The Texas Longhorns Should Take a Page Out of Utah's Playbook

We all watched the Big 12 Championship.

We all witnessed one of the most bizarre endings in recent college football history.

I'm sure everyone noticed just how incredibly ineffective the Texas offense was against the aggressive Nebraksa defense.

Colt McCoy was tossed around like a rag doll by Heisman finalist Ndamukong Suh all night long. The Texas quarterback was sacked a whopping nine times (Suh accounted for four-and-a-half) and was intercepted three times.

It's a known fact that the Longhorns don't possess the most consistent running game in the country, but who expected to see a total of 18 yards on the ground by the boys in orange?

The Texas offensive line was tagged as one of the best in the country entering the game, but they were thoroughly dominated by Suh and company.

The scary thing is that the Cornhusker defense Texas faced in early December pales in comparison to the one the Longhorns will see tomorrow night in Pasadena.

The Alabama defense is riddled with size and speed, and flat out shuts down opponents—just ask Tim Tebow and the Gators.

Big 6'5'' Terrance Cody paces the Tide defense up front, and while he isn't as active a pass rusher as Suh is, he will provide some serious issues for an already struggling Texas running game.

Middle linebacker Rolando McClain can flat out play. This ball-hawking linebacker has piled up a team-high 101 tackles (12.5 for a loss) along with four sacks and two interceptions.

In the secondary, Javier Arenas (12 tackles for loss, five sacks) flies around the field, and is surprisingly effective in run defense.

In short, Texas could be in some deep trouble.

For all the wonderful things Colt McCoy has done for this Texas team, he has struggled against some of the more talented defenses he has faced this season.

In two games against Oklahoma and Nebraska, McCoy has thrown four interceptions to just one touchdown (barely a 50 percent completion rate) with an average QB rating of just 83.12.

It's worth noting that in the two games in which McCoy really struggled, the team as a whole only rushed for an average of 80 yards. 

It can thus be concluded that Colt McCoy, as good as he is, will need a running game against the Alabama defense to relieve some of the suffocating pressure he is likely to face.

While all of these factors seem to spell doom for the underdog Longhorns, there is hope, especially with the talent Mack Brown possesses.

Look no further than last season's Sugar Bowl.

No. 6 Utah came in as the underdog against the fourth-ranked Crimson Tide who boasted a 12-1 record, and came up just short of a national title shot.

The Tide defense received a great deal of hype for its stingy nature and aggressive play, and many analysts expected the Tide to dominate in all facets of the game.

The Utes had some plans of their own.

Before Nick Saban could blink, Utah was up 21-0 at the end of the first quarter. The quick-strike, up-tempo attack of Utah threw the Tide defense completely off balance.

While the run game for Utah was ineffective, they opened up just enough running lanes to keep Alabama honest, while quarterback Brian Johnson torched the Tide through the air to the tune of 336 yards and three touchdowns.

Mack Brown and Greg Davis should grab hold of that film and take notes, quickly.

I realize it's a different Alabama team from last year, and that they are far better than their 2008 counterparts, but the Longhorns have a more dangerous arsenal at their disposal than the Utes did.

In that context, an up-tempo offense with Colt McCoy pulling the trigger and Jordan Shipley and James Kirkendoll on the perimeter could be deadly. Moreover, the offensive line wouldn't have to sustain blocks for a long time, leaving them fresh for a knock-down, drag-out game.

Quick throws to Shipley in the center of the field will loosen up the defense a bit, allowing for a few shots down field later in the game.

The Texas runningbacks, led by starter Tre' Newton, will need to pick their gaps and hit them hard. While Texas may not be successful running early, they can't abandon the run over the course of the game or they run the risk of becoming one dimensional.

Dialing up some runs for Colt McCoy could add some much needed balance to the Texas attack. He hasn't run nearly as much this season, partially out of the fear of a possible injury, but now is the time to let him loose.

Keeping the Bama defense guessing is Texas's key to winning this game. Period.

The Texas defense can more than hold its own against the Tide offense, but they can't be on the field the whole game or they will get gashed in the fourth quarter by Mark Ingram. The offense must play keep away.

If Texas can win the time of possession battle, or at least keep it close, I like the Longhorns in this matchup.