CollegeFootballDigestfrom CooperSearch

1998 Texas

9–⁠3 (6–⁠2 Big 12), coached by Mack Brown, finished No. 15 in the AP poll.

Schedule and results

Texas in 1998, game by game: won vs. New Mexico State 66–36; lost at No. 6 UCLA 31–49; lost at No. 5 Kansas State 7–48; won vs. Rice 59–21; won vs. Iowa State 54–33; won vs. Oklahoma 34–3; won vs. Baylor 30–20; won at No. 7 Nebraska 20–16; won vs. Oklahoma State 37–34; lost at Texas Tech 35–42; won vs. No. 6 Texas A&M 26–24; won vs. No. 25 Mississippi State 38–11+38−41Won 66–36 vs. New Mexico State+30New Mexico StateLost 31–49 at No. 6 UCLA-18No. 6 UCLALost 7–48 at No. 5 Kansas State-41No. 5 Kansas StateWon 59–21 vs. Rice+38RiceWon 54–33 vs. Iowa State+21Iowa StateWon 34–3 vs. Oklahoma+31OklahomaWon 30–20 vs. Baylor+10BaylorWon 20–16 at No. 7 Nebraska+4No. 7 NebraskaWon 37–34 vs. Oklahoma State+3Oklahoma StateLost 35–42 at Texas Tech-7Texas TechWon 26–24 vs. No. 6 Texas A&M+2No. 6 Texas A&MWon 38–11 vs. No. 25 Mississippi State+27No. 25 Mississippi Sta…
Each game’s margin, wins above the line and losses below; orange marks an upset win.
DateOpponentResultElo
Sep 5vsNew Mexico StateW 66–⁠3681%
Sep 12at6UCLAL 31–⁠4923%
Sep 19at5Kansas StateL 7–⁠4819%
Sep 26vsRiceW 59–⁠2154%
Oct 3vsIowa StateW 54–⁠3370%
Oct 10vsOklahomaW 34–⁠359%
Oct 24vsBaylorW 30–⁠2077%
Oct 31at7NebraskaW 20–⁠1617%
Nov 7vsOklahoma StateW 37–⁠3469%
Nov 14atTexas TechL 35–⁠4245%
Nov 27vs6Texas A&MW 26–⁠2439%
Jan 1Bowls & playoffvs25Mississippi StateCotton BowlW 38–⁠1149%

Elo: a pregame chance from scores alone.

How it ended: Beat Mississippi State 38–⁠11 in the Cotton Bowl; No. 15 in the final AP poll; 3rd in the Big 12.

In program history: The 65th-best season in program history by end-of-season Elo (of 126 on file).

AP poll, week by week

  1. Wk 2: 23
  2. Wk 10: 20
  3. Wk 11: 18
  4. Wk 12: 25
  5. Wk 14: 20
  6. Wk 15: 20
  7. Final: 15

Players on this team

Before 2004 our records hold honors and the draft; these are the players whose college years here, from their Wikipedia articles or their honors, include 1998.

Led the nationRicky Williams: rushing yards (2,124 yds), rushing touchdowns (27 TD)

Heisman TrophyRicky Williams, RB; also the Maxwell, Walter Camp and Doak Walker

Consensus All-AmericanRicky Williams, RB

Record
9–⁠3
Conference
6–⁠2 3rd in Big 12
AP final
No. 15 peak No. 15
Points
437–⁠337
Coach
Mack Brown
Elo
1637 +144 this season
SP+ rating
18.9 No. 17 of 112; offense No. 6, defense No. 60
SRS
15.3 No. 16 of 112 in Division I-A
Recruiting class
—
Offensive coordinator
Greg Davis
Defensive coordinator
Carl Reese
Offense
Pro-Set
Defense
4–⁠3

Drafted in 1999

The 1999 draft
Rd 1Ricky Williams RBNew Orleans Saints
Rd 4Wane McGarity WRDallas Cowboys
Rd 4Jay Humphrey OTMinnesota Vikings

All-Big 12

5 first team, 3 second team

First team

Second team

  • Major ApplewhiteQBMedia-2
  • Casey HamptonDLCoaches-2
  • Aaron HumphreyDLMedia-2

From Wikipedia’s 1998 all-conference team article, with the selectors that named each player (AP-1: the Associated Press’s first team).

1998 Big 12 standings

TeamConf.OverallAP final
Kansas State8–⁠011–⁠210
Texas A&M7–⁠111–⁠311
Texas6–⁠29–⁠315
Nebraska5–⁠39–⁠419
Missouri5–⁠38–⁠421
Colorado4–⁠48–⁠4
Texas Tech4–⁠47–⁠5
Oklahoma3–⁠55–⁠6
Oklahoma State3–⁠55–⁠6
Kansas1–⁠74–⁠7
Iowa State1–⁠73–⁠8
Baylor1–⁠72–⁠9

Ordered by conference winning percentage, then conference wins. Division splits and tiebreakers aren’t applied.