This could be the game for the Texas Longhorns and Colt McCoy.

The game that shows they can beat a highly ranked team. The game that could give McCoy favorite status in the Heisman race. The game that gives them a chance to run the table in the Big XII. The game that sets them up to make a run at the national championship. This is the game. If they win, they are on a fast track to all of those things; if they repeat their trip to Lubbock, Texas, which was this time last year, and get upset, all of those dreams will likely die.

If the Longhorns want to take another step in the direction of their dreams, they will have to get off to a stronger start than in years past, when they have given OSU early leads and had to battle back. Coach Mack Brown, always humble and always prepared with the perfect quote, knows it.

"I haven't gotten our team ready to play in this game enough," Brown said earlier this week. "Most of those years we had the better team, but we had to fight from behind to win. I think most of it is on me. It's a great challenge this week for me."

In order to get off to that strong start, McCoy is going to have to lead the team the way he did in the first three drives against Missouri last week, finally showing a sense of urgency and commanding his team down the field for scores early.

The Cowboys will have to try and find a way to jam and then blanket Jordan Shipley, who got loose for over 100 yards last week against the Tigers. When Shipley is able to get his hands on the ball, good things happen for the Horns. Malcolm Williams and Marquise Goodwin are both freaky athletes who have shown flashes of brilliance, and if the Horns move Shipley to the slot, these guys will be left to go man-to-man on the outside and Texas will need at least one of them to make a play or two in Stillwater.

In order to create at least a little time for McCoy to pass the ball, the Horns must find a way to run the ball a little. While McCoy has an insane passing percentage, he is easier to stop when you know it is coming. The Horns have been pathetic running the ball this year behind a weakened offensive line. The Cowboys need to have success stopping the run, because their pass rush is worse than the Longhorns ground game and if McCoy has time, he will shred a team with one of the worst pass defenses in a major conference.

Texas has one of the best defenses in the country, one that could be right at the top in the SEC with big boys like Florida and Alabama, and they are going to have to prove it this weekend. Will Muschamps squad was embarrassed last year when it gave up over 200 yards rushing to the Cowboys.

Known for its linebackers and defensive ends, the Texas defense will need strong showings from its interior linemen against OSU, likely in a base 4-3 instead of its preferred nickel package, to try and stuff the run and get penetration.

If the Longhorns can be effective against the run, and after holding Oklahoma to less than 60 yards on the ground, there is no reason to think they cant, the Longhorns will put OSU quarterback Zac Robinson in obvious passing situations and may be able to force a game-deciding turnover. While Robinson has been as good, if not better, than McCoy this year, he will be facing someone McCoy wont Texas safety Earl Thomas, who has been as good this year as any of Texas storied defensive backs of the past decade.

To compound the problems Robinson will have with Muschamps exotic blitz packages, unlike last season, he will not have the luxury of Dez Bryant to drop off the ball to when things get hairy. Robinson often gets lost in the shuffle when talking about the games best quarterbacks, but he is up there. He will have to have a nearly flawless game against Texas this weekend to pull off the upset. With Texas defense at the top of its game right now, however, I see OSU putting a scare into Texas on Halloween, but I dont think they will beat a Horns team that should be playing for all of the marbles after the holiday season is already over.