Cotton Bowl
Oklahoma State Cowboys vs. Ole Miss Rebels
January 2, 2010, 1pm Central
Arlington, Texas
Network: Fox

This should be one of the better games of the bowl season. Both teams are balanced and evenly matched. I only hope Fox and Time Warner let me see it. At the moment, they’ve agreed to a temporary extension, but it’s not clear how long that will last.

A statement game.

That’s what the Texas Longhorns needed, and that’s what they delivered, beating the Oklahoma State Cowboys 41-14, with two touchdowns coming from the defense. Texas moves to 8-0 on the season, and remains in the driver seat to go to Pasadena for the National Championship game.

Over the summer, I had tonight’s game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys in Stillwater was one to worry about. It has all the signs of a trap game. Road game at night. Against a team who is solid but unrespected. We had a good chance of going into it undefeated. And it’s one year after that horrible night in Lubbock last season.

The season started and the Texas Longhorns didn’t do anything to make me feel better about the game. The offense appeared to be barely a shadow of last season’s powerhouse. Making it to Halloween undefeated looked like a long shot.

Then the Goon Squad began to assert itself.

The Big Twelve Conference had a solid showing in the first round of the 2009 NFL draft, with seven players taken in the initial thirty-two picks.

The St. Louis Rams took Baylor offensive tackle Jason Smith with the second pick. A 6′ 5″, 309 pound converted tight end, Smith was the first non-special teams All American for Baylor since 1995.

Texas Tech’s Michael Crabtree was picked tenth by the San Francisco 49ers. Crabtree is easily the most talented receiver in this years draft, but dropped quite a few spots due to concerns over his attitude and resilience.

With Oklahoma State’s loss to Oregon 42-31 in the Holiday Bowl, the Big 12 Conference is 1-1 in bowl play. It was the shootout we expected it to be, with Oregon only pulling away late in the game.

So, some random thoughts, in no particular order [...]

Oklahoma State quarterback Zac Robinson and Stockard Channing? You tell me.

The Big 12 Conference attempts to go 2-0 in the bowl season as Okie Lite heads out to San Diego for the Holiday Bowl. This bowl has a history of high-scoring games with exciting finishes, and I don’t expect this year’s to be any different, with two rather evenly matched teams in Oklahoma State and Oregon. It could be the best bowl game of the season, so don’t miss it.

Unlike most of the NCAA, both teams tonight have strong running games. [...]

If it’s the final Saturday in November, then it must be time for the Bedlam Series, the annual game between cross-state rivals Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. The Sooners are playing for a shot at the Big 12 Championship game and the national championship game. The Cowboys are playing for pride.

Okie Lite hasn’t won in seven years, but the last time they did so, Oklahoma was third in the BCS and had their national championship hopes dashed by the loss. Oklahoma State would certainly love to play spoiler again. [...]

On a hot, late October Saturday afternoon, the Oklahoma State Cowboys gave the top ranked Texas Longhorns all they could handle. I was wrong about the Over/Under (I picked the Over), but it certainly was the closest game the Longhorns have played all season. OSU was every bit the top ten team that they were (and will hopefully remain) ranked, and Texas was a bit lucky to get out of there with a win.

That said, it’s virtually…

Midway through the Longhorns’ tough six game stretch, Texas has beaten Arkansas, Colorado, and top ranked Oklahoma, to go 6-0 for the season.

The convincing 45-35 win over the Sooners vaulted Texas to its first mid-season #1 ranking since 1984. Given the target that #1′s have had on their back the last couple of seasons, it may not be a comfortable place to be. Fortunately, Texas has a 12-1 record the week after being ranked #1, if you believe…