2006 Rose Bowl Retrospective
by jc25 on Apr 27, 2009 11:31 AM CDT
21 comments
This year's draft class should have all but finished out the key participants from the greatest college football game ever played (the 2006 Rose Bowl, if you weren't aware). Since that's the case, I thought it'd be cool to take a look back at the players from both sides and see where they ended up.
Please note that I didn't count players taking their redshirt year (this includes Texas WR Jordan Shipley and USC LB Dallas Sartz, who both took medical redshirts). I was looking for players who actually participated on the field that year.
Also, the asterisks denote the key starters from the Rose Bowl game. It's admittedly subjective (such as having both RBs from both teams considered starters), but works well enough for my liking.
Texas Longhorns (your 2005 BCS National Champions)
Justin Blalock OT Jr* - Drafted 2007 2(39) ATL
Tarell Brown CB Jr* - Drafted 2007 5(147) SF
Jamaal Charles RB Fr* - Drafted 2008 3(73) KC
Quan Cosby WR Fr - Undrafted 2009 CIN
Tim Crowder DE Jr* - Drafted 2007 2(56) DEN
Cedric Dockery OG R-Fr - Undrafted 2009 NO
Brandon Foster CB So - Undrafted 2008 IND
Cedric Griffin CB Sr* - Drafted 2006 2(48) MIN
Michael Griffin S Jr* - Drafted 2007 1(19) TEN
Ahmard Hall RB Sr* - Undrafted 2006 TEN
Tony Hills OT So - Drafted 2008 4(130) PIT
Michael Huff S Sr* - Drafted 2006 1(7) OAK
Henry Melton RB Fr - Drafted 2009 4(105) CHI
Roy Miller DT Fr - Drafted 2009 3(81) TB
Chris Ogbonnaya RB R-Fr - Drafted 2009 7(211) STL
Frank Okam DT So* - Drafted 2008 5(151) HOU
Brian Orakpo DE R-Fr - Drafted 2009 1(13) WAS
Brian Robison DE Jr* - Drafted 2007 4(102) MIN
Aaron Ross CB Jr - Drafted 2007 1(20) NYG
Jonathan Scott OT Sr* - Drafted 2006 5(141) DET
Lyle Sendlein C Jr* - Undrafted 2007 ARI
Kasey Studdard OG Jr* - Drafted 2007 6(183) HOU
Limas Sweed WR So* - Drafted 2008 2(53) PIT
David Thomas TE Sr* - Drafted 2006 3(86) NE
Rodrique Wright DT Sr* - Drafted 2006 7(226) MIA
Selvin Young RB Jr* - Undrafted 2007 DEN
Vince Young QB Jr* - Drafted 2006 1(3) TEN
USC Trojans (the other guys)
Sam Baker OT So* - Drafted 2008 1(21) ATL
Darnell Bing S Jr* - Drafted 2006 4(101) OAK
John David Booty QB So - Drafted 2008 5(137) MIN
Reggie Bush RB Jr* - Drafted 2006 1(2) NO
Dominique Byrd TE Sr* - Drafted 2006 3(93) STL
Brian Cushing LB Fr* - Drafted 2009 1(15) HOU
Fred Davis TE So - Drafted 2008 2(48) WAS
Sedrick Ellis DT So* - Drafted 2008 1(7) NO
Kevin Ellison S Fr - Drafted 2009 6(189) SD
Cary Harris CB Fr - Drafted 2009 6(183) BUF
Lawrence Jackson DE So* - Drafted 2008 1(28) SEA
Dwayne Jarrett WR So* - Drafted 2007 2(45) CAR
Winston Justice OT Jr* - Drafted 2006 2(39) PHI
Ryan Kalil C Jr* - Drafted 2007 2(59) CAR
David Kirtman RB Sr* - Drafted 2006 5(163) SEA
Matt Leinart QB Sr* - Drafted 2006 1(10) ARI
Oscar Lua LB Jr* - Drafted 2007 7(211) NE
Taitusi Lutui OT Sr* - Drafted 2006 2(41) ARI
Kaluka Maiava LB Fr - Drafted 2009 4(104) CLE
Clay Matthews LB R-Fr - Drafted 2009 1(26) GB
Fred Matua OG Jr* - Drafted 2006 7(217) DET
