Fourth-and-2 call a no-brainer for Carroll

PASADENA, Calif. - The choice was so clear. Those who second-guess Pete Carroll do not understand what had made Southern California unbeatable for three seasons.

Fourth-and-2 at the Texas 45. With 2:13 left in the Rose Bowl and Southern Cal up 38-33, the Trojans needed a first down to keep the ball away from Vince Young and keep the national championship trophy in Los Angeles for another year.

Of course Carroll went for it. Of course he turned to his celebrated offense, maybe the greatest in the history of the sport.

Going for it. That's become the Trojans' way in five fantastic seasons under Carroll; it's how way they built a 34-game winning streak.

What else was there to do?

So they went for it - without Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush on the field - and came up short. LenDale White got stopped inches shy of a first down, Texas took over and wound up with a 41-38 victory.

"We would have won the game right there," Carroll said. "The decision, in my opinion, in our way of thinking, you're going for it all the time."

Want to criticize Carroll for not having Bush on the field? OK, that's fair. Maybe if Bush splits out and goes in motion, the Longhorns' defense isn't so sure White's getting the ball.

Then again, Texas probably knew White was getting the ball on a fourth-and-1 in the third quarter and couldn't stop that play.

"If I was Pete Carroll, I would have run the same play in the same situation," Texas coach Mack Brown said.

You hear college football players say it constantly: "If we just play our game and execute, we can't be beat."

Usually, it's just talk.

Not for Southern Cal.

The Trojans go about their business, and it's up to the other team to stop them.

In Texas, Southern Cal finally met its match. In Young, the Trojans faced an opponent that could glare back and say, "Oh yeah? Stop this."

Carroll knew it was far riskier to ask his defenders to stop Young.

"It's real simple," Carroll said, patiently answering the fourth-and-2 question for the third time at the postgame news conference. "The series before they had great success moving down the field. If they get the ball, I don't know what yard line it was, but it's the 40 or so, whether they get it there ... or kick it 20 yards farther, it's not going to make a big difference."