Players Know the Pain Cal Is Feeling

At Monday’s Rose Bowl event at Disneyland, Texas players had to answer nearly as many questions about getting the bowl championship series nod over California as they did about Michigan, the Longhorns’ New Year’s Day opponent.

“We feel for Cal because we were in that position last year and a couple of years ago,” Texas senior wide receiver Tony Jeffery said. “But we know that we’re the ones with the opportunity, and we have to take advantage of that.”

Coach Mack Brown said that although he thought he had the Longhorns prepared a year ago to face Washington State, he really didn’t have his team ready because Texas was still in a funk after missing out on a BCS bowl bid.

“Reflecting on the game, we were all so disappointed -- not that we were going to San Diego for the Holiday Bowl, but more that we weren’t going to the Fiesta Bowl to play Ohio State,” Brown said about the Longhorns’ 28-20 loss to the Cougars.

“When you decide in your mind that it’s something that you’re going to do and then it is jerked away from you, similar to what Cal if facing right now ... that’s very difficult. I don’t think that I handled it very well last year.”

The Longhorns have ended three of the last four seasons at the Holiday Bowl.

This season, sixth-ranked Texas (10-1) is enjoying the hoopla surrounding the Rose Bowl, which included Monday’s trip to Anaheim. Today, the players will participate in Lawry’s Beef Bowl. But the Longhorns understand that a loss on Saturday would spoil their latest Southern California visit.

“We’re really excited to be in this game,” Brown said. “We know that the game is a reward for the season that you’ve had, but when you’re at the University of Texas or Michigan, you need to win.”

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The Longhorns have established a school record with nine or more victories in seven consecutive seasons.... Texas running backs coach Michael Haywood will decide after the Rose Bowl whether to take a coaching position at Notre Dame, his alma mater. .... Behind an offensive line that has combined to start 126 career games, Texas rushed for an average of 302.4 yards a game during the regular season, second-best in the nation. The Longhorns registered six 300-yard efforts, the most since 1977. Cedric Benson rushed for more than 100 yards in 10 of 11 games.