With both teams coming off defeats and the loser of the Oklahoma-Texas game facing an 0-2 start in Big 12 Conference play, the need to win might be increased in the Cotton Bowl on Saturday.
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For those who agree that the stakes are raised for this edition of OU-Texas, Sooner coach Bob Stoops has one question.
"How could they be?” he asked during his Tuesday media luncheon. "(The stakes) are always big.”
Now, Saturday's loser is virtually eliminated from the race to win the Big 12 South and play for the conference title. Still, Stoops says the pressure to win hasn't increased for either team.
"Other years, when you haven't had (a loss), you've still got to beat them,” he said. "If you haven't had any losses, your national championship hopes are higher. You still have a half-game lead on that team you just beat.
"This game will always be big and how you make it bigger, I don't know. The bottom line is you need to win.”
•Coming out: The second half of last year's Red River Shootout is often described as the coming-out party for Texas quarterback Colt McCoy.
The Longhorns trailed 10-7 at the half, before McCoy led scoring drives on the first two possessions of the second half, en route to a 28-10 win.
Texas had played conservatively through two quarters, but offensive coordinator Greg Davis decided to turn McCoy loose after intermission.
"He came up and talked to me,” said McCoy. "He said, ‘Hey, we're going to have to throw the ball, spread it out a little bit.' I said, ‘Well, thanks. Let's go.'
"That's kind of how that started. Opened it up, hit a ball deep to Limas (Sweed), did some things.”
•Less of Reggie on returns: Though it is not a direct result of Reggie Smith's muffed punt that set up Colorado's tying touchdown last Saturday, Stoops says he needs to reevaluate how he uses Smith in the return game.
Smith will continue to return punts, but Stoops might choose to rest him on occasion, replacing him with Dominique Franks.
Stoops hinted that Smith's muffed punt could have been a result of his starting cornerback being tired late in a game where OU's defense had been on the field more than usual.
"I've got to be smarter (about) how fatigued he is at times, how many snaps he's had,” Stoops said of Smith. "Dominique Franks has done a great job with it. We need to probably spell (Smith) some for that reason.”
Last season, Smith averaged 7.8 yards on 37 returns and is up to 8.9 yards on 17 returns this year. Franks, a redshirt freshman, has averaged 13.5 yards on four attempts, with a long of 36 yards. Both have muffed a kick this season.
By Scott Wright and John Helsley
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Franks also doesn't catch it cleanly enough. Gee, lets get someone with some great hands first. If the burners can't catch it every single time, put kelly back there.
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