2008 Should Serve As a Blueprint for 2009 Longhorns

(Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

The exploits of the flawed 2008 college football season are quite well known by college football fans by now.  However, like the saying goes, "if we don't learn from our history, then we are doomed to repeat it."

Well the 2009 Texas Longhorns had better take the lesson they learned in 2008, and apply it to 2009, because the 'Horns cannot afford a loss in the upcoming season if they plan to play for the National Championship.

The 2008 edition of the Longhorns were left with a sour taste in their mouth after being passed up for the title game by a team they had previously beaten by 10 points.

With the way the current BCS system is set up, head to head meetings have no bearing on what teams get to advance to the title game.

Instead, a team's entire schedule is rated by the BCS, and a team's strength of schedule plays a major role in deciding who goes to the National Championship game.

Just as last year, Texas finds themselves with an extremely weak out of conference schedule that will do them no favors should they drop a game at some point during the season.

In the world of the BCS, it is important to either be able to go undefeated or have a strong schedule. 

We know Texas lacks a tough schedule outside of their conference schedule, and so going undefeated will be of paramount importance if Texas hopes to reach Pasadena for the National Championship game.

Teams like Utah and Arkansas who were supposed to play Texas in 2009 certainly have done the Longhorns no favors in backing out the their games against the Longhorns this season, but Texas didn't really help the situation by replacing those teams with Wyoming and UTEP. 

Certainly in the past Texas has had a history of tough out-of-conference scheduling, and I'm sure after meeting with BCS experts this off-season, Texas will continue to schedule tough out-of-conference opponents.

However, the fact remains that Texas has no marquee games for 2009 against someone outside the Big 12, and that means if Texas wants a shot at the roses, they have to be perfect in 2009.

2008 saw Texas come one play and one second shy of perfection.  Hopefully in 2009, Texas will be able to stay away from the letdown to find themselves once again hoisting the crystal ball in Pasadena.

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