If you were thinking for a moment with Texas up 6-0 early, they’ve got the momentum, Colt McCoy, Jordan Shipley, a huge fan base available, and another BCS Championship to come. Enter Alabama defensive tackle Marcell Dareus and Texas freshman quarterback Garrett Gilbert. Dareus was responsible for getting Gilbert inserted into the game by giving Texas quarterback Colt McCoy a jolt to the right shoulder so hard he had to leave the game. Gilbert trying with all his natural ability to meet the shoes of All American McCoy, he struggled the rest of the first half. Texas’ ineffectiveness in moving the ball seemed to prompt Alabama to turn to their strength, their running game! Mark Ingram ran for 90 yards with a touchdown and Trent Richardson got 49 of his 66 yards in the first half with a nice TD run. Gilbert finished the half 1 for 10 and the worst came with 15 seconds remaining. Somehow he managed to botch a shuttle pass that Dareus managed to handle himself and returned it for a 28-yard td interception to put Alabama up 24-6 at the half. One thing Texas had figured out was keeping Alabama QB Greg McElroy in check at 3 for 5 with 38 passing yards and sacking him 4 times.

Approaching the end of the third quarter, you may have thought the game was just a matter of time. McCoy was still out and Texas’ offense under Gilbert just wasn’t working. Alabama ends up using the ground and the clock with a couple of ineffective passes trying to win with the lead they had. However, Gilbert began to find the talent in him that got him to Texas in the first place, throwing a pair of touchdown passes to Jordan Shipley to pull Texas within 3 points, 24-21 with 5 minutes to go. Then the Texas defense remained relentless keeping McElroy’s passes totally ineffective. With 3 minutes left, their defense rising at this time, Texas now had a chance. Alabama, desperately seeking to put the term “momentum shift” to its advantage, found a way. With the ball at the Texas 17-yard line, Alabama’s Eryk Anders stunned Gilbert, who fumbled the ball to the 3. First Down Bama! The Crimson Tide had changed!

Their Heisman winner, Running Back Mark Ingram, followed with a 1-yd touchdown run to put Alabama up 10 points, 31-21. The game was sealed for the bettors who gave it 4+ when Alabama converted another Gilbert interception into another game-ending Touchdown. Alabama finished with over 200 rushing yards with Ingram and Richardson each topping 100. With everything that happened in tonight’s game, one has to feel for the Texas Longhorns, who put up quite a fight to stay in this when their Heisman candidate QB McCoy went down. Everyone would share the sentiment that with McCoy in the game, the result could have been different or at least more respectable than the 37-21 score.