Inside Texas Roundtable: Big 12 Championship memories, storylines, players to watch, predictions

The last chance for the Longhorns to win a Big 12 Championship is finally here. The Inside Texas staff provides favorite memories from Texas’ three other conference titles, players to watch, key storylines, and game predictions in the Roundtable.

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This is only the seventh time Texas has played in the Big 12 title, with just three wins. What is your favorite memory from 1996, 2005, and 2009?

Eric Nahlin – 1996 gets me in my feels. I had just graduated and moved out to CA and was living with an aunt and uncle I adored. I was telling my aunt how difficult the task was after James Brown’s comments. “They’re just going to win, I can feel it.” She worked her fingers to the bone so couldn’t watch with me but she got home from work and said, “I told you.”

I was at the 2005 dismantling of Colorado. The Drew Kelson hit is forever remembered but I also ran into Eric Metcalf that night in a packed bar where everyone was watching Jermain Taylor versus Bernard Hopkins.

2009 was all about surviving and advancing. I knew that one second existed and felt confident the kick would be good, but there was a sense of relief afterwards. That turned into a long celebratory night but that’s NSFW.

Justin Wells – 1996: That win was big. 21-point underdogs? My behind. 2005: Only time I’ve ever felt sorry for an opponent 2009: Just thankful for one second, Hunter Lawrence, and no more Ndamukong Suh

Ian Boyd – I wasn’t watching yet in 1996. I think I was actually working a shift at HEB (in college) in 2005 selling Christmas trees and hearing updates from the break room (LOL, they scored again!), and 2009 was a nightmare up until the very end. I guess when Jordan Shipley had a big catch and run versus the Cornhuskers that ended in a personal foul which was obviously going to put Texas in range for Hunter Lawrence. It was mostly just a feeling of intense relief. Someone else will say seeing Joel Klatt flattened but I don’t think I saw it live.

Joe Cook – I was at 2005 and it was one of the few times that I felt truly sorry for an opposing fan base. I was in the second row of Reliant Stadium and as the concourses went up, there was just burnt orange everywhere. There was a small pocket of CU fans by the band, and they sat the whole game. It was a dominant performance and, until the Texas Tech game in 2021, the last time Texas scored 70 on an opponent.

Gerry Hamilton – That one is easy. Roll left. James Brown to Derek Lewis with Brent Musberger’s call.

Bobby Burton – Roll Left. Joel Klatt getting detonated by Drew Kelson. Hunter Lawrence‘s field goal. They’re all favorites!

Paul Wadlington – 1996 was incredible. I was so nervous that I went to the gym and watched while running on the treadmill and doing power cleans. As we realized what was unfolding, everyone in the gym was going nuts, random sweaty strangers hugging each other and shouting. Roll Left was ecstatic. It was like one of Nahlin’s model train conventions. I also remember being incredibly sore the next day because I’d nervously worked out for 3 hours.

I went to Reliant in 2005. I predicted a 42-10 win before hand and was off by only 35 points on the margin. I remember that Colorado had three fans and they were all related to Mason Crosby. I remember Houston’s sky was the color of dishwater. Finally, I remember total and utter domination. We knew we were going to kick USC’s ass after that one. We were the only people in America who felt that way, but a few weeks later Texas delivered in the Rose Bowl in the greatest college game ever played.

I was also at 2009 in Arlington. Weirdly, I kept finding myself watching the game on the mega video board instead of the action on the field. Things got a little tight. As in a lot. When the second got put back on the clock, everyone went nuts. Texas fans celebrated the win exultantly but an hour later over drinks there was a creeping sense of dread after seeing what the Nebraska’s DL did to the OL. Of course, Texas actually handled that pre-spread comprehension Alabama team well when Colt McCoy was healthy and would have won, but his injury cost us a Natty. All those experiences proved that nothing is guaranteed.

The Longhorns have been resilient all season. Which moment embodies that resiliency best?

Eric Nahlin – Jordan Whittington‘s effort on the forced fumble on the Quinn Ewers pick against TCU embodied the reason he was the Thinking Texas Football cover boy. Paul probably had different reasons for putting the vascular, muscled Whittington on there but Whittington’s selflessness was my interpretation of the cover.

Justin Wells – The final 7-minute drive in the fourth quarter at Alabama. That was the confidence foundation for the season.

Ian Boyd – I think it will be Jordan Whittington chasing down TCU safety Nook Bradford from behind and stripping him of the football before Xavier Worthy dove in to recover it. Texas ended up needing those points to avoid a catastrophe on the road, most teams need something like that to put together a season like the Longhorns have produced.

Joe Cook – I think back to the K-State game, while giving nods to Alabama and TCU. The team suffered one of the worst five-minute stretches of the Steve Sarkisian era and managed to battle through it and go to overtime. There, they made the stand of the year with the four stops inside the 10. They survived a volatile game from the backup quarterback and kept the hope of a Big 12 title alive.

Gerry Hamilton – It all started when Texas answered Alabama’s 4th quarter score with a quick strike touchdown. That set the tone and built the belief.

Bobby Burton – I think beating K-State with a back-up QB and including a goal line stand in overtime to do it. Four tries inside the Texas 10 and the Wildcats came up empty.

