Here comes the Longhorns

The season began with lots of question marks. Both safety positions would be filled with freshman. Running backs were good, but who would step up and take the place of Jamaal Charles? Would our offensive line provide the protection and blocking we needed?

What we did know was Colt McCoy would be behind center leading the way with his skills and determination. Quan Cosby and Jordan Shipley were sure to catch a lot of balls. Mack Brown did all he could in providing a strong coaching staff. Will Muschamp and Major Applewhite would bring some skill and motivation that would lead the way to excellence.

Most people predicted the Horns would finish third or fourth in the conference. As the season began, most of us suspected we were in for something special. The Horns dominated the first five opponents, but we didn't know for sure what we had until we faced No. 1 Oklahoma on October 11.

The game was close for three quarters, but the Horns dominated the last quarter, on defense and offense, winning 45-35. People began to realize the boys in Austin were going to make some noise. The next three games were against teams in the top eleven. All went well until the Tech game where a fantastic catch with one second on the clock ended our quest for a perfect record. The Horns continued to dominate the rest of the regular season.

With a three way tie for the conference crown, Oklahoma became the choice for the Big XII championship game due to "style points." Much has been said about that and there is no need to discuss it further, except to say it deprived the Horns of a shot at the NC. Maybe they would have lost to Florida, but who knows?

They scored more points on Oklahoma than did Florida and won by the same 10 point margin. The extra exposure in the Big XII championship game also gave a big edge to Bradford over McCoy in their quest for the Heisman. OK, no more complaining. There is always next year.

The Fiesta Bowl was one of the more entertaining bowls, with Texas winning at the very end. Colt McCoy was 41-of-59 for 414 yds and showed in the last two minutes of the game why he is one of the best. Ohio State had lost a couple, but they were at their best for this game and gained the nation's respect for their efforts.

How about conference strength? Let's see how the conferences did in the final Top 20 AP poll. This only includes conferences with a top five representative.

Big XII—5 teams
Southeastern—4 teams
Pac Ten—4 teams
Mountain West—2 teams

How did the top 5 teams do in Top 20 competition (including bowls)?

Texas was 4-1
Florida was 3-1
USC was 3-1
Utah was 3-0
Oklahoma 5-2

A record of 12-1 isn't bad at all. Of course, there are many opinions as to who is really No. 1. My top five are listed below.

1. Florida—Maybe we could have beat them, but since we didn't get the chance, I have to rank them No. 1. Tebow is an outstanding person, both on and off the field. A one point loss to a good Mississippi team doesn't keep them from being on top.

2. Texas—Colt McCoy is equal to Tebow and has the same kind of skills, character and leadership qualities. He was also surrounded by some quality players that helped make this a year to remember.

3. Utah—Undefeated deserves recognition, but their body of work doesn't compare to Florida and Texas.

4. USC—Much improved at the end of the season, but losing to a 25 point underdog matters in the final poll.

5. Oklahoma—A good team, but not a great team. Texas and Florida proved that point.

With McCoy and Shipley and a host of other quality players coming back, 2009 looks to be another great year.

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