ESPN College Football

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

AUSTIN -- So much for grabbing the bully pulpit.

	Jamie Squire/Getty Images
	Mack Brown thinks the Longhorns should play in the Big 12 title game, but if they don't, he said they "won't pout about it."

Texas coach Mack Brown resisted the chance to openly campaign for his team's inclusion in the Bowl Championship Series or next week's Big 12 title game after an impressive 49-9 victory over Texas A&M.

Starting quarterback Colt McCoy was taken out of action with 11:23 left in the fourth quarter and most of his starters even earlier.

And unlike in 2004, when his late lobbying helped push the Longhorns into the Rose Bowl -- the first BCS appearance in school history -- Brown left a lot unsaid Thursday after his team's impressive victory.

"I think voters have a tough decision because there's a lot of really good football teams out there," Brown said. "Oklahoma is a great team. Texas Tech is a great team. I do not want to sit up and take anything from any one of those teams.

"It would really be classless for me to sit here and say they aren't a great team. I don't want to say Oklahoma and Tech aren't deserving too, because they are really, really good football teams."

The decision to remove McCoy was an easy one for Brown, even though he had to convince his quarterback to go along with it.

"I can't sit here and say we believe in sportsmanship and sit there and throw it every snap at the end," Brown said. "And if the difference in 49-9 and 56-9 is going to make the difference, the system is more screwed up than I think it is."

The Longhorns are involved in a three-team conundrum in the South Division. Texas beat Oklahoma, 45-35, on a neutral field. Oklahoma smacked Texas Tech last week in Norman, 65-21. And Tech beat the Longhorns, 39-33, on a play settled in the final seconds.

If the Red Raiders and Sooners both win on Saturday, it will result in the first three-team tie in Big 12 South Division history. And it end up being settled on the fifth tiebreaker -- with the team with the highest standing in the BCS advancing.

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Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

AUSTIN -- Some wondered if Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp would cool his jets after earning the title of head coach designate last week.

	Brian Bahr/Getty Images
	The Aggies ended up with minus-24 yards on the ground against Brian Orakpo and the Longhorns' defense.

His defense provided more fire than Muschamp needed Thursday simply by providing its best effort of the season. And the Texas head coach-to-be's most memorable sideline moment was when he slipped trying to chest bump defensive end Brian Orakpo.

"Rak pushed me," Muschamp said with a sheepish grin. "That was all it was."

Orakpo and his defensive mates did more than that to a beleaguered Texas A&M offense throughout a convincing 49-9 victory. The Longhorns limited Texas A&M to minus 24 yards rushing as they throttled the Aggies from the first possession.

In fact, the strong defensive effort by Texas may have been its most convincing argument to jump ahead in the BCS standings.

"They have really bought in and believed in what we are trying to do and I've been so impressed with the attitude and emotion they've played with," Muschamp said. "We certainly have some things that we can improve on, but that was a pretty complete performance."

The Longhorns have outscored opponents 84-16 in the last two games, limiting Kansas and Texas A&M to a touchdown apiece.

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Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

AUSTIN -- Revenge was sweet for Texas quarterback Colt McCoy, even if he didn't have to say anything.

	AP Photo/Erich Schlegel
	In addition to completing 23 of 28 passes for 311 yards, Colt McCoy ran for 49 yards and two scores.

After losing to Texas A&M in each of the last two seasons, McCoy's personal losing streak to the Aggies came to a crashing halt Thursday night.

And in the process, he boosted some life into his Heisman Trophy candidacy while pushing his team to the brink of another BCS appearance and a potential berth in the Big 12 title game.

McCoy was the ringleader in an impressive Texas performance as the No. 2 Longhorns claimed a 49-9 victory over the Aggies.

Two years ago, McCoy had been carted off the field against the Aggies after sustaining a neck injury. He saw his team struggle last year in a disappointing upset loss at College Station.

But those bad memories didn't faze McCoy as much as energize him Thursday night.

