Oklahoma's mastery of Texas borders on ridiculous
DALLAS -- Oklahoma's dominance of Texas is reaching infomercial status. Less annoying, maybe, but more effective.
It has become a rite of fall. Every October for three-plus hours coach Bob Stoops turns the airwaves into MTV -- More Texas Victories. Saturday's 12-0 decision made it five years in a row that Stoops has beamed his signal into the hearts and minds of Texas' best high-school recruits.
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| Adrian Peterson doesn't start for Oklahoma, but still piles up a career-high 225 yards against Texas. (AP) |
Using Texas players to beat Texas, Switzer won three championships. Stoops has one title and looks primed for more. A sixth consecutive victory in 2005 would match Bud Wilkinson's mark in the 1950s when Oklahoma was beating pretty much everybody.
This year 52 of the 102 Sooners are from Texas. Ten of Saturday's 22 starters are from the Lone Star State. That doesn't include freshman Adrian Peterson, who hails from Palestine, Texas, and came off the bench to rush for a career-high 225 yards.
Off the bench? What they used to call stockpiling, they now call Oklahoma. Peterson has one career start to his name and came into the game as the nation's No. 8 rusher. Not bad for a backup.
"If the New England Patriots said, 'We want you on our team,' do you say, 'No, I can't go. I gotta stay here in Texas?'" Stoops said. "What, are you kidding me? You go wherever you want."
If you too caught Stoops comparing his program to the Super Bowl champs, don't wince. Oklahoma's success under Stoops is almost self-perpetuating based on the recent victories over Texas. What other big-time program has what amounts to a guaranteed annual beatdown televised to millions?
On this day, Texas was shut out for the first time since 1980. Its nation-leading scoreless streak had reached 281 games. In the five consecutive losses, the 'Horns have been outscored 189-54.
But, of course, the Texas Sooners already knew that. Stoops already has commitments from three of the top four players in Texas for 2005.
"That's what we want to do here at Oklahoma, win games," receiver Mark Clayton said. "When we win the games we get the good players. Probably, we'll pass it down to our younger guys. ... If we keep recruiting, there's no telling."
Each year the home team gets to host recruits at this neutral-site game. This year it was Oklahoma's turn. Seventy recruits were able to walk around the Cotton Bowl turf before the game. They then retreated to the stands to watch the Sooners dominate it.
