 Seconds after Texas beat Southern California 41 – 38 , the university lit the UT tower orange , the traditional signal of victory on the campus . Since this was a national championship , office lights were also left selectively lit in order to form a number " 1 " on all four sides of the tower ( pictured ) . Texas students and fans spilled onto the streets of Austin and made their way to campus for an impromptu celebration . Though police were out in force , there were no reports of problems . The school commissioned a painting titled The University of Texas National Championship 2005 by Opie Otterstad to commemorate the win in the Rose Bowl and the National Championship . 