"Every time you go out on the field, you have to treat it like it's a new game," McCoy said. "You have to be focused the whole time. We've been unfortunate the last couple of years, but tonight, we left it all out on the field. A win is a win and I'm excited for them all."

McCoy completed 23 of 28 passes for 311 yards and two touchdowns and added 49 yards rushing yards to key the Longhorns' attack that jumped on the Aggies from the opening possession.

His value was best shown at the end of the first half, shortly after he had been stunned by a hard hit by Texas A&M defensive end Von Miller that left him gasping for breath.

What did he do after that play? He rebounded to hit his final three passes of the first half, including a pair of dramatic improvisational plays capped with a 9-yard touchdown pass to Quan Cosby for Texas' last touchdown with 12 seconds left in the half.

McCoy's early play helped pump some life into a lethargic start for the Longhorns. But he clicked on two long third-down plays on Texas' first possession to get the Longhorns pointed to an opening scoring drive capped by his own 14-yard TD run.

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Now, the Longhorns will have to wait through the rest of the football weekend to see if they have done enough to claim a berth in next week's Big 12 title game.

The Longhorns' convincing victory over Texas A&M Thursday night enabled them to do no worse than clinch a share of the Big 12 South Division title. Quarterback Colt McCoy ran for two touchdowns and Cody Johnson added a pair of scores in the second half.

Brown appeared to give up the idea of posting any extra style points when he inserted backup quarterback John Chiles into the game for McCoy with 11:23 left in the fourth quarter.

I can't wait to hear Mack Brown's spin in the locker room on whether his team did enough to convince the pollsters.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

AUSTIN -- How much is enough going to be?

We'll see over the next 15 minutes. Texas has this one firmly in control with a 28-3 lead over Texas A&M in a game where the Longhorns have dominated from the opening possession.

Texas A&M controlled the ball for much of the third quarter, but still came away with no points on a 14-play, 48-yard drive that consumed more than seven minutes.

The Aggies have only eight first downs and have produced minus 13 yards rushing in the game. They have been victimized by critical penalties which have kept them bottled up throughout the game.

It will be interesting to see how Texas coach Mack Brown plays the rest of the game. Will he keep his starters in the game any longer because of a need for "style points" to impress BCS voters. Will he keep blitzing and playing aggressively on defense with the game safely in hand?

We'll see.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

AUSTIN -- Colt McCoy doesn't have the weapons surrounding him that Sam Bradford or Graham Harrell do.

It's why I think he deserves the Heisman Trophy as much as anybody in the country. And he's showing why tonight.

McCoy's grit was shown in a strong first-half performance as he directed the Longhorns to a 21-3 halftime advantage over Texas A&M.

The junior quarterback accounted for all Texas touchdowns, running for one score and passing for the other two in a vintage first-half effort.

It's wasn't always been pretty. McCoy has been hammered by a surprisingly strong A&M pass rush, including one play late in the first half when he was smashed by Von Miller that left him gasping for breath.

What did he do after that play? He rebounded to hit his final three passes of the first half, including a pair of dramatic improvisational plays capped with a 9-yard touchdown pass to Quan Cosby for Texas' last touchdown with 12 seconds left.

I don't know if Texas is showing that they deserve to play in the BCS championship game.

But McCoy, who completed 18 of 21 passes for 177 yards and rushed for 33 more yards, is making a convincing argument for the Heisman.

Some other things I've noticed in the first half:

