Getting a win is all that matters

USC and Oklahoma showed last weekend why they're championship material, while Texas showed impressive heart.

Originally Published: November 8, 2004

By Trev Alberts | ESPN Insider

Finishing the college football season undefeated is a remarkable feat, considering the challenges teams face along the way. And carrying an unbeaten record into November becomes a special burden because of increased scrutiny and opponents that are gunning for you even more.

I experienced it at Nebraska, and USC and Oklahoma experienced it last weekend. The Trojans escaped in the fog at Oregon State, while the Sooners scraped by against Texas A&M in College Station, the kind of wins championship teams point to at the end of the season as defining moments.

The best teams just find a way to get it done, whether that means coming from behind in the fog in Corvallis or rallying in a hostile environment at Kyle Field with your star running back slowed by injury. That's not to say the Trojans and Sooners don't have issues to address, but coming through under that kind of pressure, at a time when the players are beat up and and the season is starting to drag is the reason those teams are championship caliber.

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