I think it's been fairly obvious just how slow a week it's been around here. The week before Texas Week always tends to have a distracted feel as especially we as fans can't help put look ahead. Add to the fact that the Sooners opponent this week offers little in the way of demanding your attention and it only adds to the anticipation of next week. Unlike OU, this coming Saturday Texas has what's been billed as "The Big 12 Game of the Week" and a revenge game. It's against Iowa State.
As if they needed a reminder of their 5-7 season last year, a "revenge" game against Iowa State this weekend will provide just that and shows just how far off the mountain top they fell in 2010. If it gives you any indication of just how hollow Texas' current undefeated record actually is, the Cyclones will be by far the best team the Horns will have played this year. That's not intended to be a shot at Iowa State as we here at CCM have been very vocal in our admiration for HC Paul Rhoads, but that said it's still Iowa State. Despite that fact however, the worrisome part for Horn fans should be the fact that this looks to be an even better Iowa State team than the one who ran roughshod over UT in Austin last year. So with that in mind, I had a question I'd like to pose to Sooner Nation.
As an OU fan heading into the greatest rivalry in CFB, would you like to see Texas lose to Iowa State this week or would you prefer a Longhorn victory?
There are arguments to be made for both, perhaps some more convincing than others, and we'll discuss some of those now.
* Why you should want Texas to lose, Reason #1 - Well, I mean the first one is pretty obvious. The sheer entertainment factor. For this Texas game last year, I was actually in Columbia, MO about to endure my own personal nightmare, but at the time blissfully unaware of how miserable I was about to be. So prior to that, taking a break from the tailgate some friends and I went to a local establishment to have a few pops and just so happened to catch most of the second half of the UT vs. ISU game. I cannot tell you how much fun that was to watch as an OU fan, but you already know that. So really the chance at that kind of enjoyment a second time is reason enough alone.
* Why you should want Texas to win, Reason #1 - (That might have been one of the most difficult things I've ever had to type in the nearly two years I've been a part of this site.) Again, I think this one is pretty simple. Overconfidence. If Texas were to win Saturday, they'd obviously head into Dallas 4-0 and coming off a win in what they're describing as a "big" game. So despite have four less than impressive wins in the minds of everybody some, they would come into the RRSO riding high and ripe for a reality check. In the past I would have been hesitant to make such a statement about Texas, but when that video of them celebrating after that one point win against BYU hit in interwebs it showed me just how low they've adjusted their expectations for their program. I don't care how many times they tell us, you don't just magically remove the sense of entitlement they had last year (hell, the last decade) by replacing some coaches. The slimy head of that snake is still attached and while they are all most definitely drinking the "Mack's a new man" kool-aid, don't think a little success couldn't still go to their heads.
* Why you should want Texas to lose, Reason #2 - Did I already say it'd be funny as hell? Because yeah, it sure would be.
* Why you should want Texas to win, Reason #2 - Blowouts in Dallas just don't happen all that often. So while some OU fans may be incredibly confident in their chances next Saturday, I always tend to lean more towards a close, hard fought game against our most hated rival. So with that in mind, the OU fans such as myself don't really want a pissed off Texas squad coming in with any more motivation having just come off a loss to the Cyclones.
* Why you should want Texas to lose, Reason #3 - The counter argument to Texas coming in riding the high of 4-0, if they were to lose to Iowa State do they get so down on themselves they come out flat for OU? This one is pretty far fetched in my opinion. I mean, win or lose Dallas is still Dallas and it's hard to imagine them not getting up for that game. Heck, if they lose to Iowa State why wouldn't they approach Dallas, and facing at worst a top three OU team, as their season defining game? Let's just not even go there shall we.
* Why you should want Texas to win, Reason #3 - A 4-0 Texas team that, depending on what else transpires this weekend, is likely to be Top 15 heading into Dallas would only improve OU's resume were they able to come out victorious in the rivalry game. Now if an OU win were to send them reeling for a second consecutive year and they were to fall out of the Top 25, well then at least if nothing else we started their tailspin right?
While reasons to lose numbers one and two are VERY compelling arguments, but it would appear to me that the 'we should want Texas to win' argument wins pretty easily, no? So while I would never jeopardize my OU fan card by stating that I'll be rooting for Texas to win this Saturday, it appears I will at least, solely for the benefit of our Sooners of coure, be hoping that they can hold off the mighty Cyclones.
Now please excuse me while I go take multiple scalding hot showers in an attempt to remove the filth I now feel from having even typed that.