Paul Wadlington – Before an On Texas Football taping, I cut myself shaving. It wouldn’t stop bleeding. I went on anyway and delivered powerful analysis with toilet paper on my face. After the show, Bobby Burton told me it was the bravest performance he’d ever witnessed. I almost swooned from blood loss, like a Southern Belle near a fainting couch. But I powered on. A lot of people call me a hero, but you’re all the real heroes. The Inside Texas subscriber.

Which Longhorn defender(s) need to be at their best against Ollie Gordon and the Cowboys’ offense?

Eric Nahlin – I’m going with Anthony Hill keeping his eyes, staying disciplined, and minding the cutback lane.

Justin Wells – T’Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy are givens. Need to see linebackers Jaylan Ford, Anthony Hill, and David Gbenda bring their A-game.

Ian Boyd – Mike Gundy will do whatever he can to try and make this game come down to Anthony Hill‘s inexperience at weak side linebacker. A strong performance there would just about erase any chance of an Oklahoma State upset.

Joe Cook – Anthony Hill and Jaylan Ford. They’re going to be put into conflict plenty this game. Reacting as quick as they can and successfully getting Gordon to the ground is going to be paramount.

Gerry Hamilton – Barryn Sorrell, Ethan Burke and Justice Finley. Have to stay home and set the edge at the end positions. Gordon has really good cut back vision, so it’s imperative to play aggressive, but disciplined at edge.

Bobby Burton – There are two. Ethan Burke and Barryn Sorrell. I know Byron Murphy, T’Vondre Sweat and Jaylan Ford will be fine. Burke and Sorrell will be the difference.

Paul Wadlington – Stopping Ollie Gordon is huge. The most obvious candidates are Byron Murphy and T’Vondre Sweat, but I’ll go Jaylan Ford. They may just double our big guys and ask Ford to make 14 tackles, expecting that Gordon can run through or around him a couple of times for big gains.

The Longhorns have one more remaining Big 12 team left in front of them. What would it mean if Texas went 9-0 against teams staying in the Big 12 in 2023?

Eric Nahlin – It would be mean Sark is an incredible program builder — physically, mentally, technically — and has the team ready to compete in the SEC.

Justin Wells – It would mean Texas left the Mid 12 on the right foot.

Ian Boyd – A lot. It’d be the ultimate “Texas is back” statement short of winning a National Championship.

Joe Cook – That they took care of business in Brett Yormark’s conference.

Gerry Hamilton – Brett Yormark set the tone before the season. It would be this staff and this team responding in the best way possible with Yormark handing the trophy to Steve Sarkisian in front of 65,000-plus Texas fans.

Bobby Burton – Everyone got one final shot at Texas. And they couldn’t do anything about it.

Paul Wadlington – A chuckling goodbye to a conference whose pettiness, self-destructive stupidity, envy and ill will knew no limits. Enjoy games played on the WWE channel.

If Texas wins, is it in the CFP? If that’s not enough, what else needs to happen?

Eric Nahlin – I’m in complete conflict here. It’s hard to see Texas getting left out as conference champs, the best win of the season, and only one close loss to a quality opponent. There’s money to be made in having Texas in the playoffs. But, it’s hard to justify that feeling given how the playoff committed has voted. I’ll say yes but it might require some help.

Justin Wells – Yes, but FSU has to lose to Louisville and they just might.

Ian Boyd – I would bet so, but they probably need Florida State to lose. Would the committee put a limping, 13-0 Florida State in over healthy 12-1 Texas? Maybe? Probably? It’d be a lot safer for Texas if Louisville won and the other four major conference champions all rode in. one-loss Texas champion versus one-loss SEC runner-up Georgia would also be a little more interesting than Longhorn fans may like, but I bet Texas would win in that calculation. I really doubt one-loss Alabama is in over one-loss Texas if it came to that.

Joe Cook – I don’t think so. They’ll assuredly hop Ohio State with a win since 12 is more than 11. So now Texas is up to No. 6. The Pac-12 title on Friday is a play-in game, and the loser will fall behind the Longhorns. Now Texas is at No. 5. So let’s say Georgia, Michigan, and Washington all win. Texas needs Louisville to then upset Florida State to make that last leap to No. 4 because I have doubts the committee puts a one-loss team in over any undefeated squad.

Gerry Hamilton – Louisville needs to beat FSU. That will get Texas in. The other scenario would be Alabama beats Georgia and pulls Texas to the playoff with them, excluding FSU if the Noles win.

Bobby Burton – One of Florida State, Michigan or Georgia must lose.

Paul Wadlington – We need FSU to lose, at minimum. Heaven only knows what a Bama win could set in motion, but chaos likely benefits us. To date, the committee has said unimpressive things to defend unimpressive rankings and is staffed by unimpressive people. In my experience, that points to unimpressive conclusive work products.

Score prediction

Eric Nahlin – 40-14, Texas

Justin Wells – 34-17, Texas

Ian Boyd – 30-13, Texas. I think it’s ugly for a while but Texas eventually has one of those scoring bursts and Sark presses on their throats for the style points.

Joe Cook – 31-17, Texas

Gerry Hamilton – 41-20, Texas

Bobby Burton – 28-13, Texas

Paul Wadlington – 40-17, Texas