For the second straight year, I (and other college football observers) view Texas as a national championship contender. But for coach Mack Brown's talented Longhorns to play for the national title at the Fiesta Bowl in Tempe, Ariz., they'll have to overcome one huge hurdle: They must find a way to defeat Oklahoma.

The Longhorns haven't been able to solve the Sooners in the new millennium. Oklahoma blasted Texas 63-14 in 2000 on the way to a national championship. Last season, the OU defense, led by Roy Williams and Rocky Calmus, limited the Longhorns to a field goal in a 14-3 victory.

Still, this could be Brown's year to silence the critics who won't be satisfied with his job performance until Texas is at the top of the college football mountain.

	With Major Applewhite's graduation, Chris Simms is Texas' undisputed QB.

OFFENSE
Besides the loss to Oklahoma, the Longhorns' only other setback last season came in the Big 12 championship game, when they were upset by Colorado. That's a game QB Chris Simms, now a senior, would like to forget. In a nightmarish performance, Simms tossed three interceptions. But he delivered All-American-type performances in several games. And since QB Major Applewhite has graduated, Simms won't be looking over his shoulder or worrying about any split in the ranks. This is his team -- he's the undisputed leader.

Simms has a great deal to build on from the 2001 season, but there are definite areas where he needs to improve -- such as decision-making and learning to look off his primary receiver.

On too many occasions, Simms would stare down his primary option, allowing defensive backs to read his eyes. As a seasoned veteran, that shouldn't happen this year.

In the backfield, super sophomore Cedric Benson is now 100 percent and no longer bothered by the pinched nerve in his neck. He went through the spring just fine, even though the contact was limited. He's now playing minor-league baseball in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. A pair of juniors, Brett Robin and Ivan Williams, provide depth. Williams, at 6-foot-1 and close to 240 pounds, provides a change of pace with his powerful style, compared to Benson's speed and home-run hitting ability. Williams was coming off back-to-back 100-yard rushing days when he was limited to just 30 yards on 12 carries against Oklahoma. That's when Benson seized control at the position, making Williams less of a factor as the season went along.

Gifted junior wideout Roy Williams was bothered severely by bone spurs in his ankle that forced him to operate at about 70 percent capacity last season. But he should be ready to put on a show during the 2002 campaign (in 2000 he averaged more than 20 yards per catch). There's no question that Williams has the ability to rank as one of the elite go-to options in the nation. On the other side, you could make a case that junior B.J. Johnson is the best No. 2 receiver in the country, with underrated Sloan Thomas and senior Kyle Shanahan also viable options. Adding to the arsenal is a formidable weapon in junior TE Bo Scaife. He came back strong from a knee injury that sidelined him all of the 2000 season.

Even though dominating RT Mike Williams has moved on to the Buffalo Bills, the Longhorns should field a top-echelon offensive line that features an All-American candidate in senior RG Derrick Dockery and a potential star of the future in physically gifted redshirt freshman RT Jonathan Scott. Dockery follows Williams and Leonard Davis as Texas' next great lineman, while the 6-foot-7, 300-pound Scott displayed impressive skill during spring practice; he worked at left tackle initially before settling in as the starter on the right side.

Battle-tested senior LT Robbie Doane, junior LG Tillman Holloway and sophomore C Jason Glynn round out the O-line. Holloway has prior starting experience, while Glynn played some as a redshirt freshman last year and should be more than an adequate replacement for Matt Anderson, who graduated.

DEFENSE
On defense, the Longhorns are led by a pair of proven outside pass rushers: senior Cory Redding and junior Kalen Thornton. Both are three-year starters who give QBs in the pocket a case of nervous feet. On the injury front, Thornton underwent knee surgery in January and is still working on his rehabilitation. He's expected to be at full strength in August.

On the interior, junior Marcus Tubbs has the potential to carry a draft grade similar to former Texas standout DTs Casey Hampton and Shaun Rogers. Who will open next to Tubbs at the other defensive tackle remains a mystery. Penciled in as the starter right now is unheralded Miguel McKay, who was the major surprise at spring practice. A fifth-year senior, McKay came to Texas as a linebacker yet is the team's strongest player. Also in the mix are junior Adam Doiron and sophomore Stevie Lee. In August, though, three highly regarded freshmen -- Rodrique Wright, Marco Martin and Larry Dibbles -- could contend for serious playing time.

