JimBob
11-29-2008, 10:22 AM
The Stillwater factor
By BILL HAISTEN World Sports Writer
11/29/2008
Last Modified: 11/29/2008 3:19 AM
On OSU's home field, recent Bedlam battles stressful for Sooners
While Oklahoma holds a pronounced overall advantage in the Bedlam football series, recent games in Stillwater have been extremely difficult for the Sooners.
"Always raucous and loud," OU coach Bob Stoops said of Oklahoma State's home crowd. "You get a lot of bad things said to you. But you get sort of immune to it and used to it.
"It's challenging. That's just how it is. But it's kind of exciting, too, to know that you have to deal with it."
The Boone Pickens Stadium sidelines are only a few feet removed from the first row of seats.
"Their fans are sitting on the bench with you," Stoops said.
The third-ranked Sooners (10-1 overall, 6-1 Big 12) can expect to be showered with derision again on Saturday when they clash with the 11th-ranked Cowboys (9-2, 5-2) in Stillwater.
OU is a seven-point favorite. The 7 p.m. showdown is televised nationally by ABC (KTUL, channel 8).
The Sooners visit Boone Pickens Stadium for the first time since the west end was enclosed. A crowd of about 50,000 is expected at the 60,000-seat stadium.
"There's no question that the way the stadium is set up right now, it's going to be louder than it was in the past," Cowboy coach Mike Gundy said.
Records, rankings and ramifications define this game as one of the more significant Bedlam contests of all time.
If the Cowboys prevail, they will have erased OU from the national-title picture for the third time in this decade.
"I'm more concerned about Oklahoma State," Gundy said. "I'm not necessarily into spoiling something that Oklahoma is trying to accomplish."
Said OSU wide receiver Dez Bryant: "We're jacked up, fired up and ready to go. Seven o'clock. Prime time."
For the fourth time in seven games, the Cowboys are matched with an opponent ranked in the top three of the Associated Press Top 25. OSU makes its fifth straight appearance on ABC. At 9 a.m., ESPN's College GameDay program broadcasts from the OSU campus.
"Hopefully, we hope our players understand that ultimately the only thing that matters is when we kick it off Saturday night," Gundy said. "Everything else is just a sideshow."
In 2000, 2002 and 2004, the Sooners were national-title contenders when they played in Stillwater.
In 2000, OU was a 25-point favorite but had to scramble for a 12-7 triumph.
In 2002, the Sooners were favored by 15 points but lost by 10 (38-28 as Cowboy wide receiver Rashaun Woods had a performance for the ages).
In 2004, OSU missed on a 49-yard field goal attempt with 11 seconds left to play. OU escaped with a 38-35 victory.
"Anybody who is a Cowboy fan knows how important this game is," OSU co-offensive coordinator Gunter Brewer said. "Doesn't need to be much said about it, but I'm glad there is a lot said about it. It brings more to the forefront, and the young guys start to understand the importance of facing your rival. This one is as big as it gets."
The Cowboys are driven by four players dubbed by the university's media relations office as "The Four Aces." Quarterback Zac Robinson is No. 3 nationally in pass efficiency. Running back Kendall Hunter leads the Big 12 and ranks fifth nationally in rushing (130.4 yards per game). Bryant, among national leaders in receiving yards and punt returns, is a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award (given annually to the top wide receiver in college football). Tight end Brandon Pettigrew is a finalist for the John Mackey Award.
Against a Sooner team that obliterated Texas Tech by 44 points, Oklahoma State must effectively run the football and find a way to occasionally blunt the Sam Bradford-led Sooner offense.
OU is No. 1 nationally in scoring (52.6-point average) and No. 3 both in passing and total offense. OSU is No. 105 nationally in pass defense.
"We know we'll have to be at our best," Robinson said.
A victory on Saturday would sustain OSU's viability for a possible Cotton Bowl berth and, center David Washington said, "it would put us in the media spotlight. It seems like we've disappeared for a little bit. People forgot about us. You've always got to go out and earn it. Nobody gives you anything."
Genuine Bedlam
While the past three Bedlam games played in Norman have been blowouts—Oklahoma won by an average of 34 points —the last four OU-OSU games in Stillwater have been infinitely more competitive.
2006: OU 27, OSU 21
The Sooners were favored by six points. On the final play of the game, OSU’s Zac Robinson fired a pass, intended for D’Juan Woods in the end zone, but the ball fell incomplete.
2004: OU 38, OSU 35
The Sooners were favored by 12 points. With 11 seconds left, OSU’s Jason Ricks missed on a 49-yard field goal attempt that would have taken the game to overtime.
2002: OSU 38, OU 28
OU was favored by 15 but was dominated by the Les Miles-led Cowboys. Rashaun Woods had 12 receptions for 226 yards and three TDs. OSU had a 35-6 third-quarter lead.
2000: OU 12, OSU 7
The Sooners were favored by 25 points. Undefeated, ranked No. 1 and in the process of winning the national title, OU was pushed to the brink of disaster in the regular- season finale.
