OSU vs. Texas Preview

Oklahoma State and Texas are set to face off in what should probably be deemed the Bowl-Eligibility Bowl.

Both teams enter with five wins, OSU at 5-4 and Texas at 5-5. And neither one has another likely win on the schedule. The Pokes play at Baylor and at Oklahoma, while Texas hosts TCU on Thanksgiving. So for these two proud programs, bowl-eligibility likely rides on Saturday's showdown.

"That's always the focus around here,” receiver David Glidden said. “Playing in the postseason is what it's all about, get to a bowl game and have an extra chance to go play and compete at the end of the year. It's a focus, but at the same time we're going out there and it's another chance to go compete."

The Cowboys have won three out of four against the Longhorns. And OSU fans will tell you that it should probably be four out of four if Joe Bergeron's last-minute goal-line fumble had actually been ruled a fumble in 2012.

Earlier in the season, five for five was looking like a lock. OSU was 5-1 with a loss only to the defending champs. Texas was 2-4 and was losing players to suspensions left and right. It appeared that a complete rebuild was underway in Austin.

But the Cowboys are collapsing and the Longhorns appear to have righted the ship. OSU has lost three in a row by more than 30 points a game while Texas is coming off of a 33-16 throttling of No. 23 West Virginia.

If the Cowboys want to go bowling, they've got to spring the parachute and stop the freefall.

"We go into every game knowing that it's important,” linebacker Seth Jacobs said. “These last couple of games, we haven't been as successful and executed as well as we wanted to. Each game is very important, and that's been stressed throughout the year."

OSU has won 26 straight games over unranked opponents at Boone Pickens Stadium, but this one might be the toughest of the bunch. A win gives the Pokes a 13th game and sets a new school record for nine-straight postseason appearances. A loss, and they'll probably have to beat the slumping Sooners in Norman to reach the postseason.