As bowl opponents go, they probably don’t get much bigger than Texas.
The Longhorns held the No. 1 spot in the polls for three weeks during the 2008 college football season. A last-second loss to Texas Tech cost Texas that No. 1 ranking and a weird Big 12 tiebreaker procedure robbed UT of not only a berth in the conference title game but, ultimately, also a shot at the national championship.
Texas (11-1) finished third in the final BCS rankings, trailing national title game participants Florida and Oklahoma (each 12-1). The Longhorns’ reward? A match-up with No. 10 Ohio State (10-2) in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, set for Mon., Jan. 5, at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. (8 p.m. Eastern, Fox national telecast).
It is not exactly a match-up that dreams are made of for Texas, but coach Mack Brown said his team would accept the assignment and relish the opportunity to play in a prime time bowl, nonetheless.
“One thing this team has done and hopefully our coaching staff is able to do is look at things like they are and figure out what is available at that time and then move forward,” Brown said. “That is what this team has done. Obviously, we wanted to play for the national championship in Miami and that didn’t happen. We all discussed it. We thought about it and we moved forward.
“The only thing we can do is come out here and try to represent the University of Texas and the Fiesta Bowl, which we have never been to. Texas has but not this group. And also play a great team and have a lot of fun doing it. Anybody who is pouting about this weather, this place and a great bowl and two top-10 teams probably needs to mature a little bit.”
Brown was asked if there was any thought that his team could steal the Associated Press version of the national title with an impressive win over Ohio State.
“We talk about playing the best we can and then all of that other stuff takes care of itself,” Brown said. “If you start talking about stuff that is at the end then you probably won’t get the results that you want. What we will do is try to play the best we can play and we’ll end up where we end up.
Conversely, OSU coach Jim Tressel was asked if the title game snub could lead UT to try and prove it belonged in the title game.
“They don’t need that (motivation),” he said. “They’re good enough without it.”
The game is a rubber match of sorts for Ohio State and Texas, which split regular season match-ups in 2005 and 2006. Texas won the first game 25-22 in Columbus, while OSU prevailed 24-7 in a rare one-versus-two match-up a year later in Austin.
The Longhorns were ranked 11th in the preseason, coming off a 10-3 season that was capped with a Holiday Bowl win over Arizona State.
Texas' best nonconference win was a 52-10 romp over Arkansas on Sept. 27. The Longhorns then went through a brutal four-week stretch where they played four teams ranked in the top 11 nationally. That included wins over Oklahoma, No. 11 Missouri (56-31) and No. 6 Oklahoma State (28-24). That string was snapped as then-No. 7 Texas Tech rallied for a 39-33 win in Lubbock, scoring the go-ahead touchdown with a scant one second remaining.
Texas wrapped up its share of the Big 12 South title with a rousing 49-9 win over rival Texas A&M on Nov. 27 in Austin. But it was not enough to lift Texas over Oklahoma in the BCS standings, meaning that Oklahoma got the nod to play Missouri in the Big 12 title game. Those rankings did not change after the Sooners posted their decisive win over Missouri in the Big 12 title game, leaving Texas out of the national title game.
“Your first goal is to win your conference championship when the season starts,” Brown said. “We were able to be co-champs in the (Big 12 South). Your second goal is to be in a BCS bowl against a great team. Our players are excited about playing a great team like Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl. It is a new experience for us to be there.”
Brown was asked, though, if it would be natural to have a letdown since his team is not playing for the national title. He recalled a similar scenario in 2003, when Kansas State upset Oklahoma in the Big 12 title game. OU still got to play for the national title, while K-State replaced Texas against Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl. Texas went instead to the Holiday Bowl and dropped a 28-20 decision to Washington State.
“We were flat and did not play well against Washington State,” Brown said. “But anybody who has a chance to play against Ohio State in the BCS in the Fiesta Bowl will not be flat because what an exciting time it will be for those kids.”
Even if Texas may not win the national title this year, Brown – whose Longhorns, led by quarterback Vince Young, won the championship in 2005 – was asked if this has been his most enjoyable team at Texas.
“I think it is, without question, because they had so much fun together,” Brown said. “They laugh and then they go do their business. That’s the way they have been. That’s why there hasn’t been any disappointment (about not playing in the BCS title game). They’ve moved on. They’re really resilient.
