Texas Longhorns: Will 13-0 Be Good Enough?

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

As it stands right now, Texas is the undeniable favorite to win the Big 12. In fact, most would be surprised if Texas didn’t run the table when looking at their remaining schedule:

Colorado

Oklahoma

@ Missouri

@ Oklahoma State

UCF

@ Baylor

Kansas

@ Texas A&M

Add it all up, and according to the current rankings, Texas will have only played four teams ranked in the Top 25. Of course, that is assuming that the teams in Oklahoma, Kansas, Oklahoma State, and Missouri don’t encounter a bevy of losses during the remainder of the regular season.

Not likely.

What is very likely is that only one of these teams will end up ranked in the Top 25 come the 1st week of December. 

Kansas has yet to crack the Top 15 and remaining on their schedule are the following games: Oklahoma, @ Texas Tech, Nebraska, @ Texas, and Missouri. Very easy to see Kansas losing at least three of those contests, and it isn’t all that unassuming that they would lose all five.

Missouri is barely in the Top 25 and have a tough game against Nebraska on Thursday night. Also included on their schedule are the following: @ Oklahoma State, Texas, Baylor, and Kansas. Very easy to see at least two losses coming out of that slate of games, and with the youth on the Tiger team, don’t think for a minute that ‘cake walks’ against Colorado, Kansas State, and Iowa State are for sure W’s for the Zou.

Oklahoma State was handily beaten at home by Houston.  You know, the team that just gave up 58 in a losing effort to UTEP.  Not only that, but stud wide receiver Dez Bryant has just been ruled ineligible by the NCAA.  All of four weeks ago this was a team with serious National Title game aspirations.  Now it is a team in complete chaos sitting on the brink of a season filled with disaster.  Not even the most ardent Cowboy supporter is considering a single game as a for sure win for the rest of the season.

And then we have Oklahoma. Already beset with two tough one point losses to BYU and Miami, the Sooners not only have to face big-time rival Texas but also @ Kansas, @ Nebraska, @ Texas Tech, and Bedlam rival Oklahoma State. Even Sooner fans are currently fearing an unimaginable season of six losses. And gasp, the possibility of not even making it to a bowl game?

What this all means is that yet again, Texas could be facing a voting public saying “Hey, what about your schedule?” for the second straight year.

Taking a look around the country, it isn’t all that unimaginative to see a Cincinnati, Boise State, or even a one loss USC team leap-frogging the Longhorns. Especially if they struggle in a conference that may be the second weakest of all the BCS conferences right now.

Think about it.

Once again, if it comes down to a question of who has earned a trip to the BCS championship game, the non-conference schedule of Texas may well be their achille’s heel yet again.

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