Texas heat: Longhorns need a championship Nothing short of a national title will suffice for much-heralded team
By Greg Rajan, Caller-Times
Austin is hot enough at this time of year. But for Mack Brown and Chris Simms, their seats are a tad hotter than most.
In his four years as Texas' coach, Brown has worn many hats: coach, promoter and salesman. Pride and interest in the program is perhaps at an all-time high. Brown just brought in another top recruiting class. And ticket sales are through the roof.
So are expectations.
When Brown's team takes the field for its Aug. 31 opener against North Texas, it'll be as a consensus top-five team.
At a school that hasn't won a national title in 32 years, the pressure is squarely on Simms to help end that drought.
For the past two seasons, the senior was embroiled in a quarterback controversy with Major Applewhite, the former starter he displaced. It swirled over the team like the Sword of Damocles.
Applewhite, a folk hero among Longhorn fans, is gone, meaning the job is Simms' without question. He'll be the triggerman for a team that finished 11-2 and fifth in the final polls last year.
On the field, Simms has been fine - until the stakes go up. In Texas' last three losses, all against top-10 teams, Simms had 12 turnovers - and no touchdown passes.
Against Oklahoma last year, he threw four interceptions, including one that was returned for the game-clinching touchdown. And against Colorado in the Big 12 title game, his four first-half turnovers led to 26 points, costing Texas a chance to play in the national championship game.
For Texas' most celebrated recruit in recent memory, the pressure is on. But he's not fazed.
"It doesn't matter to me," said Simms, the son of former NFL star Phil Simms. "I know the situation that I'm in. I know that my last name is Simms and that people may expect a little bit more out of me, but at the same time I understand.
"That's the way I grew up and it's part of being a quarterback at the University of Texas. I just have to move on and worry about playing and nothing else."
The Longhorns' road to the Fiesta Bowl will be difficult. They will play Oklahoma, another top-five team, and travel to hostile environments in Nebraska and Kansas State. And don't forget the annual dogfight with archrival Texas A&M.
Brown has given Lou Holtz-like praise to his Big 12 foes. This year, it might actually be more than just coachspeak.
"Every team is competitive," Brown said. "It's amazing to me how good the teams in this league are. Playing in the Big 12 puts you in a position to play for the national championship each year."
For Oklahoma, the team that likely represents the biggest hurdle in Texas' way, playing for the national championship has been the norm the past two seasons. The Sooners won it all in 2000 and had an opportunity at a repeat last year until a late-season upset loss to Oklahoma State.
The Sooners also own a psychological edge over Texas. Two years ago, they flogged the Longhorns, 63-14. Last year, OU won a defensive slugfest, 14-3.
Colorado, last year's conference champion, was perhaps the hottest team in the country at the end of last season. The Buffs have the league's best corps of runners and figure to be the North's best team.
Nebraska, which ended last season getting outscored 99-50 in its last two games, figures to be in for a down year. The blowout loss to Miami in the Rose Bowl exposed the Huskers' glaring lack of speed.
Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Kansas State figure to be above-average, but not elite teams. Each has too many question marks to contend for the league title.
Iowa State, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma State and Baylor round out the pack and don't figure to be much more than fodder for the league's top teams.