“It’s a really good mix of young and old. The older guys really run the team. The older guys sit with us and discuss the curfew every night. And then I will go in and discuss it with them and the coaches and then we’ll determine it. The seniors are working with me to determine that.”
The Real McCoy
Of course, Brown can rest comfortably at night knowing his team’s offense is in the hands of junior quarterback Colt McCoy (6-3, 210).
McCoy was the 2008 Heisman Trophy runner-up, trailing only Oklahoma’s prolific quarterback Sam Bradford. McCoy did receive the Walter Camp national player of the year award. McCoy has made 38 career starts in three seasons for the Longhorns. His 31 wins as a starter rank him alongside Vince Young, who led UT to the 2005 national title, for the most in school history.
This year, he logged five 300-yard games in finishing with a Texas single-season record 3,445 yards. He completed 77.6 percent of his passes (291 of 375) for 32 touchdowns with seven interceptions. He was also UT’s leading rusher in the regular season with 576 yards and 10 touchdowns on 128 carries.
In his career, McCoy holds Texas marks for passing yards (9,318), passing TDs (83), total offense (10,556), TDs responsible for (99), completion percentage (70.2), passing efficiency (159.1 rating), completions (784) and attempts (1,117). McCoy is a virtual lock to break the NCAA record for single-season completion percentage. He's a full 4 percent in front of the current record-holder (73.6 percent, Daunte Culpepper, Central Florida).
To put that in perspective, McCoy could throw 20 straight incompletions against the Buckeyes and he'd still be above the record.
“My success is a reflection of my teammates,” McCoy said. “I tell them every day it’s because of them that I’m up here and I’m just representing them.” McCoy talked about the gauntlet Texas had to run in the Big 12 during the regular season.
“Every week, you had to bring you’re A game because the player across the ball from you was a solid quarterback and he was going to put up a lot of points for his team,” McCoy said. “It was tough. We had that four-week stretch where we played all top-11 teams. That made it tough, but that also made it fun.
“It was definitely a gut check. We were playing tough defenses and tough teams. It showed the character of our team to play through that. We were one second away from winning all four of them. We felt like we handled it well and we moved on. The biggest thing for us was we finished the season like we wanted to.”
McCoy talked about the mind-set of the Longhorns after they were denied not once but twice by the BCS system.
“It’s unfortunate for us,” he said. “We beat both of the teams that played in the Big 12 championship game. But we can’t change anything. That’s not our focus any more. We have changed that. We are focused on Ohio State and the opportunity to win 12 games. We haven’t done that in the last two years. We want to play the best game we can when we go out to Arizona.”
As Texas began preparations for the Fiesta Bowl, McCoy announced his intention to return to Texas for his senior year.
“I said all year long I want to come back,” he said. “I have a great relationship with my coaches and a great relationship with my teammates. The whole offensive line is coming back. Our future is really bright. I have a chance to play for four years at a great university like Texas. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
McCoy was just a redshirt freshman when he made his second career start against Ohio State in September 2006. He threw a touchdown pass in that game, but also had a costly interception to OSU linebacker James Laurinaitis that paved the way to a crucial score in the Buckeyes’ win.
“I remember it being the redshirt freshman in his second ballgame against Troy Smith, who was really good enough for the Heisman,” Brown recalled. “That is usually not going to work out like you want it to. I think Colt did some really good things that night. Troy was just hot. You couldn’t stop them. We had a couple of turnovers. We had a turnover at the three going in that really hurt us. Then, we had the interception to start the second half. We didn’t have enough firepower to catch up.”
Tressel reflected on that first match-up with McCoy and how he has developed since then.
“We remember playing against Colt McCoy,” the OSU coach said. “That seems like it was 100 years ago. You watch him now and he’s completing almost 80 percent of his passes. They’ve just been very steady. They have been very consistent. They have great personnel and a lot of veterans. We’re going to face a great team.
“He’s great for the game. He’s fun for people to watch. He’s highly competitive. He’s classy. He’s everything Texas wants to be. I promise you we will see a lot different Colt McCoy than what we saw two years ago. It is exciting to be on the field with someone like him.”
Not A One-Man Team
The Longhorns have several lofty national statistical rankings. UT is ninth in total offense (476.4 yards per game), fifth in scoring offense (43.9 points per game), 20th in scoring defense (18.6 ppg) and 50th in total defense (339.9 ypg). Texas leads the nation in sacks per game (3.7).
