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Powerhouses and OSU at the Top
Published: 10/20/2008 1:39 PM
Last Modified: 10/20/2008 1:39 PM

Look at the BCS poll.
Texas, Alabama, Penn State, Oklahoma and Southern Cal are in the top five.
At No. 6, Oklahoma State.
Don't tell me history and tradition don't mean something in college football. In means something in getting recruits and building a fan base. It means something with poll voters.
Thus, it is up to OSU to make its own place in the top five. The only way to crack that elite five is to beat them.
OSU has that chance this week when it goes to Texas. There will be nothing easy about it.
No one is playing better than Texas right now. The Longhorns have scored 101 points in beating OU and Mizzou the last two weeks.
Yet, for all the success this season, OSU could take another huge (and somewhat shocking) step if it could win in Austin.
OSU coach Mike Gundy's job this week? His players need to believe they aren't capable of winning, but are good enough to win against the Horns.
OSU has been very competitive with Texas in recent years. Getting over that final hurdle, winning in the fourth quarter, is the big mountain standing between OSU and a spot in the top two or three.



Reader Comments 7 Total
Bryan G (4 years ago)
This could be a Trap Game for TU. They have played both OU and Missouri in the last weeks and come out on top in each instance. They are feeling pretty confident right now and may be bordering on cocky.

At the start of the season, Texas Tech was in the top 10 and OSU was an annoying little blip on the radar. While OSU has climbed the polls, Texas may be looking more toward to Tech matchup. THeir pre-season mentality was that if they beat Mizzou, OU and Tech then they should win the Big 12 South. OSU was not considered a threat.

If OSU can keep their collective heads straight with 100,000 rabid TU fans, then I think an OSU upset is definately possible giving OSU the inside track to the Big 12 South Championship.
Arthur (4 years ago)
Bryan G,

I agree, but as an OSU fan I am just afraid of getting blown out like Mizzou. OSU could win, and if they do it's not just inside track to big 12 championship, they would have the inside track to the national championship. That is a slim chance, but if they beat Texas they should be ranked 2 or 3 with Bama being ranked #1. OSU will definitely be #2 if Penn State loses to Ohio State. OSU should beat Tech. They have scored more points and allowed fewer points on teams with a higher combined winning percentage than Tech. So, if somehow OSU beats Texas it is more than possible that an undefeated OSU team plays OU for Bedlam. However, the large problem with that is OSU has to beat Texas first, which is not very likely. Again, my hope is just that we don't get blown out and maintain a level of national respect and hopefully get through the rest of the season to play OU with both of us ranked in the top 10.
Billy Hailey (4 years ago)
The way I view it is that Texas has to bet us not OSU has to beat Texas. Pressure is on Texas not us. I think OSU can get the job done on both sides of the ball.
sj (4 years ago)
All of you have good points about sizing up OSU and the big picture. If OSU defense continues to improve, it will be a big help in the Texas game. Also, if Gundy will just take notes from the spotters in the press box and stay away from the sidelines, it will help enormously. We ran into too many disasters last year when Gundy started calling plays. Let the staff do their job. And keeping our cool in the mist of chaos as Bryan say will help. As Billy puts it, we don't have to win this game but it will be the acid test for OSU.
Phil in OKC (4 years ago)
Nice piece John.

I hope we can all be a bit more excite come Sat evening!
Wilcoxmad (4 years ago)
I'm sure most OU fans will be pulling for OSU this weekend too!
PACMAN (4 years ago)
horns rule.....

if Texas wins next weekend against Tech its all over for the Big 12 south.

horns win out and play Mizzou for the Big 12 championship.

go horns
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Klein's Korner

Tulsa World senior sports columnist John Klein is in his fourth decade of covering sports. He started his newspaper career at The Daily Ardmoreite in 1977 and moved to the Tulsa World in 1978. He served 10 years as sports editor for the Tulsa World before being named to his current position in 2005. He also spent five years as the Southwest Conference beat writer for the Houston Post. He has won many writing awards and is a former Oklahoma Sports Writer of the Year.

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