The Texas Longhorns look better on paper, but paper does not take into account their slide after being ranked #1 in the nation at one point to now not even having an AP rank. The Longhorns RPI rank is 29, and the finished their season at 24-9 going 9-7 in the Big 12. Texas made it to the 2nd Round last year and the Longhorns head coach Rick Barnes is 19-17 in the NCAA Tournament.

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons do not have an AP Rank and did not even receive votes, however the team was able to beat Gonzaga, Richmond, Xavier, and Clemson so don’t let that trick you into thinking that they are going to get blown out. The Deacons have an RPI rank of 39 and went 6-5 against the RPI top 50. The Wake Forest Demon Deacons made a first round exit last year and head coach Dino Gaudio is 0-1 in the NCAA tournament.

In my bracket I gave Texas the edge, but I can easily see this game going the other way. Texas looked like world beaters at the beginning of the season, but then crashed once after getting the #1 ranking. The Deacons have been good against the RPI top 50 so we know they show up in big games, should be a great 1st round game.

Texas Longhorns vs Wake Forest Demon Deacons | TV Channel – Tickets – Betting Spreads
Day / Date: Thursday – March 18 2010
Game Time: 8:35 PM Central Time
Location: New Orleans Arena | New Orleans, LA
TV Channel: CBS
Betting Spreads: Texas -5 | Wake Forest +5
Tickets:

Texas vs Wake Forest Tickets at StubHub.com!

The Nebraska Huskers are ranked #22 in the BCS standings with a record of 9 wins and 3 losses. The Huskers offense ranks #92 in the nation averaging 334.75 yards per game this season. The Huskers staple has been their defense which ranks #11 this year, only allowing opposing teams 291.42 yards a game.

The Texas Longhorns are ranked #3 in the BCS standings with a undefeated 12 – 0 record. The Longhorns offense is ranked #11 in the nation averaging 451.58 yards per game. The defense of the Longhorns ranks much higher than I thought at #5 in the nation allowing only 263.17 yards per game.

Big 12 Championship | #3 Texas Longhorns vs #22 Nebraska Huskers | Gameday Information
Texas-Nebraska Day / Date: Saturday – December 5 2009
Texas-Nebraska Location: Cowboys Stadium – Arlington TX
Texas-Nebraska Kickoff Time: 7:00 PM Central Time
Texas-Nebraska TV Channel: ABC
Texas-Nebraska Point Spread: Texas -13.5
Texas-Nebraska Parking: Cowboys Stadium Parking Information
Texas-Nebraska Tickets: Big 12 Championship Tickets are still available on StubHub.com!

Source: Big 12 & NCAA

The first hurdle standing in the path of the Texas Longhorns national title hopes is Thanksgiving against the Texas A&M Aggies, who have 6 wins and 5 losses this year. This rivalry, now named the State Farm Lone Star Showdown, will be played in College Station this year. Texas is the better team, but traveling to your rivals home field can always make things more interesting, my prediction is that the game will stay close in the first half, before the Longhorns build up their lead and win 34 to 17.

(3) Texas Longhorns at Texas A&M Aggies Game – TV – Betting Information
Texas Longhorns-Texas A&M Aggies Series:
Texas Longhorns-Texas A&M Aggies Day / Date: Thusday Thanksgiving Day -
Texas Longhorns-Texas A&M Aggies Game Time: 7:00 PM Central Time
Texas Longhorns-Texas A&M Aggies TV Channel: ESPN
Texas Longhorns-Texas A&M Aggies Location: Kyle Field – College Station TX
Texas Longhorns-Texas A&M Aggies Betting Information:

• Pointspread: Texas – 22.5 | Texas A&M +22.5

Full Thanksgiving Day Football Coverage Information @midwestsportsfans.com

Both teams come into the Fiesta Bowl with impressive records. Texas finished the regular season at 11-1, with the only loss coming from Texas Tech. Ohio State comes in at 10-2 after losses to USC early in the season, and Penn State in October.

With a tremendous amount of controversy regarding the BCS this year, the Fiesta Bowl has become a consolation prize for Texas, who barely missed going to the National Championship game against Tim Tebow and the Florida Gators. Archrival Oklahoma faces Florida on January 8.

The Fiesta Bowl gives Texas the perfect opportunity to rack up style points and state their case against the BCS. Texas has been a dominant team all season, and this dominance should continue against the Buckeyes.
With Heisman Contender Colt McCoy leading the offense, Texas has numerous weapons to slice through the Ohio State defense. The Texas passing offense, with Jordan Shipley and Quan Crosby, has racked up impressive stats this entire season. With no established running game, look for Texas to go to the air for the majority of the game. Without an effective Ohio State pass rush, Colt McCoy should have enough time to find Jordan Shipley and the rest of his receivers.

Ohio State needs a big defensive game if they are to stop the Longhorns passing attack. While Ohio state has been impressive in a relatively weak Big Ten this year, the Ohio State pass rush has not been impressive this year, and if they cannot put some pressure on Colt McCoy, it will be a long game for Malcolm Jenkins and the rest of the Ohio State secondary. However, the lack of a strong Longhorn running game should benefit the Buckeyes as they can focus primarily on stopping the pass.

Brian Orakpo and the Texas defense have played extremely well all season. Texas led the NCAA in sacks this year, which was especially impressive given the talent at the quarterback position throughout the Big 12. Against Ohio State freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor, Texas needs to apply pressure and keep him from establishing a rhythm. With A powerful defensive line, this should not be too much of a problem. While Texas has not faced many quality-running teams, the Longhorn defensive line is extremely talented and should be able to hold Chris Wells and the Ohio State running game.

With a relatively weak secondary, the Texas defense can be exploited by Terrelle Pryor and the Ohio State offense. While Pryor is still only a freshman, he has avoided mistakes for most of the season, and thrown for 1245 yards and 12 touchdowns. If the offensive line can keep Pryor safe, he will find his receivers. If not, it could be a long day for the Buckeyes.

After missing out on the BCS National Championship game through a flawed system, Texas has plenty to play for. Expect the Texas Longhorns to come out fast to establish a presence. It is imperative that Ohio State steps up. If the Buckeyes let themselves get pushed around, Texas will punish them. Texas needs to pressure Pryor early and often, otherwise this could turn into a shoot out. If Pryor cannot find his rhythm early, look for Texas to run away with this game.

Prediction: Texas is just too good with too much to prove. Texas Longhorns to beat the Ohio State Buckeyes, 35-14.