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| McNeal congratulates Young after the hard fought game last Friday |
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 Exclusive: USC leapfrogs Texas to the Top
November 30, 2005
By MCSPOLL.com staff
Texas defensive back Michael Griffin saved the day -- and possibly the game -- when he blocked a Texas A&M punt late in the third quarter of last Friday's shootout in College Station. Teammate Cedric Griffin caught the ball and raced into the end zone to put the Longhorns up 34-22, thus breaking open a close game to ultimately preserve their perfect season.
While the Texas players were able to get a handle on the football in last Friday's game, the Longhorns lost their hold on the No. 1 spot in the latest Master Coaches Survey Top 25 rankings. A week after reclaiming the top spot in the MCS poll, Texas was bumped to No. 2... for the same reason the Master Coaches dropped Southern Cal in the rankings the week before.
The Longhorns simply gave up too many points, and a few leads in the game, against an opponent it was expected to dominate. Much like the Trojans did against Fresno State the previous Saturday.
No. 2 Texas (11-0) faces a match-up with Colorado (7-4) in the Big 12 Championship Game in Houston this Saturday, while top-ranked USC (11-0) will go head-to-head with cross-town rival UCLA (9-1).
"The better you are, the higher you are ranked, you become a bigger target. Both Texas and USC have gotten everybody's best shot week in and week out, and Texas got that last Saturday against Texas A&M," said Master Coach Don James, who led Washington to the national championship in 1991. "As coaches, we've been in those shootouts with rivals. Both Texas and USC have been able to survive those scares, whereas a lot of teams wouldn't have been able to hold up.
"But USC has been doing it consistently for three years straight, and I believe you stay the champion until someone knocks you off."
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Trivia: (make your pick by clicking on the coach's picture)
Which Master Coach was a first team All-American Lineman in his senior season of college?
   
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