How big is OSU-Georgia?
OSU athletic director Mike Holder caught my attention with this quote he gave our gal Andrea Cohen last week:
“I’m expecting a great season. Nine wins last year. Probably the biggest non-conference game in the history of OSU football against Georgia. That game’s gonna set the tone, I think, for the rest of the football season. If we can pull out a win there, I think anything’s possible. I think we could contend for a conference championship if we didn’t win that game, but it opens up a whole new spectrum of opportunities if we can win that game.”
Virtually everything Holder said is true, with the possible exception of the historical status of the Georgia game. “Probably” the biggest non-conference game in OSU history, Holder said. But is it?
Of course, everything seems bigger in the 21st century. More hype. More spotlight. More fans. More media. More everything.
And OSU-Georgia is huge. A traditional SEC power, coming to Stillwater to play a Cowboy team with what surely will be the highest preseason ranking in school history.
I figure OSU will be ranked around 10-12, while Georgia will be in that neighborhood, perhaps a little lower. And here’s a stunner for you: only twice in history has OSU played a non-conference game (not counting bowls) matching two ranked teams.
In 1985, a season opener, No. 16 OSU went to No. 12 Washington and won 31-17 in Seattle.
In 1958, on Thanksgiving Saturday, the No. 17 Cowboys hosted No. 5 Oklahoma. OU won 7-0. That’s right, Bedlam. OSU-OU wasn’t a conference game until 1960. When the Cowboys rode high in the ’40s, OU was down. When Bud Wilkinson ruled the ’50s, OSU was down. But 1958 was different; Cliff Speegle’s Cowboys entered that game 7-2, while the Sooners entered 8-1.
Strange, but all those OSU-Arkansas games, including the donnybrooks of the 1970s, never matched top-20 teams. The schools played 28 times from 1950 through 1980, all but thrice in Little Rock. The Razorbacks were ranked in 1960, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1979 and 1980. The Cowboys were ranked in 1973 and 1977.
Of course, rankings don’t always determine huge games. Take 1974, an amazingly entertaining year for OSU football. The Cowboys opened with a 59-0 thrashing of Wichita State, then embarked on a three-game swing of Southwest Conference foes. OSU beat 10th-ranked Arkansas 26-7, rose to No. 12 in the poll and lost 31-14 at Baylor. The Cowboys fell out of the rankings and went to No. 10 Texas Tech, where OSU lost 14-13.
Another game of note was the 1984 season opener, when Pat Jones’ era debuted with a 45-3 thumping of No. 12 Arizona State, though the Cowboys were unranked.
Anyway, here’s my list of the five biggest non-conference games in OSU history:
5. 1974 Arkansas: The week before, the Razorbacks had pinned a 22-7 thrashing on Southern Cal. So this was a chance for the Cowboys to make a big name for themselves — and they did it, by dominating Arkansas.
4. 1984 Arizona State: New coach, lots of optimism, a season opener against a team picked No. 1 by Sports Illustrated. Then a 45-3 blowout victory to boot. In terms of non-conference import AFTER the fact, this one ranks No. 1.
3. 1985 Washington: The Cowboys made a statement with the rout at Arizona State, and this gave OSU a chance to do it all over again, against a school coming off an Orange Bowl victory over OU.
2. 2009 Georgia: Of all the big non-conference games in OSU history, this is by far the biggest in Stillwater. The Cowboys made a habit of going to Arkansas virtually every year, and the big showdowns with Washington and Arizona State were on the road, too.
1. 1958 Bedlam: Games late in the season generally are bigger than games early. The Cowboys, armed with a national ranking and a good team, had a chance to create great momentum for the eventual move into the Big Eight Conference.
-------------Berry Tramel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including AM-640 and FM-98.1. You can e-mail him here and follow him on Twitter @BerryTramel. Visit Berry's website here.
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Comments
I want to see OSU play a tougher non conference schedule. I am tired of seeing 4 cake walks every year. I would like to see us play some BCS Conference teams. I think one of the problems that OSU has in selling season tickets is the non coference games are terrible.
You can talk or write about past OSU football all you want, but the facts are, and history has proven, the Cowboys can’t recruit nationally and can’t compete in the Big 12 South let alone win a Big 12 Championship… no matter how much money Pickens throws at the program.
I agree with Roy. So what if OSU beats Georgia? OSU still has to beat Texas and OU, very unlikely. OSU may hover early in the top ten, but will not finish there.
