I decided well over a month ago that if Texas made it to the Rose Bowl National Championship Game against USC, I was picking USC. Actually, it wouldn't have mattered if Texas was facing Ohio State again, Penn State, Notre Dame or whoever else is in the top ten, my mind was already made up.

Mack Brown made up my mind a long time ago.

He made my mind up when he benched Major Applewhite in favor of golden boy Chris Simms back in 2001. Given multiple opportunities to replace Simms after he had botched the Longhorns undefeated season to Oklahoma with four interceptions, Brown stuck with him. Texas was 10-1 entering the biggest game of the year: The Big XII Championship.

The same game where Applewhite had shined brightly as a freshmen in 1998-outdoing even Heisman winner Ricky Williams-against Nebraska. Against a Colorado team that Applewhite had faced several times in his still young career.

But Mack Brown didn't understand, at least it would appear that he couldn't have understood the significance of the game. If Texas had won, they very likely would have played Miami for the National Championship in the Rose Bowl.

Brown kept Applewhite on the bench, started Simms and was rewarded with a typical Simms Big Game performance: another four interceptions-all in the first half-leaving with an "injury" and the Longhorns down 29-10.

Major came in, inspired the offense as he always did, told them they would win, and promptly rallied Texas back into the game and nearly did the improbable before falling 39-37

Behind Applewhite, Texas won the 2001 Holiday Bowl 47-43 behind Major's 473 yards and 4 TD.

Major Applewhite held 44 passing records for Texas by the time his senior year began, yet he was sitting on the bench behind Chris Simms, a junior. He'd thrown for nearly 8,000 yards in his career and was the 1999 Big XII Offensive Player of the Year.

To Mack Brown, Applewhite never really looked the part of star quarterback at Texas. He was 6-foot nothing, red-haired and freckle-faced. His helmet sat low on his eyes and looked like one of those cute little seven year olds just starting out playing in Pop Warner Leagues across the nation. Even to fans across the nation, Applewhite never looked like a football player.

Until, that is, Major unleashed darts with his wicked right arm.  

And despite all his success, everyone assumed Phil Simm's little boy would run him off the field with talent by the 2000 season. Except during that 2000 season, Simms didn't exactly wow everyone with precision and poise. He and Applewhite split the starts. Then Applewhite got hurt before the 2000 Holiday Bowl, Simms started the loss to Oregon in that game and by February, with no competition for the job (as had been promised), Simms was anointed the starter.  Brown never pulled Simms because of bad play, only injury.

Even after what Applewhite did for him in his final games, Brown still said, "You live with opinion. We've got 20 million people who graduated in coaching in our state (Texas)."

After all that time, Brown didn't get it. And for that, his confidence in picking quarterbacks wavered.  How is it that I am suddenly the only person who remembers just a few years ago Brown debating between Vince Young and Chance Mock?

Chance Mock? The only reason there wasn't more controversy there is because he probably graduated and saved Mack Brown the trouble.

The Applewhite-Simms debate wasn't about who would be a better talent or better pro QB. It's obvious that Simms wins probably in both areas. He's the starter for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, while Applewhite is the quarterback's coach at Syracuse.

We learned long ago that the Ken Dorsey's, Josh Huepel's, and Tommie Frazier's of the College World don't make very good pro quarterbacks. But we've also learned that sometimes the best pro OB's didn't make the best College Legends, either.

Applewhite was a leader and a winner and gave Texas the best chance to win a National Title in 2001-though he may not have been the sexiest choice to play the position. After that '01 Holiday Bowl, then Washington Coach Rick Neuheisel said, "When Applewhite was 10, I'll bet all the kids in the neighborhood would show up at his house to see what they were going to do that day. He's that much of a leader."

That's why I don't trust Mack Brown in big situations and big games. Because even the opposing coach, who was a fraud and a cheat, could sense the skills Applewhite held, but Brown couldn't. Like Simms, Brown's always been a little over-hyped.

So you may ask what does that have to do with the 2006 Rose Bowl on January 4^th against USC?

Well, look across the field next week, Mack. See Pete Carroll. See him stick with Carson Palmer when nobody else did? See how he'll play Matt Leinart until he's 25 if Carroll has to, despite a talented QB named John David Booty sitting on the bench, wasting eligibility, itching for his chance? See how other coaches can admit to their past errors and-shockingly-learn from them?

There's a reason USC and Pete Carroll have won two National Titles (one split in 2003).  Just like there's a reason Mack Brown's never won any National Championships-he makes 'Major' mistakes.