Mack Brown Understand Quotations

We felt like we wanted to go back and look at some things, and we also wanted the guys to enjoy a good weekend without having too much pressure of trying to understand where they fit right now.

We also understand that the percentage points and the rankings can change weekly. What we have to do is concentrate on winning. That's the only thing we have control over. It's only October, and what we want to do is to be one of the top two teams in December.

When you're a football player at the University of Texas and you're playing in the national championship game the players understand the scrutiny is going to be a little more than usual. I think we'll handle it.

It¹s a compliment, because it¹s a place we haven¹t been in a long time and it sets our standard even higher. We also understand that the percentage points and the rankings can change weekly. What we have to do is concentrate on winning. That's the only thing we have control over. It¹s only October, and what we want to do is to be one of the top two teams in December.

Our state is different, there's no question about that. Our media is different. Who we are is different. Our fan base in some cases is different, and you have to understand it and embrace it and not try to fight it.

I used to really worry about it. I used to fight it, and it used to make me mad and now I understand sometimes when you win one, you get too much credit and therefore when you lose one, you get too much criticism. I understand we're probably OK until next Saturday ... and then it probably will be I just can't win any one of them again, but that's all right.

I used to think it was only me. Then I talked to Joe Paterno and Bobby Bowden at one point and they said, 'Oh we've been beaten up our whole lives. Understand it's not you, big boy. You're nothing special. It's part of this deal and part of this job.

It's a compliment. We understand the rankings can change weekly. What we have to do is concentrate on winning.

They are the team in college football right now. We understand that we have an opportunity, because we're playing so well, to beat the team that's been the best. That's the goal we set a year ago. We felt like we'd be playing SC in this game. And all of that has happened.

It helped us understand that all of the hype around the game is totally unimportant unless you enjoy it. Don't fight it and don't get nervous about it: enjoy it. I had a great time the week of the Ohio State game. I had never been to that stadium and I was like a kid walking in there like a fan. It was fun for our group to have all the odds against us because that doesn't happen very much for us. And that's where we are again. We've earned the right to be here but the odds are against us. And that's a good position for us to be in.

I can appreciate all the things we've done here, and I can also understand what we haven't gotten done. I appreciate the one and I don't like the other. I'm fighting my butt off to help us win conference titles and national championships.