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Longhorns look ready for BCS title game

Texas head coach Mack Brown gestures as he talks with an official in the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game against Oklahoma State in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009. AP PHOTO

 
By JOHN KLEIN Senior Sports Columnist
Published: 11/2/2009  2:21 AM
Last Modified: 11/2/2009  4:06 AM
Go to John Klein's Blog


THE FOOTBALL gods are smiling down on Texas.

A year ago, the Longhorns were cursed by a few percentage points spit out by computers.

But it appears all of the bad karma has been reversed from last year, when most believed the 'Horns had earned a spot in the national championship game by their play on the field.

The Longhorns easily cleared what should be the last major hurdle to the national championship game when they hammered Oklahoma State 41-14 in Stillwater.

"We still have a lot at stake on the national scene," Texas coach Mack Brown said. "We want to be the best in the country. We want to continue to play like that."

There would appear to be little to nothing standing between Texas and a date in the big game against the winner of Florida-Alabama.

Texas will be a huge favorite in its last four games (UCF in Austin, at Baylor, Kansas in Austin and at Texas A&M). In addition, the Big 12 North Division is such a mess it is hard to imagine the Big 12 championship game being competitive.

"I think the signal is we have a chance to be really good here at the end," Brown said.

For all of the disappointment of last year, when a miracle pass at Texas Tech proved to be fatal to their national championship hopes, things have worked out
perfectly for the

'

Horns this year.

"We feel much better as opposed to last year," said Texas quarterback Colt McCoy, who probably has worked himself back onto the Heisman ballot. "This was big for us.

"It's your team and you control your own destiny. We couldn't let it (a late road loss like last year) happen again. "

Texas is far from a powerhouse. The Longhorns don't run the ball very well. It has only one reliable receiver.

But, Texas has McCoy, arguably the best quarterback in college football. He has the ability to make tacklers miss and is the most accurate passer in the game.

Plus, the Longhorns, with all due respect to Florida and Alabama, have the nation's best defense. Texas is great up front and even better in the secondary.

To reach and win a national title game, you have to be more than good. You need some good fortune.

"There's teams out there every week that lose to a nobody so we only want to think about Pasadena (site of the BCS championship game) if we get to that time or if we're in a position to be there."

Certainly, the Longhorns have had more than their share of good fortune this year.

The two biggest challengers to Texas in the Big 12 this season, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, have both been stripped of their best players.

OU's Heisman winner Sam Bradford went down in the first quarter against the Longhorns. OU tight end Jermaine Gresham was done for the year before the season even started.

OSU lost its two best offensive players, too (Dez Bryant and Kendall Hunter).

We're guessing the Sooners and Cowboys at full strength would have been far more difficult to beat.

But the Sooners and Cowboys made it hard on themselves against the Longhorns. Even though Texas did not play well against OU, the Sooners killed themselves with five turnovers. OSU caught Texas on the upswing and contributed to the rout by also committing five turnovers.

So in its two toughest games of the season, the Longhorns got 10 turnovers from teams that were stripped of their best players.

That's living right.

Still, give Texas credit. The Longhorns, who struggled in their first five games, seem to have shifted into a different gear in the last two weeks.

Texas has won big on the road at Missouri and Oklahoma State, two games that looked rather imposing in the preseason.

But like a lot of things this season, it has all fallen into place for the Longhorns.

Is Texas destined to win the national championship? We don't know.

But, it sure looks like the Longhorns are destined to play for it.

By JOHN KLEIN Senior Sports Columnist

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COMMENTS 
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8 comments have been made for this team so far. Tell us what you think below!
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Report Comment
WWJD, (11/2/2009 9:33:42 AM)
Now maybe they will quit crying.
Report Comment
forkandknife, Tulsa (11/2/2009 10:27:54 AM)
My Horns looked so good this weekend! Great job boys. Don't get all high and mighty. Four games left. Just play hard. And have fun. That is the main thing.
Report Comment
TigrBakr, (11/2/2009 11:08:16 AM)
Whatever, WWJD. Lord knows if the Sooners had gotten screwed like that we'd still be hearing about it from "No game" Bob. Just admit it, you got over on the system. Just one of those things. But the football Gods are atoning for what happened last year. Gresham hurt, Bradford hurt, o-line in shambles. Karma is a biznitch!
Report Comment
NN, (11/2/2009 11:24:52 AM)
If UT is BCS Title Game ready, then I feel good about where OSU stands as a program right now. Yes, the Cowboys shot themselves in the foot and had a hard time matching UT's speed, but if not for the unforced turnovers that were entirely avoidable (especially if Dez hadn't got himself into trouble) then OSU was in that fight. Hell, look at last year in Austin. 2008 and 2009 are both years that OSU was in the top 10 and had chances to win the Big XII. Just keep this up and we'll have our day. Go Pokes!
Report Comment
SS_Hippy, Tulsa (11/2/2009 1:27:58 PM)
i want Texas or somebody to knock that fullback playing QB's block off.
Report Comment
Art Monk, (11/2/2009 5:14:20 PM)
Thanks, Klein. Great insight. (*fart noise*)
Report Comment
OU@BVAR, Bella Vista (11/2/2009 8:44:12 PM)
Personally I think OU could beat Texas if we played again. That said, I hope Texas wins the BCS Championship and Colt wins the Heisman.
I guess we can't win them all but I like Bob Stoops and company.
Go Sooners
Report Comment
bigmel, (11/11/2009 1:59:48 PM)
SEC rules! GO Tigers,Gators,Tide...
 

 
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