ESPN College Football

AUSTIN, Texas -- Will Muschamp wanted to get out of his house for a few hours while visiting relatives in Atlanta on Christmas Day 2000, figuring that meeting a few old coaching friends would provide a calming respite.

He called some old friends on the LSU staff that morning with hopes of watching the Tigers practice for their Peach Bowl game a few days later.

While there, Muschamp met first-year LSU coach Nick Saban. Both of their lives changed from that moment.

The then-Valdosta State defensive coordinator was hired to join Saban's staff three weeks later as a linebackers coach after a vacancy appeared on the staff.

"He wanted somebody young, from the South and who had ties with people on the staff," Muschamp said. "They brought me in for an interview and we talked that day. That night, he offered me the job."

LSU won a BCS championship barely four years later. Muschamp then followed Saban to the Miami Dolphins, where at 34, he was one of the youngest defensive coordinators in recent NFL history.

Later, Saban returned to Alabama and Muschamp became the defensive coordinator at Auburn. Muschamp eventually was hired at Texas, where his strong work has earned him the designation of Mack Brown's successor when he leaves coaching.

Back in the LSU days, Saban had a reputation as a taskmaster who was difficult for many assistants to work for.

But in Muschamp, he found a kindred spirit who enjoyed grinding away at the job as much as he did.

"Nick never asked me to do anything he wasn't doing himself," Muschamp said. "From a work standpoint, a recruiting standpoint or a coaching standpoint, if you didn't want to work it wasn't a good place to be. But I enjoyed work and I like coaching football.

"I like evaluation and I like recruiting and that's why we got along philosophically and schematically. We believe the same way in coaching and motivating. I think that's why we got along."

Today, Muschamp's players say the apple hasn't fallen too far from the tree in terms of Muschamp's dedication for work.

"I always want to try to beat him into the office," Texas defensive tackle Kheeston Randall said. "But it's hard to do. He's the first one there a lot and the last one to leave. You look out and see (Muschamp's) that white truck out there all the time."

Saban is proud of Muschamp's ascension in coaching like the development of former assistants like Michigan State head coach Mark D'Antonio, incoming Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher or Louisiana Tech head coach Derek Dooley.

"To put it into perspective, (it's like) when one of your children does something that makes you proud," Saban said. "That's how you feel when coaches on your staff go on and do bigger and better things and have success in what they do. I'm really proud and want to see them all do extremely well."

Because of their dedication to coaching, Muschamp estimates that he and Saban talk less than once a month. They haven't exchanged pleasantries since the Texas-Alabama matchup was set when Texas beat Nebraska in the Big 12 championship game and Alabama defeated Florida in the Southeastern Conference title game earlier that day.

"It's tough during the season," Muschamp said. "He knows they are playing us and I know we're playing them. He's busy and I am, too."

Both coaching staffs have a lot of connections other than the Saban-Muschamp association. Current Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart was Muschamp's secondary coach at Valdosta State when Muschamp was hired at LSU. Alabama associate head coach/linebackers coach James Willis worked as Muschamp's linebackers coach at Auburn. And Texas running backs coach Major Applewhite worked on Saban's staff as his offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2007.

Saban faced a similar challenge at Miami when he faced his old mentor, Bill Belichick, when he was coaching the New England Patriots.

"I'm really proud and want to see them all do extremely well," Saban said. "We're good friends and you compete and play against each other, but you don't dislike each other and it's not you don't have the same amount of respect and admiration for them.

"You want to be helpful to those guys if you can. And even if you compete against somebody in that moment in time, you're trying to do the best you can for your team."

Muschamp learned a lot during his time with Saban. While he jokes there will be a lot of "wasted ink" written bout their relationship over the next few weeks, he remains grateful for the opportunity to join Saban's staff nine years ago.

"When you get there and get exposed to a lot schematically, that appealed to me," Muschamp said. "And that's obviously where I formed my ideas about how you play and the things you needed to do to be successful."

AUSTIN, Texas -- For all of the talk about Texas' offensive struggles, Colt McCoy believes the Longhorns will learn from their narrow victory over Nebraska in the Big 12 title game.

The Longhorns will face a stout defense with similar personnel against Alabama in the Jan. 7 national title game.


"Alabama plays a little bit of the same coverages as Nebraska does," McCoy said. "Obviously, we didn't play as well as we would have wanted to, but we found a way to win. And a win is a win. That's the most important thing.

"You look up after the game and the most important thing is winning and you win, it's hard to be disappointed. You can be upset at the way you played, frustrated a little bit, but ultimately in a game like that where things don't go your way the entire night and you find a way to win in a really exciting way, it's awesome. You'll remember it the rest of your life."

