The University of Texas would love another shot at Oklahoma — right now. The win over Texas Tech was so complete, so dominating, so powerful, the team must be ready to take on the world. Well . . . maybe not Alabama or LSU, but Oklahoma State for sure, and yeah, maybe OU too.

The Longhorns crossed a bridge to the future Saturday with their 52-20 dismantling of the Red Raiders. The game was never close, unless you count the 0-0 tie at the opening kickoff.

Texas’ offense ran for 235 yards while throwing just three passes, the defense nearly intercepted three passes and Joe Bergeron, who just two weeks ago was No. 3 on the tailback depth chart, had 113 rushing yards — all in the first half.

By the time the game ended, the Longhorns racked up more 400 yards rushing for the second straight game, and destroyed the same team that beat Oklahoma — in Norman. Texas never punted, never turned the ball over, scored on every possession. It was a dominant performance against a good football team.

We’ll leave it to others to break down the X's and O's. Rather, at the end of this season, after the bowl game Texas qualified for on Saturday, Longhorn fans will look to this victory as the day it all came together — and it happened without Texas' leading rusher (Malcolm Brown) or leading receiver (Jaxon Shipley), both of whom were hurt.

“I'm shocked,” exclaimed coach Mack Brown. “We're developing some depth. We had to play a lot more people on defense. So all those young guys are having to grow up fast.”

And grow up they have. Texas (6-2) is now a force to be reckoned with, is certainly the best team in Texas and the unimaginable just two weeks ago has now become attainable: 10 wins.

“[I told the team] let's talk about 10," Brown said after the game. "If we play well, if you don't turn the ball over, you run the ball and stop the run—they had 30 yards rushing, or 27 or whatever it is, we had 439 [rushing yards]. If you can continue to get numbers like that you have a chance. You have a chance next week.”

Look at those stats one more time. Texas ran for more than 400 yards . . . again. Texas ran the ball so well it hardly needed to pass, throwing just nine times the whole game. To the Longhorns' credit, two of those were deep passes. Joe Bergeron finished the game with 191 yards rushing. He’d have hit 200 yards had he not been shaken up late in the fourth quarter.

On defense, Texas sacked Seth Doege four times and forced him to hurry eight throws. The Texas defense held Tech to just 27 yards rushing.

We can now confidently say Texas has more than a chance in a league full of great offenses and mediocre defense. A team that runs for more than 400 yards week in and week out, will win in the Big 12 . . . a lot. When you average 9.4 yards every time you run a play, you give yourself a great chance to win.

“You go back and we're all preachers of history,” Brown explained. “We go back and look, and Texas ran the ball when we were good. That's who we were. And we would throw deep. And then we played great defense. So that's what we want to get back to.”

They’re back. Here’s how I saw the game:

Continue the downhill running game: Malcolm Brown was hurt so Mack Brown made a game time decision to keep him on the bench unless absolutely necessary. Welcome to Texas, Joe Bergeron. The team racked up 439 yards on the ground.

Score when you get close: The Horns scored every time they had the ball. They never punted. It doesn’t get better than that.

“I know that if we’re not turning the ball over, we’re giving ourselves a chance,” co-offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin said after the game. “I’m really happy about the red zone, that we scored every time we were down in the red zone.”

Speaking of turnovers… jeez: Zero. None. Perfect. Of course the defense didn’t force any either, but it’s not like it didn’t try. Texas defensive backs dropped at least three interceptions. Gotta catch the ball guys. Still — great effort.

Pressure Seth Doege, shut down Tech’s running game and kill the screen pass: Done, done and done. Doege went down four times, was under pressure all day long, and Tech ran for only 27 yards. Wow.

Next weekend Texas travels to Columbia, Mo. The Missouri Tigers are reeling right now and Texas is surging. A win in Columbia sets up the Longhorns for a serious run at 10 wins this season.

It’s still a bit optimistic to say that, I know, but the way this team is playing, nothing seems impossible.