The stage is set, and the records and rankings are right where they should be for next weekend’s showdown between No. 1 OU and No. 5 Texas.

These two teams have this rivalry game circled on the calendar every year, but there is a definite excitement surrounding 2008’s edition of the Red River Rivalry that simply wasn’t present in years past.

For starters, that cool breeze everyone has felt over the past couple of days? That’s from the collective sigh of relief breathed by every OU and Texas fan on Saturday after both teams proved they weren’t going to get caught looking ahead. Not this year.

Not like last year when both teams lost to unranked opponents the weekend before their annual meeting.

For anyone who wasn’t keeping up last season, OU saw its national title aspirations take a big hit when it was upset by Colorado, and Colt McCoy’s sophomore slump was seemingly in full swing as Kansas State knocked off the Longhorns.

As a result, a lot of the wind was let out of the sails of the Dallas-bound ship.

Both schools still had the sour taste of defeat in their mouths, even as the masses descended upon the Cotton Bowl.

This year, however, the famous Texas State Fair corn dogs won’t taste so bitter. In fact, everything seems a little bit sweeter.

Naturally, the hot topic last week was whether or not both teams would fall into the same trap this year, especially since Texas was playing Colorado.

OU had answered that question by the first quarter of its game against Baylor, when the Sooners led 28-0 en route to a 49-17 victory.

Texas made sure its reply was heard loud and clear, too, as the Longhorns improved to 5-0 with a 38-14 dismantling of Colorado.

So now the fun starts.

Both teams enter Saturday’s contest boasting a top-five ranking and a top-five Heisman trophy candidate under center.

The winner will undoubtedly be in the driver’s seat in the chase for the Big 12 South title, and will also have the resumé to claim itself as the top team in the Big 12.

Last year, a cloud of confusion hung over Dallas. With both schools coming off a loss, nobody really knew where — if at all — OU or Texas fit into the national championship picture.

This year, it’s clear what is on the line for both teams.

As the saying goes, “To the victor go the spoils.” For this year’s OU-Texas, nothing could be more true.

— Eric Dama is a journalism sophomore.