OU football notebook

Published: October 3, 2006

Texas defensive end Brian Robison, who didn't play last week against Sam Houston State because of a knee injury, said Monday he will play against Oklahoma Saturday in Dallas.

Texas officials don't disclose specific injury information. Robison was injured when he was leg-whipped by an Iowa State offensive lineman Sept. 23.

But Robison said he was about 75 percent healthy last Saturday and could have played.

"We just decided it would probably be safer if we didn't," Robison said.

Robison said he expects a decision to be made by Wednesday or Thursday as to how much he will play against OU. But he said he definitely expects to play.

• Stat value: Texas enters Saturday's game against Oklahoma second in the country in run defense, allowing just 36.6 yards per game. Only Michigan, at 34.4 per game, ranks ahead of the Longhorns.

OU coach Bob Stoops said Monday that statistics at this point in the season are difficult to measure.

"Everybody's statistics to this point, do they really matter until you get into like opponents with conferences?" Stoops asked.

"(Texas has) been a solid run defense. They were last year, too. In the end, statistics, I think overall at this point in the year, I don't know how much they mean to anybody."

• On paper: Robison pumped some bulletin-board material out, then quickly retreated.

"You look at us, on paper … we're probably the better team," Robison said. "But this is a rivalry, and anything goes on Saturday."

Asked to expound, Robison noted Texas' higher ranking in the polls, and said, "that's the only reason I'd say we're a better team than they are, because really and truly if you get down to it, we have the same caliber of players they have."

• Just another game? Players and coaches don't often let on that one game is bigger than another. That lesson is taught in the first week of Coachspeak 101.

But for OU players, when Texas pops up on the schedule, they can't always put it off as "just another game."

"You can just tell, from the first snap of practice, you don't hear any extra talking in the background about anything else," OU tight end Joe Jon Finley said. "Everybody is focused on your position so you can be confident on every snap in the game.

"I've been looking forward to this for two weeks now. It's always in the back of your mind. That's why you come here to play, to play in games like this."

Freshman defensive tackle DeMarcus Granger says he's ready for his first action in the OU-Texas showdown.

"This is something I've been waiting on the past couple of years," said Granger, a Dallas native.

"I remember watching the Red River Shootout four years, including my redshirt year. To be playing in it, would be to say a dream come true."

With his dream come ticket requests from friends and family, all of which Granger can't possibly fill.

"I've got four in this game and 12 outside with the barbecue pit," he said.

• New attitude in Austin: It didn't take much to get the Longhorns' confidence on the upswing. Coming off a conference and national championship season, it's hard not to be confident.

"We're a more confident team, after the last year and a half really," Texas coach Mack Brown said. "Took a step back against a really good Ohio State team.

"But winning the national championship really changes your attitude."

• No Corso: ESPN announced Monday that its Saturday highlights/analysis show, College Football GameDay, will be in SEC country this week.

Host Chris Fowler and analysts Kirk Herbstreit and Lee Corso broadcast from Gainesville, Fla. where unbeaten and fifth-ranked Florida hosts No. 9 LSU.

By George Schroeder, John Helsley and Scott Wright