Charlie Strong has Texas bowl eligible in year one after win at Oklahoma State

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Tyrone Swoopes threw for 305 yards against Oklahoma State. (USATSI)

After Texas' 23-0 loss to Kansas State in Oct. 25, the chances of the Longhorns, 3-5 at the time, making a bowl game looked slim. Three weeks and three wins later, Texas is 6-5 and headed to the postseason.

Texas has dealt with season-ending injuries to multiple starters on offense, been challenged with replacing former Longhorns who were suspended or dismissed and responded with a strong showing in Big 12 play after losses to BYU and UCLA. Growing pains were expected in year one for Charlie Strong, but missing a bowl game would have made the offseason uncomfortable, and no coach wants to deal with an uncomfortable offseason this early in his tenure.

The turnaround started with the return of the ground game against Texas Tech, as Malcolm Brown became the first 100-yard rusher for Texas on the season and Johnathan Gray added 78 yards and a score in a balanced 34-13 win. Next was the dominant performance from Texas' defense against West Virginia, a game that finished with a memorable crowd surf for Charlie Strong in the locker room.

Texas' sixth win featured another stout performance from the defense, but also a fantastic performance from Tyrone Swoopes. The sophomore completed 24 of 33 passes for 305 yards and two touchdowns with no turnovers in what might have been his best performance of the season.

The late season surge by this offense has been a big reason for the three-game streak. Since being shut out at Kansas State, the Longhorns have averaged over 30 points and 416.7 yards of offense -- a credit to Swoopes and the work of Texas' offense staff, led by Shawn Watson and Joe Wickline.

So now Texas is bowl eligible before heading into the TCU game. Expect the Longhorns to be loose, no longer needing the upset to decide their postseason fate. We will see how Texas responds, but it could make that regular season finale an even more dangerous spot for TCU, particularly after seeing the Horned Frogs tested at Kansas.

Regardless of the result against TCU, Texas will be in a bowl game. After a stormy start to Charlie Strong's tenure, that sixth win should make everyone a little more comfortable in Austin.