McCoy's top receivers are sophomore Jordan Shipley (79 catches, 11 touchdowns) and senior Quan Cosby (78 catches, eight TDs). Shipley (6-0, 190) and Cosby (5-11, 200) are sure-handed receivers, although they fill different roles.
Shipley is the big-play man. McCoy looks for him on deep posts and fade routes to the end zone. Cosby, on the other hand, is the dependable third-down target.
If McCoy's in a pinch or on the run, look for him to go to Cosby with the ball. The Longhorns have frequently made use of four- and five-wide receiver sets.
Starting tight end Greg Smith (6-4, 295) is on the field frequently, but the converted offensive tackle is primarily and blocker and safety valve. The big, physical receiver in the group is redshirt freshman Malcolm Williams (6-3, 218), but also keep an eye on speedy slot receiver Brandon Collins (6-0, 170), who has established himself as McCoy's No. 3 option.
Up front, Texas has a solid offensive line that has gone above and beyond expectations. With only one senior on the line (right guard Cedric Dockery), the unit was expected to be about a year away. But under the leadership of junior center Chris Hall -- who missed the final two games of the season with a knee sprain, but should be ready for the bowl game -- the offensive line has played well as a unit.
The most attention is given to Hall and massive (6-8, 302) left tackle Adam Ulatoski, but keep an eye on sophomore right tackle Kyle Hix (6-7, 320), an up-and-comer who has played exceptionally well after getting very little attention in recruiting.
Over on the defensive side of the ball, it's all about aggression. The defense will look very different schematically from the one Ohio State faced in 2005-06 thanks to defensive coordinator Will Muschamp. The first-year assistant has fared so well, in fact, that the Longhorns officially announced he will take over as head coach when Brown retires.
Texas was second nationally against the run during the regular season, allowing just 73.6 yards per game. But the Longhorns were susceptible at times to the pass, playing in the spread-heavy Big 12. Texas was 109th nationally in pass defense at 266.3 yards per game.
“All of the defensive statistics don’t matter,” said senior defensive end Brian Orakpo. “We played high powered offenses each week. You just have to be prepared. The stats don’t matter. The wins and losses are the only thing that counts.”
Muschamp's job was made much easier by the presence of Orakpo (6-4, 260). Orakpo won three national honors this year with the Nagurski Award (nation's best defensive player), the Lombardi Award (top lineman) and the Hendricks Award (top defensive end). He has changed games with his ability to rush the quarterback. The senior end has compiled 10-1/2 sacks, 18 tackles-for-loss and four forced fumbles this season.
“This team is very different from last year,” Orakpo said. “The team leadership is a lot better to get the young guys motivated week in and week out. Everybody is just having a lot of fun when we’re out there and playing consistent. Everybody is enjoying playing for each other and for our coaches.”
Orakpo has also been helped by the presence of a tough defensive tackle in senior Roy Miller (6-2, 295). The combination of Miller and Orakpo has made it tough on quarterbacks, contributing to Texas being the only Big 12 defense ranked in the top 50 nationally.
An X-factor on defense for Texas is junior linebacker Sergio Kindle (6-4, 239), who switches between strongside linebacker and defensive end. Working as pass-rush specialist, Kindle has racked up nine sacks of his own, making long passing downs particularly difficult for opponents because Texas will put Kindle and one defensive end spot and Orakpo at the other.
Though he hasn't received many accolades, the player on the defense people should pay attention to is junior linebacker Roddrick Muckelroy (6-2, 235). Muckelroy is way, way out in front when it comes to tackles, racking up 106 on the year (the next closest has 63) and there's plenty of reason for it. He's a sure-tackler and he'll be the defensive player who'll have his name called out the most.
In the defensive backfield, things get interesting. At corner, there is a great deal of depth and experience. Senior Ryan Palmer (5-10, 186) is the definitive leader of the group and makes up for his lack of height with a great deal of speed and football know-how.
On the other side sits junior Deon Beasley, who has had issues with tackling but is a solid cover-man. The corner to keep and eye on, though, is sophomore Chykie Brown (6-1, 185). He's been slowed by a high ankle sprain this season, but the lanky, long-armed defender likely has the most athletic talent in the defensive backfield.
