An OU problem: Mike Gundy's resume still lacks a Bedlam victory

Gundy (Mike, not Gunnar) as head coach has elevated OSU football to heights greater than even when he quarterbacked the Cowboys. OSU's climb up the college football food chain has brought Gundy national acclaim, renewed by the No. 8 ranking in the coaches preseason poll.

But he's gone bust in Bedlam. Oh-for-6.

Gundy hasn't beaten the team he has to beat to get the Cowboys to the championship stage, be it Big 12 or national. OSU has to conquer the Sooners to make 2011 the historic season it could be in Cowboy Country.

Gundy missed OSU's annual fan and media day Saturday for the best of reasons (cheering on Gunnar down in Orlando), so he was spared the Bedlam questions. For now.

I know, football is supposed to be a one-game-at-a-time sport. Lose to Texas Tech and Iowa State, and it doesn't matter if you beat the Sooners. Except it does matter to a program that for too long has been trying to escape the shadow of its in-state archrival, and besides, OSU's season opener is Louisiana-Lafayette. So I think we all can agree that in August, it's OK to discuss December.

“Oklahoma's been a heck of a football team,” said OSU defensive coordinator Bill Young. “Not too many people have been beating Oklahoma.”

Somewhat true. Except not that long ago, the Cowboys were winning Bedlam with some regularity. Bob Simmons went 3-3 against OU and was fired. Les Miles went 2-2 against Bob Stoops, and it helped earn him the LSU job.

But now Gundy is 0-6 in Bedlam, despite upgrading the Cowboys on every other level, from facilities to coaching staff to talent to victory total to even standings (a tie atop the Big 12 South Division last autumn).

And it's not like the Sooners have been invulnerable during those six seasons. While Gundy is winless in Bedlam, the Sooners have lost to every other Big 12 school except Baylor, Iowa State and the Kansas schools, plus non-powers UCLA, Brigham Young and Miami.

So someone is beating the Sooners. It's time the Cowboys became that someone, especially with the game at Boone Pickens Stadium for the second straight year.

“We respect the crap out of Oklahoma,” State quarterback Brandon Weeden said. “They're a tough squad. Gotta go out, treat it like any other game. Sometimes guys let it become a distraction. Last year, we did a pretty good job of not letting that happen. Play like it's just another good opponent. Do what we do. Take all the hype out of it. Go out and play ball.”