What has happened to the University of Texas Longhorns and the University of South California Trojans?

It was not long ago that the two powerhouse college football programs squared off in the 2006 Rose Bowl National Championship in Pasadena, California, in what many consider to be the greatest college football game of all time.

In 2006, Texas’ quarterback Vince Young led the Horns to a thrilling 41-38 victory over USC and their Heisman Trophy-winning duo of Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush. 35.6 million people watched as Young ran in the final touchdown with 19 seconds left in the game.

Since then, the programs have fallen from the top of the college football world. Following the 2005-2006 season, the Longhorns and Trojans have nearly identical records of 67-24 and 68-22, respectively. However, the programs’ records have fallen to even lower numbers in the last three years; 22-16 for UT and 25-13 for USC.

For any other program, these statistics would be acceptable. However, the Longhorns and the Trojans are two of the most storied teams in college football history and have a long history of competing for national titles. In recent years, the dominance of the two programs has been noticeably missing.

This poses the question: Is it time for a new era in Texas and Southern California?

UT Head Coach Mack Brown and USC Head Coach Lane Kiffin are definitely on the hot seat at the start of this season. Just three weeks in and the Longhorns and Trojans are 1-2 and 2-1, respectively. After suffering two blowout upsets by Brigham Young University & No. 25 Ole Miss University, UT is not ranked and fans are calling for Brown to be fired. Between the two losses, the Longhorns gave up 822 yards on the ground — the most rushing yards allowed in a two-game span in school history.

Meanwhile, Lane Kiffin just can not seem to stay away from controversy. After being fired by the Oakland Raiders and Tennessee Volunteers, Kiffin landed in Los Angeles in 2010 with the Trojans. Althought he came into very tough circumstances – USC had just began its two-year postseason ban as a part of NCAA sanctions for “lack of institutional control – Kiffin has also made many of his own blunders as head coach.

The fans’ disapproval of him has reached a point to where they “boo” him at games and practices. Kiffin just shrugs it off because he is used to it. Even his players are taking matters into their own hands by holding a players-only meeting without Kiffin’s knowledge earlier this week.

Brown and Kiffin better get these teams headed in the right direction, and fast. Otherwise, they may be searching for a new job at the season’s end.