Rose Bowl

OUTBACK BOWL Penn State 20, No. 17 Tennessee 10 COTTON BOWL No. 10 Auburn 17, No. 22 Nebraska 14 CAPITAL ONE BOWL No. 6 Wisconsin 17, No. 12 Arkansas 14 GATOR BOWL No. 13 W. Virginia 38, Ga. Tech 35 ROSE BOWL No. 8 USC 32, No. 3 Michigan 18 FIESTA BOWL No. 9 Boise State 43, No. 7 Okla. 42, OT Coverage, PGS 2-3D

LOS ANGELES -- Eighth-ranked Southern California and third-ranked Michigan are playing today in the Rose Bowl, not for the Bowl Championship Series title. But the winner of today's game likely will be No. 1. In the 2007 preseason polls. "It's probably the biggest bowl game for next year and everyone knows that," Michigan running back Mike Hart said. Count USC quarterback John David Booty among the believers. "I think even the loser will be No. 2 or 3," he said. If recent form holds, USC or Michigan, both loaded with key junior starters and talented underclassmen, will follow the path of Ohio State.

Please, no Michigan-Ohio State rematch. So Ohio State and Michigan remain first and second in the latest Bowl Championship Series standings. If there's a rematch in the national title game, or even an Ohio State-Southern California matchup, one thing is for sure: The Rose Bowl ain't going to be happy. The bowl covets a Big Ten/Pacific-10 matchup, but it's going to take a miracle for it to happen this season. The bowl will have one team from those leagues; the question is whether it will be Michigan (the Big Ten runner-up)

From his throwing motion to his ability to take snaps under center, the Ravens will be seeking answers when they attend Vince Young's Pro Day workout today in Austin, Texas. Depending on the results, the next question regarding the University of Texas quarterback could come in next month's NFL draft. If Young surprisingly falls to the 13th overall pick, will the Ravens take him? At this point, the Ravens will only say they are intrigued. "He's not as clean a prospect as some other quarterbacks that have come out over the years, but his upside and ceiling are tremendous," said Eric DeCosta, the Ravens' director of college scouting.

Riding with the Blue Moth Bill Hancock Sports Publishing LLC/246 pages Full disclosure: I have known and liked Bill Hancock since 1995, when first- and second-round games of the NCAA basketball tournament were played at what is now 1st Mariner Arena. Hancock was then in the midst of a 12-year run as operations director of the NCAA tournament, and said that my hometown would be an ideal Final Four site, if only it had a domed stadium. The NCAA tournament that begins tonight bears the stamp of Hancock, who standardized the experience.

Reggie Bush handed over the national championship to Vince Young last week, but he may not have to surrender the top spot in the NFL draft to the Texas quarterback in April. According to ESPN, the Houston Texans still plan to select Southern California's spectacular running back with the first pick, Young's remarkable performance in the Rose Bowl notwithstanding. ESPN said sources told it that even though an "intermediary" for Young informed the Texans that the quarterback was leaning strongly toward entering the draft, they will stick with plans to take Bush.

PASADENA, Calif. -- Hours after leading second-ranked Texas to a stunning 41-38 victory over top-ranked Southern California in the Bowl Championship Series national title game at the Rose Bowl, Longhorns quarterback Vince Young was alone on the balcony of his hotel room, crying. "I just sat out there and had my little words with the man upstairs," Young said yesterday. "I'm just a real blessed guy to be in the position I am right now. This is a big flashback of me growing up, me making that big transition to work hard in football and get away from the negative things going on in my life."

PASADENA, Calif. -- Southern California's winning streak, not to mention its place in college football history, was shattered last night by Texas quarterback Vince Young and his second-ranked Longhorns in the Bowl Championship Series title game at the Rose Bowl. Young proved himself worthy of a Heisman Trophy with a record-breaking, jaw-dropping performance, scoring two of his three touchdowns and a crucial two-point conversion in the final 4:03 to give Texas a stunning 41-38 comeback win over the top-ranked Trojans.

PASADENA, Calif.-- --Maybe Reggie Bush was the best player in college football this season, but Texas quarterback Vince Young made a pretty convincing argument last night that the Heisman Trophy went to the wrong guy. There was no question that on this glittering night at the Rose Bowl, Young was the man and - by the simple force of his will - the Longhorns were the best college football team in the nation. He had 467 all-purpose yards. Bush had 281. Young scored three touchdowns, including the decisive score with 19 seconds left to play to win his second Rose Bowl Most Valuable Player trophy in a row. Bush scored one touchdown and made a momentum-shifting mental error in the first half that probably was the turning point in the game.

Star power With the last two Heisman Trophy winners, tailback Reggie Bush and quarterback Matt Leinart, lining up for the Trojans, and this year's Heisman runner-up, quarterback Vince Young, playing for the Longhorns, it's fitting that this game is being held near Hollywood. It marks the first time that two Heisman-winning teammates will play in the same championship game. USC certainly has more marquee names - the Trojans also boast All-Americans in wide-out Dwayne Jarrett and tailback LenDale White - but that could just give the mostly no-name Longhorns more motivation.