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Texas beats Northwestern in two games to advance to the NCAA Super Regionals.

Trent Blank and the Baylor Bears shut down Texas, 4-0.

Longhorns co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Bryan Harsin breaks down spring football game tape.

HornsNation's Sean Adams takes a look at the state of the Texas football program. In this video, Sean looks at the hype surrounding the running back position and Johnathan Gray.

The Red River Rivalry's annual home in the Cotton Bowl needs major upgrades if the game is going to stay there, according to a report in the Dallas Morning News.

A deal to keep the game at the State Fair of Texas through 2020 could be hammered out soon, but improvements must be made if it's going to be signed.

To make those, City Hall would need to take on $25.5 million more debt that would renovate the stadium façade of the Cotton Bowl, modernize the press box, add club seating and more.

From my perspective, all three of those are badly needed. The newly enclosed bowl looks great and provides room for nearly six-figure crowds, but the outside looks metallic and unappealing.

Those changes may or may not happen, but even if Dallas stands its ground, it has the leverage here. If Texas or Oklahoma tried to move the game out of the fair, it'd have a big issue on its hands, and neither administration wants to move the game to campus sites or Cowboys Stadium.

The upgrades are needed, but don't be surprised if all the upgrades don't happen.

Former Texas quarterback Garrett Gilbert's career in Austin came to an end with boos in a first-half benching against BYU last season. After shoulder surgery, however, he'll be ready to go for 2012 at his new home in Dallas.

Gilbert announced plans this winter to transfer to SMU, and was given an injury waiver by the NCAA, meaning he didn't lose a year of eligibility in 2011, when he played less than two games before being benched and undergoing surgery.

He'll compete for a starting job next fall after finishing his undergraduate degree in May, and have two remaining years of eligibility when he gets to campus in Dallas.

"It's great for Garrett that he did a tremendous job for us, and sorry it didn't work out where he wanted to stay, but we wish him good luck and really glad that he's a Texas grad or will be a Texas grad this summer and wish him well at SMU," coach Mack Brown said.

Great news for a good guy whose career just hasn't gone like most predicted. He showed so much promise in the 2010 national title game in relief of Colt McCoy, but in the following season, was one of several reasons for the Longhorns' fall to 5-7. For whatever reason, it didn't work out in Austin, but it's nice to see he'll get a fresh start as a Mustang.

Texas offensive lineman Sedrick Flowers was also granted an injury waiver.

We're back again with the next installment of the "Home Turf" series introducing fans across the Big 12 to all the cities in the conference.

If you missed our past entries, here you go:

The Big 12 guides to:

• West Virginia's home turf
• TCU's home turf
• Baylor's home turf
• Iowa State's home turf
• Kansas' home turf
• Kansas State's home turf
• Oklahoma's home turf
• Oklahoma State's home turf

Thanks to all who emailed. Now, without further ado, here's the guide to Austin, Texas, from the people who know it best.

Kenton in Austin, Texas wrote: Great food in Austin. You have the Shady Grove down on Barton Springs, just south of Downtown. Chicken fried steak or their tortilla fried queso catfish are both fantastic options. If you want wings, check out Plucker's and their boneless wings basket. I'm normally not a fan of boneless, but these huge chicken strips quickly became my favorite food after arriving on campus. Also, Player's has some of the best burgers and milkshakes around is is located right on the edge of campus on MLK (19th) Street.Otherwise, the Texas Capitol is always something interesting to checkout, but the cool waters of Barton Springs are constantly beckoning you to come to them during the hot Texas summer at the start of the season. 6th Street is the main attraction for nightlife, and rightfully so. This city has so much to offer than you can go on and on, but I think my professor caught me not paying attention so I'm going to get back to taking notes. Always excited to read the blog!

Madhu in Houston wrote: Food to check out: Flip Happy Crepes, Food trucks on East 6th Street (LOTS of options, across 35 away from the bars), Food trucks on South Congress (LOTS of options), Pluckers (wings), Salt Lick (BBQ in Driftwood, TX), Franklin BBQ, "The Drag" (Guadalupe St bordering campus) Sites to see: Zilker Park, UT campus (DKR, the tower), walking around anywhere in downtown (restaurants, bars, shops), 360 between Mopac and 183 around Westlake (just very nice drive, "rocky" area that's very distinct from rest of Austin)

Jason in Houston wrote: Ok, so Im an Aggie but if your in ATX, which really has some of the best eateries in TX, you have got to try Torchys Tacos. Its not on the menu but order a taco w flour tortilla, chorizo, jalepeno sausage, brisket, sour cream, avacado and cilantro w diablo sauce. Rolaids not included.

