Texas and Oklahoma football teams have been battling one another since 1900 and, as is often the case, the Dallas game tops the weekend schedule and will again help determine the national championship.
Both teams enter the game unbeaten with 4-0 records. The Oklahoma Sooners are ranked third in the Associated Press October 2 poll and first in the USA TODAY coaches' poll. Texas is ranked 11th in the AP poll and 10th in the coaches' poll. The teams clash at noon EST in the Cotton Bowl stadium in a game to be televised on the ABC network.
Other games this weekend involving the AP Top 10 teams:
- Florida (17) at LSU (No. 1)
- Vanderbilt at Alabama (2)
- Boise State (5) at Fresno State Friday night
- Kansas at Okalahoma State (6)
- Colorado at Stanford (7)
- Boston College at Clemson (8)
- California at Oregon (9) Thursday night
- Auburn (15) at Arkansas (10)
Wisconsin, No. 4 in the AP and No. 5 in the coaches' poll, is idle this weekend.
Despite one network's promotion of the Texas Tech-Texas A&M (24) match as the game of the day, nothing this weekend compares with the Longhorn-Sooner battle in the Red River Rivalry, previously known as the Red River Shootout.
Texas has won 59 of the previous games and Oklahoma has won 41. Five games have ended in ties. The teams have split the past four games, the Sooners winning 28-20 last year.
The schools have used the series as stepping stones to seven Oklahoma and four Texas national championships. A convincing win over Texas could move the Sooners back into the AP's top spot and help pave the way to the bowl championship game. A Texas win would probably move the Longhorns at least into the nation's top five.
The Longhorn-Sooner series is sprinkled with great football names such as Bud Wilkinson, Darrell Royal, Earl Campbell, Ricky Williams, Barry Switzer and Mack Brown.
Dallas, which is about midway between the Norman, Oklahoma and Austin, Texas campuses, was selected as a permanent neutral site for the game in 1929. Each school traditionally receives half the game tickets, depriving each team of a real home field advantage.
Coach Bob Stoops' Sooners enter the game fresh from a walloping of Ball State. As commentator Mike Houck noted, Oklahoma scored seven touchdowns within 12 minutes. Quarerback Landry Jones connected on 23 of 33 passes for 425 yards and five touchdowns for Oklahoma. Nickelback Tony Jefferson intercepted three passes and Dom Whaley provided 109 rushing yards.
Texas defeated Iowa State 37-14 for its fourth straight victory last week. Coach Mack Brown's two quarterbacks, David Ash and Case McCoy, each connected on seven of a dozen passes to pace the Longhorns. Ash accumulated 145 yards and two touchdowns and McCoy connected for 100 yards. Wide receiver Jason Shipley caught six passes for 141 yards and a touchdown. Malcolm Brown led the rushing with 72 yards. Foswhit Whittaker added 50 yards.
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