The issue: Who's No. 1 in NCAA football? USC vs. Texas

USC vs. Texas

Swets: Why are the Longhorns the best team in the nation? Two words: Vince Young. He does things no other quarterback in the country can do. Combining incredible field vision, arm strength, accuracy, and quickness, Young is a threat from the moment he steps onto the field, and he can beat you in a number of ways. On his way to throwing for 226.2 yards per game and completing 67 percent of his passes for 12 touchdowns so far this season, Young has scrambled for over 413 yards on the ground and five scores. What's more is that Young isn't just a player; he's also the unquestioned leader of this Texas squad. This past summer he helped to organize informal workouts among teammates in order to prepare for the upcoming season. Watch for Vince Young and the Longhorns to be in their rightful position by the end of the season atop the polls.

Roman: One-yard line. Seven seconds left. Down by three. Plenty of time to throw an incomplete pass and still kick the tying field goal. And yet, University of Southern California calls a quarterback sneak and wins. If that kind of guts doesn't deserve a No. 1 ranking, I don't know what does.

The fact is, the Trojans are the champs, and until they are beaten, they deserve the designation as the best team in the nation. It is good that for once, a college team is getting more credit for simply knowing how to win instead of how many points they can win by. The argument that Young's superior talent and leadership make Texas the better team is the same one that says Peyton Manning's Colts are better than the Patriots, and there is a reason the Patriots win every time. I'll put my money on USC.

Swets: Putting your money on USC is closer to seeing zeros than dollar signs these days. As for Young's comparison to Manning's Colts, I couldn't have said it better myself. The team from Indianapolis is 6-0 compared to the Patriots mere 3-3 effort this season. And the reason why the Colts are No. 1 can be said for the Longhorns as well. They both play a complete team game. Not only does Young's squad get it done on offense, but time and time again, they prove themselves on defense. Like the Colts defensive presence this year (allowing only 9.5 points per game), the Longhorns are dominating without the ball as well. Texas boasts the No. 3 defense in the country to USC's ranking of 45! Texas brings a complete team game no matter where they play, even if it is the Horseshoe. If profit's what you're looking for, join me and go with Texas.

Roman:The Colts might be having a good regular season, but come talk to me when they win an important game, as they have failed to do the last six times they have played the Patriots. But this isn't about the Colts, or even Texas. It's about USC getting the job done the last 28 times they have taken the field. Texas might be everything you say they are. But until they beat the best, they aren't the best.

Oh, and did I mention, USC ran a quarterback sneak with seven seconds left, down by three, on the 1-yard line? After which Matt Leinart almost passed out from the extreme coolness of the play. This team has more confidence than Edward Burns. I can't stress that enough.