The Real Season Starts This Weekend

September 30th, 2005

By Justin Waganer
Senior Sports Writer

We’ve watched the few good games sprinkled throughout the mass of horrid competitions masquerading as college football contests. We’ve watched as the overrated have shed their skins and the underrated have flexed their muscles. We’ve watched the “power” conferences get hammered by the “mid-major” underdogs who already made their season with their “major” upsets. What have we not seen? The real season. Conference play, where champions emerge.

The Big 12 Conference starts conference play with the early ABC match-up of the Texas Longhorns and Missouri Tigers. Everyone seems to think this will be a tremendous dual of the dual-threat quarterbacks Vince Young and Brad Smith. The only chance Missouri has is to get some big plays early, get the crowd involved, and force some turnovers. I don’t think any of this will happen as Texas rolls.

Baylor is to be pitied, the Bears must face the Aggies of A&M, not only after a lackluster performance but after the upset of a year ago. For anyone who hasn’t made it down to Waco in the last year for a sporting event, highlights of that game are played at virtually every timeout. Now, it’s payback time. Remember when Baylor was undefeated? That was a fun time.

Iowa State figures to win at Nebraska for the first time since Beano Cook was wearing cloth diapers and Texas Tech will attempt to continue its streak of 50+ point performances, but not succeed while still winning the game.

Colorado will take the field in Stillwater and bust all those bubbles that everyone assumed would bust. The Pokes will struggle to run and pass, while the defense will begin to show their weaknesses. This is an Oklahoma State team that hasn’t played anyone that could exploit them like Oklahoma was exploited in Pasadena. Colorado wins by 10.

In the Fox Sports Net nightcap, Oklahoma will face Kansas State in a game that a few short years ago would have never made it past the folks at ABC for a national telecast. However, I think these are two teams on the way back up and the country will see this in a great game that Oklahoma pulls out with some fourth quarter drives by Rhett Bomar and Company. Sooner fans better hope I’m right, the momentum must start now or this season will just get longer.

Entry Filed under: Oklahoma Sports