• Bad field position has hampered A&M throughout the first half. The Aggies began their first four first-half possessions at their own 12, 20, 20 and 10 yard line. Their offensive struggles and that placement is the main reason why A&M didn't advance the ball into Texas territory until Stephen McGee hooked up with Michael Goodson on a 54-yard screen pass with 4:10 left in the first half.
• And speaking of that drive, was anybody else surprised that A&M coach Mike Sherman didn't try for a first down on a fourth-and-1? The Aggies are not going to a bowl game and have little to play for in this game other than pride. Shouldn't they have at least considered going for the first down in that situation?
• It hasn't been pretty, but Texas has dominated play in the first half. The most telling statistics are Texas' 260-74 edge in total yardage, a 46-17 edge in offensive plays and a 20:49-9:11 edge in time of possession.
• There's something wrong with the turf, even though there hasn't been a hint of rain yet. Maybe it's the humidity, but it seems that the slick conditions are affecting both teams. A couple of McCoy's sacks were helped along by him slipping to the turf. Even Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp slipped when he was trying to chest-bump one of his players after a play.
• It wasn't surprising that A&M inserted McGee into the lineup for a lift. But it didn't work -- at least initially. His first possession early in the second quarter resulted in a loss of 1 yard, a loss of 1 yard and an incomplete pass that easily could have been intentional grounding.
• Texas' kicking game -- usually a team strength -- bit them early in the second quarter when Ryan Bailey misfired on a 36-yard attempt early in the second quarter. Before that kick, the Longhorns were 9 of 11 on field-goal attempts for the season. After that miss, Hunter Lawrence provided the extra points after Texas' next two scoring drives.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

AUSTIN -- Fans scattered across Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium are proudly flashing "45-35" signs to remind college football fans of Texas' earlier victory over Oklahoma.

The Longhorns have started with a workmanlike performance after one quarter, jumping to an early 7-0 lead over Texas A&M.

But it wasn't as easy some might have thought. Colt McCoy has already been sacked twice and roughed up on a couple of plays. Texas A&M's defense seems intent on making him earn anything he produces.

Texas' defense has started strongly, limiting the Aggies to one net yard after two possessions.

The most telling play of the quarter came on Texas' first possession. After an illegal motion penalty pushed the Longhorns into a third-and-11 situation, McCoy coolly hit Quan Cosby for a 20-yard gain that provided an early momentum surge.

Texas A&M came into the game ranked last in the nation with only 12 three-and-outs this season. And the Aggies are still looking for one tonight.

The turf appears to be slick because of the sticky conditions. It helped contribute to McCoy's and a couple of times that Michael Goodson slipped.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

AUSTIN -- Here are some late updates about 10 minutes before kickoff.

WHAT'S AT STAKE: The Longhorns are ranked No. 2 in the BCS standings and desperately need a convincing victory -- with some style points added -- to convince pollsters of their worthiness for the Big 12 title game and a potential BCS title shot. They are also determined after two straight embarrassing losses to the Aggies. The way the Aggies dominated the Longhorns after the game last season was a turning point. Coach Mack Brown threw open several positions and demanded more physical practices from his team. Texas is 11-1 since then.

Texas A&M isn't bowl eligible, but a victory would be a positive ending for what has been a season of disappointments in Coach Mike Sherman's first season.

WEATHER: It's been an unseasonably warm, sticky day throughout Central Texas today. The pre-game temperature will be in the low 70s with humidity hovering around 70 percent. There is a 40 percent chance of rain during the game and the temperatures are expecting to drop into the mid-60s by the end of the game. Wind shouldn't be a factor with breezes of 5-10 mph from the south.

INJURIES: Texas appears to be in its best shape since early in the season. Defensive end Brian Orakpo says he is close to 100 percent in his recovery from a sprained knee. His return will help juice the Longhorns' pass rush. Defensive back Aaron Williams (flu) should be back as well. Safety Blake Gideon (head) and tight end Ian Harris (neck) are both questionable as is safety Ben Wells (back).

The most notable loss for Texas A&M is starting tackle Travis Schneider who will miss the game with a concussion. Backup Robbie Frost is also out with a concussion, meaning that starting guard Lee Grimes will slide into the starting tackle position. Danny Baker will move into Grimes' spot. Defensive tackle Lucas Patterson also is out after fracturing a leg against Baylor and is out for the season. Safety Trent Hunter has been hobbled with an ankle injury since the Oklahoma game but should be ready.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

AUSTIN, Texas -- Mack Brown remembers sitting in an oversized couch at his parents' home in Cookeville, Tenn., watching the Texas-Texas A&M game as he grew up.