Devon Shestko in Austin, Texas wrote: Austin is too large to check out all there is to offer. Great places to eat: Breakfast must be Juan in a Million eat 8 Don Juans and become famous. Plus it was on an episode of Man vs. Food which proves it is a challenge. Great food, great people, and the best handshake you will ever receive from Juan himself. Lunch: Mongolian Cafe. Its off Congress and is a great place with a surprisingly large menu open 24 hours and always quality for not alot of cash.Dinner: My favorite is the Hula Hut off of the lake. Enjoy the lake and sunset while drinking great Margaritas and excellent food. Hula Hut shares a parking lot with Able's on the Lake which has 80+ beers on tap!The night life is on 6th street. Just walk up and down the street going into anyplace and you will find fun.Also take in the largest stadium in the Big 12. DKR Memorial stadium seats over 100,000 and booms with TEXAS FIGHT! Austin is a great city that is very laid back and we welcome all fans of college football. Hook 'Em!

Andrew in Lubbock, Texas wrote: Word ubb! Austin is probably the best place in the big12 to get good healthy eats without sacrificing awesome quality. Everyone else will tell you about the wonderful barbeque and drinking, but go to Bouldin Creek Cafe and get the best vegan burger in the world. Topped with homemade pecan-chipotle pesto, it'll actually make you forget you're not eating meat. Also check out veggie heaven for amazing vegan asian-ness, and Beets Cafe has a fantastic selection of raw vegan noms.

Alex in Austin wrote: If you want the college atmosphere hours before kickoff you have to hit up Abel's in West Campus. It doesn't get more Texas Football than Abel's a few hours before the game. Great food, better drinks - the Texas Tea is a must.

Doyle in Austin wrote: Whats up Ubbs!! Here is the guide to my city. First thing to check out when you get to Austin is the Salt Lick BBQ joint. Its the best austin has to offer. Stay away from Iron Works BBQ. Some might imply that it's good but they don't really know what they're talking about. The sauce tastes like canned tomato sauce. If You want mexican food check out Chuy's. For good Chinese food go to Lotus Hunan. And for a good 5 star wet-aged steak check out Trio at the Four Seasons hotel. For the night life in Austin, I'm sure most have heard of 6th street down town. It has 18 and up clubs, hip hop clubs, pool halls, alternative clubs, as well as bar and grill joints. Not to mention all the venders and freaks that walk the street on weekends.If you have kids to occupy while you're in town check out Barton Springs. It's an incredible natural spring turned into a public pool. This is more for WVU fans because it'll be too cold by the time TCU gets to Austin. Also there is the Main Event which is cool for kids and adults alike. It has lazer tag, indoor glow mini golf, bowling, pool tables, rock climbing, and tons of archade games. Welcome to the best league in the nation guys, glad to have you.

Jeff Walker in Elgin, Texas wrote: Whether you are a fan of the burnt orange and white or a fan of the visiting team, you will find plenty of food and drink in Austin. On gameday you must visit Scholz Garden, which is only a few blocks from Royal-Memorial Stadium. Scholz's has been open since 1866 and is where locals and out-of-towners wet there whistle on gameday. HOOK EM!

Travis in Austin wrote: You can't come to Texas without getting BBQ and the Austin-area has some of the best joints. Franklin is hands-down the best place in the city - you just need to be in line an hour before they open because they go until they sell out. The ribs are godly and and fall off the bone. The brisket is no competition. And ya' gotta try their unique cappuccino BBQ sauce! A two-meat meal costs you $15 and you'll want to take a nice meat nap afterwards. Rudys, JMueller, and The County Line are other local favorites and prepare their meat and sides right.If you don't mind a short drive, try the Salt Lick in Driftwood, Smitty's Market and Kreuz Market in Lockhart, and City Market in Luling. They all have incredible meat.