McCoy said Monday that his team will use its offensive struggles for inspiration over the next several weeks.

"We understand that we've struggled a little bit and we've come through a lot," McCoy said. "But now, we're in the national championship game. That's where we wanted to be at the start of the season and we're going to do everything to do our best."

And despite the struggles of his offensive line against the Cornhuskers, McCoy is trying to use improvement against Alabama as the biggest key to his team's victory.

"We're going to win this game up front," McCoy said. "Our offensive line, if they can play well, if they can control the line of scrimmage -- that's where the game will be won or lost. If we can get the running game going and open up play action, we've got a great chance to be successful and move the ball. And for me, I"ll have to be a passer and a runner to be able to take advantage of what they do."

Texas offensive coordinator Greg Davis said that Alabama blitzes on about 32 percent of its defensive snaps. But McCoy said he wouldn't be surprised if Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart took a hint from Nebraska and peppered the Texas defense with blitzes early in the game.

"They are really good at putting pressure on you," McCoy said. "I'm sure they'll watch the films of Nebraska, a lot of blitzes and edge pressure, and I'm sure we'll get the same stuff. But we'll get a month to prepare and to get better."

The nine sacks allowed by the Longhorns against Nebraska were the most the Longhorns have allowed in McCoy's four-season stint as a quarterback. It also matched the total that Texas allowed over the previous five games.

AUSTIN, Texas -- Texas coach Mack Brown has taken note of the problems caused by Alabama's Terrence Cody and the veteran defensive line.

The concerns are even more pronounced after the Longhorns allowed nine sacks in their 13-12 Big 12 title game victory over Nebraska.

"Coaches are dealing with Alabama. We're not able to sleep," Brown said. "They've got three (Nebraska All-American defensive tackle Ndamukong) Suhs up front. That's the problem."

Brown joked Cody's domination will keep him from showing all of the game film to his team.

"Everywhere you look, they're knocking people down," Brown said. "We've been afraid to show it to our kids. We'll try to limit how much film we show them. Cut some plays out and go real slow with them. We're not going to feed them all of it at once."

AUSTIN, Texas -- Texas sophomore safety Christian Scott has regained his academic eligibility and will play in the Jan. 7 Citi BCS National Championship Game.

Scott was academically ineligible for the first semester and missed the regular season. But Texas coach Mack Brown said Scott has met NCAA standards and will contribute on special teams.

The 6-foot-1, 210-pounder has worked with the Texas scout team this season while he got his grades in order. He played in 13 games in 2008, notching 15 tackles, breaking up three passes, forcing a fumble and recovering a fumble. He was one of ESPN.com's top 150 national prospects coming into college.

Brown said his athleticism will allow him to play on most of the Longhorns' special teams, including as gunner on punt coverage teams because of his speed.

"I would say he would play on all of them, although he won't be on the extra point or field goal teams," Brown said. "Everything else he could do."

And Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp left open the chance he could crack the defensive rotation if he has strong practices leading up to the title game.

"Duane Akina and Will Muschamp are looking to see if he can get involved because he's such a good player," Brown said. "So that's still to be determined."

AUSTIN, Texas -- For the second time in five seasons, Texas offensive coordinator Greg Davis sent a text message to his quarterback shortly after his player lost in the Heisman Trophy.

David sent Colt McCoy a message last Saturday night similar to one that was delivered to Vince Young in 2005 when he finished second behind USC's Reggie Bush.

"I told Vince he was my Heisman winner," Davis said. "And I sent one to Colt, too, where he was my Heisman winner."

And like Young five years ago, McCoy answered the text with a short declaration as he gets ready for a chance to beat the team with the eventual winner of the Heisman.

"I answered the way I felt," said McCoy, who answered like Young: "Game On."

McCoy was thought to be the Heisman leader after a strong performance against Texas A&M in the Nov. 26 regular-season finale. But he struggled through a nine-sack, three-interception performance in the Big 12 championship game against Nebraska.

Those struggles helped contribute to him finishing third this season behind winner Mark Ingram of Alabama and second-place finisher Toby Gerhart of Stanford.

McCoy finished second last season behind Sam Bradford of Oklahoma.

"I think last year was a lot more disappointing than this year," McCoy said. "I was fine afterwards this year because I know how much more we have to play for.

"The only disappointing thing was that I was disappointed for my teammates that I couldn't bring it home for them. Every award is a team award and for the most part we did pretty good. But I wasn't upset."

But whether he uses the disappointment to fuel his competitiveness might be a different story.

"I might use it as a little motivation," McCoy said. "But other than that, I know how much more we have to play for. That was really what was on my the whole trip."

