Tulsa World: OU-Texas games seldom lack for drama or intrigue

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OU-Texas games seldom lack for drama or intrigue

By JOHN KLEIN Senior Sports Columnist
Published: 10/17/2009 2:27 AM
Last Modified: 10/17/2009 6:04 AM

Go to John Klein's Blog

DALLAS — Throw out the records is an old saying that was probably first used about Oklahoma-Texas football.

There is no record of when it was first said but the Red River Rivalry has seldom gone according to script.

Even when the favorite wins, it seldom lacks for drama, intrigue and surprise.

There's no reason to believe it will be any different when the Sooners and Longhorns play at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Cotton Bowl.

One of the most anticipated OU-Texas games in recent history lost much of its luster when Sam Bradford was injured and the Sooners lost twice in their first four games.

In addition, Texas has been far from impressive in winning five times, dropping a slot to No. 3 in the rankings this week.

Still, there is plenty of reason to believe that the winner will be the team to beat in the Big 12 Conference.

Until proven different by some upstart in the south or a re-emerging power like Nebraska in the north, OU-Texas remains the most important Big 12 showdown.

This year it is a barometer on just how good Texas can be or just how much better Oklahoma is with Bradford back in the lineup.

There's reason to believe Texas is much better than it has shown this season. A year ago, Texas was off to a similar start, leading many to doubt the Longhorns, before they came to Dallas and rallied to a 45-35 victory.

But, it is Oklahoma that has the most to prove with Bradford's return.

Texas knows. The Oklahoma that lost to BYU and Miami is not the same Oklahoma it will play on Saturday.

"I think you take your Heisman Trophy player out of any team, you're not as consistent or as confident without him in there," said Texas coach Mack Brown. "With him coming back, I think it changes everything. It really does.

"We've lost players. None of them are as valuable as Colt McCoy and Sam Bradford in this game. Those two guys make this game an even game. It makes it special."

This game is always special but even more so this season.

The usual subplots, such as the serious dislike for each other, has additional storylines.

Texas was left out of the national championship game last year, and replaced by Oklahoma, even though the Longhorns beat OU in their game last year.

Needless to say, no one has forgotten on either side of the Red River.

The Longhorns also feel similarly slighted when it comes to McCoy. He won the head-to-head game with Bradford last year and had unbelievable accuracy numbers on the season, but lost the Heisman Trophy voting to Bradford.

"This game will be a great measuring stick," Brown said. "A lot of people have talked to us about being No. 2 or being No. 3 and we'll know more about who we are when we walk out of this game on Saturday afternoon. So, that's fun for us, too.

"At midseason, when we've said it's time for the real polls to step up, everybody needs to understand how good they are and we use this game for that measuring stick."

There was a time when OU coach Bob Stoops dominated this game.

Stoops lost his first Texas game, but then won five straight.

Brown has changed that trend in recent years, winning three of the last four.

"We can all sit here and say what we think we're going to do, what we think is going to happen," Brown said. "The adjustments you make during a ballgame are the things that matter because you never know in a game like this how it's going to go.

"That's one of the fun things about this game. We call it a bowl game. Whatever you want to call it, a championship-type game at midseason and that's the exciting thing about it and how to handle it." By JOHN KLEIN Senior Sports Columnist

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