The 20 most overhyped college football teams of the last 20 years

2010: Texas Longhorns

The Texas Longhorns won 10 or more games every season from 2001-09, including a perfect 13-0 national championship season in 2005, and a 13-0 regular season that ended in a BCS Championship Game loss to Alabama in 2009. Texas began each season ranked no lower than No. 11, and every Longhorns team over that span spent time in the Top 5.

Given that history of success under head coach Mack Brown, there was no surprise when the Longhorns were ranked No. 5 in the preseason heading into the 2010 season. However, with several talented contributors off to the NFL, including quarterback Colt McCoy, there was also reason to be nervous.

But nothing prepared Texas fans for the season that followed. After a 3-0 start, the Longhorns were upset by UCLA 34-12 Sept. 25. After falling to No. 21 in the polls, Texas lost to Oklahoma to fall out of the Top 25 for the first time since 2000. Texas jumped back in with a bounce-back 20-13 victory at No. 5 Nebraska, but a 28-21 loss to Iowa State in Austin ended all momentum and sent the Horns into a tailspin. Texas lost to Baylor, Kansas State, Oklahoma State and Texas A&M over its last six conference games, with only a victory over FAU in Week 11 to break up a string of six straight losses.

Overall, the Longhorns lost seven of their final nine games, and posted an ugly 2-6 record in Big 12 Conference play. Texas finished 5-7, which marked the first losing season for the program since 1997.