They call it the Red River Shootout, and in this day-and-age of the overuse of terms like "shootout" and "classic" as part of media hype - this one actually lives up to the hype. I think they've been playin' it for 110 years, which is clearly long enough to establish a "classic" rivalry.
I remember a few years back reading a list of the 10 greatest college football rivalries, and at the time, to me, the Nebraska-Oklahoma game always seemed like one of the biggest. But, this list, which obviously had a broader perspective than I did, listed Texas-Oklahoma. It said something like, these two states just don't like each other. If you want to insult someone from Texas, just say they're from Oklahoma, or some such jazz. Anyhow, when a rivalry goes back 110 years, as I said, and you typically have two good football programs, it's going to get pretty heated.
Saturday's game was fantastic. Oklahoma jumped out early and help on until the 4th quarter when the Longhorns came rolling like an orange tidal wave that the Sooners couldn't hold back. Something about Brent Mussburger calling Oklahoma Coach Bob Stoops by his nickname "Stoopy" I think doomed them.
Mussburger did have one great line when his color man said something about them potentially riding together the largest Ferris Wheel in the world, which is installed at the Texas State Fair. "Do they serve cold ones up there?" Mussburger asked. I think he may have a been a bit uncomfortable with the propsition.
Anyhow, great game, fun time, lot of patentry, good quarterbacking - that Colt McCoy of Texas can play - college football the way it should be. As a sidenote, I was in Austin last week, and even though the Cowboys played on Sunday, the big story in the paper was the upcoming Saturday's game with Oklahoma. That's what it's all about.
Ralph
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2 comments:
States like Oklahoma don't have pro football, baseball, hockey, or basketball.
Same thing for Nebraska, Mississsippi, Arkansas...
In those states, college football is king.
I was glad to see #1 lose. Now, I'll be glad if Missouri knocks off Texas.
Keeps it interesting.
DDDDDDD
Plus, it conceivably makes Penn State number 1, when the dust settles. Also, I think Oklahoma City just added pro basketball, imported from Seattle, but your point is on target. Despite the success on the field of the Devil Rays, I think pro baseball in Florida has struggled, because people had spring training, and that was enough. By the same token, I wonder why they started a pro basketball team in North Carolina, when they already had some of the best college basketball in the world. Did they see a market for pro basketball, or were they treading on sacred ground...and pro football in Jacksonville, what's up with that?
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