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Bedlam victory for OSU would be huge

 
By JOHN KLEIN Senior Sports Columnist
Published: 11/25/2008  2:21 AM
Last Modified: 11/25/2008  3:18 AM

 STILLWATER — Oklahoma State is being left out of any discussion about the national championship race.

No, the Cowboys aren't in it.

But, Oklahoma is, and there is little talk about the Sooners needing to go to Stillwater and win on Saturday.

"I'm more concerned about Oklahoma State," said OSU coach Mike Gundy at his weekly press conference on Monday. "We're not trying to spoil something for Oklahoma."

OU coach Bob Stoops is playing politics, as he and every other contending coach is forced to do in the current situation.

Most of the talk this week is how the Sooners stack up in the national championship chase without any mention of this week's game.

"Everything is a sideshow leading up to the game," said Gundy.

Perhaps the Cowboys won't put up much of a fight. That's what some media, both local and national, seem to believe. The way OU is has played in the past month, that is certainly possible.

Still, O-State would appear very capable of putting up a heckuva fight, especially at home.

"I know I'm glad we're playing at home," said Gundy.

The Cowboys, after a season of fighting the nation's top teams on the road, finally get a home game with a national contender.

"It only counts as one (game) but there's a lot of pride in it, too," said Gundy.

OSU has already played No. 1 (Texas), No. 2 (Texas Tech) and No. 3 (Missouri) teams on the road this season. In fact, it could be argued that O-State has the only significant victory on the road among the Big 12's top teams (at Missouri).

Texas does have a victory over Oklahoma but that came on a neutral field, not a true road game.

So, how OSU responds at home could go a long ways in determining where Oklahoma winds up in the BCS rankings and if OU has a future in the Big 12 championship.

"I'm not that concerned with someone else," said Gundy.

Gundy and his players would be quick to argue there is much on the line for them, too.

Considering the difficult schedule, a 10-victory regular season would be a huge step.

Plus, after collapsing in a game at Lubbock, OSU may be eager to prove that it belongs in that elite category of the Big 12 South.

The Cowboys would like to prove that there were four great teams in the Big 12 South, not just three.

There are still bowls and national recognition on the line for O-State.

If nothing else, this game helps set up next season, when OSU gets eight home games in a newly-finished Boone Pickens Stadium.

Those home games include Georgia, Texas, Texas Tech and Missouri.

To be considered one of the teams on the elite national level, you have to beat some of them. Missouri was a good first step.

Oklahoma, in the heat of a national championship race and your state rival, would be taking a giant second step.

"Things are changing and the players feel it," said Gundy.

One doesn't have to look very hard to see the changes. The stadium has been transformed from the worst in the Big 12 Conference to what some believe will be the most extravagant college football home in the nation when it is finished.

In addition, OSU athletic director Mike Holder has made it a priority to put the emphasis on football, something that has been lacking for decades in Stillwater.

Holder has made it his mission to give OSU football the facilities, resources and financial support it needs to compete in the ultra-competitive Big 12.

That may change perception and help in recruiting and other needs.

Winning on the field, something the Cowboys have done nine times this year against a brutal schedule, is most important.

But, when it comes to Bedlam, Gundy hopes one thing doesn't change.

"Our team has always played hard no matter what was at stake," said Gundy. "Our team has done that over the years."

By JOHN KLEIN Senior Sports Columnist

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3 comments have been made for this team so far. Tell us what you think below!
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tulsaGuy, (11/26/2008 11:36:08 AM)
In one sense, OSU Football has already beaten OU.

The 2008 Graduation Success Rate
OSU: 62%
OU: 46%

The Graduation Success Rate measures how many players earned a four-year degree within a six-year window, accounting for both transfers into the footabll program as well as transfers out of the football program.
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soonershark, Prague (11/26/2008 2:20:57 PM)
The Dexter Manley Scholarship at OSU allows athletes who cannot read to graduate regardless, which accounts for some of the point differential.
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Hard Harry, broken arrow (11/27/2008 7:26:30 AM)
Last time this game was played in Stillwater - OSU was throwing at the endzone in the end to win it. I remember they took Bobby Reid out and put some skinny white boy named Robinson at the end. I thought the coaches had lost their minds.

We weren't a very good team that year and it was competitive until the end. I can't wait for this game - "Because The two teams that will play this Saturday, one may be the best team in college football and the other one is a darned good football team. This game will be played to determine which one is which."
 

 
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