Rey Maualuga LB Fr - Drafted 2009 2(38) CIN
Chris McFoy WR Jr - Undrafted 2007 OAK
Fili Moala DR R-Fr - Drafted 2009 2(56) IND
Kyle Moore DE Fr - Drafted 2009 4(117) TB
Chilo Rachal OG R-Fr - Drafted 2008 2(39) SF
Drew Radovich OG So - Undrafted 2008 MIN
LaJuan Ramsey DT Sr* - Drafted 2006 6(204) PHI
Keith Rivers LB So* - Drafted 2008 1(9) CIN
Frostee Rucker DE Sr* - Drafted 2006 3(91) CIN
Steve Smith WR Jr* - Drafted 2007 2(51) NYG
Matt Spanos C So - Undrafted 2008 DAL
Terrell Thomas CB So - Drafted 2008 2(63) NYG
Patrick Turner WR Fr - Drafted 2009 3(87) MIA
LenDale White RB Jr* - Drafted 2006 2(45) TEN
Kyle Williams OT Jr - Undrafted 2008 SEA
Thomas Williams LB So - Drafted 2008 5(155) JAC
DRAFT STATS (by year: 2006 / 2007 / 2008 / 2009 / TOTAL)
Total players drafted (UT): 6 / 7 / 4 / 4 / 21
Total players drafted (USC): 11 / 4 / 9 / 9 / 33
Total players average draft position (UT): 85 / 81 / 101 / 103 / 90
Total players average draft position (USC): 91 / 91 / 56 / 91 / 82
Key starters drafted (UT): 6 / 6 / 3 / 0 / 15
Key starters drafted (USC): 11 / 4 / 3 / 1 / 19
Key starters average draft position (UT): 85 / 91 / 92 / - / 89
Key starters average draft position (USC): 91 / 91 / 15 / 15 / 65
Total players in the NFL (UT): 7 / 9 / 5 / 6 / 27
Total players in the NFL (USC): 11 / 5 / 12 / 9 / 37
WHAT DO THE NUMBERS TELL US?
Well, for one, it's likely that USC was the more talented team. Based simply on total players and total players drafted, USC greatly outnumbers UT. Moreover, USC had an incredible 11 players drafted immediately following the Rose Bowl. Based on draft position, it also skews to USC having better talent. This would be even more pronounced when you factor in the undrafted FA's that UT relied upon, as compared to USC.
For more indication as to why USC followed up that season with consecutive 10-2 seasons while UT followed suit with consecutive 9-3 seasons, look at the players drafted in the '08 and '09 drafts. If anything, it's probably a testament to the Longhorn coaching staff that they were able to "coach up" their talent (which they admittedly recruited in the first place), while USC's seasons were considered disappointments, especially with the quality of players they were sending to the NFL.
Anyway, I thought it was an interesting study, and I'd love to see how it compares to the other BCS National Championship games.
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I can't believe you took the time to tag all of them.
Wow. Impressive.
by Horn Brain on Apr 27, 2009 12:10 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Great work, jc25
I support your view that USC had more talent. Certainly that was the case in seniors/juniors at the time, and on offense . . . however, 4 Trojans LBs and about 3 others on the defensive side were part of this week’s draft. That means they were frosh in the title game, and some contributed little . . . to that end, I’m not sure Dockery and Chris O, UT freshmen at the time, got on the field.
