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It's coming.
One of the most important football games in recent memory is slowly approaching on the horizon. In less than three weeks, two teams will battle it out on the gridiron for 60 minutes, leaving nothing in the locker room. One team hails from the great state of Texas, the other is from sunny California. Both teams boast players who are going to be playing on Sundays next fall. But at the end of the game, only one of these teams will be recognized by fans as being #1.
Niners vs. Texans. December 31. The Reggie Bush Bowl. Are you ready?
Both San Francisco and Houston are currently sitting on 2-12 records, tied for dead last in the National Football League. By rule, the worst record in the league entitles you to the first overall pick in the next year's collegiate entry draft. And by all accounts, that #1 pick will be running back Reggie Bush from the University of Southern California.
There will be several talented quarterback prospects in the 2006 NFL Draft - most notably Bush's teammate Matt Leinart, who won the Heisman trophy in his junior year, yet elected to return to Southern Cal. But the fact of the matter is that neither the 49ers nor the Texans necessarily need a QB. San Francisco drafted Alex Smith out of Utah just last year, while Houston is still convinced that four-year starter David Carr is their franchise player, despite the fact that he hasn't yet thrown for more than 16 TDs in a season. So all eyes are on Bush, who captivated the nation with his dazzling array of Sportscenter-quality highlights. His raw numbers weren't bad either: 9 yards a carry, 18 touchdowns and 2,611 all-purpose yards (513 of which came in a single game vs. Fresno State). He was so dominant this year that Leinart - who was able to cast a Heisman ballot due to the fact that he was a previous winner - voted for Bush instead of himself to win the award. Reggie Bush is a rare talent - plain and simple.
The irony in the Reggie Bush Bowl is that the team who wins the game will - barring any unforseen "victories" this upcoming weekend - lose the rights to the #1 pick in the draft. A similar "Clash of the Titans" occurred back in 1968 when the 0-6 Steelers hosted the 0-6 Eagles in what was then dubbed as "The O.J. Bowl." Thirty-seven years ago, two of the NFL's worst teams battled it out for the right to draft O.J. Simpson, a once-in-a-generation, Heisman Trophy winning running back from the University of Southern California. Perhaps history does tend to repeat itself after all.
In any case, the Steelers won (or is it lost?) that day in a thrilling 6-3 victory - at least as thrilling as 6-3 football games can be. Ironically enough, neither team earned the right to draft Simpson - the Buffalo Bills finished the 1968 season with a worse record than both the Eagles and the Steelers, and drafted the future Hall of Fame RB. While the Steelers ended up with Mean Joe Greene, the Eagles drafted Heisman runner-up RB Leroy Keyes, who only rushed for 10,867 fewer yards than Simpson did in his NFL career. Having the #1 pick definitely has its privileges.
So mark your calendars for December 31, ladies and gentlemen. It's not quite "The Granddaddy of Them All", but it may define a team for a generation to come, and it's coming to a TV near you. Let's get it on.
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The Greatest Bowl Game of Them All
Monday, December 19, 2005, 06:18 PM EST
[San Francisco 49ers]
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