Despite The Heartbreaking Loss, These Texas Longhorns Should Be Proud

It was over.

Following an ill-advised shovel pass from freshman quarteback Garrett Gilbert to running back Tre' Newton, Marcell Dareus was taking the tipped ball in to the endzone, putting the top ranked Tide up 24-6, effectively sealing the deal on the game.

The Longhorns were dead in the water and you could see it in Mack Brown's eyes right before the half.

It should have ended there, but something happened.

In a first half in which everything went wrong for the guys in burnt orange, including the stunning loss of star quarterback Colt McCoy to a shoulder injury, this Texas team was proving the pundits correct in their pre-game assessments.

Texas had no buisness being on the field with the vaunted Crimson Tide.

Don't tell that to Gilbert and company.

Putting two first half interceptions behind him, young Gilbert nearly engineered one of the most stunning comebacks in recent college football history.

Gilbert helped Texas score 15 straight points in the second half, including two beautiful touchdown passes to All-American Jordan Shipley, closing the lead to just three points with a little over six minutes left to play.

We all know how it ended, and ultimately the best team in the nation won the game, but nothing can strip these Longhorns of what they were able to do when the odds were stiffly against them.

Despite some large runs by Bama running backs Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson, the Texas defense was suffocating.

Senior Sergio Kindle had an incredible night, racking up two-and-a-half of the Longhorns' five sacks of Tide quarterback Greg McElroy, who was held to just 58 yards I might add.

Texas was stout on third down defense, holding the Crimson Tide to just 2-12 on the night.  The defense gave Gilbert and the offense a chance to win it in the closing minutes, but the Longhorns ran out of pixie dust.

It would be rather bitter of me to dwell on what could have been had McCoy gotten the chance to play, and it wouldn't be fair to detract from Alabama's well deserved victory, but I can't get over just how resilient Mack Brown's squad is.

They lost their leader, the calls didn't go their way, and most importantly, a freshman quarterback saw his first real action of the season against one of the most ferocious defenses in the country.

Texas could have easily laid down and continued to take the beating, but these Longhorns have too much pride for that.

The final score of 37-21 will lead many in the media to believe Alabama dominated this Texas team, as many of them predicted they would, but it was not so.

We witnessed the coming-of-age of one of Texas's brightest young stars and the quarterback of the future for this football program.

We saw a defense that refused to give in despite the 18 point deficit they faced in the third quarter.

Most importantly, we saw a team that showed great class when it was all said and done. 

You won't find a classier coach than Mack Brown, who gave credit where it was due and humbly bowed out of one of perhaps the most frustrating game he has ever had to coach.

You won't find classier players than Colt McCoy and Jordan Shipley, who have left bold marks on a storied program.

Congratulations to Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide, you all proved your merit on this night.

As for the Texas Longhorns, the future is bright for this group, and if anything, they can take a great deal of pride in the fact that they all left it out on the field in a rough-and-tumble battle that took every ounce of courage they could muster.

This is what football is all about.