Going into the BCS championship game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Texas Longhorns, if you had told me that with four minutes left in the game, we would be down by three points and have the ball, I would have said I liked our chances. If you had told me that we would get there with our true freshman quarterback, I would have told you that you were nuts.
After a very ugly first half, most of America thought the Longhorns would be blown off the field in the second half. I'll admit that I was worried it was going to get ugly.
Instead, the Longhorns dug deep and were playing for the win late in the game. And while the final score differential as seventeen (thanks for showing your ass, Coach Saban), Texas proved their strength of heart and depth of talent on that field.
BCS National Championship Game
Texas Longhorns vs. Alabama Crimson Tide
January 7, 2010, 7pm Central
Pasadena, California
Network: ABC/ESPN Radio
I'm the first to admit that I'm biased when it comes to the Texas Longhorns. But after countless hours spent reading online articles, blogs, and forms, watching sports broadcasts, and listening to podcasts, I'm having a hard time predicting tonight's outcome.
Part of that is because both teams have been inconsistent this year. Everyone talks about Texas' close game with Nebraska because it was the most recent game. The Texas offense was essentially shut down in that game and against Oklahoma. And the Texas defense was totally absent for the Texas A&M game.
Don't forget that if Tennessee had a halfway decent field goal kicker, Alabama wouldn't be in the championship game. And that they barely slipped by a four loss Auburn team. But when Alabama struggles, people say that is just what happens in the SEC.
I will always take an ugly win over a pretty loss. And Saturday's 16-13 win by the Texas Longhorns over the Oklahoma Sooners certainly qualifies as an ugly win.
Especially the first half, where Texas managed only 59 yards of offense (compared to Oklahoma's 192). Colt McCoy was sacked four times in the first thirty minutes.
Many Texas Longhorn fans still see the play in their nightmares. Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell throws the ball to Michael Crabtree, who tosses off a tackle from Earl Thomas and outruns Curtis Brown to the endzone to put the Red Raiders ahead with only a second remaining in the game.
It doesn't help that one can't watch anything involving college football without seeing the play every two or three minutes.
Tonight, after ten long months of waiting, Texas and Texas Tech finally meet again on the football field. Only this time, it's Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, in front of a record Texas crown that should approach 102,000.
