In his first entry of a three part series ESPN's Mark Schlabach tosses out an entire page full of games that are supposedly intriguing. Oklahoma is mentioned twice but for games we Sooners have taken for granted.
The first mention is Oklahoma's season opener against TCU in which Schlabach says;
Sooners fans probably haven't forgotten the interception new Mean Green coach Todd Dodge threw against Oklahoma as Texas' quarterback in 1984. With time winding down in the Red River Shootout, Oklahoma's Keith Stanberry appeared to intercept Dodge's pass in the end zone with five seconds to play. But Southwest Conference officials ruled Stanberry was out of bounds, and then Texas' Jeff Ward kicked a 32-yard field goal as time expired for a 15-15 tie. Dodge probably won't forget his first trip to Norman, Okla., as a college coach, either.
I have to strongly disagree. Todd Dodge has nothing to do with the reason this game is intriguing. It is so, however, for two reasons. First, will the starting quarterback position be settled by then and how will said quarterback perform. Second, OU fans are literally drooling over the opportunity to see DeMarco Murray. Just like in 1984 Dodge will be a side show to a much bigger circus.
The second game mentioned is three weeks later when the Sooners travel up the turnpike to play Tulsa on a Friday night.
How's this for Friday Night Lights? The Sooners and Golden Hurricane meet at Skelly Stadium on a night when Jenks High and Union High -- the country's best high school football rivals -- are usually the headliners. The Sooners have won the last three games in the series by a combined score of 126-15.
Granted Friday night games are always fun and OU/Tulsa rivalry is interesting I'm a lot more intrigued by a game much earlier than this one. OU/Miami anyone?