Aaron in Houston wrote: Any visit to Austin for a Horns game is not complete without a visit to the Drag and S Congress. On S Congress, I definitely recommend a visit to the Big Top Candy Shop. A tour of the Tower is a must do. If you're in Austin on a weekday, I recommend a trip to the athletic center to see the trophy room which includes the National Championship Trophies, the Heisman Trophies, the last SWC Championship Trophy, and the first Big 12 Championship Trophy. You should also go to the North End Zone Gate and watch the Showband of the Southwest and Big Bertha march in about 30 minutes before kickoff.Hook 'Em Horns m/

Nmodi in Austin wrote: Guadalupe or the drag is the best place to be on in terms of finding different varieties of food. Definitely go to Torchy's Tacos and get their "Trailer Park" taco trashy style! You can also go to Kerbey Lane Cafe which is open 24/7 and has great pancakes. Additionally, their queso is really really good. Try Tiff's Treats; amazing cookies or if you're in the mood for some wings, Plucker's on 22nd 1/2 street is awesome. Zilker Park is a beautiful park to relax and picnic on a sunny day in Austin with a view of the skyline. You can go see the bats come out at night under the South Congress Bridge. Lastly, there's 6th street. Loads of great bars and clubs are there or near the vicinity. Great place to be at on Friday or Saturday Night.

Blake in Austin wrote: Lived in Austin for 6 years now; didn't attend UT, but let's just say I'm a fan of the home team. The game-day atmosphere permeates the whole town, which is why hitting up a breakfast spot on Saturday morning is a must. I recommend heading east to Juan in a Million for the Don Juan breakfast taco (ask for at least 3 extra tortillas). I'll ignore the obvious live music oppurtunities in favor of the lesser know plethora of great breweries in town, which can all be found at the Draught House, which saw Anthony Bourdain pay a visit just two weeks ago!

Andy in Austin wrote: I know you've been to Austin before, and I'm sure you'll hear tons of great places to eat and drink from the blog, but here's a few you might not hear or already know about:- Crown and Anchor: great spot for tasty burgers and bar food (and beers) in the North Campus area. Great gameday and post-game atmosphere; I remember watching USC's "Bush Push" there after UT beat Colorado during the '05 season.- Salvation Pizza: located up Guadalupe ("the Drag") from campus, great thin-crust-style pizza. The Hawaiian is excellent, but you really can't go wrong with anything.- Nau's Enfield Drug: actually just learned about this one recently. It's an old-school-style lunch counter inside a pharmacy/drugstore, they have a great burger called the "Nau and Later": bacon, fried egg, cheese, and hash browns piled on top of two patties. It's not really in the campus area (more in the west-of-downtown area), but worth checking out.- And of course, barbecue. Everyone will probably tell you about the Salt Lick, and rightfully so - it's amazing. But if you have time and stomach space, head down US-183 to Lockhart and check out Kreuz Market. Different experience than the Salt Lick; bring your own sauce and forks (or better yet, don't - that's how they roll).

Texas point guard Myck Kabongo announced that he would return to the Longhorns for his sophomore season. Kabongo averaged 9.6 points, 5.2 assists and three rebounds as a freshman.

Read more here.

Texas head basketball coach Gail Goestenkors resigned on Monday after five seasons.

Texas fell behind early and lost to future Big 12 rival West Virginia 68-55 in the first round of the women's NCAA tournament. Read more here.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Its 19-point lead had been chipped away to nothing, and Cincinnati’s Yancy Gates looked around at his teammates' eyes and liked what he saw.

There wasn’t any panic, only opportunity.

“That’s the way it’s got to be, and that’s the way it’s been all season for us,” Gates said. “We knew they were going to make a run, but we knew we’d be there with an answer. We're used to being in these situations. It's like that every night in the Big East."

Gates did a lot of the answering himself, as No. 6 seed Cincinnati held on to beat 11-seed Texas 65-59 in the second round of the NCAA tournament’s East Regional at Bridgestone Arena.

It was a strange game from the outset, mostly because the basket might as well have been a pin hole for the Longhorns, who were just 4-of-25 from the field in the first half.

“We were up in them pretty good, trying to make everything tough,” said Cincinnati senior guard Dion Dixon, who helped hold Texas’ leading scorer, J'Covan Brown, to 6-of-15 shooting and five turnovers.

“There were some shots that they just missed, but our defense was pretty good. It wasn’t as good as it needed to be when they made their comeback, and that’s something you can’t have. The important thing is getting stops when you’ve got to have them.”

Gates, who led the Bearcats with 15 points and 10 rebounds, made perhaps the biggest shot of the game when he absorbed contact then buried his leaning hook in the lane to put Cincinnati back on top 54-52 with just under three minutes to play.

His basket came after Texas had come all the way back from 19 points down early in the second half. The Longhorns actually had a chance to take the lead, but Brown lost the ball out front.

Gates knew the Bearcats couldn’t give the Longhorns any more openings.

“We got those stops, and we knew we had to turn those stops into some points,” Gates said.

The 6-foot-9 senior added a jumper from just inside the 3-point line to put the Longhorns away once and for all with 1:14 to play. It was almost as if Texas senior center Clint Chapman dared him to take it, and Gates didn’t hesitate.

