Turning point came against OU for Texas

AUSTIN(KXAN) -  

The Longhorns are not only in the mix for a national championship, but also in the mix for several post season awards.  Colt McCoy has been named one of three finalists for the Maxwell Player of the Year award along with Florida's Tim Tebow and Alabama's Mark Ingram.  McCoy is also a finalist for the Davey O'Brien Award which goes to the nations top quarterback.  Tebow and Houston's Case Keenum are also finalists.

Jordan Shipley is one of three finalists for the Biltetnikoff Award which goes to the nations top receiver.  Notre Dame's Golden Tate and Bowling Green's Freddie Barnes are also finalists.

Safety Earl Thomas is one of three finalists for the Jim Thorpe Award for the nations top defensive back.  Tennessee's Eric Berry and Florida's Joe Haden are also finalists.  Michael Huff won the Thorpe award in 2005 and Aaron Ross made it back to back Longhorns in 2006.

With all the success Texas has had, Mack Brown points to the 2nd half of the Oklahoma game as the real turning point.  The Longhorns trailed 6-3 at the break in the Cotton Bowl, they went on to win the game 16-13.  Since then the Horns have won their five games by an average of 31 points.  In fact, they have had an average lead of 28-5 at half time of those five games.

"We do feel like at that time, theres been a tremendous amount of pressure on this team from the first game, very much like2005," said Brown.  "And for whatever reason, it might have been me, but until OU we didn't handle it very well I didn't think.  We were beating people and we were winning by a big score, but we just weren't playing like we were having fun.  I'd talk to Florida coach Urban Meyer about this some.  You get in the dressing room after the game and its like (sigh) 'got another one, there's another win and gosh I'm glad nobody got hurt and what about next week', instead of having some fun."

That  also mirrors Colt McCoy's season.  McCoy admits that early in the season he was so worried about being perfect, he was pressing.  Over the last five games McCoy is completing nearly 77% of his passes for 1,487 yards, twelve touchdowns and two interceptions.  McCoy is going against an Aggie defense that ranks last in the Big XII against the pass on Thursday night.

Off the field senior Offensive Tackle Adam Ulatoski and Junior Defensive End Sam Acho have been named first team Academic All-Americans.