But make no mistake; the Longhorns return the Rose Bowl for the national championship game has become nearly as inevitable as the Texas heat.

Why is this not premature? Why is this unlike every other rush to judgment that data-starved analysts make?

Because Vince Young appears to have a seat reserved next to Leinart and Bush in New York for the Heisman presentation after completing 18 of 29 passes for 270 yards and two touchdowns in Columbus Saturday.

Because Texas’ defense limited the formerly fourth-ranked Buckeyes to 255 total yards, including a paltry 3.1 yards per rush. And like Young with his 24-yard touchdown pass with 2:34 left, the defense came up with its biggest plays (a forced fumble and a safety) late in the fourth quarter with the game on the line.

And most importantly, because after conquering the Horseshoe, their list of obstacles looks about as foreboding as a pack of bunny rabbits.

We all knew going in that the 105,565 scarlet clad fanatics in Ohio Stadium would be the harshest environment the Longhorns will invade. We knew that no defense would challenge Young like Ohio State, with their beasts of linebackers stuffing opposing rushing games, holding Young to 3.8 yards per carry, and Texas running backs to 2.3.

But the leveling of the path to the Rose Bowl began during week one, when a couple early games indicated that the rugged Rocky Mountains that separate Austin from Pasadena may not quite be symbolic of the difficulty of the Longhorns’ journey.

In Norman, TCU demonstrated that Adrian Peterson simply is Oklahoma’s offense, and exposed the Sooners as a team that simply did not belong near the top 10. Oh, and those Horned Frogs went on to lose by 11 a week later...to SMU. (The Mustangs went 6-29 from 2002-04).

Then, Texas A&M, which entered the season ranked 17 ^th and slated to contend for a Big 12 title, fell in a tough loss to a Clemson team that initially received only three votes in the AP poll, tying them for 41 ^st . (Although now ranked, Clemson went on to play a similar barnburner against even less-heralded Maryland.)

Obviously, this logic ignores intangibles. Rivalry games should bring out the best in OU and A&M. But you can bet your boots that Texas has every cliché in the book working for them in the Red River Shootout: a monkey on their back (five straight losses), a chip on the shoulder (pure Sooner hatred), and blood in the water (apparent Sooner vulnerability). And the last time Oklahoma was not in the top 10 for the Shootout, Mack Brown earned his lone win at the neutral Cotton Bowl over the Sooners back in 1999.

Meanwhile the Aggies counter Vince Young with Reggie McNeal, a.k.a. Vince Young Lite. Young is the superior runner, and although last year statistically McNeal was a better passer, Young’s effort against AJ Hawk and Co. in Columbus proved he has evolved. McNeal is winless in four starts against top-12 teams (based on finish). Young has beaten two in his last three outings.

But that finale against the Aggies is distant. Here’s what will be roadkill in Texas’ rearview mirror by then. Rice: smush. Mizzou: over-hyped Brad Smith (Reggie McNeal Lite) has a 19-19 record without even a quasi-giant killing in four years. Oklahoma: drought over. Colorado: more Big 12 North mediocrity. Texas Tech: snuck into the rankings with a big win over Florida International. How convincing. Oklahoma State: beat Montana St. by five. Please. Baylor and Kansas: sliced and diced. A&M gets plowed: perfect season.

Texas may not even be the clear-cut second-best team in the country, although they certainly have proven enough to inch ahead of Tennessee, LSU, Georgia, Florida, Florida State, and Virginia Tech.

The only team with a claim greater than the Longhorns is USC (the right of the champ and winners of 23 straight). But despite contradictory geography, Texas is closer to Pasedena than anyone.