NEW ORLEANS -- After so many false starts and near misses and flat-out disappointments, Texas is finally in a position to take the next step in its return to national prominence.
Yes, Tuesday's Allstate Sugar Bowl is not just another postseason game. No. 15 Texas (9-4) has returned to a New Year's Six game for the first time this decade. Now the Longhorns have to show they belong against No. 5 Georgia (11-2), which nearly won the national title last year and lobbied loud and long to be part of the College Football Playoff this year.
From the standpoint of breaking a streak of three losing seasons, the Longhorns' Texas Bowl win over Missouri was important a year ago.