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National Championship Preview

#1 Rutgers Scarlet Knights (11-0) vs #2 Texas Longhorns (12-0)


last meeting: have never met
series: 0-0
coaches poll: Rutgers #3, Texas #1
the betting man says: Rutgers by 2
attendance: 71,500 - a sellout
weather: 62 degrees, fair
TV coverage: plenty of overexposure on TV1


We come into this game on the crest of a school-record 15 game winning streak. A pre-season longshot, we've captured just our 2nd Big East title in scholl history (2008 being the other), and reach the post-season for the 5th straight season. Bettors and oddsmakers are showing a surprising amount of faith in us, installing us as two point favorites. One can only imagine our dominating 4-0 record in bowl games has been a consideration.

Our team is guided by QB Seth Duffy, who's wrapping up his third solid season and his best to date. While Duffy was a pre-season Heisman favorite, the real surprise this season has been the balance in our offense - the running game has in many ways been the key to our success. Essentially 3-deep at running back, RB Claude Altenburger has been impressive enough to maintain his starting job for a third straight year, and has seen his touchdown production soar. Defensively we've been adequate, with the occasional brilliance of our safeties being a difference-maker. If I had told you we could get this far with a redshirt freshman and true freshman at cornerback, I would have been lying.

Texas is the dominant force in college ball. Enterening their eigth consecutive national championship game (10th in 12 years), the Longhorns are looking for their 6th national championship, and their 4th in 5 years. Led by perhaps the greatest QB in college history, QB Wayne Martinson, the Longhorns passing game is typically their key to victory. Martinson is in his final year at Texas, and will likely become the first player in NCAA history to be a Heisman finalist in all 4 seasons of play when the year is finished. Texas is an astounding 134-7 overall, and is on a 25 game winstreak heading into the title game. One large winning streak will come to an end in San Diego, California.