21 years ago, the Texas Longhorns kicked off their 2005 football season that ended in a National Championship victory for head coach Mack Brown and beloved quarterback Vince Young.
Since then, the Horns have repeatedly fallen short of ultimate glory, even when returning to the National Championship game at the end of the 2009 season.
However, with the 2026 season just around the corner, it seems like Brown is trying to remind everyone that the stars are already aligning for another Texas national title.
Over the weekend, Brown posted a highlight video of one of the Longhorns' regular-season victories in 2005. It was a win over none other than the Ohio State Buckeyes in none other than Week 2. That game catapulted Texas in the right direction, eventually earning a resounding 67-point win in the Big 12 Championship and an upset victory over the USC Trojans in the BCS National Championship.
— Mack Brown (@CoachMackBrown) August 1, 2026
And, who do the Horns play in Week 2 this season? Well, none other than the Buckeyes, of course.
A win over Ohio State is a must do for Texas to see the National Championship
Based on Texas's most recent National Championship, a win over a highly-ranked OSU is exactly what the Horns need to kick-start a title-winning campaign.
In Week 1 of the 2005 season, the Horns hosted the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns and dominated them by winning, 60-3. This season, Texas hosts the Texas State Bobcats in Week 1, providing ample opportunity for the Longhorns to build momentum heading into Week 2 against Ohio State.
Then, in 2005, the Horns played the Rice Owls, securing a dominant 51-10 win before kicking off Big 12 play. This year, Texas will follow its game against Ohio State with a matchup against the UTSA Road Runners, aligning the stars even further for the Horns to build momentum before kicking off their SEC schedule.
While Texas was in the Big 12 during its last championship run, three of its regular-season conference opponents even align this year in SEC play: the Missouri Tigers, Oklahoma Sooners, and Texas A&M Aggies.
Of course, one season later, the Longhorns lost at home to the Buckeyes in 2006, but Texas already got their loss to Ohio State out of the way last year (and the year before in the playoffs). And, of course, a team has to make it all the way through the College Football Playoff before even setting foot in the National Championship game.
Also read: Longhorn Nation already in battle mode with afternoon kick to start the season
However, if you take what Mack Brown seriously, even Texas's National Championship-winning head coach seems to have a good feeling about the upcoming season.
After playing Texas State in Week 1, the Longhorns and the Buckeyes are scheduled to kick off at 6:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, Sept. 12. If Texas pulls off the win over Ohio State, it would have the stars in even better alignment.
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