I checked on some of t.u.'s TOUGH opponents for the next few years. Granted 2002 will be tougher because t.u. has to play Nebraska, KState and Iowa State in the B12 next year, but to warm up for these games, t.u. plays such top notch nationally ranked high quality programs as: North Texas, Tulane, Houston, New Mexico State, Utah, and Rice. The only teams from major conferences t.u. plays from next year through 2009 (with additions coming, to be sure) are Ohio State and Arkansas -- both home and home, but only once. For comparison, A&M has home and home games for the next 6 years with Virginia Tech, Florida State, Air Force, Clemson, and Pitt. In 2010 and 2011, A&M plays Michigan State.
I realize scheduling is tough, but I think this year t.u. will find out that their schedule was their downfall. They need to emulate their hoops team, who has scheduled tough games.
With the exception of a few schools, you really don't know what teams will be good five or six years from now. When it was scheduled, Texas thought it was getting a Top 20 opponent in North Carolina. Oklahoma was pathetic just a few years ago. Notre Dame was still pretty strong when they played a home-and-home vs. Texas in the mid-90s. By the time they played A&M and Nebraska, they were no longer a top program. Since most of these are drawn up six-to-ten years ahead, it's hard to know who'll be good.
It would be a better argument to say Texas ducked out of playing in Hawaii before the season began. Texas said they'd lose money playing the game. Hawaii said they were afraid of an improving Rainbow program.
And it's really tough for an Aggie to puff their chests about tough schedules after all those years of playing Louisiana Tech, McNeese St. and Southwest Louisiana (now UL-Lafayette) as part of their pre-conference schedule. Of course, A&M has LOST a few of those games too so I guess they'd consider them a worthy opponent.