PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. — A 12-year-old Jordan Spieth sat glued to the television for the 2006 Rose Bowl, between No. 2 Texas and top-ranked Southern California. The game had all the requisite star power and drama for a tent event in the entertainment capital of the world.
After the Longhorns pulled off the upset in the final seconds to end the Trojans’ 34-game unbeaten streak, one journalist was moved to write that Quentin Tarantino could not have created a better script. Trojan fans no doubt begged to differ, but what could not be argued was that the event earned its blockbuster bona fides.