Why College Football History Says Texas Will Win The National Title

The premise of this article is obvious. Because Texas defeated No. 1 Oklahoma they will win the national title. Cause and effect. Simple and done.

Why? If you believe in omens, it is because the Sooners lost a key player in the loss to Texas, and the Longhorns looked fit as a fiddle when the game ended. No bad luck for the Texans.

Don't care for omens? Only want to talk about the black and white of what is happening on the field? Texas is averaging 47 points a game and leads the Big 12 in scoring defense giving up only 15 per outing—a winning spread of a cool 32 points a game.

The Longhorns are third in the Big 12 in 3rd down conversion percentage and first on fourth down with a hundred percent rate. The offense is balanced with an average of 192 yards rushing and 274 passing per game.

Still not satisfied? What about the fact that many of the Longhorns have already won a national championship at Texas? The seniors of this season's team were freshmen when the Longhorns toppled Southern California for the 2005 BCS crown. Experience counts for something—been there, done that.

If none of these technical arguments sway you, then wrap your mind around a tried and true philosophy of college football: What happened before will happen again.

When the Longhorns won their first national championship recognized by the AP and the Coaches in 1963, they had to do it the hard way.

A month before John F. Kennedy was assassinated, Texas had to face No. 1 ranked Oklahoma in a game of historic proportions for several reasons, including the rumor (which proved true) that it would be Bud Wilkinson's final Red River Shootout.

Led by brilliant quarterback, Duke Carlisle, the Longhorns destroyed the Sooners that day, 28-7. Oklahoma would go on to finish 8-2 that season but, it was Texas that claimed the national championship. The 'Horns utilized a rugged defense that surrendered only 65 points during the regular season.

Later that season Texas crushed No. 2 ranked Navy, led by Heisman Trophy winner Roger Staubach, in the Cotton Bowl. This solidified the place of the great 1963 Texas team in history. 

Until this past weekend, 1963 was the only time Texas had ever defeated a top ranked Oklahoma team. The reward was an eventual national championship two months later. Will history repeat itself this season?

So, omens, team statistics, balanced offense, experience, and history all favor the Longhorns. Only time will tell if the 2008 edition of Texas can live up to the accomplishments of the 1963 national champions.

Hook 'em Horns!