McConaughey told Oprah Winfrey that watching Texas beat USC for the national championship was better than winning an Oscar.

In the years 2004, 2005, 2008, and 2009 the Longhorns compile a 49-3 record.

TAKING DEAD AIM FOR A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP.

The road to the National Championship in 2005 started in 2004. Preparation for greatness occurred because of a challenging schedule with many super teams. Beating Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Michigan, and Ohio State prepared them for victory against USC.

2004-2005 11-1 Finally, a BCS bid, but it takes some politicking by Coach Mack Brown

Coach Greg Robinson and Dick Tomey were key factors in setting up this year and 2005 as the national championship runs. Rod Wright says, “They installed a toughness, and we went back to the old school.” “We were mentally tough and physically tough.

The Longhorns' experience with the BCS had not been good. Despite being the only team in the country to be listed in every BCS since 1999, the Horns were shut out of the New Year's elite. From 1990 through 2004, Mack Brown had won 137 games. The second-highest among active NCAA Division I-A coaches. Five times this year, the Longhorns had to come from behind to win. For the first time, after Vince Young lost to Oklahoma and had a poor performance against Missouri, Young’s talent was questioned.  Mack continued to be maligned by the fans. Some of the old-timers compared Mack Brown to the reincarnation of the 1950s Longhorn Coach Blair Cherry. Coach Cherry had some great teams, just like Mack Brown, but neither could beat O.U.

Derrick Johnson said O.U. “just had a better game plan than we did.” Adrian Peterson, a Longhorn fan since birth, chose O.U. because “they seem to do a better job developing players.” He said, “One thing that has always bothered me about Texas is they can’t win the big game.”

The 2004 team members may not have had as strong a computer resume' as some of Mack's other teams, but this team had destiny knocking. 

The team finishes the year at #4. It was the best ranking in 21 years. 

After reviewing the 2003 season, Mack Brown makes some changes to get his team tougher, and Cedric Benson becomes the cornerstone of this more robust offense while Robinson is hired as the defensive coordinator, and Dick Tomey is hired to hone Texas's tackling technique. The changes pay dividends. "We've built a good foundation," said Robinson last week. "I believe we've progressed."

#6 Texas 56, #19 Oklahoma State 35

 Texas executes the biggest comeback in the history of Longhorn football rallying from 28 points down to win the game against Oklahoma State. QB Vince Young, TE Bo Scaife, Ramonce Taylor, and Cedric Benson lead the charge. UT ended up with 600 yards of total offense as RB Cedric Benson accounted for 141 rushing yards and five rushing TDs. 

Cedric Benson rushes for 3,706 yards and 45 touchdowns in his first three seasons. In 2004 Cedric had his sites set on the Heisman. A Dallas-based scout for the Tennessee Titans said Benson is a better pro prospect than Williams, ranking him behind only Earl Campbell and Barry Sanders to come out of the Southwest. Missing in this NFL scouting report is another reason that Cedric ranked high in 2004. Texas has the best offensive line since 1998, and the threat of Vince Young running and passing spread the opposing defenses opening holes for Cedric.  

Cedric is the first running back in school history to gain 1000 or more yards in each of his four years at Texas.

Ramonce Taylor Sets The Longhorn Kick-Off Return Average For A Game (29.4) And A Career (27.0)

Young sets UT records for consecutive completions with 12 and single-game completion percentage at 85.7 (18-of-21) in route to 278 yards passing and 401 yards of total offense.

Cedric Benson rushes for 3,706 yards and 45 touchdowns in his first three seasons. In 2004 Cedric had his sites set on the Heisman. A Dallas-based scout for the Tennessee Titans said Benson is a better pro prospect than Williams, ranking him behind only Earl Campbell and Barry Sanders to come out of the Southwest. Missing in this NFL scouting report is another reason that Cedric ranked high in 2004. Texas has the best offensive line since 1998, and the threat of Vince Young running and passing spread the opposing defenses opening holes for Cedric.  

Cedric is the first running back in school history to gain 1000 or more yards in each of his four years at Texas.

The 4th and 18 conversion is at the 4-minute mark, and the touchdown that wins the game is at the 7:15 mark.  