At linebacker, there's a complete changeover in personnel, with former starters D.D. Lewis, Everick Rawls and Tyrone Jones lost to graduation. So the time is now for gifted sophomore Derrick Johnson to establish himself as one of college football's top outside linebackers. While he may need to improve his strength, Johnson is a superior talent who can make special plays. He finished strong last season, earning defensive MVP honors against Washington in the Holiday Bowl after he intercepted a pass and recorded seven tackles.

At the other outside linebacker, senior Lee Jackson returns after missing all of 2001 with a turf toe/foot injury. He was also hampered late in the 2000 season by a leg injury. Jackson's healthy return is a major plus. Before the injury problems, he led the Texas defense with eight stops against Oklahoma in 2000; as a sophomore in '99, he was second on the team with 86 tackles (including 10 stops behind the line), had two interceptions and nine pass breakups. Hard-nosed junior MLB Reed Boyd gained experience the past two years as a backup and has been a key special-teamer. This is a speedy group that will get even faster with the addition of freshman Aaron Harris, who was No. 42 on recruiting guru Tom Lemming's Top 100 list.

In an effort to compensate for the huge graduation loss of CB Quentin Jammer, the Longhorns have shifted talented junior Nathan Vasher from strong safety to cornerback. Vasher is a sure open-field tackler and a true playmaker in the deep patrol. The Longhorns' most unheralded defender in 2001, he grabbed seven interceptions, which tied a regular-season school record (and added one in the Holiday Bowl). Vasher also excels as a dynamite punt/kickoff returner; he opened the spring game by taking the kickoff 100 yards for a TD. Senior Roderick Babers has shown the potential to be a shut-down cornerback on the other side. The safety spots will be occupied by junior Dakarai Pearson and either Cedric Griffin or Michael Huff.

The kicking game should be OK. Sophomore kicker Dusty Mangum walked on as a freshman and was solid, while senior punter Brian Bradford is coming off a satisfactory 2001 campaign. To his credit, Bradford didn't have a punt blocked last season, his first as a Longhorn after transferring from Trinity Valley Junior College.

OVERVIEW
Entering his fifth year as the Longhorns' head coach, Mack Brown has to understand that after winning nine games each of his first three seasons and 11 last year, this year it's about winning the national championship. That's the way coaches at elite programs are judged. In the end, what separates the great ones from the rest is how often they can maximize their talent and end up No. 1 in the nation.

If Brown and Texas are to accomplish such a feat, a key will be whether highly publicized senior QB Chris Simms can take his performance to a Heisman Trophy level. With Major Applewhite no longer around, Simms must remain at full strength the entire way. Vincent Young is the heir apparent at QB and figures to have a huge future, but he's just a freshman who could end up redshirting. And behind Simms are unproven youngsters Chance Mock and Matt Nordgren. RB Cedric Benson is back at full strength, joining Simms as a preseason Heisman candidate. Simms has plenty of skilled targets, led by WR Roy Williams. On the O-line, RG Derrick Dockery appears primed for a dominating year, while Jonathan Scott ranks as one of the nation's top young offensive linemen.

On defense, coordinator Carl Reese has the essential pass-rushing ends in Cory Redding and Kalen Thornton. And inside, Marcus Tubbs could be a force to be reckoned with. While the linebacking corps is restructured, Derrick Johnson is a budding star and the healthy return of Lee Jackson provides a major lift, especially with his ability to match up in coverage. The secondary will miss Quentin Jammer but returns underrated CB Roderick Babers. Plus, Nathan Vasher could become one of the nation's elite cover men. And keep this in mind: Even if the Longhorns fail to earn a spot in the Fiesta Bowl, the top-notch talent that has been recruited in recent years -- led by heralded QB Young -- ensures that there will be national championship talk at Texas for years to come.