Red River Rivalry bragging rights are second to surviving another Big 12 opponent

But all of those stretches were ended by job changes. Broyles and Royal resigned. Hayes slugged a Clemson player and lost his job. Switzer was forced out after The Troubles.

Stoops and Mack are still going, strongly to some degree, they just now have to share the stage with OSU and West Virginia and K-State.

“It's great for the fans,” Mack said Monday down in Austin. “It's great for college football. This league has gotten hard. I mean, you'd better play good every week … it's a fun time for the fans, and coaches are having to coach hard.”

Put Stoops and Mack at the top of that list. Stoops is in danger of going two straight seasons without a Big 12 title. That would be a first. Since playing in the 2009 national title game, Mack is 7-12 in conference play.

Their status as kingpins of this conference in peril. Their game in the Cotton Bowl is not for Big 12 supremacy. It's for Big 12 survival.

Berry Tramel: Berry can be reached at (405) 760-8080 or at btramel@opubco.com. He can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including FM-98.1. You can also view his personality page at newsok.com/berrytramel.