ESPN College Football

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

College Football News has been answering a variety of questions over the last several weeks in a panel-type discussion among its various contributors.

Today's offering was what team in the nation is most overrated this season.

Surprisingly, at least for me, came when one panelist tabbed Texas as one of his choices.

Pete Fiutak of College Football News.com selected Mississippi as his No. 1 choice. His reasons were very clear why the Rebels might not reach the high preseason rankings many are picking for them this season.

Fiutak also selected Virginia Tech, Boise State and Ohio State as other teams he thought were overrated.

His fifth selection was Texas, which he still expects to finish as a top-five team but could be oversold by some heading into the season.

His comments were especially interesting.

"It's all relative. Everyone feels bad about what happened to the Longhorns last year so they're the automatic No. 2 pick over Oklahoma. I have a gut feeling that the Sooners, rebuilt O line and all, are better, and I have another gut feeling (or maybe it's the burrito I ate) that there will be at least two losses (OU and Oklahoma State). Again, it's all relative. Of course this is a top-five team.

Intriguing, thought-provoking comments, no doubt. And it also shows the dilemma facing Mack Brown this season.

I consider Brown to be on the spot more than any other coach in the Big 12 this season. That includes Texas A&M's Mike Sherman and Colorado's Dan Hawkins, who both might have to make bowl appearances to save their jobs.

But Brown is coming in this season in an unusual position as the favorite to win the South Division, the Big 12 and in most preseason polls, to advance to the national championship game.

The South Division will be as unforgiving as always this season. The Longhorns will be facing the traditional battle at the Cotton Bowl against an Oklahoma team that has won three-straight Big 12 titles, but lost to Texas in two of those seasons.

Texas later travels to Oklahoma State, which has lost excruciatingly close games to the Longhorns in each of the last two seasons. Texas has beaten the Cowboys in 11 straight games, including five straight in Stillwater. OSU has blown 19-point and 28-point advantages against the Longhorns in games during that streak. You would have to figure that the Cowboys' luck eventually will turn in the Texas series.

If the Longhorns lose either of those games, the season will be judged as a disappointment by many. And that's why the pressure is so intense on the Longhorns.

Texas must fill holes along the defensive line and find a featured running back. They desperately need to fight a productive tight end.

So I wouldn't necessarily include the Longhorns among the most overrated teams in the country.

Just the one that might be feeling the most pressure -- at least this side of defending national champion Florida.