Jordan Shipley:

Jordan Shipley's second touchdown catch of the second half Thursday made the idea of a miracle comeback feasible to the 94,906 fans at the Rose Bowl.

Shipley had no thoughts of miracles, however. He was certain of a comeback – he just didn't consider it a miracle.

It's that feeling, Shipley said, that sums up this Texas team, even in the wake of a 37-21 loss to Alabama in the BCS Championship Game.

"I think everybody thought the entire game that we were going to win the game," said Shipley, who had 10 catches for 122 yards and both of Texas' touchdowns. "It's a feeling we've felt since I've been here. The 2005 team [that won the BCS Championship in the Rose Bowl] had a lot to do with that. That has always been instilled in us."

So even when things looked darkest for Texas, when the Longhorns went to the locker room down by 18 at halftime, Shipley was certain Texas was coming back.

It didn't mean, however, that he would forego a little extra help if he could get it. After finding out at half that Colt McCoy would not return because of a shoulder injury, Shipley and Sam Acho went to the end zone upon returning to the field and knelt in prayer. Shipley also gave a bible verse to McCoy's replacement, freshman Garret Gilbert, as inspiration. Hey, Shipley had done the same thing to kicker Hunter Lawrence before his game-winning kick against Nebraska in the Big 12 Championship.

Shipley cited 2 Chronicles 20:15, particularly this sentence: " Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God's."

Then Shipley started finding the end zone for other purposes.

Late in the third quarter, Gilbert found Marquise Goodwin for a 13-yard catch on third-and-8. After an incompletion, Gilbert finally found his timing on a deep ball and hit Shipley for a 44-yard touchdown. Shipley caught the ball and spun in to the end zone.

But he wasn't done yet. After a big stop by Texas' defense early in the fourth quarter, a more confident Gilbert went to work finding Shipley. On Texas' 10-play, 65-yard touchdown drive that drew Texas within 24-21, Shipley was targeted six times. He caught five passes for 61 yards, including the last 28.

Texas got the ball back with a chance to drive for the lead, but as Gilbert dropped back for another pass, he was blindsided by Alabama linebacker Eryk Anders, who jarred the ball loose.

There would be no comeback.

"Any time you lose, there are always things that you can look back on and wonder what could have happened," Shipley said. "But sometimes, you just have to look back and realize how you have been blessed."