In any case, thanks for the study. If you want another interesting draft comparison, look at Ohio State vs. Texas in the ‘09 draft. Buckeyes had the edge in picks, 7-4, and four of OSU’s guys went in the top two rounds. Wonder how the teams would have fared if they’d played.
by edsp on Apr 27, 2009 12:35 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
so I guess this stuffs all the naysayers
who argue that Texas “wastes talent” The Horns had almost as much talent as the supposed honorary NFL farm team at USC. Remember that GD changed the offense for VY to run, and has since changed it again for Colt to run, and will likely change it yet again for Garrett Gilbert to run.
Secondly, USC came out ahead in the totals (the two teams were largely even through 2007) largely on the basis of greater depth in 2005, including players that played in USC’s pro-style offense or defense and were considered ready for the NFL, even if they never saw the field (like David Kirtman) and because a whole slew of true freshmen saw the field for the Trojans on defense (which made them vulnerable to being Vinced).
Thanks for some awesome research jc25!!
by burnt in ny on Apr 27, 2009 1:22 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Even if we grant that the draft proves collegiate talent
Which not all will agree with, I’m not sure if this tells us anything new. We know USC had arguably the most talented collegiate offense of all time and they had an underrated, talented defense. However, Texas’ D was unquestionably superior and we had this guy named Vince Young to tip the scales to our favor on offense.
Of the 11 players drafted the next season for USC, eight were on the offensive side of the ball. Only one more defensive player was drafted in the ‘07 draft (Lua). Contrast that to our team, where our entire secondary was drafted in both ’06 and ’07, Wright was drafted in ’06, and Robison and Crowder were drafted in ’07. It’s not the most fair comparison since USC’s defense was relatively young then, but then again, our offense was pretty young too.
This analysis is also a little incomplete because it doesn’t take into account what each player has done in his NFL career so far, although this is admittedly pretty subjective.
Oh, and one player who should have gotten drafted if he wasn’t a moron is Ramonce Taylor. I’m still mad at him because he got booted off a team that could have won another national title in ’06.
That being said, very good work and very interesting stuff, jc25. Basically, I see it like this (not really considering if and when they got drafted):
Offensive line: Even (maybe a slight edge to USC, but I’m biased)
RB: USC
WR: USC
TE: Texas
FB: Texas
QB: Texas
D-Line: Texas
LB: Texas (admittedly not by a whole lot)
Secondary: Texas
Special teams: Texas
This is why that I will argue to my grave that the game was no fluke; we were better than USC. For what it’s worth, I remember ESPN blogger Bruce Feldman wrote that he spoke to an anonymous Big 12 coach who was surprised Texas didn’t win by more that game, saying that “Texas’ D is a lot better than they showed that night.” So no, Matt Leinart, you did not have the better team. They had the clear edge at the offensive skill positions but that was about it, and it’s not like we were lacking there ourselves. Unfortunately, our special teams edge did not show itself that game, with Aaron Ross fumbling our first touch and Pino screwing up a FG and a PAT, but that’s ok; we still won.
by TheElusiveShadow on Apr 27, 2009 2:26 PM CDT reply actions 4 recs
nice write-up
I’m in agreement with what you’re saying. My original intent in writing this post was to highlight how absolutely stacked both teams were in terms of NFL talent. As I was looking at the analysis, the immediate trends that popped out were USC’s superior depth and higher draft position, not to belittle Texas’ talent at all. To me, the weakest part of Texas’ team was its linebackers—not one linebacker has made the league (assuming Rashad Bobino doesn’t catch on anywhere). Meanwhile, USC struggled mightily in the secondary when compared to Texas. They had 2 starters (and only one) drafted.
by jc25 on Apr 27, 2009 2:44 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
As for what they've done in the NFL
How about this fun fact? Of all the players that participated in the game, the only one that’s made the Pro Bowl is Vince Young.
by jc25 on Apr 27, 2009 2:48 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
id say that he has lived up to any and everything expected of him.
if im not mistaken, Mr. Young has earned a free-pass in our eyes to do as he pleases. so what if he’s having a rough go with his new team. in my eyes, its the teams fault solely and VY can walk on water. he sure showed that in the 2006 rose bowl… VY forever!!!!