By BILL HAISTEN World Sports Writer
11/29/2008
Last Modified: 11/29/2008 3:19 AM
On OSU's home field, recent Bedlam battles stressful for Sooners
While Oklahoma holds a pronounced overall advantage in the Bedlam football series, recent games in Stillwater have been extremely difficult for the Sooners.
"Always raucous and loud," OU coach Bob Stoops said of Oklahoma State's home crowd. "You get a lot of bad things said to you. But you get sort of immune to it and used to it.
"It's challenging. That's just how it is. But it's kind of exciting, too, to know that you have to deal with it."
The Boone Pickens Stadium sidelines are only a few feet removed from the first row of seats.
"Their fans are sitting on the bench with you," Stoops said.
The third-ranked Sooners (10-1 overall, 6-1 Big 12) can expect to be showered with derision again on Saturday when they clash with the 11th-ranked Cowboys (9-2, 5-2) in Stillwater.
OU is a seven-point favorite. The 7 p.m. showdown is televised nationally by ABC (KTUL, channel 8).
The Sooners visit Boone Pickens Stadium for the first time since the west end was enclosed. A crowd of about 50,000 is expected at the 60,000-seat stadium.
"There's no question that the way the stadium is set up right now, it's going to be louder than it was in the past," Cowboy coach Mike Gundy said.
Records, rankings and ramifications define this game as one of the more significant Bedlam contests of all time.
If the Cowboys prevail, they will have erased OU from the national-title picture for the third time in this decade.
"I'm more concerned about Oklahoma State," Gundy said. "I'm not necessarily into spoiling something that Oklahoma is trying to accomplish."
Said OSU wide receiver Dez Bryant: "We're jacked up, fired up and ready to go. Seven o'clock. Prime time."
For the fourth time in seven games, the Cowboys are matched with an opponent ranked in the top three of the Associated Press Top 25. OSU makes its fifth straight appearance on ABC. At 9 a.m., ESPN's College GameDay program broadcasts from the OSU campus.
"Hopefully, we hope our players understand that ultimately the only thing that matters is when we kick it off Saturday night," Gundy said. "Everything else is just a sideshow."
In 2000, 2002 and 2004, the Sooners were national-title contenders when they played in Stillwater.
In 2000, OU was a 25-point favorite but had to scramble for a 12-7 triumph.
In 2002, the Sooners were favored by 15 points but lost by 10 (38-28 as Cowboy wide receiver Rashaun Woods had a performance for the ages).
In 2004, OSU missed on a 49-yard field goal attempt with 11 seconds left to play. OU escaped with a 38-35 victory.
"Anybody who is a Cowboy fan knows how important this game is," OSU co-offensive coordinator Gunter Brewer said. "Doesn't need to be much said about it, but I'm glad there is a lot said about it. It brings more to the forefront, and the young guys start to understand the importance of facing your rival. This one is as big as it gets."
The Cowboys are driven by four players dubbed by the university's media relations office as "The Four Aces." Quarterback Zac Robinson is No. 3 nationally in pass efficiency. Running back Kendall Hunter leads the Big 12 and ranks fifth nationally in rushing (130.4 yards per game). Bryant, among national leaders in receiving yards and punt returns, is a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award (given annually to the top wide receiver in college football). Tight end Brandon Pettigrew is a finalist for the John Mackey Award.
Against a Sooner team that obliterated Texas Tech by 44 points, Oklahoma State must effectively run the football and find a way to occasionally blunt the Sam Bradford-led Sooner offense.
OU is No. 1 nationally in scoring (52.6-point average) and No. 3 both in passing and total offense. OSU is No. 105 nationally in pass defense.
"We know we'll have to be at our best," Robinson said.
A victory on Saturday would sustain OSU's viability for a possible Cotton Bowl berth and, center David Washington said, "it would put us in the media spotlight. It seems like we've disappeared for a little bit. People forgot about us. You've always got to go out and earn it. Nobody gives you anything."
Genuine Bedlam
While the past three Bedlam games played in Norman have been blowouts—Oklahoma won by an average of 34 points —the last four OU-OSU games in Stillwater have been infinitely more competitive.
2006: OU 27, OSU 21
The Sooners were favored by six points. On the final play of the game, OSU’s Zac Robinson fired a pass, intended for D’Juan Woods in the end zone, but the ball fell incomplete.
2004: OU 38, OSU 35
The Sooners were favored by 12 points. With 11 seconds left, OSU’s Jason Ricks missed on a 49-yard field goal attempt that would have taken the game to overtime.
2002: OSU 38, OU 28
OU was favored by 15 but was dominated by the Les Miles-led Cowboys. Rashaun Woods had 12 receptions for 226 yards and three TDs. OSU had a 35-6 third-quarter lead.
2000: OU 12, OSU 7
The Sooners were favored by 25 points. Undefeated, ranked No. 1 and in the process of winning the national title, OU was pushed to the brink of disaster in the regular- season finale.