Texas and the Cotton Bowl have a long history that'll finally get an update
The Texas Longhorns football program has appeared in the Cotton Bowl Classic 22 times in its history, boasting an 11-10-1 record. However, the Longhorns have not been since January 1, 2003, a fact longtime Texas fans would find jarring walking out of the Cotton Bowl stadium over 20 years ago.
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The multiple rounds of conference realignment had something to do with that. For the longest time, the winner of the Southwest Conference would be invited to play in the Fair Park. When the SWC died, the game became tied in with the Big 12 Conference. However, it lost some of its luster as it was not part of the Bowl Championship Series that began two years after the first season of Big 12 play.
It regained prominence as a New Year’s Six bowl and has been a regular host of the College Football Playoff semifinal as it is this year.
All that coincides with Texas’ three BCS appearances taking place either at the Rose Bowl or the BCS National Championship Game in Pasadena, Calif., or lackluster seasons, or other details.
As the 12-team College Football Playoff is set to host one of its two semifinals at the Cotton Bowl, the Longhorns make a return to the postseason game they are most familiar with.
Every one of Texas’ Cotton Bowl appearances has taken place at the actual Cotton Bowl Stadium. The game moved to what was then known as Cowboys Stadium for the 2010 edition and has been held in what’s now AT&T Stadium ever since.
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Some of Texas’ most important victories ever have taken place in the Cotton Bowl. Wins that came after the 1942, 1945, 1952, 1961, 1963, 1968, 1969, 1972, 1981, 1998, and 2002 seasons were fantastic codas to historic campaigns. Monumental defeats occurred there including notable ones that left sour tastes in the mouths of Texas fans following the 1950, 1959, 1962, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1977, 1983, 1990, and 1999 seasons, though the sting of the 1971 Cotton Bowl loss was neutralized by pre-bowl national championship recognition.
The lone tie? A 7-7 affair with Randolph Field on January 1, 1944.
Texas’ last appearance was on New Year’s Day 2003. Mack Brown‘s Texas Longhorns battled and posted a come-from-behind win over Nick Saban‘s LSU Tigers, 35-20. The Longhorns scored 28-straight points after trailing 17-7 early. Roy Williams and Cory Redding took home MVP honors for their respective sides of the ball in Chris Simms‘ last game in a Longhorn uniform.
The reorganization of the bowl system and the implementation of the College Football Playoff has made the path to the Cotton Bowl much different than when it normally hosted the Southwest Conference champion.
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But with Texas now playing in its 23rd Cotton Bowl, it’s once again in a contest that’s more than familiar not just with the Longhorns but also with the highest stakes.
