Game Day Thoughts – Week 8
Published: 10/25/2008 9:06 AM
Last Modified: 10/25/2008 9:06 AM
AUSTIN, Texas – Being consistently good leads to becoming consistently great. A variation of that message in big letters on placards supported by a tripod greeted Dave Sittler, Bill Haisten and myself as we walked into our Austin hotel Friday afternoon.
The message, though, was not for the three members of the Tulsa World team. It was for members of the University of Texas football team, who are staying at the same hotel we are. Mack Brown, Colt McCoy, Brian Orakpo and the rest of the Longhorns rolled in right at 4 p.m. Friday (By the way, Orakpo is one huge dude when you see him up close!)
Texas is accustomed to big-game buildup. The Longhorns always are a big game on the schedule of every team they play, and typically a handful of those games annually have implications on the conference and national landscape.
Oklahoma State is still a newcomer to the national limelight and the hype machine that comes with the big-game spotlight. Saturday's showdown in Austin is the biggest game the OSU program has been involved in since the 1984 Bedlam game.
Being consistently good has been an issue in OSU football history. That has started to change, though, this decade. Later this season, OSU will be playing in a bowl game for the sixth time in seven years. At 7-0, any number of bowl games could be in the Cowboys' future. Experiencing this newfound status is one thing. Handling it is quite another.
Three things I'll be watching Saturday:
***OSU's ground game: Something will have to give. OSU leads the Big 12 in rushing offense at 283 yards per game. Texas leads the Big 12 in rushing defense at 48 yards per game. Can Kendall Hunter, Keith Toston and Zac Robinson run the ball effectively enough and allow OSU to maintain offensive balance?
***Big on big: The battle at the line of scrimmage between OSU left tackle Russell Okung and Texas defensive end Brian Orakpo is a major matchup. Both are the best at their positions in the Big 12. Will either player be able to get a decisive advantage on their opponent throughout the game?
***The awe factor: The Texas game is just one of 12 on the regular-season schedule. It is the biggest game on the OSU schedule because it is the next game on the schedule. Yet, it is hard to avoid the buildup and magnitude given to this game. How OSU handles this aspect of the game will go a long way in determining the final outcome.
---Matt Doyle
Written by
Bill Haisten
Sports Writer