Texas gets a BCS bid to the Rose Bowl to play Michigan and comes from behind to win the game. With the win in the Rose Bowl, Texas becomes the 4th team in college football history to win all four New Year bowl games. The game started with Cedric Benson on the first play hyperextending his knee. He played through the pain, but he had a season-low of 70 yards on 23 attempts.

For the first time the Longhorns win the Leishman Trophy after defeating Michigan in the Rose Bowl. 

2005-2006 13-0 Coach Mack Brown

The video below is the Texas locker room after defeating USC in the Rose Bowl.

The story of the 2005 season as told by the players is at the link below.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=saved&v=237575300727327

In the national championship game, Vince Young outplays a pair of Heisman Trophy winners. Statistically, he was responsible for 467 yards of total offense, 267 yards in passing, 200 yards rushing, and three touchdowns. These figures produced the first Longhorn national championship in 35 years,

As great as this team is, they still had some close games.  The benchmark for winning these close games is set playing Ohio State, and it is a poignant reminder for the players of what is required to complete an undefeated season.   Luck follows those who try the hardest.

Mack Brown is Coach of the Year

This Team Sets The NCAA Scoring Record Of 50 Points A Game, The Texas Record For Pass Efficiency Of 64.9%, Most Points Scored In A Season - 6,657, Highest Avg. Yards On A Kick-Off Return (27), and Most Punts Blocked (13)

David Pino Sets The Longhorn Game Record For Extra Points (10) and Season (71). 

As of 2005 -Vince Young Is The Only Longhorn Who Has Ever Run For 200 Plus Yards And Passed For 200 Plus Yards In A Game. He Is The Only Longhorn Ever To Produce 500+ Total Yards In A Game. He Holds The Longhorn Record For Average Gain Per Play For A Season (8.5 Yards); Average Gain Per Play For A Career (7.8 Yards); Most Rushing Yards In A Game For A Quarterback (267); Longest Run From The Line Of Scrimmage for a quarterback (80). 

David Pino Sets The Longhorn Game Record For Extra Points (10) And for a Season (71). 

Justin Blalock Is The First Player In Texas Football History To Start In 50 Consecutive Games. Two times All American and a member of the 2005 national championship team

Michael Huff Is The Longhorn Career Record Holder For Interceptions Returned For Touchdowns (4), and is the Jim Thorpe award winner.

David Thomas Holds The Longhorn Game Record For A Tight End With 10 Receptions Against USC, 50 Receptions In A Season, And 95 Receptions  For 1,367 Yards In a Career. Hall of Honor inductee.

In the Oklahoma State game, Vince breaks for an 80-yard touchdown. It took Vince 36 steps with an average stride of 6 feet 8 inches to make the touchdown.

Jordan Shipley gets hurt and misses the entire 2005 season. 

The 2005 Longhorns are a senior-laden team with lots of leadership, so Mack Brown "let's go" of his tight control over this team and Vince Young takes the reins. It is a great coaching decision. 

Texas is the first team in the history of Ohio State football to beat them in a night game, and Texas ends Ohio States' record of beating 36 non-conference teams in a row. Ohio State stadium set a new record with 105,565 fans. It was the most ever to watch the Longhorns play a game.  

 A pass from Vince Young to Limas Sweed in the waning moments of the Ohio State game and Cedric Griffin's hit on Ohio State Ryan Hamby in the end zone are benchmark plays that mirror the collective legacy of this team.  

Limas Sweed was the 2003 recruiting class's offensive jewel and the hero of the Ohio State game. The catch winning the game was not easy. Jumping in the air falling backward with an Ohio State player inches away from deflecting the football is one of the most famous catches in the history of Longhorn football. I don't believe anyone in college football has made a more critical first-ever catch for a touchdown.  

Sweed breaks Roy Williams's record with touchdown catches in consecutive games with 7. 

Will Allen is an All-American (no image).

Jamaal Charles, Ramonce Taylor, Henry Melton, and Selvin Young, 2005

Texas’ running game was never better and was still killing teams on the ground. Charles and Melton were both freshmen and Charles gained 878 yards, while Melton went for 432. Taylor rushed for 513 yards. Selvin Young added 461 yards, while quarterback Vince Young led the team with 1,050 yards.

