BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — You can't fully appreciate Texas' 20-game winning streak until you remember how it started.

That was in early October of 2004. That was when Texas fans didn't know if coach Mack Brown would ever beat Oklahoma, if Vince Young were better suited for wide receiver than quarterback and if offensive coordinator Greg Davis could be trusted to call plays for an intramural flag football team.

Texas had just lost to Oklahoma. Worse yet, it had been shut out.

Don't bother mentioning that to Southern Cal. The Trojans feel bad enough after Texas ended their 34-game winning streak in the Rose Bowl on Wednesday night.

Besides, they wouldn't believe you anyway. Shut out a Vince Young-led offense? Why, the Trojans could barely tackle him.

Young rushed for 200 yards and completed 30 of 40 passes for 267 more yards as Texas dethroned USC as national champion with a 41-38 victory that wasn't decided until Young ran 8 yards for a touchdown with 19 seconds to play.

Suddenly Young is being compared to the greatest quarterbacks in college history. The consensus opinion of his coaches has changed for the better, too.

Brown is no longer the coach who couldn't win the big game. Instead, he is the coach who won one of the biggest games of all-time.

And Davis isn't the zero of a play caller whose tactical skills failed to produce a single point against Oklahoma last season. He's the mastermind behind an offense that averaged 50 points and scored fewer than 40 only once in a 13-game unbeaten season.

"It's the nature of the business," Davis said with a smile Wednesday morning. "Sometimes, you walk into a room and your family turns away from you."

And other times, like after the Rose Bowl victory, your cell phone can't accommodate all the congratulatory messages.

Davis, Brown and Young deserve much of the credit for Texas' national championship. It wasn't just what they did individually, but how effectively they worked together.

And it started with that loss to Oklahoma.

Brown put together a highlight video of Young for Young. The highlights came from his early games as a Longhorn as well as his glory days at Houston Madison, where Young was a legendary high school athlete as an All-American quarterback, a two-time all-district basketball player, a pitcher in baseball and a sprinter in track.

Having helped restore Young's confidence, Brown and Davis began building the offense around the talents of their 6-foot-5, 235-pound quarterback who plays his position like a big Michael Vick. Not only was the offense tweaked, but Young altered his approach as well.

"Vince came here as a workout warrior," Davis said. "He would lift weights till he drops. He would run till he drops. Now, he's becoming a film-room warrior."

Brown emphasized that point during Thursday's press conference at the Beverly Hills Hilton. He pointed out that Young deserves just as much praise for his ability to read defenses and manage a game as USC quarterback Matt Leinart gets.

"He's not just a playmaker," Brown said of Young.

But he's such a playmaker, it's so easy to overlook his appreciation for the nuances of his position.

Before the team left Austin for Pasadena, Davis had a meeting with his quarterbacks. Imagine a third-and-6 at a crucial juncture in the game, he instructed them: "What's your call?"

"A quarterback draw," Young said.

Davis' selection was slightly different. It was called, "Gun Left Jack Menu 2," which gave Young a passing option first, and a run second.

That's the play Davis called and Young executed on the game-winning touchdown.

Young performed perfectly, first looking to his receivers, who were covered, then scrambling to the outside and beating Southern Cal's defense to the corner.

Young has another big call to make. Will he come back for his senior season or jump to the NFL where he surely will be drafted high in the first round?

The money likely will be too much to turn down, but Young has such genuine love for his college coaches and teammates, he still might labor over the decision.

"I'll sit down with my family members and Coach Brown (in making the decision)," Young said.

Davis and Brown made it clear there would be no attempt to re-recruit a quarterback whose return would make Texas a favorite to repeat as national champion.

"No, we wouldn't do that," Davis said. "The worst thing that could happen would be if Vince came back and wasn't happy about it. We don't want him to lose that glow."

Young's glow was bright enough for all of Texas on Wednesday night. And a dark, scoreless day against Oklahoma was long forgotten.

John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knews.com.