Texas Must Blow Out Ohio State

People often like to claim that Michigan has sucked for about a decade, pretty much. But there was one rather recent year in which my Wolverines distinctly did not suck—2006. Out of that season came an 11-0 start, the nation’s best defense, a Heisman contender, a game against rival Ohio State now often mentioned—for reasons beyond me—as one of the best Michigan-OSU matchups as well as one of the best rivalry games ever, one regular-season loss by three lousy points…ah, yes, and quite arguably being screwed out of the chance to play in the National Championship thanks to politicking and the annual BCMess.

Does this kinda sound familiar, Longhorns? I mean, all of this kind of applies to Texas, too. National title and conference title contention. Only one loss, by less than a touchdown. A Heisman contender. One of the best games seen on TV in a while, and against a rival (Texas Tech). And—arguably—getting screwed in the polls at the last minute, right down to getting jumped by Florida in the end as Michigan was in 2006.

In 2006, Michigan was left out of the BCS title game

In other words, if you’re a Texas Longhorns fan, I know what this year’s BCS controversy is to you. It’s looking like one of the best teams in the nation but not really getting the chance to prove it all because of computers and voters. It’s being right at the doorsteps to another title but getting knocked down in the polls to some BCS bowl game your team doesn’t want to be, nor feels they belong, in. Even worse for you, your team actually beat one of the teams that is going ahead of you…and that doesn’t seem to count.

But. It’s time to stop complaining. If Texas wants any share of the national title, or even just to show not only what a travesty the BCS is but also how crazy anyone who actually voted the Sooners ahead of the Longhorns truly is…your team has to beat Ohio State into a coma. Forget all that “we don’t run up the score or care about style points” stuff Longhorns coach Mack Brown is spinning, because Oklahoma wasn’t as classy as all that and look where it got them. And for heaven’s sake, the Longhorns can’t let the disappointment carry over into the bowl game like Michigan did.

Both Oklahoma and Florida jumped Texas into the title game

Some little 2009 pre-season “national title contender” consolation hype should not suffice. Texas must treat the Fiesta Bowl like it’s the real deal. They can’t let some team that chokes in bowl games—and probably doesn’t have a good enough defense to outlast Florida even if they don’t choke—just squander an opportunity Texas could have turned out. Texas has to show everyone the showdown they are missing—especially given that the Longhorns will be playing OSU. Merry Christmas and happy birthday all in one, Texas, because that’s revenge waiting to happen for 24-7 2 & ½ years ago. That should be like the Cupcake Bowl for Texas. And don’t mistake my being Wolverine here—even some OSU fans I know would rather not see OSU in a BCS bowl, basically for this reason. Plus, OSU whipped us 42-7 and we’re playing Syracuse in the Toilet Bowl, so no Michigan fan can really talk unless we’re being objective. And objectively, claims that Texas belonged in the title game over Oklahoma or Florida will nearly make Longhorns fans a laughingstock if Texas doesn’t beat OSU by more than USC did. If Texas is the real no. 1 or no. 2 team in the nation, then killing any team outside of Florida, Oklahoma and Alabama should be absolutely no sweat—especially since all those other BCS bowl teams kinda suck (Texas Tech and Boise State are more deserving than all of them are).

So, the state of Texas doesn’t need to dwell on the BCS and dumb Big 12 conference rules, least of all the Longhorns’ players. My team thought they should have been playing for the title, and fans made a huge fuss after we were “wronged.” And a lot of people, including many sports analysts, whined with us because—at the time—they agreed with us that we were the no. 2 team in the nation or that it was too hard to choose between Florida and Michigan, same as with Texas and Oklahoma. And then we lost the lesser bowl game. Don’t let this be you. Focus on what you got—not what you didn’t. And make no mistake—Texas fans cannot do all this whining and then Texas loses, or even plays questionably in, their bowl game. Texas absolutely must blow much weaker competition out.