So much of Texas' late-season focus had been getting to a bowl -- any bowl game --- to end a two-season drought.
After getting to six wins and receiving an invite to face Missouri (7-5) in the Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl on Dec. 27, the Longhorns (6-6) are hoping to capitalize.
For one, Texas still needs a win to avoid its fourth consecutive losing season, something that hasn't occurred since 1935-38.
On a conference call Sunday, first-year coach Tom Herman said he wasn't going to downplay the importance of winning but suggested it wasn't "a make-or-break anything in our program" going forward.