Don't ask Barry Switzer about the time Darrell Royal accused him of sending a spy to watch Texas practice. Feelings still run deep, a quarter century later. And neither coach wants to talk about it.

	Barry Switzer coached the Sooners to national titles in 1974, '75 and '85..

The ruckus occurred back in 1976, when a volunteer scout for Texas supposedly saw a "mystery man" watching the Longhorns practice that August. The story broke the day before the Red River shootout, and it was page one news in the Oklahoma City Oklahoman. Switzer scoffed at Royal's charge and waived off a suggestion that he and the "spy" take a polygraph test.

This was a year after Switzer and some OU assistants had passed polygraph tests after another ruckus involving recruiting of players from Texas high schools. The Sooners often used Texans to beat Texas in those days: Joe Washington, Greg Pruitt, Billy Sims and Jack Mildren all came from the Lone Star state.

Never mind that Norman was in some cases closer to their hometowns than Austin, it incensed Royal, who sometimes equated these border-crossing recruiting efforts with cattle-rustling! A very serious offense in those parts, by the way.

This great series actually pre-dates Oklahoma's statehood by seven years! The first meeting was in 1900, when OU's enrollment was a whopping 260 students. The Sooners (not yet called that) traveled about 17 hours on an overnight train, arrived in Austin the morning of the game, and promptly got schooled, 28-2 by the Texas "Steers" (Longhorns wasn't yet the nickname).

OU's fledgling program was coached by a former scrub from Harvard's team with no previous experience. That's a long way from Bob Stoops and his two million bucks. The Texas newspaper added insult the next day, referring to the event as a "practice game" with the gridiron novices from Norman not yet worthy of a real game.

They first met on the fairgrounds in Dallas in 1912. That was the year the playing field was shortened to 100 yards from 110, a fourth down was added for offenses, and a touchdown's value was increased from five points to six. And starting in 1912, there was no limit on how far a forward pass could carry. By the way, 1912 was also the year both teams showed up late - well after the scheduled kickoff! Texas found all the train cars on the way to the fairgrounds from their hotel were jammed. New Yorkers can relate. The Sooners had trouble getting cars from the hotel to the field. Six thousand fans were kept waiting, as the ferocious game was won by Oklahoma.

For more than a decade, it was wishbone versus wishbone, and often the two sides would combine for only a handful of completed passes. Think about that as Nate Hybl and Chris Simms combine for about 50 of them Saturday.

This kind of rich history is what makes this Saturday's landmark renewal of the Red River Rivalry so special. It's the first time in 17 years that both are unbeaten and both are in the top five. Both have coaching staffs that are at the top of the profession. Both are recruiting machines to be reckoned with. And once again, OU-Texas figures prominently in the national title race. All is right with college football.

My Top Five
Since it's now October, I'll share the top and bottom of my AP ballot. In the season's first month, I don't put much time or credence into the voting.
1. Miami: Still. The Canes will be the rarest of all commodities next week: a road team EXPECTED to win at Tallahassee. It's quite a compelling backdrop for next week's Gameday broadcast. But we digress.
2. Florida: Gators may deserve the top spot, and will even more so if they pound LSU. But I just can't drop Miami for no reason. Their ranking is moot, though. If they run the table, they'll be in Pasadena. If they don't, they won't.
3. Oklahoma: Sooners show cracks but just win, baby?over a very good KSU team that I did not drop one notch this week.
4. UCLA: Not many have the Bruins this high, but they've won two road games in tough settings and have few holes.
5. Nebraska: Huskers get the slight edge over Texas for this spot, but if the Horns beat OU, they will jump to No. 3.

My Bottom Six
Now, the last slots on my ballot, which are much harder to thoughtfully fill in than the top ones.
20. Washington State: Kirk is giving me grief for "bandwagoning" his pre-season sleeper team, but it's amazing this team was actually picked last by many Pac-10 scribes. The Cougs are 33rd, collecting fewer coaches' poll points than 1-2 Oregon State, whom they play Saturday. Wazoo: Do not make me regret my vote by losing this home game!
21. Stanford: Cardinal answered some defensive questions against USC. They are the next foe for Washington State after Wazoo plays Oregon State. Maybe I have them too high. We'll find out.
22. Texas A&M: Aggies might be a little high, too. How much weight can you give to beating Notre Dame these days? Consecutive October road games with Colorado and Kansas State will either legitimize them or knock them from the rankings for good.
23. Toledo: I have them as the highest ranked team in Ohio. The Rockets will be favored to finish the MAC season undefeated. They handled Minnesota with ease, and Purdue needed a rally and then overtime. I don't have the Boilers ranked, yet. The winner of the Purdue-Iowa game goes into next week's poll.
24. BYU: Most have the Cougars a little higher. The road demolition of a Cal team that scared Washington is their best credential. Gary Crowton's offense is for real, but I need to see a little more of BYU to be a believer.
25. Colorado: I gave the Buffs a good chance of ending a four game losing streak to KSU, until I saw the Cats from ringside Saturday. That's an impressive looking bunch. KSU has not lost consecutive regular season games since 1994, so it could be CU-later very quickly.

Whipped Bulldogs
The IQ of Joe Lee Dunn must have plummeted in recent weeks. We have always admired the offbeat, intuitive style of the one-of-a-kind defensive coordinator. He stands on the field directing his defenders with hand signals, and doesn't wear headsets because he says he doesn't need any outside input. But in the last two games, Mississippi State has been embarrassed, and Dunn has not pushed the right buttons.

	Joe Lee Dunn's Bulldog defense has struggled.

Against South Carolina, the Bulldogs never adjusted to the loaded up formation and wing-T style runs of South Carolina's change-up QB Corey Jenkins. Dunn's boss, Jackie Sherrill, noticed that as well.