 Ohio State Officials apologize To Texas Fans for the harassing nature of Ohio State fans. From my perspective, I witnessed this Harassment. My wife and I attended the Ohio State game in 2005 and decided to walk to the game instead of ride a bus. BAD MISTAKE!

The drunkest Longhorns in Austin would look sober compared to a drunken Ohio State fan. My wife had all kinds of verbal sexual slurs thrown at her, and I was pushed around and intimidated by groups of Ohio State fans. Other Longhorn fans also experienced the wrath of the Ohio State fans. An official email was sent on behalf of all Longhorns complaining to Gene Smith -the Ohio State Athletic Director- stating that Longhorn fans were abused by drunk, violent, and verbally abusive Ohio State fans.

An Ohio State spokeswoman Said Ohio State President Karen Holbrook was sorry for the rude reception. One of her replies makes a Blog On the Austin Newspaper's Web Site. President Holbrook Wrote That Ohio State Has Been Trying To Change Its Culture From Being Disrespectful To Welcoming, But Work Still Needs To Be Done.  

Brian Robison HOH football and track. Two times All American and 3 time Big 12 conference champ in Track

After the national championship win against USC, Sports Illustrated says about Mack Brown. "Hoisting the crystal national championship trophy was sweet vindication for Brown, whose charm and kind nature had become, in an odd way, a curse. He has long been one of the best, if not (sorry, Pete) the best recruiter in college football. But the more blue-chippers he raked in, the more it drew attention to the fact that in eight years at Texas, he'd never won even a Big 12 title. Critics sniped that he was better in the living rooms of high school seniors than on the sidelines in big games. He was dubbed Coach February."

Vince Young became the first player in NCAA history to rush for 1,000 yards and pass for 2,500 in one season. 

2006-2007 10-3 Coach Mack Brown

Ohio State was the first team ranked #1 to visit Austin since the 1950 SMU game. Final ranking 13th nationally

 Michael Griffin sets the career record for blocked punts (8).

The 2006 team sets the Texas record for most touchdown passes in a game (6). 

A 9-foot sculpture of Earl Campbell is erected on the S.W. corner of the stadium.

Tim Crowder sets the single-game record for most tackles for a loss (7). No image

Freshman Colt McCoy leads a team that is full of talent. Colt gets hurt in both the Kansas State and Texas A & M games. Longhorns lose both games.

Godzillatron's video board at the cost of $8,000,000 is installed.

Final ranking 10th nationally

  2007-2008 10-3 Coach Mack Brown- finished 4th in the Big 12

NCAA Eligibility Rules

Fozzy Whittaker was red-shirted his freshman year. During that time, the NCAA's rule stated that a player would lose a full year of eligibility if they played even for a single snap on the field. Thankfully, this rule was changed in 2018. The new rule allowed athletes to participate in up to four games without losing their eligibility.

Texas seniors play in 4 winning bowl games.   Lost to A & M this year but played Arizona State in the Holiday Bowl and won 52-36.   The 2007 team had nine games with over 400 yards of offense.

Colt McCoy struggled in the OU game.  

"The Christians are coming!" Ranked #19, TCU came close to beating Texas. In Sports Illustrated, Mack Brown says, "We've been talking about parity for a long time"—since the NCAA cut scholarship limits to 85 in 1994, preventing traditional powers from stockpiling talent. "And it's finally here. Yes, the stars have to align for [the underdogs]. They have to get a fumble; they have to get a missed field goal; things have to happen. But if you're not on your P's and Q's, you're going to lose".    

Mack's team has 43 players with a 3.0 and 8 players who earn a 4.0. It is the 6th year in a row that Mack Brown has more than 40 players with a 3.0 or higher. Sixteen players are mentioned as the first team in the "official" publication for the Big 12.  

2008-2009 12-1 Mack Brown

The addition of Coach Will Muschamp greatly improved the program's defense, resulting in impressive performances from Orakpo, Roy Miller, Sergio Kindle, and the defensive backs. He held the Defensive players to high standards.

