How this season is like previous seasons

Many people argue that we should take last year as an exception to the rule insofar as how UT football operates, but go with me here.  Almost every season under Mack Brown, except last season, has gone a little bit like this:

1. Limitless expectations - the goal is national championship, or this year repeat national championship, but usually our expectations are tempered by a...
2. Heartbreaking loss - in past years it has been to Oklahoma, but this year it seems to have been to Ohio State.  The loss has always deflated expectations but also caused a...
3. Coming together of the team/simplification of the playbook - Mack always seemed to loosen up a little after each loss to OU, one year he finally let Cedric Benson start, another year he let the offense fit Vince a little better.  In any case, most seasons this has led to...
4. Greater success for the rest of the season - in 2004 that success lasted through the next season and through 2 Rose Bowls.

So, if this season is to be like many other seasons, it seems that our Horns have moved the time table up a little, or so we would hope.  The Ohio State game serves as the low point of the season, and hopefully we can expect increasing success for the rest of the season.  This is yet another reason not to fret too much over the game this Saturday.

--AR--