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.