, wide receiver Dwayne
Jarrett and strong safety Darnell Bing, as well as UT's Mr. Young, strong
safety Michael Huff, and offensive tackles Jonathan Scott and Justin
Blaylock.

Well, does that mean that Texas or Southern Cal could actually beat some pro
teams? Pause. The scout replied, "I would favor either Texas or USC over at
least the bottom third of the NFL."...

At the end he sums up where the "Amateur" college game has ended up:

"...The result is a college game that challenges and sometimes exceeds the
pros for offensive fireworks -- often both Southern Cal and Texas score
better than 50 points a game. But it's also a game where styles once
peculiar to college football are vanishing. "You used to be able to tell the
moment you turned on the TV," says Mr. Jenkins, "if you were watching Texas
or Alabama with their Wishbone or Notre Dame with their Wingback-set or
Southern Cal with their Tailback-I formation. Now, almost every team seems
to be playing pro football." Maybe because they are."

In the Sunday LA Times, a USC player was asked about the worst part of his
year at USC "Having to go to class".

**********************************************
Ron Force          Moscow ID USA
rforce at moscow.com
**********************************************

A remarkable performance by Texas QB Vince Young last night in a great game
for those of us who love college football.  I have to kind of feel sorry for
USC coach Pete Carroll, because for the next year and a half, he has to deal
with the troubling realization that USC opens up the 2007 season
against.....the Idaho Vandals.  I hope he can sleep at night.



                                Carl Westberg Jr.