“It was just confidence, even from teammates telling me to shoot it earlier in the game, where early in the season, I wouldn’t have shot that,” Gates said.

Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin said Gates is a different player from the one who was suspended for six games after throwing punches in the Xavier brawl back in December. It's a big reason the Bearcats (25-10) have won eight of their last 10 games and are pointing toward a deep March run.

“You know, he’s come a long ways. ... He’s matured so much as a player,” Cronin said. “I’ve just got to make sure I get him rest. That’s the biggest issue at times. In the second half, I should have gotten him out earlier, and I didn’t get him early rest.”

Even with its rotten start, Texas (20-14) managed to claw its way back into the game.

But when the Longhorns had chances at the end, they couldn’t capitalize.

"Defensively, I thought we played hard throughout, but we tied the game and actually had two chances to take the lead, and sort of where our season has been, [we] turned it over and [didn’t get] a very good shot," Texas coach Rick Barnes said. "But I’m really proud of the fact that these guys fought.”

NORFOLK, VA. -- It's not easy showing up to the NCAA tournament looking for redemption. Momentum, yes. Validation, sure. Even sometimes a little revenge.

But redemption? That's a tougher nut in mid-March.

Texas traveled east looking to banish the disappointment of both the immediate past and some stuff that goes quite a bit farther back.

Nine days ago in the Big 12 tournament in Kansas City, the Longhorns took a 23-point loss to Texas Tech, their worst loss of the year. And then they sweated out whether they'd even end up in the NCAA brackets.

But here they are, looking for a makeup opportunity as a No. 9 seed, facing No. 8 West Virginia Saturday morning (ESPN2, 11 a.m. ET) at the Ted Constant Center at Old Dominion.

Read the full story here.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Breaking down the Friday afternoon games in the Music City:

No. 6 seed Cincinnati (24-10) vs. No. 11 Texas (20-13), 12:15 p.m. ET

What to watch: Seeing the way Cincinnati scrapped its way into the Big East Conference championship game, it’s hard not to peg the Bearcats as one of those teams in the field playing its best basketball right now. They’ve won seven of their past nine games and lead the country with seven victories over ranked teams. Texas, on the other hand, enters the tourney trying to find some consistency after losing four of its past seven games. There’s no better time to find that mojo than right now. There were a lot of people who wondered if the Longhorns would even make the tournament. Here’s their chance to prove that they belong.

Who to watch: Texas guard J'Covan Brown can score points in bunches, and when he gets it going, he’s a headache to defend. The 6-foot-1 junior has averaged 24.8 points over his past four games and has scored at least 21 in each of those four. He leads the Big 12 in scoring at 20.1 points per game, but hasn’t shot it particularly well from 3-point range coming into this game. In his past five outings, he’s just 6-of-30 from behind the arc. Brown takes 28 percent of his team’s shots.

Why to watch: The Bearcats have been one of the turnaround stories this season in college basketball, but it goes much deeper than just hoops. The ugly scenes from their fight with Xavier on Dec. 10 remain etched in a lot of people’s minds, but Cincinnati recovered from multiple player suspensions -- and showing a new resolve along the way -- and played its way into the Big East tournament final. One of the catalysts has been senior forward Yancy Gates, who was suspended six games for his role in the brawl. When he returned, the Bearcats tweaked their offense to better utilize Gates’ offensive rebounding prowess, and they took off as a team -- winning seven of their nine games against ranked foes.

What they’re saying: “We had a chance to win the Big East tournament, which nobody expected us to do, and hopefully, we’ll do the unexpected and win games here, which nobody probably expects us to do. We’ll just do what we’ve been doing and keep playing against the odds and trying to prove people wrong.” -- Cincinnati forward Yancy Gates

“I’ve told my team all year if we would work as hard on the offensive end as we do on the defensive end, we’d be a much better team. And at times where I don’t think we’ve improved or shown the improvement is with our offense.” -- Texas coach Rick Barnes

Around the rim: This is the sixth time that Texas has been a double-digit seed in the NCAA tournament. Each of the previous five times, the Longhorns won at least one game in the tournament. … The Cincinnati-Texas game will tip off at 11:15 a.m. local time in Nashville, and the Cincinnati players haven’t been crazy about playing early games this season. Nobody was complaining Thursday, though. “It’s the NCAA tournament. If you can’t get up at whatever time the game is, you shouldn’t be here,” Cincinnati guard Cashmere Wright said. … Before Cincinnati boarded the bus for Nashville, coach Mick Cronin took the players into the UC Arena and had them look up at the Bearcats’ national championship banners. “I just think you’ve got to believe that you can win it, and I think my guys need to realize that it’s possible and that it’s happened at the University of Cincinnati. We’ve got to believe that it’s going to happen again,” Cronin said.