Ron said: “This is almost as sad as when OU was ranked #1 and struggled badly at home against an unranked Alabama team in Norman that was on probation and facing the death penalty. I want to see Big 12 teams schedule away games at Death Valley in Baton Rouge or at a beast like Neyland Stadium when Tennessee is at their top.”
For Big 12 teams playing at Death Valley and Neyland Stadium, see OU’s schedules for 2015 and either 2018 or 2019. About playing anybody “at their top,” you may not realize it, but there is no guarantee when games are scheduled ten years ahead of time how good the opponent will be.
Take a look at how few SEC teams play OOC powerhouses away from home before you start throwing rocks at the Big 12. For example, when is the last time that LSU played a road game against a non-conference opponent that finished in the top 10? Honestly, I don’t know when it was, but, best I can tell, LSU has only played 3, count ‘em, 3 road OOC games in the last 10 seasons. Against Va. Tech (finished 10-4), in 2002, Arizona (finished 2-10) in 2003, and Tulane (finished 4-8) in 2007.
And you want to throw rocks at OSU for ONLY scheduling Georgia, who ONLY finished as SEC champs in 2002 and 2005, and SEC East Champs in 2003?
Go directly to Jail. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200.
It’s still way too early to say that it’s very unlikely for OSU to beat Texas and/or OU. Right now, there’s still a lot within the realm of possibility for OSU.
I think we’ve made large strides relative to both programs in recent years. I also think that some of you OU fans are just jealous because OSU is getting some national attention in advance of the Georgia game. You should just get used to it.
OSU has to prove it’s football program is not “all show, no go” with big Pickens money. Getting top talent nationally is key and I don’t think we are there yet. As long as OU is winning conference titles, contending for national championships and we’re not, the Sooners have no reason to be jealous of OSU’s national attention.
[...] Has there been a bigger brand-name non-conference opponent in Stillwater in the modern era? Berry Tramel at NewsOK.com did a breakdown as to where he feels the season opener for the Cowboys ranks compared to other hyped games in [...]
Some sooners have made remarks about OSU and their recruiting. If the sooners were not worried about OSU’s progress in recruiting and facilities, they would not make deprecating remarks such as those above. It kinda reminds me of a Tulsa Car Dealer in Tulsa who used this saying, (Chick don’t care). In relation to the Sooners who denegrate OSU, the answer is, (Cowboys don’t care).
OSU’s performance and publicity will only help the big 12, everyones recruiting etc. As a sooner I pull for OSU and all the big 12 teams till we play. Picking on each other is just what happens Tbone. That is what makes the rivals what they are…I can assure you OU does not care! It is just too easy to make Aggie jokes. Beat dem dogs…. BOOMER
Facts are facts gents… You don’t have to be a Sooner to know that until OSU wins the Big 12 South the monkey remains… I too want to see Big 12 teams kick non-conference butt. But the reality is, inside the Big 12, some schools don’t and can’t compete…
Give Holder a break. It’s hard to be up to speed on OSU Sports History when
you’re driving Boone’s cart, washing his car, polishing his shoe’s, etc.
I would venture to say, the God Father is probably just as inept on OU
History. It’s difficult to cater to the Picken’s and Gaylord’s and stay in touch
with the school you’re affiliated with on sports history Thats tough to do!
Roy, it is true that eventually OSU has to “prove themselves” by winning. As far as recruiting, maybe you haven’t noticed, but OSU’s 2010 class is already rated in the top 10 by man sources…so look out for the future.
Ron: Your comments do not fit the story, as maybe you were portraying that the Top SEC Teams were better than the Big12. Let me remind you what Bear Bryant said after a so so Nebraska Team went to Alabama and took apart a good Alabama Team. I believe his quote was “Good Big and Fast Players beat Good Small and Fast Players”. After the following Missouri Loss, Alabama starteed recruiting bigger and faster players. Believe he also quit scheduling Big 8 teams. As far as OSU Football Teams, Football was not emphasised until Jimmy Johnson came along in 1982 and sparked the schools interest. Believe OSU only spent $10 million on athletic facilities from 1970 thru 1990. Thank goodness for Holder and Boone, those days are over. Its a small wonder that OSU was invited into the Big8 in 1958. Certain Bi12 schools receive favorable treatment in Conference Revenue Sharing, OSU isn’t one of them.