It's not exactly like McCoy's trophy case will be barren. He claimed his second Walter Camp Football Foundation Player of the Year Award and also was named the winner of the Maxwell Award, the Davey O'Brien Award and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award.

But a bigger goal remains the crystal ball presented to the national championship team after the Jan. 7 Citi Bowl Championship Series game.

"The most special thing is getting to play for a national championship," McCoy said.

AUSTIN, Texas -- The struggles of Texas' offensive line against Nebraska's dominant front is one of the biggest reasons why the Longhorns are an early underdog to the Crimson Tide.

The Longhorns offensive front struggled to keep Ndamukong Suh out of their backfield as the Cornhuskers racked up nine sacks, including 4.5 by the Cornhuskers' All-American defensive tackle.

Those problems likely don't bode well against Alabama, whose defensive front is keyed by massive 6-foot-5, 354-pound defensive tackle Terrence Cody.

"We're happy to be in this game," Texas senior tackle Adam Ulatoski said. "It's really exciting to be there. That's what we're focusing on."

Texas coach Mack Brown has thrown open competition at all positions heading into bowl practice, which he said could lead to some positional turnover for the bowl game. That was the main reason that he declined to release a depth chart, saying one would be ready after the remainder of the Longhorns' bowl practices in Austin.

"We didn't play as well on defense as we would have liked against Texas A&M and we didn't play as well offensively against Nebraska," Brown said. "We didn't finish as strongly as we would have liked. We're being hard on the guys and having tough physical drills. We're changing the depth chart daily and we'll present it when we got out there."

Despite the line's struggles against Nebraska, Longhorns players have put those struggles behind hem.

"We've moved on and we're working on this game," Ulatoski said. "We're worried about ourselves so we continue to get better. But we don't have to have a lot of motivation when you are playing for a national championship. Our goal is to go out there and play our best and win the game."

Texas center Chris Hall said he embraces the role of being an underdog against the No. 1 Crimson Tide.

"That's OK," Hall said. "That's not a problem. And if we were favored, it wouldn't be a problem either. It's two great football teams for sure. We'll have our hands full and it will be a fun one to play in."

But Texas defensive end Sergio Kindle said that placing any labels on his team would be overstated before the game began.

"It really doesn't matter," Kindle said. "Underdog, overdog, we just come to play."

AUSTIN, Texas -- Texas coach Mack Brown, like many young college football fans in the South who grew up in the 1960s, had a love affair with Paul "Bear" Bryant's Alabama teams.

The Crimson Tide claimed national championships in 1964 and 1965 and came close in 1966, but were denied despite posting an 11-0 record. Brown was taking notice of the program from his home in Cookeville, Tenn.

Brown's grandfather, high school football coach Eddie "Jelly" Watson, helped stoke the passion in Alabama football in his young grandson.

"Alabama was my favorite program growing up," Brown said. "I watched every game."

As a high school senior, Brown was recruited by current Alabama athletic director Mal Moore, who was then an Alabama assistant coach.

"I got to sit in Coach Bryant's office as a 17-year-old," Brown said. "They were playing Missouri in the 1968 Gator Bowl and he asked me if I could visualize myself running back punts for them. That was pretty good stuff for me at the time."

Despite the sway of the Alabama tradition, Brown followed his older brother, Watson, to Vanderbilt where both played football. Brown later transferred to Florida State, where he graduated.

But his interest in Alabama has never diminished. It was one of three programs that were his grandfather's favorite teams, along with Georgia and Texas.

"Coach Bryant and [former Texas] coach Darrell Royal were the Joe Paterno and Bobby Bowden of their day," Brown said. "Younger coaches looked up to them. I wanted to play there, coach there."

And that's what makes the Jan. 7 game at the Rose Bowl so special to Brown.

"This is a matchup that excited me," Brown said.

AUSTIN, Texas -- Despite heavy complaints from the Texas faculty about coach Mack Brown’s $2 million per year contract hike, sophomore safety Blake Gideon believes his coach deserves the pay bump.

“I think so,” Gideon said. “What he does, what he has done and what he’s doing for this program, bringing all of us in giving us all a chance at an education -- becoming leaders and men and playing college football -- that’s what he’s done.”

Gideon said that Brown’s staff of coaches is a reflection of him.

“They come in here and aren’t just about getting us accolades on the field or keeping us eligible,” Gideon said. “They are here to get us a degree and get us out of here with something besides football memories. I feel that's the most important thing to Coach Brown since I’ve been recruited and still is now. I think he deserves every bit of it.”

The connection between Brown and head coaching designate Will Muschamp has become more noticeable over the past two seasons, Gideon said.

“He’s learning something from how Coach Brown handles himself,” Gideon said. “He’s one of the best examples we could learn in how to handle people. We can all learn from that.”