THE FOUR GAME GAUNTLET

The Longhorns open conference play on the road at Oklahoma State, play West Virginia and Oklahoma in back-to-back games, and then face Baylor, who broke Texas the past two years. Mack Brown and his players will face a critical four-game stretch that will test the team’s talent and answer the question: how good are the 2012 Longhorns?

1) @ Oklahoma State (Sept. 29) Texas found success against the Cowboys prior to 2010, but Oklahoma State turned the tables the past two years. This year, the Cowboys have started well, but are an….

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unknown quantity.With a new quarterback and a defense that has yet to play a good offense, the jury is still out on Oklahoma State. Out of the four games, this one has the biggest question marks for Texas. Boone Pickens Stadium hosts a vitriolic crowd, and you can hear individual fans yelling out of the stands.

2) vs. West Virginia (Oct. 6) In the preseason, analysts painted this game as quarterback Geno Smith and the Mountaineer offense against the Texas defense. But West Virginia did allow some points and had some weak moments on defense last year. If the Longhorns can exploit those weaknesses — especially with ball control — they’ll increase their time on the field, and decrease Smith’s. This is a greatly anticipated game. More people have asked me how they can get tickets to this game than any other game this year, Oklahoma included. The Mountaineers should rank in the top 10 — perhaps the top five — by then, so they’ll serve as a huge test for the Longhorns.

3) vs. Oklahoma (Oct. 13) Every year the inside track to a BCS Bowl game or a possible National Championship for either Texas or Oklahoma crosses directly through the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, and this year is no different. With the State Fair atmosphere and everything that surrounds the rivalry, this game will be as significant as ever.

4) vs. Baylor (Oct. 20) For the past two years, head coach Art Briles worked on building the Bears’ program and it continues to rise. Baylor has officially arrived and they’re here to stay. Of course, Nick Florence stepping in for Heisman trophy winner Robert Griffin III is a big question. But I think Florence will play well. The true question is how the Bears’ defense will perform this year. The game is back in Austin, which bodes well for Texas, even though Baylor won here two years ago.

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