Watch Out For the Trap

By Big12-Fans Writer Josh Cline

With Colorado getting routed 30-3 by Nebraska on Friday, only to have Iowa State lose in overtime to Kansas to send those Buffaloes to the Big 12 Championship Game against Texas, the Longhorns surely have nothing to worry about. After all, Texas did beat Colorado 42-17 earlier in the season with no trouble. The Longhorns are ranked #2 in the nation, while the Buffs are ranked behind four different teams in the AP and Coaches Polls (with a total of five teams, because they are ranked behind Nebraska in the AP and Iowa State in the Coaches). So, one would think there isn’t even a speed bump in between the Longhorns and the Rose Bowl, right?

Well, the Big 12 Championship game has never been proven a formality for teams en route to the National Championship. In the game’s nine-year history, four times has a team that was on track to play for a National Championship lost the game. Only three times has a team won the game and went on to play for a National Championship.

The first year a team lost out on a chance to win a National Championship was in 1996. Nebraska was ranked #3 in the nation, behind Florida State and Arizona State (who the Huskers lost to earlier in the year). Texas came into the game unranked. Longhorn QB James Brown led his team to an exciting fourth quarter comeback, as his Texas team beat Nebraska 37-27 in the TWA Dome in St. Louis. If Nebraska had won, they would have had a shot at Florida State in the Bowl Alliance Championship. Arizona State lost to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl, meaning the game would have been for the National Championship. Instead, Texas lost to Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl while Nebraska handled Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl.

1998 marked a return of the Championship game to the TWA Dome and another upset. This time not as huge, as Texas A&M was ranked #10 and defeated Fiesta Bowl-bound Kansas State. The ‘Cats needed the win to cap off the biggest turnaround in the history of athletics under Bill Snyder, but failed to get it as the Aggies pulled off a 15-point fourth quarter comeback and the two-overtime victory 36-33. The Aggies went on to the Sugar Bowl where they lost to Ohio State, while Kansas State fell all the way down to the Alamo Bowl, where their disappointment led to a defeat at the hands of Purdue.

2001 marked a wacky end of the season for college football. Nebraska lost to Colorado on the Friday after Thanksgiving to seemingly lose their shot at the National Championship. The next day, Oklahoma lost at home to Oklahoma State to lose their shot. So, the next weekend, Texas surprisingly had a shot at the National Championship in the Big 12 Championship Game in Dallas against Colorado. Texas got down by as much as 19 points in this one and Major Applewhite could not lead the comeback as Colorado escaped with a 39-37 victory and dashed the Longhorns BCS hopes. The next week Tennessee lost to LSU in the SEC Championship Game, meaning Nebraska came full circle to play for the National Championship. Colorado lost to Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl while Texas beat Washington in the Holiday Bowl.

In 2003 the Oklahoma Sooners came into the game with many touting them as the best team ever and a lock for the Sugar Bowl, no matter what. Well, Kansas State didn’t appreciate all of the talk, and came into the game thinking otherwise. They thrashed the Sooners 35-7 in a blowout of epic proportions, not because of the score, but because the mighty had fallen in a big way. The pundits were right, however, as the Sooners did go play LSU in the Sugar Bowl, which they also lost. The Ell Roberson and Darren Sproles-led Kansas State squad went on to lose to Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl. While the Sooners didn’t lose the National Championship Game by losing to the Wildcats, they did lose their chance at the AP Poll Championship, which USC took over LSU and would have over OU had they beaten to Tigers.

So, Texas cannot take this game lightly. While all signs pointing to them being a Rose Bowl representative, it can not be taken for granted. More times than not has the team heading to the BCS or Bowl Alliance Championship Game lost in the Big 12 Championship Game. Texas has the better team and will have more fans, but Colorado will likely be happy with their new life in the game and would also love a chance to play in the Fiesta Bowl as the Big 12 Champion. I’m not predicting an upset, just suggesting that the Longhorns not count their chickens before the eggs all hatch.

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