At safety, though, two freshmen are starting. Redshirt freshman Earl Thomas (5-10, 195) and true freshman Blake Gideon (6-1, 197) have had troubles here and there adjusting, but have played above and beyond expectations. Thomas is much more the pure athletic talent while Gideon is the consummate study of the game who has done a great job of reading plays, even as a freshman.
Also Notable
* Texas’ season-ending 49-9 win over Texas A&M was notable for three reasons.
First, it was UT’s biggest win over its rival since 1898.
Second, it was Brown’s 200th coaching victory. He is 200-100-1 in 24 years as a college head coach. That includes a mark of 114-26 in his time at Texas.
Third, the win allowed Texas to move past Notre Dame into second place on the NCAA all-time victories list at 831. Notre Dame, with its bowl win over Hawaii, has moved back into a second-place tie. But the UT win marked the first time since 1932 that Michigan (tops all-time with 872 wins) and Notre Dame did not occupy the top two spots on that list.
Ohio State, incidentally, is fifth on the all-time wins list at 807. (Nebraska is fourth at 816, with Penn State and Alabama tied for sixth at 799.)
* Ohio State is 18-21 all-time in bowl games, including a 4-1 mark at the Fiesta Bowl. Texas is 24-21-2 all-time in bowl games, including 0-1 in the Fiesta with a loss in the 1997 game to Penn State.
* Ohio State is 5-0 all-time against current Big 12 schools in bowl games. That includes two wins over Texas A&M (1987 Cotton Bowl and 1999 Sugar Bowl) and one win apiece over Colorado (1977 Orange Bowl), Kansas State (2004 Fiesta Bowl) and Oklahoma State (2004 Alamo Bowl).
Texas is 2-3 all-time against current Big Ten teams in bowls. UT has lost twice to Penn State (1972 Cotton Bowl, 1997 Fiesta Bowl), split match-ups with Iowa (losing in the 1984 Freedom Bowl and winning the 2006 Alamo Bowl) and defeating Michigan in the 2005 Rose Bowl.
* Under Tressel, Ohio State is 4-3 in bowl games. Texas is 7-3 in bowl games under Brown, winning six of their last seven outings.
* Texas made some history with its string of four straight games against top-11 teams. It was the first time since 1983 that a team has defeated three teams in the top 11 in three consecutive weeks. Auburn was the last team to do it.
UT became just the ninth team since the inception of the AP poll in 1936 to play four top-11 teams in four weeks. Notre Dame is the only school to win all four games in that string, pulling it off in 1943.
* This game matches up two of the top five active winnigest coaches in college football. Tressel is tied with Virginia Tech’s Frank Beamer in third place with 218 wins, while Brown is fifth at 200. (Penn State’s Joe Paterno tops the list at 383 with Florida State’s Bobby Bowden next at 382 after his team’s bowl win over Wisconsin.)
Brown is also second to the legendary Darrell Royal in wins at Texas with 114. Royal tallied 167 wins at UT from 1957-76.
* Under Brown, Texas is 29-17 against top-25 teams. That includes a 3-1 mark this season. Under Tressel, OSU is 32-11 against ranked teams including a 2-2 mark this season. Tressel’s OSU teams are 8-6 against top-10 teams, including 0-2 this year.
In fact, Ohio State has lost its last four games against top-10 teams: Florida (in 2007 national title game), LSU (in 2008 national title game) and USC and Penn State this season.
* This marks the eighth year in the 11 seasons of the BCS that the Big Ten has gotten two teams into the mix with Ohio State in the Fiesta and Penn State facing USC in the Rose Bowl.
Since the inception of the BCS in 1998, the Big Ten has qualified 19 teams for BCS bowls, more than any other conference. The SEC ranks second with 17 BCS bids followed by the Big 12 (16), Pac-10 (13), ACC (11) and Big East (11). The Big Ten also sent a pair of squads to BCS games in 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2007.
Overall, seven conference programs have taken part in a BCS contest, including Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin. The Big Ten and Pac-10 have each won eight BCS games to rate second behind the SEC (11 victories) and ahead of Big 12 (6) and Big East (6).
* This link goes to our extensive Game Data file, which includes more information on the game, statistical leaders and rankings, tallies for each team’s national and conference titles and Heisman Trophy winners, depth charts, past bowl scores, 2008 game-by-game capsules for each team and a prediction on the game:
http://www.bucknuts.com/news/articles/2008/12/30/fiesta-bowl-game-data-ohio-state-vs-texas