Ring of Fire - #1 O.U. , #6 O.S.U., #11 Missouri, #6 Texas Tech

Texas faced four ranked Big 12 teams during the season and came very close to earning a spot in the National Championship game, falling short by just eight seconds. The Longhorns managed to defeat the number 1 ranked Sooners in a hard-fought game, and also stopped a Cowboy drive to secure a victory against the 6th ranked Oklahoma State. The 11th-ranked Missouri team didn't pose much of a challenge to the Longhorns, as Colt McCoy had an impressive game, completing 29 out of 32 passes for 337 yards. However, Texas wasn't able to secure a win against the high-powered offense of the 6th-ranked Texas Tech team, despite coming from behind in the fourth quarter. They ultimately lost the game with just 8 seconds left on the clock.

Texas 45- O.U. 35

Last game on grass field: Texas 49, Texas A&M 9 (11/27/2008) Attendance: 98,621

Final ranking 4th nationally

RECOGNIZED AS NATIONAL CHAMPION BY SOME NATIONAL RATING SERVICES BUT NOT RECOGNIZED BY TEXAS OR THE NCAA.

The 2008 team holds the Texas record for most sacks per game (3.62); most past completions in a game (41) against Ohio State; highest completion rate for a game(.913) against Arkansas; most first downs by passing (23) against Ohio State; most first downs in a season (352); most first downs in a season by passing (189); Highest passing completion percentage (.767); lowest percentage of passes intercepted for a season (.018); most yard passing (4,008); most touchdown passes ( 36); highest passing average per game (308.3)  

Mack Brown’s comment, "you have to be consistently good to be great," epitomizes this team. Projected to finish in the middle of the Big 12, this team came within 1 second of playing for the National Championship.

Of the 23 seniors on this team, 20 graduate. McCoy sets an NCAA pass percentage completion record and is MVP of the Tostito bowl.  

Orakpo wins the Nagurski, Lombardi, and Hendricks award. HOH inductee

Texas beats OU this year, 45-35. It was the most total points scored in the history of the series.

  Quan Cosby noticed that only the safety was covering him on the pass play, so he told Colt and Colt exploits. Colt McCoy, with 16 seconds remaining hits Quan Cosby to beat Ohio State 24-21 in the Fiesta Bowl.

Do not watch the spoof below if you are offended by foul language. I found this on YouTube, and it reflects my anger at losing the BCS tiebreaker to OU.

This link has some vulgar comments so please view with caution and a sense of humor.

2009-2010 13-1 ranked #2 Puttin' on the Blitz

Fozzy Whittaker stated that the team lacked a true feature back in 2009. He felt that they needed to establish a running game to take some pressure off of Colt passing attack. The weakness of the running game was most apparent in the Nebraska game for the Big 12 championship.

Colt, during the season, had never been sacked more than four times, but Nebraska sacked him nine times, and he threw two interceptions. Nebraska did not respect Texas running game and focused strictly on getting to Colt.

Two Heisman Trophy finalists met in Dallas to determine who would play for the national championship.  Colt McCoy and Ndamukong Suh led their teams in an epic battle won by the Horns with one second left on the scoreboard, 13-12, with Hunter Lawrence 46 yard field goal.   There were other tough games this year, including the Texas Tech team that cost the Horns a bid for the National championship the year before.   Seniors Colt McCoy, Jordan Shipley, and Hunter Lawrence led the team.  Shipley was a 6th year senior due to injuries in 2004 and 2005. Hunter kicked 24 field goals in 2009 and 61 extra points. This team experienced close calls against O.U., Texas A&M, and Nebraska to make it to the national championship game.

The 2009 team holds the Texas record for best rushing defense allowing only 72.4 yards per game; total interceptions for a season of (25); most plays on offense (1053); most pass attempts (540), and most pass completions (362). This season sets the average home game attendance record (101,175) And Total Season Attendance (1,163,845)

Below is a slide show of the players on the 2009 team.

Colt McCoy graduates as the most successful quarterback in NCAA history with a 45-8 record. He holds the game passing record of 470 yards against UCF, the season passing record ( 3859 yards), and the career passing record of 13, 253 yards.

 First game on FieldTurf artificial surface: Texas 59, ULM 20 (9/5/2009) Attendance: 101,096

Last season the Big 12 was home to the nation's highest-flying aerial attacks. In 2009 the Big 12 knows defense. The conference has three of the nation's top 12 defenses—Texas, Oklahoma, and Nebraska—.

