Football Preview: Longhorns Must Take Baby Steps for a Strong Finish

After last season's 12-1 record and Orange Bowl victory, this season has been a tougher road for the Jayhawks (6-4 overall / 3-3 in Big 12 play). Quarterback Todd Reesing has been getting banged up a bit, but he's still thrown for nearly 3,000 yards and has 23 touchdown passes. The receiving duo of Kerry Meier and Dezmon Briscoe will present the Texas secondary with a challenge: both are sizable (6-3 and 200-plus pounds each) and have combined for 129 catches and 16 touchdowns.

Texas (9-1 overall / 5-1 in Big 12 play) continues to fight off injuries. This week's casualty was Chris Hall, who had started every game this season at center. Hall's knee sprain, combined with Buck Burnette's dismissal from the team, has pushed freshman David Snow into the starting spot. Expect the Jayhawks' defense to blitz heavily in hopes of disrupting the Longhorns' offensive flow.

On the positive side, freshman running back Fozzy Whittaker had a nice game last week against Baylor, running for 77 yards in his first extended appearance after knee injuries. And quarterback Colt McCoy continues his stellar season. After his five touchdown tosses last week, McCoy remains one of the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy and has been included as one of the final 15 players up for the Walter Camp Football Foundation’s player of the year award.