If You See Kay, Oh You
by texfan23 on Apr 27, 2009 3:26 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
michael griffin was in this past year's pro bowl i believe...
by andmyster on Apr 27, 2009 10:52 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
you're right
He wasn’t on the roster list where I compiled my original info, but I checked the box score and sure enough, there he was. I guess that makes it 2-0, Texas.
by jc25 on Apr 28, 2009 9:16 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think Aaron Harris got picked up as a UFA
But unfortunately, like many Texas football players recently (it seems), he liked weed more than football.
by TheElusiveShadow on Apr 27, 2009 2:54 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
that's possible
I seem to recall the Will Allen signing with a team as well. However, neither player can be found on the NFL.com database, so I’m assuming that neither actually made it on an NFL roster.
by jc25 on Apr 27, 2009 4:13 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Allen lasted about one
session of mini-camp with, I believe, Saints.
by edsp on Apr 27, 2009 5:32 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Interesting look at the 2 teams
Both were very talented, to be sure, but it always comes down to match-ups, doesn’t it? The way it played out that year, Texas was as suited to beat USC as any team. Notice the discrepancy in the number of defensive players drafted from each team’s secondary, despite USC’s overall advantage in number of players drafted. Combine that with the fact that USC has nobody on defense as fast as either JC or RT, and nobody as athletic as VY, and USC ends up with the same match-up problems over and over. For those who venture guesses about who wins how many times if the game was replayed 10 times, remember that our D-line was one of the best, our secondary was the best, and what’s their answer to Vince?
I’m very excited about the possibility of having a defense like that again, and I think Muschamp can deliver it.
by hungry on Apr 27, 2009 4:34 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Great Fan Post.
The tags bear mentioning again. Wow.
by ctex80 on Apr 27, 2009 9:36 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Such an amazing stat
54 players who took the field in one game drafted. So you could take every single player who was on the field the first time USC took a snap and the first time we took a snap, and you’d still have to find 10 more players to be drafted.
Or am I reading too much into that as it’s typical for top-flight programs? Would Florida and OU be able to say that in four years, for example?
by Hopkins Horn on Apr 27, 2009 9:41 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
not necessarily true
For example, Thomas Williams was a starting LB for USC but was injured and sat out the Rose Bowl. John David Booty was a backup and didn’t play; this may also be true for some other backups on that list. Conversely, some starters, such as the aforementioned Aaron Harris and Will Allen, played extensively but never made it to the league.
That’s exactly what I’m wondering, but when you consider past participants and the NFLers that came from those teams, I’m willing to venture that it’s probably correct. You’ll probably see some variation for the “surprise” teams such as Michael Vick’s Va Tech team and OU’s surprise championship team that have less players, since their talent level wasn’t as highly regarded going into the season.
by jc25 on Apr 28, 2009 9:13 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I'm curious
to see the same analysis from other championship games (Miami – tOSU comes to mind).
Also, these ideas have been toyed with (although not directly addressed on this board), but there could be other factors in the appearance of USC’s superior talent. For one, there could be a bump in draft stock for anyone playing in an overhyped, megamarket like Los Angeles, which would be evidenced by our [thus far] Pro-Bowl superiority. Or USC may have a coaching staff that is better connected to the NFL (which they almost certainly do), creating a pipeline of League-bound talent. Which brings me to my next point…
This also does not, as burnt in ny suggests, prove that our staff doesn’t waste talent. Now, I should preface by saying that my beef with our staff has always been on only two issues: game-day tactics and emotional preparedness. However, could it not be argued that if Texas is regularly getting top recruits, but not sending as many to the NFL as our competitors, then we are, in fact, not developing our talent?
Personally, I don’t believe it. I’d say the discrepancy in those numbers could be for any number of reasons, including the “pipeline” issue I outlined above, or possibly the difference in Texas’ and USC’s schemes, but I thought it was worth mentioning.
by BrooklynHorn on Apr 28, 2009 12:58 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
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