Mack Brown is Coach of the Year

This was a great team, and the injury to Colt against Alabama still hurts me!!!!!!!!!!! The Texas program never recovered from the loss and Mack Brown was determined to never have a team again that depended so much on one player to win. After Colt graduated Mack chose to emulate the pro style offense with the quarterback under center. It was the wrong decision and the U.T. football program headed South the remainder of Mack’s years at Texas.

National Championship teams combine good recruiting, a competent coaching staff, faith in the "system", trust, and respect with talent, team chemistry, a strong work ethic, and a little luck. With little success, this team is the National Champion in 2009.

McCoy struggles this year. He only passed for 127 yards against OU, and his numbers are down substantially from the previous NCAA record of completing 76.7% of his passes. McCoy has seven interceptions halfway through the season, which is close to what he threw in 13 games in 2008. 

The offensive coordinator says McCoy is "being too fine."

In the OU game, Colt McCoy throws an interception and makes a game-saving tackle for the Horns. "Cactus" article headline tells the story.  

The big 12 championship game against Nebraska is an ugly win. Colt McCoy gets sacked nine times and throws three interceptions. Colt was forced into many mistakes by a great Nebraska Defense. Colt has the most wins (45) in the history of Division football but gets little respect from the Nebraska team.  Sports Illustrated says, “after punting away the Heisman in the Nebraska debacle,…… Texas will play for pride and redemption” against Alabama.   

The whole season was on the foot of #15 Hunter Lawrence, who kicked a 46-yard field goal as time expired. Hunter epitomizes grace under pressure to win the Big 12 championship. 

The Injury sequence to Colt in the 2010 Rose Bowl game against Alabama.

The Texas program hasn’t been the same since Colt got hurt.

The coaches chose Garrett Gilbert over Sherrod Harris and John Chiles.

Colt McCoy shares memories of injury in Alabama's BCS win over Texas

• Published: Mar. 16, 2016, 6:46 p.m.By 

• Michael Casagrande | mcasagrande@al.com

What if?

It's a question that's stalked Alabama's 2009 national championship from the team on the other side. The ultimate hypothetical surrounds a first quarter hit in the Crimson Tide's 37-21 win over Texas in the Rose Bowl.

What if Colt McCoy hadn't got hurt?

Nobody knows for sure, but the quarterback offered his perspective on the still-talked-about play in a Players Tribune post published Tuesday. In it, he recalls the blow delivered by Marcell Dareus that changed the course of the game. The tackle injured the throwing arm of the Heisman finalist, knocking him out of his final game in a Longhorn uniform.

McCoy wrote about "how normal the hit was." It was like many he'd taken over his entire playing career.

"But for one reason or another, this tackle was different," McCoy said. "This hit would change my whole life."

Things were going well to that point, McCoy wrote. He said nobody gave Texas respect entering the matchup with Alabama.

"Alabama is a fantastic program," McCoy wrote. "That's unquestionable. But you know what? We're Texas. And we play some pretty dang good football too."

He went on to say the Longhorns had the best week of practice he could remember entering the BCS Championship Game.

"When we finally took the field, we weren't nervous or scared," McCoy wrote. "We were excited. We're going to win this thing."

After taking a 3-0 lead and recovering an onside kick, the Longhorns were driving again. Then, the hit.

McCoy said he didn't feel any pain. In fact, he didn't feel a thing. His right arm went numb. McCoy later wrote there was "severe nerve damage" that requires years of recovery time.

The quarterback shared what he was thinking as the reality of the situation set in.

"I came out for the second half in full uniform," he wrote. "Changing out of it would have been too painful both physically and emotionally. I wasn't ready to take it off yet. So I just tried to be the best cheerleader I could for the team. I'll be honest, it's one of the hardest things I've ever done. I was so heartbroken. I just wanted to be out there, fighting with the team. It wasn't supposed to end like this."

McCoy's replacement, former heralded recruit Garrett Gilbert didn't have great numbers (15-for-40 for 186 yards), but he brought Texas to within 24-21 with the ball in the closing moments. A blind-side sack from Eryk Anders and resulting fumble helped seal Alabama's first national championship since 1992.

But what if?

McCoy never fully answered the question in his Players Tribune post. But he took readers inside the moment that may (or may not) have changed the trajectories of two traditional powerhouses.

Assistant Coaches

The  research on the history of Longhorn Sports ends in 2014.  Information will be added at a future date.