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Dismissed from national-title contention?
Not so fast.
Understand this: The Longhorns can’t see any clearing on the path to Glendale, Ariz. It’s way too cluttered, way too confusing. The only thing they can do is take care of business on Saturday at Nebraska. It’s a meeting of 6-1 teams that could be a preview of the Big 12 championship game.
At this point, the key dates are Nov. 2 (West Virginia at Louisville) and Nov. 18 (Michigan at Ohio State).
But if the improbable happens — like six of the seven Division I-A unbeaten teams going down by early December — the Longhorns could be ready to pounce.
Texas was ranked No. 9 in the initial Bowl Championship Series standings. What does that mean? Right now, not much.
“Until some of the unbeaten teams start getting knocked off, it doesn’t mean much for the rest of us,” Longhorns coach Mack Brown said. “We’ll be in a mix of one-loss teams if we’re good enough and keep winning at the end.
“The BCS is very, very unimportant to us as we get ready to head to Lincoln.”
Well said.
This week isn’t about being No. 9 in the BCS. It’s about beating Nebraska, a tough enough chore in itself, and moving one notch closer to a potential 12-1 record.
By season’s end, the Longhorns might not resemble the team that took the field against Ohio State. The defense is playing with much more of a swagger. The offensive line has found its stride. And most of all, freshman quarterback Colt McCoy no longer looks like a freshman.
He has beaten Oklahoma.
He has tied a school record by throwing six touchdown passes against Baylor.
And if he defeats Nebraska, the first-year evolution will be complete.
“I think he is just getting more comfortable taking chances down the field,” Longhorns offensive tackle Justin Blalock said. “He is trusting the playmakers we have out there. There is a lot of talent to take advantage of.”
McCoy is learning that, week by week. It seemed like Texas’ season had ended after it lost to Ohio State. In a way, it was just beginning.
If the unbeaten teams begin to fall, the Longhorns have a good shot at even more.
Q: So, let’s assume Ohio State runs the table, Notre Dame takes down USC, and West Virginia and Louisville each lose at least once. Does that put a possible rematch of last year’s Fiesta Bowl for Ohio State against Notre Dame?
— Jacob, Columbus, Ohio
A: Those are plenty of assumptions. I wouldn’t totally rule out the possibility of an Ohio State-Notre Dame matchup in the BCS championship game, but it’s very unlikely.
Here’s why:
For the sake of argument, though, let’s give the Mountaineers and Cardinals one loss each. Back to our projections:
Then there’s this bit of logic:
Senseless.
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