LOOK: The most overrated Texas college football teams ever

Most Overrated Wide There may be no term in sports more acidulous than “overrated.” Fans have co-opted it to express how much they dislike something, but at its core, it’s all about failing to live up to expectations, or those expectations being set too high. And that’s an important distinction — “overrated” isn’t necessarily an insult. Instead, in many respects, it’s a matter of looking at the facts at hand and making a reasoned statement. So let’s take a look at the illustrious history of college football in Texas. Who are the most overrated teams across the years? We took a look at teams that started ranked in the top 12 in the Associated Press preseason rankings and finished unranked, and put together our list. Without further ado: the ten most overrated teams in Texas college football history.   10 — 1951 Texas A&M Aggies Preseason AP Ranking: 6^th Final Record: 5-3-2 The oldest team on our list, the first year under coach Ray George was supposed to be a big one for A&M, beginning the year 6^th in the nation. But after a hot start — four straight wins, including a 14-7 win over No. 4 Oklahoma — the wheels came off, and the Aggies went 0-3-2 in their next five, tumbling out of the rankings. The saving grace? A 22-21 upset win over rival Texas (then ranked 16^th) in the season finale.   9 — 1991 Houston Cougars Preseason AP Ranking: 12^th Final Record: 4-7 The entire nation had David Klingler fever after the sensational quarterback led Houston to a 10-1 mark in 1990. His return was a big reason the AP ranked the Cougars 12^th to start the year…but the defense was downright dreadful, and the high-powered offense wasn’t enough to keep pace. Four losses in their first five games doomed the Coogs, and the 49-45 loss to TCU and 52-46 loss to Texas Tech to finish the year was an apropos end to a disastrous season. 8 — 2011 Texas A&M Aggies Preseason AP Ranking: 8^th Final Record: 7-6 Riding a hot finish to 2010 that saw A&M win its final six regular season games — including knocking off No. 11 Oklahoma and No. 9 Nebraska — the Aggies had high expectations for 2011. But a porous defense cost them, allowing 30 or more points to six of their 13 opponents. The Aggies took home losses to mediocre Missouri and Texas teams — the latter of which ended up costing coach Mike Sherman his job.   7 — 1959 SMU Mustangs Preseason AP Ranking: 4^th Final Record: 4-5-1 Call this a projection pick by the AP. Quarterback Don Meredith had dazzled down the stretch in 1958, and his return was a big deal for SMU in 1959. Unfortunately, it never came to fruition, as the offense sputtered all season long, averaging just 14.7 points per game (a disappointing total even then). A season-opening loss at No. 16 Georgia Tech was followed by a nice win over No. 15 Navy, but the Ponies simply couldn’t hang in the loaded Southwest Conference, dropping decisions to Texas, Arkansas and TCU in the back half of the season.   6 — 1957 Baylor Bears Preseason AP Ranking: 7^th Final Record: 3-6-1 The 1956 season was a banner one for the Bears — a crushing defense led by Jerry Marcontell guided Baylor to a 9-2 mark and a Sugar Bowl win over Tennessee. 1957, though? Thud. The defense was OK, but the offense was dreadful, averaging just 8 points per game. The non-conference loss at Miami set the tone, but it was the 19-6 defeat at the hands of rival TCU that really stung.   5 — 1954 Texas Longhorns Preseason AP Ranking: 4^th Final Record: 4-5-1 There was no hotter team in the nation at the end of 1953 than the Texas Longhorns, who rattled off four straight wins, including toppling No. 11 SMU and No. 3 Baylor, to finish the year at 7-3. But the Longhorns couldn’t handle the expectations of a No. 4 ranking, especially after getting shut out at No. 2 Notre Dame in the second week of the season. The middle stretch of the season was the death knell, going 0-4-1 to start Southwest Conference play…though their win over Texas A&M in the season finale helped coach Edwin Price save a bit of face.   4 — 1955 Rice Owls Preseason AP Ranking: 11^th Final Record: 2-7-1 The 1955 Rice Owls had all the ingredients of a national contender. Legendary coach? Check: Jess Neely was back. Momentum? Check: the Owls finished 1954 on a three-game winning streak, including a 20-14 win over No. 9 Baylor in Waco. Notoriety? Check: the Owls were firmly on everyone’s radar. But after a 2-0-1 start — a win over Alabama, a tie with LSU and a win over No. 16 Clemson — the season cratered with seven consecutive losses. The most painful: a 20-12 home loss to Texas A&M, who famously rallied from down 12-0 in the final five minutes to beat the Owls.   3 — 2010 Texas Longhorns Preseason AP Ranking: 5^th Final Record: 5-7 You knew this one would be on there. After coming within an eyelash of a national championship the year before, the Longhorns were on the short list of title contenders the next year, especially with super-prospect Garrett Gilbert taking over an experienced offense and a playmaking defense. But a home loss to UCLA spelled the first sign of trouble, and it only got worse from there. The offense never materialized around Gilbert, who ended up transferring, and the Longhorns missed a bowl for the first (and only) time in the Mack Brown era.   2 — 1985 SMU Mustangs Preseason AP Ranking: 3^rd Final Record: 6-5 Put aside, for a moment, the fact that the Ponies found out they were going on probation for the fifth time in nine years right before the season — this is still a hugely disappointing season. Coming off four consecutive 10-win seasons, 1985 was supposed to be the year the Ponies got over the hump, especially with star running back Reggie Dupard back in the mix. But the Mustangs just couldn’t keep up with the vicious Southwest Conference, losing to Baylor, Texas A&M, Arkansas and Oklahoma, not to mention a baffling non-conference loss to Arizona. This was supposed to be a culmination of SMU’s program; instead, it was the beginning of what would be a two-decade slide.   1 — 1965 Texas Longhorns Preseason AP Ranking: 2^nd Final Record: 6-4 This was it. A year removed from the 1963 national championship, this was the year that Darrell K Royal’s Longhorns got back to the mountaintop. The 10-1 season in 1964 was the build-up, and this was the crowning moment, with all-everything Tommy Nobis leading the charge. And things started off perfectly — three comfortable wins over Tulane, Texas Tech and Indiana, and a dominant 19-0 victory over Oklahoma in the Red River Showdown vaulted the Horns to the No. 1 spot in the nation. A gut-punch loss to No. 3 Arkansas ended the undefeated run, but it was what happened next that send the season into a tailspin — a 20-17 home loss to woeful Rice. It didn’t get any better — a loss to SMU, a loss to TCU…and all of a sudden, the year that was supposed to be the next big step for the Texas football program turned into the top spot on this list.   Honorable Mentions: 1980 Houston Cougars, 1950 SMU Mustangs, 1997 Texas Longhorns, 1968 Texas A&M Aggies, 1977 Texas Tech Red Raiders, 1952 TCU Horned FrogsAgree? Disagree? Let us know on Twitter or Facebook!