Tag: texas football 2008

Texas ranked among top teams that didn’t win a national title

ESPN recently ranked the greatest teams in college football history that weren’t able to finish the season with a national title.

Some of the greatest teams in college football history weren’t able to close out the season with a national title. As is the case with every sport, you sometimes need a little luck on your side.

ESPN recently ranked the 50 best teams to not win a national title. To create the rankings, Bill Connelly used his SP+ ratings from full play-by-play data going back to 2005, then created estimated versions for before 2005 using points scored and allowed. He then eliminated teams with more than one loss.

The 2008 squad for Texas led by head coach Mack Brown and quarterback Colt McCoy landed at No. 18 overall. It was a year of ‘what could have been’ that left an everlasting image of Michael Crabtree’s touchdown reception to lift Texas Tech over Texas in a crucial Big 12 matchup on the minds of many.

Here’s what ESPN had to say about this particular Longhorns squad:

Florida beat Oklahoma in the 2008 national title game. Both teams were totally deserving of their places in the title game — yes, OU lost to Texas, but they also destroyed the Texas Tech team that ended up knocking off the Horns, so that’s always been a wash to me — but it didn’t change the fact that the 2008 season produced more than two deserving teams.

Aside from losing an all-time classic to Tech, the Horns were outstanding, beating three consecutive top-11 teams midseason (OU, Missouri, Oklahoma State), then taking down Ohio State by four in the Fiesta Bowl to finish 12-1.

This season is a touchy subject for many Texas fans, but there’s no doubt the Longhorns were deserving of reaching the national title game. In October of 2008, Texas defeated the No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners at the Cotton Bowl. After Texas dropped a close road game to Texas Tech a few weeks later, it created a three-way tie (Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma) in the Big 12 South.

Despite Texas closing out the season by defeating Texas A&M 49-9, Oklahoma moved past Texas in the BCS rankings. The three-way tie was then resolved by the fifth tie-breaker and the Sooners ultimately advanced to the Big 12 Championship instead of Texas.

Primary playmakers for Texas throughout the 2008 season were Jordan Shipley, Colt McCoy, Earl Thomas, Quan Cosby, Blake Gideon, Sergio Kindle, Roddrick Muckelroy, and Brian Orakpo.

ESPN lists best teams to not win national championship, Texas included

ESPN recently listed Texas as one of the best squads to compete since 1935 that did not win a national title that season.

There have been many dominant teams over the years who just couldn’t seem to close out the season on a high note.

ESPN recently released a list of the top 25 teams since 1935 who failed to win a national title that season. Unfortunately, Texas made the list at No. 13.

It’s a year that’s tough to stomach around Austin, but one that was too impressive to ignore. The Longhorns went 12-1 in 2008, defeating Oklahoma and Oklahoma State while dominating other opponents.

However, a brutal last-second loss to Texas Tech forced Texas out of national title contention. ESPN’s Bill Connelly even went as far as stating that this team was better than the team that Texas fielded in the 2010 national championship.

“The 2008 season produced one of the most perfectly framed arguments of the BCS era. Texas beat Oklahoma 45-35, defeated an excellent Oklahoma State team and won nine other games by an average of 47-14. But the Longhorns lost an all-time thriller to Mike Leach and Texas Tech, and when OU obliterated that Tech team a few weeks later, it gave the Sooners the smallest of BCS formula edges. The two teams were almost perfect equals that year — a best-of-seven series between them would seemingly go the distance every time — but only one could advance, and it wasn’t the Horns.

So be it. But this team was dynamite. Colt McCoy completed 77% of his passes, Quan Cosby and Jordan Shipley combined for 2,183 receiving yards and Brian Orakpo spearheaded an opportunistic defense. The Horns would make the national title game the next year, but this was the better team.”

Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree provided Texas with one of the most painful college football moments in history. If the Longhorns were to squeak by the Red Raiders, there’s not doubt we would have all benefited from witnessing a Colt McCoy vs. Tim Tebow national championship matchup.

What could have been.