Digesting everything from the annual Beef Bowl

SI.com's Arash Markazi will be on the road for the next two weeks, hitting up five bowl games -- the Las Vegas, Insight, Holiday, Fiesta and Rose -- and chronicling his journey in a daily Bowl Blog. His latest stop is California for the Rose Bowl pregame festivities.

One huge benefit of attending the Beef Bowl: Getting to pose with the Rose Queen and Vince Young in front of the BCS trophy. SI

Arash Markazi's Bowl Blog JAN. 4: A game that lived up to the hype JAN. 4: Finally ... let the game begin JAN. 3: Same old Irish story JAN. 2: Trojans find the beef JAN. 1: Relief inside the Staples Center DEC. 31: Experiencing the Beef Bowl DEC. 29: Another BCS snub falls in Holiday DEC. 27: Dropping in on Irish practice DEC. 26: A run of luck in Las Vegas DEC. 22: Rolling out the red carpet SI.com's Bowls Coverage

During its five-decade run, the annual Beef Bowl at Lawry's The Prime Rib in Beverly Hills preceding the Rose Bowl has become as synonymous with the game as the Rose Parade, Keith Jackson and the sun setting over the San Gabriel Mountains. Yet no matter how much I'd heard about the event in the past, nothing could have prepared me for my first trip to the legendary Beef Bowl on Friday night.

Despite being warned about afternoon traffic around downtown, I was running a little late to the event after attending USC's football practice on campus, and, as I tend to do whenever I drive around Los Angeles, got lost. But when I finally arrived near Lawry's, the place was swarming with fans and the traffic on La Cienega Boulevard was backed up for a few miles. Thankfully, when Beef Bowl media director Todd Erickson saw me while standing on the sidewalk, he told the police to stop traffic so I could drive into the restaurant's parking lot. I knew right then and there I was going to have a pretty special night.

As soon as the valet took my car, I was escorted by Erickson, who had kindly invited me to the event earlier in the week, to the red carpet entrance. Lawry's staff -- the waitresses, chefs, maitre d's, hostesses -- was lined up on either side of the carpet waiting to greet the Texas Longhorns as they walked into the restaurant while the Texas marching band played the school's fight song a few feet away. Soon after, four coach buses arrived in front of the restaurant and unloaded the Longhorns, who were dressed in suits for the occasion.

"Follow me," said Todd Johnson, general manager of Lawry's, as Texas players began making their way through the front door. "I'll take you through the back entrance, so we can beat the crowd." It may seem like a minor detail, but I've always wanted to walk through the back entrance of a restaurant, like the celebrities used to at Spago's back when it was the hot spot in Hollywood. As I walked through the kitchen, past the dozen or so cooks preparing the 600 pounds of prime rib to be devoured by the Longhorns in moments, Johnson told one of his assistants not to let anyone else through the back. As if I needed anymore validation that what I had just done doesn't happen all the time.

While camera crews and various other reporters covering the event were led into a separate room from the players and coaches, Johnson led me to my seat, which was right in front of the stage displaying the BCS Championship trophy and next to a bouquet of roses. "That's right," said Erickson, who was standing nearby. "You're going to be at the head of the table, seated right next to Vince Young and the Rose Queen." I thanked Erickson, who's one of the nicest guys you'd ever want to meet, but wondered aloud if maybe this might be a bit much for a journalist such as me. "Nonsense, we're happy to have you," he said. "Let me know if you need anything else."

As the Texas players made their way to their seats, Young pulled a quick audible and decided to sit at a booth with his good friends, running back Selvin Young, quarterback Matt Nordgren and offensive tackle Justin Blalock. Taking his place at the table would be All-America offensive tackle Jonathon Scott. The turn of events actually worked out well: I was planning on challenging whoever sat next to me to an eating contest, and who better than an offensive lineman? "I'm down with that," said Scott, who easily won the tale of the tape at 6-foot-7, 315 pounds.

Following the introductions of the dignitaries, which included Richard N. Frank, the chairman of Lawry's Restaurants, and his family, and Texas coach Mack Brown, who presented Richard and his wife, Mary Alice, with Stetson cowboy hats and autographed Texas footballs, it was time to meet the Rose Queen and her Royal Court.

Probably the most nervous person in the room was offensive lineman Bret Valdez, who was also going to be seated next to the Rose Queen. "It's all you," Young said as he rolled back to his new table and started singing, "I looove you." "He loves singing," Valdez said, fixing his tie and straightening out his suit for the queen. "He's an entertainer at heart." The rest of our table, which included offensive lineman Cedric Dockery, tight end Neil Tweedie, wide receiver Limas Sweed and linebacker Chad Kugler, also had its eyes on Valdez as Queen Camille Clark, a senior at La Salle High in Pasadena, joined the group.