Any seasoned college football aficionado with an exposure that has no geographic limitations usually will settle on a handful of schools which brings about a consensus that spawns “can’t miss” appraisals.

    Darrell Royal, who dominated the college scene at Texas, always reminded young coaches that to land the best head coaching job, you needed to make sure that “the university of” preceded the name of the school you preferred to work for.

    In other words, the best jobs were those schools that were the state university of the state in which they are located. There are other factors such as alumni support, plethora of talent in the high school ranks, and tradition. Texas has always had it all.

    Several years ago, once I became settled into a couple of roles with the University of Georgia, I made a point of traveling to other campuses in the fall when there were open dates on the Bulldog schedule. And, of course, travel opportunities around the country for various reasons in the spring and summer allowed for widespread introductions.

    By joining the American Football Coaches Association and attending its annual meeting, there was an exposure to the top coaches in college football.

    I visited other campuses and interacted with the top coaches, interviewing them and having meals and small talk with them. Early on, I saw that it was easy to conclude that, POTENTIALLY, Texas offered the best opportunity for extended championship success. There were super rich alumni, an abundance of the best talent in the high school ranks, and a fine and well-established tradition. But you must hire the best coach, which the Longhorns did with Darrell Royal.

    Royal won three national championships and 11 Southwest Conference titles in the 20 years he was the Longhorn’s head coach. He left behind an enviable legacy and enjoyed retirement to the fullest, playing golf with his longtime friend Frank Broyles, the head coach and athletic director at Arkansas, and his buddy, country music icon Willie Nelson.

    An avowed country music fan, Royal was very much at home with country stars such as Kris Kristofferson, Larry Gatlin, Charlie Pride, Bob Wills, and, of course, Nelson.

    He was admired by successful people from novelist and Hall of Fame writer Dan Jenkins to President Lyndon B. Johnson who eagerly offered to help Royal recruit.

    This native Oklahoman was about barbecue, country music, and fundamental football, which is why he adopted the wishbone formation which one of his assistants, Emory Bellard, brought to him after he learned about the formation from a Texas high school coach.

    The wishbone formation had a “three yards and a cloud of dust” image but by recruiting to fit the system and being way out front of the competition for years, Royal’s teams dominated the league like one else had ever done before.

    However, the Southwest Conference was known historically for wide open football with legendary performers such as Sammy Baugh, Bobby Lane, Doak Walker and Davey O’Brien making national headlines.

    It was Texas Christian coach, Dutch Meyer, who came up with the modern spread formation.

    With all members of the conference in its golden years being from the state of Texas, except for Arkansas, the rivalries were unrelentingly intense and the competition overtly fierce.

    The goal was to win the conference championship and play in the Cotton Bowl. For years the Southwest Conference champion was the host team for the Cotton Bowl and one of the most memorable games for the University of Georgia was the 1984 Cotton Bowl game with Texas, with the Bulldogs scoring late on a touchdown run to upset the No. 2 ranked Longhorns, which caused consternation among the Longhorn faithful. It lasted for years.

    For the longest time, you bring up that game in Texas, and you got a head shaking reaction with deep and abiding contempt. It was a game Texas could not get over. Longhorn fans never forgave the head coach, Fred Akers.

    In case you have forgotten that afternoon game in Dallas was followed by the nighttime Orange Bowl where No. 1 ranked Nebraska played Miami with the Hurricanes, upsetting the Cornhuskers to vault into No. 1. The way Texas partisans looked at it, had their No. 2 ranked team defeated Georgia, the Longhorns would have become the national champs.

    For three quarters the only scoring was by field goals, with Texas making three and Georgia one, but with time running out, Coach Vince Dooley was faced with a fourth and long situation with less than five minutes left in the game.

    Texas, thinking the Bulldogs were going to gamble with a desperation play, left their regular defense on the field which meant that a defensive back, Craig Curry, had to field Chip Andrews punt. Curry was not their regular returner. He fumbled the punt, recovered by Gary Moss, which led to one of the greatest victories in UGA bowl history. Based on the pattern of the game, however, Texas still had the advantage, even with the fumble.

    Georgia had not dented the Texas defense all afternoon and soon was faced with a third down challenge. Dooley spoke to offensive coordinator and play caller George Haffner, saying, “Put it up and hope for the best.”

    However, Haffner, now living in Belton, Texas, went with his gut, which was to run the option. So, Charle Whitemore, who signaled the plays to quarterback on the field, flashed the signal for “54 Option,” which called for the quarterback to fake a handoff to the fullback and then head down the line of scrimmage, either keeping the ball if there were a hole or pitching to the tailback wide.

    Guy McIntyre, who, as Whittemore says, “collapsed the entire left side of the Longhorn’s defensive line,” Lastinger sprinted through the hole and crashed over the endzone pylon for a touchdown and a 10-9 victory.

    Several years later while on a trip to Austin, Mack Brown hosted my family for dinner at a popular restaurant in town. Mack told the owner of my Georgia affiliation, and a big frown came over his face as he said in disgust, “Worse coaching job in Texas history.” Texas fans never forgave Akers.

    One of the things I have always thought was significant about the game that with a critical situation facing Vince Dooley, he made a conservative call for a punt when gambling was likely going to be futile. His percentage call for a punt with time running out, enabled Georgia to win against all odds. For the longest time, if someone asked a Bulldog supporter the time, he would always say, “In Dallas, it is10-9.”