11 hours and counting...

phew...you could cut the tension with - well some sort of cutting utensil…I brought a jersey, a hat, a t-shirt, and even a cooze to the office today to adorn the walls around my work area…fuck ‘em – that’s what I say anyway…one guy had the NERVE to ask “hey, what’s up with all the Texas stuff?” – I then proceeded to pee on his shoes…it’s time folks – that’s all I had to say to anyone that came into the area today…OH YEAH…it’s time…for good or ill - it’s time…the day is upon us…it’s been building for months – nay – a year – since Vince and his homies were last in Pasadena…ahhh fond memories indeed…we shall see though…either way I’m excited…AND – either way you’re getting a running diary a’la’finch, outta this thing…a completely focused, play-by-play, snap-by-snap, great play-by-great play finch version for your reading pleasure…alright – maybe just the last part, but hell it’s free folks…word up…HOOK ‘EM HORNS!

10 minutes later I needed to add this:

After I wrote this I wanted to be sure and add the fact that I am literally HORRIFIED that the 'Horns will show up for the game in thier grotesque black jerseys with orange numbers…these are the SAME horrendous looking things that the basketball ‘horns showed up in to take a big dump on the game against DUKE a month or so ago…I know that the football jersey equivalent exists, but I’m holding out hope that the Longhorns show up in their beautiful WHITE ON WHITE uniforms (that suit them so well by the way)…I will say this – if they show up in black, I’m simply going to go back to bed or work for that matter, because if they pull that nonsense they will surely lose by 30 or more…mark the words of the Finch…that being said – if they respect tradition AND my eyes I stand by my earlier 35-24 prediction…we shall see…

and 20 minutes later I spewed this out:

I’ve read damn near everything currently out there from either the folks at Sports Illustrated o the good people at ESPN about the Rose Bowl matchup…USC is the “best” offense EVER…Watch out for the ‘Horns O’Line ‘cause they’re quick and they hit…Reggie Bush is the second coming…the running backs at Texas are hungry…LenDale White is the “X” factor…the Texas D is too fast (yeah I said that twice – they’re quick!)…but for me, at this point, one thing is the “IT”…

Well two things actually…

Vince Young is the Truth folks…that and Mr. Leinhart is college football’s Tom Brady…

There’s so much practice leading up to this game, so much scheming, so much planning so much preparation for the opposition…the fact remains though, that these two guys CAN’T be prepared for…they either ARE or they AREN’T…and hell, even if they aren’t ON they’re still hard to stop…

Vince tends to try and pull a Mike Vick and try and force a run/scramble…Matt can tend to try and keep looking for the BIG play and end up holding the ball too long and wasting downs…Vince has a habit of not tucking the ball when running into/through traffic and putting it on the ground…while Matt happens to at some times look like a wounded duck lost in a collapsed pocket…

HOWEVER,

Vince has a knack for seeing SOMETHING open deep in the secondary…and Matt has this keen sense to somehow briefly look like Brett Favre on a scramble before toppling to the ground…then again Vince is quick to pull a Houdini and have a group of defenders confused as he saunters in for six…while Matt – well Matt has this tendency to just be a great pocket QB…

Do Not be mistaken though…regardless of all the planning and all the scheming and all the preparation for both of the teams’ OTHER weapons – these two – Vince and Matt - will decide the outcome of this year’s Rose Bowl…whether it be in the Leadership category or the Performance category one of these two collegiate athletes will raise the championship trophy Wednesday night…and their teams’ will no doubt know who to credit for the victory.