The Top Ten Bowl Victories in the History of UT football, as voted on by Inside Texas subscribers:
1. 2006 Rose Bowl: #2 Texas 41, #1 USC 38
2. 1970 Cotton Bowl: #1 Texas 21, #9 Notre Dame 17
3. 1964 Cotton Bowl: #1 Texas 28, #2 Navy 6
4. 1965 Orange Bowl: #5 Texas 21, #1 Alabama 17
5. 2005 Rose Bowl: #6 Texas 38, #13 Michigan 37
6. 1969 Cotton Bowl: #5 Texas 36, #8 Tennessee 13
7. 1982 Cotton Bowl: #6 Texas 14, #3 Alabama 12
8. 1962 Cotton Bowl: #3 Texas 12, #5 Mississippi 7
9. 1973 Cotton Bowl: #7 Texas 17, #4 Alabama 13
10. 2001 Holiday Bowl: #9 Texas 47, #21 Washington 43
The 2006 Rose Bowl won in a landslide, taking 93.75% of the first place vote. One of the tightest battles was for second place, but Texas’ 1970 victory over Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl to secure the Longhorns’ second National Title won out over the 1964 Cotton Bowl, where Texas crushed Roger Staubach’s No. 2 Navy Midshipmen 28-6 to win the first National Championship in Texas football history.
No. 4 on the list in the Longhorns’ win over the top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide in the 1965 Orange Bowl. Vince Young and Dusty Mangum’s comeback heroics in the 2005 Rose Bowl is next on the list, followed by Texas’ 36-13 beat down of Tennessee in the 1969 Cotton Bowl. Next is the 1982 Cotton Bowl, where the Longhorns’ scored all 14 of their points in the fourth quarter to prevent Bear Bryant’s Crimson Tide from getting its seventh straight bowl victory.
Texas’ win over Mississippi in the 1962 Cotton Bowl is next. It was a day where Darrell Royal’s dominant D of the 60s was on display, beating Ole Miss, 12-7. Alabama is up again in the No. 9 spot with Texas’ 1973 Cotton Bowl. The Longhorns put up another fourth-quarter comeback on the Crimson Tide as Roosevelt Leaks rumbled for 120 yards. The final entry on the list is Major Applewhite’s amazing comeback in the 2001 Holiday Bowl. The senior QB threw for 473 yards to lead Texas back from a 19-point deficit against Washington to a 47-43 victory.
Just off the list: (tie) 1948 Sugar Bowl - #5 Texas 27, #6 Alabama 7 - and 1994 Sun Bowl - Texas 35, #19 North Carolina 31
Most appearances on the list for an opponent: Alabama (3)
The one opponent that keeps showing up on the list is Bear Bryant’s Alabama teams. Bryant never bested Darrell Royal, including the legendary 1965 Orange Bowl where the Longhorns upset the No. 1-ranked Crimson Tide
By coach:
Darrell Royal: 6 (1962 Cotton, 1964 Cotton, 1965 Orange, 1970 Cotton, 1969 Cotton, 1973 Cotton)
Mack Brown: 3 (2001 Holiday, 2005 Rose, 2006 Rose)
Fred Akers: 1 (1982 Cotton)
In an upcoming issue of Inside Texas magazine, we're going to list the Top 10 greatest of everything Texas football. It will be 40 lists for the 40 acres. Inside Texas subscribers voted on the Top 10 in 10 of the categories. The subscriber vote will be printed alongside our staff selections in Inside Texas Magazine.
Thanks to everyone who voted!
YESTERDAY: Teams
NEXT UP: Road Wins