“Texas forever?” Actually, it’s not the Lone Star State, but the smaller border state to the north that is currently on top of the college football world right now. The Sooner state has never seen this much of a boomtown for winning football as they do right now.
Both the Oklahoma Sooners and Oklahoma State Cowboys are winning big, and doing it with powerful, exciting aerial attacks. Oklahoma is a tiny state, with one professional sports franchise (Thunder from the NBA) and only three big name college sports teams. (if you count OSU and Tulsa as big names).
It’s safe to say this the first time both schools have been ranked in the top 7. Sooners #1, Ok. St. #7 and their rivalry bedlam this year will undoubtedly be the biggest in the series history.
This is not new territory for the Sooners, they are one of college football’s most royal programs. Their rivalry with Texas is one of those bloodfeuds that helps define the sport. But Texas is not what it used to be, and T. Boone Pickens, one of the most powerful owner and general managers (whoops, I meant to say booster) in the entire game has built the Cowboys into a big time winner.
When OU meets OSU on the final week of the season December 3rd, it’ll feature lots of passing yards and future NFL QBs and WRs Brandon Weeden, Justin Blackmon, Landry Jones, Kenny Stills and Ryan Broyles. There’s a lot more to college football in the state than “I’M A MAN! I’M 40!”
The OU and OSU passing games will fit right in with in the new Pac-16.
So what other states also have a solid combination of football programs among the nationally ranked?
The usual suspects Florida and Texas of course.
Florida State is ranked #11, Florida #15, but the usual third member of their triad, Miami has fallen on very hard times. They did look good pasting Ohio State, but then again these are not your older brother’s Buckeyes. The ‘canes are replaced by #18 South Florida, the new kid on the block in reppin’ the sunshine state.
As far as Texas goes, the Longhorns check in at #19, sandwiched between #17 Baylor and #20 TCU, the two schools that gave us one of the young season’s most exciting games. How weird is it that Baylor is the among the highest ranked team in the state?
Too bad they won’t have a conference anymore. Although TCU might get screwed too, which would be sad.
Texas A&M is the highest ranked team from Lone Star Land at #8. Setting up an epic showdown with OSU this Saturday. A Red River shootout of equal importance, but different combatants.
Paul M. Banks is CEO of The Sports Bank.net, an official Google News site that generates millions of unique visitors. He’s also a regular contributor to Chicago Now, Walter Football.com, Yardbarker, and Fox Sports
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