RUNNING OF THE HORNS

In a few weeks, the gates will open and the Horns will be turned loose. As usual, there is a lot of excitement as the first game of the season draws near. There have been several writers who have compared this team with the 05 Championship team and there are definitely good reasons to believe the Horns can win it all. There are several other outstanding teams, but I expect Texas to be in the mix for the championship when the season winds down.

1. Mack Brown There isn't a better head coach in the land. Any unbiased person can simply look at the facts.
2. Will Muschamp He inspires a player to play at 110%. The defense will make headlines this year.
3. Colt McCoy This is his year. He played well enough to win it all last year....came very close...and he is hungry.

In any championship run, several things need to happen. We need to be lucky enough to stay healthy. The 05 team was fortunate to avoid serious injuries during the year. Maybe we will see the same results this year.

As with any new year, there are always question marks at the beginning of the season. We need a running back to step up and take charge. Cody Johnson, Foswhitt Whittaker, Vondrell McGee and Chris Whaley all have a chance to be that person. Jordan Shipley will provide great leadership in the pass catching category. James Kirkendoll showed signs of greatness last year and I have a feeling John Chileswill surprise some people at WR. The offensive line should be the best in several years and the defense will come on strong with quality players at every position.

I wish we had a stronger non-conference schedule, but that's difficult to to accomplish every year. However, any team can beat you if you don't take them seriously. The Big XII will once again be very tough and we can expect some great games. Texas Tech comes to Austin on September 19. Won't be hard to get pumped for that one. Oklahoma is again loaded and very angry after losing to Texas and Florida last year. Of course, I believe the Horns should be slightly motivated for that game also. Oklahoma State at Stillwater is already being compared to the Tech/Texas game in Lubbock last year.

It will be a fun year. Watch out! The gates are about to open!