Texas to face Colorado in the Valero Alamo Bowl

Texas is headed back to the Alamo Bowl.

For the second straight year, the Longhorns will have a short trip down I-35 for their bowl destination, as they will return to San Antonio to face former Big 12 Conference member Colorado at 8 p.m. Dec. 29 in the Alamodome.

Texas, ranked 20th in the most recent Associated Press poll, finished 6-3 after its final game Dec. 12 against Kansas was canceled due to coronavirus concerns.

Colorado only played five games this season after the Pac-12 didn’t starting its season until early November.

The Buffaloes went 4-1 in Karl Dorrell’s first year leading the team, defeating UCLA (48-42), Stanford (35-32), San Diego State (20-10) and Arizona (24-13), before ending the regular season with a loss to Utah (38-21).

It’s the first bowl game for Colorado since losing to Oklahoma State in the 2016 Alamo Bowl.

Texas last took the field Dec. 5, when it hammered K-State, 69-31, in its best performance of the year.

The Longhorns have had multiple players — tackle Samuel Cosmi, safety Caden Sterns, defensive lineman Ta’Quon Graham, defensive back Chris Brown and JACK Joseph Ossai — opt out of the rest of the season following a loss to Iowa State Nov. 27 to concentrate on NFL draft preparations or enter the transfer portal.

Senior quarterback Sam Ehlinger will be the only team captain to play in the game.

Texas coach Tom Herman, whom Longhorns athletic director Chris Del Conte announced recently would be returning for the 2021 season, is a perfect 3-0 in bowl games during his tenure in Austin.

A year ago in the Alamo Bowl, the Longhorns routed Utah, 38-10. 

Texas last played Colorado in 2009 when it was still in the Big 12. The Buffaloes left for the Pac-12 the next year. 

The game will be televised on ESPN.