Texas' Mack Brown no longer haunted by OU demons

Mr. February, he was called by detractors back then. Stinko de Macko.

Seems a long time ago.

Another Big 12 Media Days arrived Wednesday, with Mack's demons long gone. The Texas football coach is Mr. January, with a 3-0 record in BCS bowls. His program is stronger than ever. And, most relevant to fans of a certain rivalry, Brown no longer is Bob Stoops' foil.

The Oklahoma problem has been solved.

Mack has won three of four from Stoops, and while no one can legitimately argue that Texas has the superior coach (the Sooners have won three straight Big 12 titles; Stoops is up 6-1 on Brown in pennants), no one can legitimately argue that Stoops still has his foot on Brown.

Three victories over OU in the last four years have ended all talk of Stoops' dominance.

Stoops wins the Big 12 titles, but Mack wins the bowl games. Stoops once owned Texas, now Mack has the upper hand.

"During the period of time it was rough going, the right people at Texas knew they had the right coach," said Donnie Duncan.

Duncan knows well the Brown/OU dynamic. Duncan was the athletic director at OU, the Big 12 football czar and the head coach at Iowa State, where in 1980 Duncan promoted to offensive coordinator a 28-year-old pup named Mack Brown.

"Mack Brown is not a good coach, he's a great coach," Duncan said.

That's more apparent than ever. Texas football rides higher than it's ridden since Darrell Royal's heyday in the 1960s. Don't be surprised if Mack approaches Royal as a Longhorn icon.