"I always thought it was neat that the way that the football attention of the country was focused on one state," Brown said.

For the first time since 1993, Texas-Texas A&M has returned to its traditional Thanksgiving night kickoff time.

Tonight's game has large BCS ramifications for the Longhorns. Texas needs an impressive win in order to resonate with the nation's pollsters.

Brown has tried to minimize the meaning of the BCS standings after briefly discussing them with the team when they were released earlier this week.

"I read them to the team, answered any questions and after that decided that we wouldn't discuss it any more because we have a live audience of all the voters Thursday night to see," Brown said. "Everybody that votes in college football will be watching Thursday, period. So why discuss it, why talk about it?

"What we can do about it is play well and win the game. If we don't, then it's not a discussion. So we're not discussing it anymore for the rest of the week."

Here are few items that will be important to watch tonight.

• A&M's pass protection. The Aggies have struggled all season long and will face a huge challenge tonight. The Longhorns lead the nation in sacks and have Brian Orakpo back at what he calls "100 percent health." Not a good combination for a young offensive line that is struggling with injuries. tsarting offensive tackle Travis Schneider is out with a concussion and his backup Robbie Frost is also out with a concussion and won't play. Guard Lee Grimes moves to the starting position at right tackle and backup center Danny Baker moves into Grimes' starting slot.

• Will Texas dominate in the trenches? The Longhorns were consistently muscled off the point of attack in upset losses to the Aggies in each of the last two seasons. It's led to a change of attitude for the Longhorns. They have talked about sending a statement to the Aggies, who aren't much like those previous teams with much youth in their offensive and defensive lines.

• Stephen McGee's final game. The Aggies' senior backup quarterback will remain one of the heroes in the annals of his school for directing those upset victories, especially a gutsy 16-play game-winning drive in Austin two seasons ago while he was vomiting from illness and fatigue. McGee isn't playing much after a shoulder injury and the emergence of sophomore quarterback Jerrod Johnson. But it will be interesting to see if Coach Mike Sherman inserts him in the lineup to give his team a lift.

• Colt McCoy on the big stage. The Texas quarterback has a chance to sway a lot of Heisman voters with a big performance against an Aggie defense that ranks 100th or worse in every major team defensive statistical category.

• Can the Aggies pressure McCoy? If we are to believe former A&M tight end Martellus Bennett, who called out "Cart McCoy" from the safety of the Dallas Cowboys' locker room earlier this week, it should be a snap. Maybe he's just trying to light a fire under an underachieving group that is tied for last in sacks with only 13 this season. Whatever, if the Aggies don't pressure McCoy, their secondary could be exposed. Often.

• Will Muschamp's first game as coach-in-waiting. Muschamp was hired as the Longhorns' designated successor to Mack Brown nine days ago. It will be interesting to see if he's concocted any different schemes with his defense or reacts any differently than when he was just a defensive coordiantor. I'm guessing he'll be just as animated and bombastic along the sidelines with his new job in hand as he ever was before.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

AUSTIN, Texas -- To say it's a late arriving crowd at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium would be an understatement.

It's still two hours before kickoff and only a few ushers are kicking around the massive stadium.

I arrived about an hour ago and was surprised at the lack of traffic I encountered along Interstate 35. The San Antonio-Austin corridor is usually pretty jammed at virtually any hour. I made it up in barely an hour this afternoon.

Maybe the Texas fans overdosed on tryptophan and are still sleeping off their holiday turkey and dressing. But I'm surprised at the low-key nature that is seen in and around the stadium.

I bet Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman hopes the lethargy continues about three hours from now. But something tells me that won't be the case.

I'll check back in a few minutes to break down some trends that I feel will be important. Before then, grab a turkey sandwich and get ready for some football.

One other thing I'm curious about: Texas traditionally has one of the finest press buffets in college football -- a Mexican fajita spread with all of the trimmings.

I'm wondering if they'll give a nod to the holiday and have a change to more traditional holiday fare.

If they do, there might be a riot in the press box.