OU State of Mind
To be sung to the tune of New York State of Mind by Billy Joel
Some folks like games on TV
Avoid the crowds enjoy it on HD
Recline on the couch or easy chair
Drink a lot of beer
But I’m taking a road trip
On the IH thirty-five
I’m in an OU state of mind
I’ve seen all the rich alums
In their fancy cars and their luxury suites
Been to the Rose Bowl, Columbus and old South Bend
But I know what I’m needing
And I don’t want to waste more time
I’m in an OU state of mind
It was so easy living day by day
Out of touch with the Orange and White
But now I need a little give and take
The State Fair Crush, The Cotton Bowl
It comes down to reality
And it’s fine with me ’cause I’ve let it slide
Don’t care if it’s Cardinal Puffs or on Greenville Ave
I don’t have any reasons
I’ve left them all behind
I’m in an OU State of Mind
See what I did there.
Make or Break for the Horns?
Years and years ago my brother Clayton related a story to the family about running into a group of Texas Football players on campus the evening after the 1967 U.T. loss to the Aggies. Clayton was a junior at U.T. at the time and was pretty bummed out about the loss. The players he ran across that evening were laughing it up and joking as they loaded a car for what looked like a hunting trip. The story was illuminating in that it revealed the players’ perspective on the game which was different from Clayton’s, and I’m sure, thousands of other Texas Fans. To the players football was a profession and a business and to do a professional job you have to remain calm and level headed. I’m not saying that the players didn’t care about losing to the Aggies but they couldn’t afford to live and die with every win or loss the way many fans do because that would hinder their efforts to play their best. So as Clayton was still in mourning, the players had already moved on. I heard about this same players’ perspective from a U.T. running back who played during the early 70s, Lonnie Bennett, who I socialized with during my rounder days in the early 80s. Lonnie told me that Darrell Royal preached maintaining a level headed approach to the game avoiding extreme highs or lows about any one play or the results of any one game.
Having related all that, I have learned over the years that at least some Texas players and coaches have difficulty applying this approach to the Texas-OU Game. Darrell Royal himself got pretty darn emotional about the OU game in 1976. In today’s Austin-American-Statesman Kirk Bohls wrote some great stuff about Royal and the 76 game. I’ve also heard and read players descriptions of what it is like walking down the tunnel in Cotton Bowl before the game. I myself might kill somebody to be able to experience that walk.
Texas-OU has been a difficult series for Mack Brown. He’s 6-8 against Oklahoma and three of those losses were embarrassing blowouts. In 2001 and 2004 the scores were 14-3 and 12-0 respectively but those games weren’t as close as the scores indicate. During the five game losing streak from 2000-2004 Brown was accused of playing the game not to lose. I believe the accusation is accurate. Disturbingly, Brown’s second half game plan last Saturday versus West Virginia was way too conservative and reminiscent of the way he coached during the losing streak against Oklahoma.
On Monday of this week we heard explanations from Brian Harsin and Brown about why D.J. Monroe and Daje Johnson between them only touched the ball once from scrimmage against West Virginia. The excuses were guised in coach speak and in my opinion were lame. Texas isn’t going to beat Oklahoma this year if Brown and his assistants get lost in the fog of the game and forget to get the ball to their play makers.
Besides being Texas-OU this game is most likely a conference championship elimination game. In addition, if Texas loses it will be for the third loss in a row to Oklahoma. That would perilous territory for Mack Brown in the 4th quarter of his coaching career.
I have been to the Texas-OU Games when both teams were ranked in the top 5. Huge games indeed. This year both teams are ranked in the teens but in the grand scheme of things this is a very Big Texas-OU Game. The coaches as well as the players better stay, cool, calm and collected and bring their A game.
BEAT THE HELL OTTA OU
Hook eM,
W.E.
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