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Schedule can be the difference
Published: 9/18/2006 8:54 AM
Last Modified: 9/18/2006 8:54 AM

I have an old friend, JV Haney, who has been involved in sports around these parts for more than 50 years as a coach, radio talk show host and television commentator.

And, I've argued with him for 30 of those years over a variety of issues.

However, he has finally won me over. In the past year, I've come to agree with him on scheduling.

As a former coach, Haney believes you should never schedule yourself a loss.

You can schedule yourself what should be a sure victory. You can schedule yourself a game that you should probably win. And, you can schedule yourself a tossup game.

Just don't schedule yourself a loss.

As such, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Tulsa have all played the kind of schedule that gives them a chance to win them all but does have a challenge.

Tulsa's challenge was at BYU. OU's was at Oregon. Now, OSU goes to Houston.

Just like TU and OU, OSU should have a chance to win this week's game down in Houston. However, just like OU and TU, it is far from a sure thing.

It is a challenge and the type of game the Cowboys need before they head into an important stretch in the Big 12 Conference.

Following Houston, OSU has an off week followed by what appears to be winnable tossup games at Kansas and Kansas State.

Scheduling can be crucial to a team. To be honest, fans don't remember who they beat. They just remember if it was a win or loss.

Don't be fooled. Playing a difficult schedule, and losing, won't get you any bonus points with fans. No matter what they tell you, they'd rather play a cupcake than lose a game any day.

Plus, in the modern world of college football, there are plenty of challenges in the major conferences. So, play a schedule that helps you get ready for the meat of the season.

Whether our local teams have done that this year is yet to be seen.




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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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