No. 3 seed Florida State (24-9) vs. No. 14 St. Bonaventure (20-11), 2:45 p.m. ET

What to watch: Is Florida State as good as it looked last weekend in gunning down Duke and North Carolina in back-to-back days to win the ACC tournament title? Granted, Duke and North Carolina didn’t have a lot to gain in Atlanta, but it’s not the first time the Seminoles have turned Tobacco Road upside down this season. Leonard Hamilton’s club beat North Carolina 90-57 at home Jan. 14, then won at Duke 76-73 a week later. It’s the first time in 16 seasons that somebody has recorded two victories over both Duke and North Carolina in the same season. That’s some pretty heady stuff. The trick now for Florida State is playing that way in the March tournament that counts.

Who to watch: Florida State senior forward Bernard James served six years in the Air Force, including deployments in Iraq, Afghanistan and Qatar. Now 27, the 6-10 James has been as valuable to his basketball team as he was to his country. An All-ACC Defensive Team selection, James ranks third in the ACC with 76 blocked shots, while averaging 10.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. He will be honored at the Final Four along with Tennessee women’s coach Pat Summitt and presented with the Most Courageous Award by the United States Basketball Writers Association.

Why to watch: St. Bonaventure is back in the NCAA tournament for the first time since a scandal rocked the university during the 2002-03 season. The Bonnies played an ineligible player that season after a junior-college transfer was admitted to the university with a welding degree and no associate’s degree. The fallout included the firing of coach Jan van Breda Kolff and the resignation of the athletic director and school president. A few months later, Bill Swan, the president of the university’s board of trustees, committed suicide and left a note apologizing for the pain he caused St. Bonaventure as well as his family and friends. The next four seasons saw the Bonnies win a combined 24 games, but coach Mark Schmidt was hired in 2007 and has steadily led the program back to respectability. St. Bonaventure won its first Atlantic 10 tournament championship last Sunday.

What they’re saying: “Andrew (Nicholson) is the player of the year, so he does what players of the year do, and that’s put the team on their back and kind of sail the ship.” -- St. Bonaventure guard Matthew Wright

“We’re definitely expecting a punch right out of the gate. We’re going to throw one ourselves.” -- Florida State forward Bernard James

Around the rim: Florida State is ranked sixth nationally in field goal percentage defense (.381) and seventh in blocked shots (5.9 per game). … In the Seminoles’ past four games, they’re shooting 50 percent (34-of-68) from 3-point range and keeping their opponents to 29.2 percent (26-of-89) from behind the line. … The Bonnies received quite a send-off before leaving their campus in western New York. Schmidt said it seemed like 15,000 of the 20,000 people who live in the Allegheny community lined the roads. “They let the kids out of schools, and we had our bus go through all the little towns, by all the elementary schools, all the businesses, and it was special,” Schmidt said. … Nicholson, a senior forward and the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year, has been on a tear. He averaged 25.3 points and 11.5 rebounds in his final eight conference games.

AUSTIN, Texas -- Three months into the season, two hours into the practice, Rick Barnes was pushing his players to quit.

It was a practice like none had seen or experienced before. And Barnes, always a stick before the carrot coach, was even more unrelenting than usual.

"He was just really hard on us at that practice," point guard Sterling Gibbs said.

In Barnes' mind, he had no other choice. This was a young team, void of cohesion, clouded by confusion. There was no clear leader. There was no common voice or goal. They were directionless. They were without focus. They were lost. And they were losing.

So Barnes would step in. He would force them to make a choice. Right then. Right there.

"Instead of just falling apart, we came together even more," Gibbs said. "That was one of the turning points in our season."

Read the rest of the story here.

Coppell's Nick Jordan might not have any time to watch and learn during his freshman year at Texas.

With the kickers the Longhorns have on campus struggling this spring, the job could be Jordan's for the taking.

HornsNation's Carter Strickland took a look at the Texas kicking situation Wednesday. Here's an excerpt about Jordan.

Jordan has the credentials. He was considered one of the top five kickers in the country, played in the U.S. Army All-American game and missed only five field goals in high school.

“We saw him kick out on a 60-plus-yard field goal, and he pulled it a little bit left,” Brown said. “But so we have seen him with a very strong leg.”

Read the full post here.