October 17, 2009

Olin Buchanan
Rivals.com College Football Senior Writer

DALLAS - Sam Bradford's right arm dangled weakly, his shoulder undeniably damaged.

The same could be said for the Texas Longhorns' national profile and Colt McCoy's Heisman candidacy after the Longhorns' error-filled 16-13 victory over Oklahoma on a picture-perfect Saturday afternoon at the Cotton Bowl.

A three-point win over an opponent without its starting quarterback may not impress Bowl Championship Series voters. And a 107-yard passing performance with an interception and a lost fumble in the end zone likely irreparably damaged McCoy's fading Heisman hopes.

Still, at Texas, any victory over its archrival is cause for euphoric celebration, and Longhorns fans certainly seized the moment as they exited the Cotton Bowl with index fingers raised.

Doubts have been raised everywhere else.

The first BCS standings will be released Sunday, and Texas' rightful place in them will be fodder for debate. No doubt, the Longhorns will be ranked high - any team in a Big Six conference with a 6-0 record would be.

But in easing to a win over Oklahoma, which was without Bradford for all but one series, the Longhorns didn't have the look of a team in the class of SEC powers Alabama and Florida. Indeed, some may question whether Texas belongs ranked ahead of fellow unbeatens Iowa and Cincinnati.

Of course, Texas coach Mack Brown would disagree. Apparently, so would Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops.

"They've got a great opportunity," Stoops said "I think anytime you've got a caliber of guys like Colt McCoy and the guys around him, they're going to have a chance, for sure."

Once seen a strong Heisman contender, McCoy was 21-of-39 for a pedestrian 129 yards. Wide receiver Jordan Shipley, who also received Heisman hype in recent weeks, caught just four passes, for a mere 22 yards. The offense produced just 269 yards, 73 fewer than Miami managed in a 21-20 victory over the Sooners two weeks ago.

And when the defense provided opportunities. the Longhorns frequently squandered them with penalties (11 for 103 yards) or turnovers (a fumble and an interception deep in OU territory).

Is this what a national championship contender looks like?

That depends on who's looking. Brown considered the Longhorns' showing and said he felt encouraged because of its mistakes.

"What excites me is we're nowhere near as good as we can be and we're 6-and-0," Brown said. "If we were already doing everything perfect, we'd probably get beat. We didn't pass the ball very well, but I know we can pass.

"The last two weeks [including a close win over Colorado], our offense hasn't played like we want. But I think we're ready to get really good on offense."

Brown has his reasons to feel that way. The Longhorns managed 142 rushing yards - 102 in the second half - against an OU defense that came in ranked third in the country against the run. When leading receivers Shipley and Dan Buckner were neutralized by the Sooners, freshman Marquise Goodwin, who originally came to Texas on a track scholarship, emerged to make four catches, including a 14-yard grab for the Longhorns' only touchdown.

"Marquise is really fast and for a track guy he can really catch," Brown said. "He's going to help us ... this year."

Mostly, Brown had to be encouraged by his defense. Early in the game, the Longhorns stayed close by forcing field-goal attempts rather than allowing touchdowns. And when Texas was protecting its three-point lead in the waning minutes, the Longhorns twice came up with clutch interceptions.

But both of those picks came off sophomore Landry Jones, who resembles Bradford only because they wear the same uniform.

Oklahoma had a chance to pull out a victory after cornerback Brian Johnson intercepted a McCoy pass inside the Sooners' 10. Trailing 16-13, OU moved near midfield. But facing second-and-8, Jones threw into double coverage and safety Earl Thomas snatched a clinching interception at Texas' 37.

Would Bradford have thrown into coverage? Would he have been able to lead OU downfield for a winning score?

That never will be known because on the first play on OU's second series, blitzing defensive back Aaron Williams unloaded on Bradford, knocking him hard to the ground and onto his tender right shoulder. Bradford writhed on the turf, grasping an injury similar to the sprained right AC joint he endured in the season opener against BYU that knocked him out of 3 1/2 games.

This time, he's likely out for the season. Perhaps he's out for his college career. He passed up an opportunity to enter the NFL draft last spring, and he may not be able to pass on the next one.

"I really can't say," Bradford said. "I'll have to make that decision at the end of this year."

Without Bradford, Oklahoma really didn't have much chance against a Texas defense that Brown said is the best he's had in 12 seasons in Austin. The Sooners struggled to run; Chris Brown led them with 23 yards and DeMarco Murray finished with minus-3. Texas couldn't have played as aggressively against the run if Bradford had been in the game.

"I think this is the best defense we've played since I've been here," Brown said. "In my mind, it's compared to our 2005 defense."

That 2005 team won the national championship.

But that team also had an explosive offense led by Vince Young. This one has an offense that has had trouble getting going against Wyoming and Colorado.

"We know we haven't played up to our potential," McCoy said. "If we play as well as we can, it might be scary."

Perhaps, but if the Longhorns haven't yet played their best game, they'd better do so soon or they will face more scares like Saturday's.

Missouri, Oklahoma State and Kansas loom. In recent seasons, Texas has had a tendency to lose unexpectedly late in the year - falling to Texas Tech in '08, Texas A&M in '07 and Kansas State and A&M in '06.

These Longhorns may be good enough to avoid similar traps. But so far they haven't shown it.

Olin Buchanan is the senior college football writer for Rivals.com. He can be reached at olin@rivals.com.