AUSTIN (AP) -- October is looking like one treacherous month for the Texas Longhorns.

Fifth-ranked Texas (4-0) plays Saturday at Colorado (3-1), followed by the annual matchup against No. 1 Oklahoma before coming home to play No. 4 Missouri and No. 21 Oklahoma State.

Go undefeated in that stretch and Texas will most certainly be in the thick of the national title chase come November.

"This is where the grind starts," wide receiver Jordan Shipley said.

A good start is imperative, not only for national title hopes, but for any chance of winning the Big 12. Texas dropped its first two league games last season and never challenged for the South Division title.

After blowout wins over Florida Atlantic, Texas El-Paso, Rice and Arkansas, the Longhorns admit they still have a few things to learn about themselves, such as how they will respond in a close game or if they fall behind.

"We've beaten the teams we were supposed to, like we were supposed to, but we still haven't been tested by a really good football team that's going to be physical," coach Mack Brown said. "We will absolutely get Colorado's best shot."

Texas has outscored opponents 198-43. The young secondary with freshman safeties Earl Thomas and Blake Gideon has surrendered only three passing touchdowns, despite ranking No. 100 nationally in pass defense.

"We've built the confidence we need going into the Big 12. We've got a little swagger now," said senior cornerback Ryan Palmer. "Now is the real test. Now is when the games start counting if you're going to play in the Big 12 championship."

Defensive tackle Roy Miller said the Longhorns have to take a weekly, not monthly, view of October.

"You can't look at the whole thing or you'll fall apart," Miller said.

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SACKS AND THE SWEET SCIENCE: Lamarr Houston is no fool. The defensive tackle was not about to step into a boxing ring with a man who can bench press 515 pounds.

"No way. Not with 'Rak,"' Houston said.

"Rak" is teammate Brian Orakpo, the defensive end who leads Texas with six of his team's 16 sacks. Orakpo and Houston spent time over the summer using boxing drills in their workouts, slugging heavy and small punching backs and doing other drills to improve how they use their hands when shedding blockers.

But one thing they wouldn't do is step in the ring to spar a few rounds. Considering Orakpo is 6-foot-4, 260 pounds and Houston is 6-2, 279, it figures that both pack quite a punch.

"We never really talked about it," Orakpo said.

The Longhorns have racked up 14 sacks in the last two games after the coaching staff said they would be hard to get in the era of spread offenses. Miller, who has been toiling with double teams that open rushing lanes for other players, says he wants to get in on the act. He has two tackles for loss but no sacks.

"As a group, it's personal. Guys want to compete against each other and Orakpo is blazing it up," Miller said.

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BUFFALO SKINS: The Longhorns lead the series against Colorado 9-7, thanks to a recent history lopsided in their favor.

Texas has won five of the last six meetings, including two games in Boulder. The last matchup was a 70-3 Texas win in the 2005 Big 12 championship game in Houston. The Longhorns won the national title that season.

While that loss may still sting Colorado fans and some of the Buffaloes older players, Brown doesn't think CU coach Dan Hawkins will try to use it as motivation Saturday. Hawkins replaced Gary Barnett, who was fired after that 2005 game.

Brown said Colorado will likely find more inspiration from last year's upset win over No. 3 Oklahoma, which came a year ago this weekend.

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ROAD TRIP: Saturday will be one of only two regular-season games outside Texas for the Longhorns. The other Big 12 away games are against Oklahoma in Dallas, at Texas Tech (Nov. 1) and at Kansas (Nov. 15).

"It's even more exciting to go on the road because it's tougher to win on the road in the Big 12. We're playing a night game, which is always fun," Brown said.

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TEXAS BY THE NUMBERS:

2-- Defensive touchdowns scored this season with Aaron Williams' 81-yard interception return last week against Arkansas.

5 -- The number of opponents on the schedule currently ranked in the AP Top 25.

14 -- Total points allowed in the second half through four games.

130 -- Consecutive weeks ranked in the Top 25, the longest streak in the nation.

824 -- Total wins for Texas in 116 years of football, three behind Notre Dame for second all-time.

1,296 -- Total yards by quarterback Colt McCoy, which is more than 17 major college teams.

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QUOTABLE: "In all fairness, we don't have a tailback who has established himself." -- Offensive coordinator Greg Davis on the running game that has QB Colt McCoy as the team's leading rusher.