Saturday, Joe Lee's blitzing style was absolutely carved up by Rex Grossman and the Gators. If this was a poker game between Spurrier the offensive gambler and Dunn the defensive risk-taker, then Joe Lee got cleaned out quickly.

With Grossman in the shotgun (a formation the Ball Coach finally embraced the night he beat FSU for the national title), State's blitzers were harmless and their corners were helpless against Jabar Gaffney and Reche Caldwell (who is too often overlooked with the hype given Gaffney). Grossman found it "ridiculous" to ask DB's to shadow his guys man-to-man. I'd agree.

I still like Joe Lee a lot. His defenses have always played hard. But they've looked bad this season, and what happens from here on with Mississippi State is anybody's guess. Will the players stay interested? At 0-2, one more SEC loss would spell the end for a once-promising season. If MSU can't throttle the struggling Auburn offense this week, you know there are some serious issues there.

Other Beaten Men
Failed man coverage also figured prominently in losses by LSU and Kansas State. It's always a gamble to bring the house and leave your corners on islands. Almost all of Oklahoma's offense against the Wildcats came on long "jump-ball" throws to Antwone Savage and Curtis Fagan, while KSU blitzed Nate Hybl. Hybl hung in long enough, absorbed huge punishment (watching on TV could not give you an appreciation for the consistency and intensity of the hits he took), and made enough plays to win. That's what the Sooner scheme asked of him.

LSU tried to single cover Tennessee's freaky 22-year-old freshman walk-on Kelley Washington with disastrous results (11 catches for 256 yards). I'll wager Washington won't get much more single coverage this season.

Take note that Texas veered away from its' staple man coverage and smothered the Texas Tech spread. The Red Raiders had 40 completions, but for "only" 260 yards and one TD. Texas will use more of the same 3-4 scheme, featuring linebackers D.D. Lewis and freshman Derrick Johnson, and zone coverage against the Sooners.

	“	Watching Kansas State-Oklahoma on TV could not give you an appreciation for the consistency and intensity of the hits Nate Hybl took. ”

Lewis, by the way, is one of the most admirable players in the nation. He's a husband, father (son Zion Joshua celebrated his first birthday Wednesday) and minister in training. He's started all 42 games in his Texas career and will become the first in his family to graduate college in December. His responsibility Saturday will be keying on fellow Texan Quentin Griffin, who wiggled through UT for six Sooner TD's last year. Then again, Lewis has mastered responsibility.

Who is that guy?
Unless you are A) from Sacramento B) from Iowa or C) an ardent fan of Oregon State, that's probably what you were thinking if you saw the unreal stats Saturday of Seneca Wallace. He's new the quarterback of Iowa State, who delivered a conference record 18 straight completions in a 22 of 24, 299 yard, four touchdown mauling of Baylor. That was in his third major college game! Wallace is also a great runner, who dazzled Northern Iowa on a pair of TD scampers in the his debut.

So, who is he? Wallace was first signed by Oregon State as a defensive back/receiver prospect a couple years ago. The NCAA clearinghouse nixed a few of the credits on his high school transcript, so instead of sitting out the season in Corvallis, he opted to return to California at Sacramento City Junior College. There, he was a backup QB until the starter got hurt. Wallace never gave up the job. Kansas State gave him a long look, but signed fellow JUCO QB Marc Dunn.

Wallace was brought to Ames to replace fourth-round draft pick Sage Rosenfels and in his first month of major college play was voted Big XII offensive player of the week over Eric Crouch, Chris Simms, Roy Williams, and Antwone Savage. Coming in, some compared Wallace to Michael Bishop, but he's only about 185 pounds. His blend of skills is exactly what a lot of offenses are looking for, but has a much more accurate arm than most mobile QBs.

Now, it's off to Lincoln, where the Cyclones haven't won since 1977, well before Wallace was born. Seneca has never seen anything like the Huskers' defense or the Big Red crowd, for that matter. But I wouldn't rule out Wallace and Iowa State giving a great effort and being there at the end.

Salute to AP
I've never seen him run the football and probably won't until he gets to the NFL, but I've got to admire Adrian Peterson of 1-AA Georgia Southern. Unless the Catamounts of Western Carolina can stop him, "A.P." will make Saturday his 36th career 100-yard game, surpassing the all-division record of Grove City's R.J. Bowers. Peterson is challenged by a stuttering condition, which is nothing to be ashamed of, but makes him a little shy with the media.

Countdown to Big D
The Texas-Oklahoma game has been Number One on my list of games I've never seen. Our entire Gameday staff is pumped up about being there. There's been some debate about moving the game to campus sites on alternating basis, just like almost every other rivalry. That would be a huge mistake. Along with Florida-Georgia and Army-Navy, it's the last of the great neutral field struggles.

The difference is, the Gators and Dawgs now play in a spruced up NFL stadium and the game isn't quite the same as it was in the sweaty ole' Gator Bowl. The Army-Navy game has rotated between Philly, Jersey, Baltimore, etc. in recent years. Texas-Oklahoma has been on the state fair grounds each year since 1929. There it should stay forever.

Hoping to visit soon
Since it's something GameDay viewers frequently ask about, here's a top five list of places I'd most like to see the GameDay show visit.
1. Husky Stadium, University of Washington: Spectacular scenery on the banks of Lake Washington and a stadium that VIBRATES!
2. South Carolina's campus: Real good tailgate scene and perhaps the most loyal fans anywhere. There's a chance, when the Gators come calling.
3. The Grove, Ole Miss: Again, spectacular scenery. Nice trees, too.
4. Death Valley, Clemson: Lotsa tradition in this classic hotbed.
5. University of Hawaii: The crew could stay on Maui, then pop over to Honolulu for GameDay.

Chris Fowler is the host of ESPN's College GameDay.