It usually starts with a governor of one state rambling on and on about how their team is going to win the week’s big college football game. Then, before they know it, the governor of the opposing team’s state is spewing the same nonsense.

Before long, a few phone calls have been exchanged and press releases crowd the headlines. Two politicians have settled on the details for one of sports’ most bizarre rituals – the friendly wager.

It happened yet again this past week when Texas Governor Rick Perry and Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry placed a friendly side bet on Saturday’s Red River Shootout in Dallas between the No. 1 Sooners and then-No. 11 Longhorns.

The stakes were high for both. Oklahoma’s Henry put 150 pounds of cornmeal on the line and Texas’s Perry countered with a mind-boggling 325 pounds of Texas beef.

The actual bet was only the beginning. Then, as it often occurs in politics, the verbal assaults began from both sides.

‘I’ll be sure to get the grill ready for all that Texas beef that will be coming once the Sooners prevail this weekend,’ Gov. Henry said last week. ‘While I applaud Governor Perry for his loyalty to the Longhorns, I am confident that coach Bob Stoops and our Sooners will make Saturday another banner day for the crimson and cream.’

Perry fired back, saying ‘football is king in Texas, and the Longhorns should prove that convincingly Saturday in Dallas.’

The Texas-Oklahoma bet was even more interesting as it contained a facet not normally seen in friendly wagers: criticism from an outside source.

Gary Jones, chairman of the Oklahoma Republican Party, took a jab at Henry, writing in an article that ‘to imply that 150 pounds of cornmeal would be an equal wager to a half side of beef, even Texas longhorn beef, suggests that our governor may not know the value of the cattle industry in Oklahoma.’

He even went on to say that cornmeal would only be a proper choice if it was ‘part of a barbeque brisket dinner prepared with choice Oklahoma beef.’

Of course, as is always the case in a friendly wager, one side is convincingly wrong. In Saturday’s game, Gov. Henry was the winner of the bet … and the beef. Oklahoma demolished the Longhorns, 65-13.

The Red River Shootout bet is only one of many friendly wagers that have taken place over the past couple of years.

In last year’s Rose Bowl, then-Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating bet a bushel of Oklahoma peanuts and pecans on his Sooners against the No. 7 Washington State Cougars. Washington Gov. Gary Locke countered with a box of Washington apples.

Naturally, politicians are weary to admit defeat. Thus, many will dismiss their team’s losses as aberrations. A commonality in many of these bets is the ‘if clause.’

‘I am making this bet with great confidence that the Cougars will come out on top,’ Locke said in December of 2002. ‘If, by chance, the Sooners win, we will honor our end of the deal by delivering some delicious Washington state apples.’

In Locke’s situation, the ‘if clause’ ended up being a reality as Oklahoma defeated Washington State, 34-14, and the Washington Apple Advertising Commission had to part with a box of several different kinds of apples.

The betting doesn’t just have to be between governors, either. Many senators and congressmen have gotten into the act, as we saw when Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania bet Sen. Bob Graham of Florida in September of 1999.

Santorum’s Nittany Lions were battling the Miami Hurricanes, and before the game, Santorum boasted that ‘the only hurricane that will hit Florida this week will be Penn State’s football team.’

The Pennsylvanian senator was right as he came away with several crates of Florida orange juice when the Nittany Lions defeated Miami, 27-23.

BOSTON COLLEGE (-3.5) AT SYRACUSE

SATURDAY, NOON, Ch. 26

Boston College is riding a two-game winning streak while Syracuse looks forward to a happy homecoming following the embarrassment of its 51-7 drubbing at the hands of Virginia Tech. Perhaps Gov. Pataki should wager the same thing he did last spring when Syracuse played Kansas in basketball’s national title game: five three-gallon tubs of Orange sherbet. That was a wise bet then, but chances are Pataki won’t be as lucky this weekend if he makes the same bet.

Pick: Boston College 31, Syracuse 24

NO. 9 IOWA (+3.5) AT NO. 8 OHIO STATE

SATURDAY, 3:30 P.M., ABC

Last week, Ohio State saw its 19-game winning streak come to an end at the hands of Wisconsin, 17-10. This week, the Buckeyes return home – where they’re 5-0 on the year – to meet an Iowa team they’ve defeated in seven straight contests. The last time the two teams met was in 2000, when Ohio State beat Iowa, 38-10. Look for OSU to rebound at home.

Pick: Ohio State 28, Iowa 17

NO. 23 TEXAS TECH (Pick’em)

AT NO. 24 OKLAHOMA STATE

SATURDAY, 3:30 P.M., ABC

This figures to be a matchup of overpowering offenses. Texas Tech is averaging more than 620 yards of offense, and its quarterback, T.J. Symons, has racked up nearly 3,000 passing yards while guiding Tech to a 5-1 start. Tech is second in the nation in scoring, averaging 46.8 points per game, while Oklahoma State ranks fifth with a 40.5 average. Symons should continue his torrid pace against an OSU defense that gave up 34 points to Kansas State last week.

Pick: Texas Tech 45, Okla State 38

NO. 18 MICHIGAN STATE (+6) AT NO. 19 MINNESOTA

SATURDAY, noon, ESPN

Minnesota is coming off a disappointing loss to Michigan and another loss would cripple the Golden Gophers. Michigan State, on the other hand, is starting to peek, especially with the play of quarterback of Jeff Smoker. Don’t look for Minnesota, though, to squander another big second half lead – this game should be much closer from the start.

Pick: Minnesota 27, Michigan State 24

NO. 15 PURDUE (+2) AT NO. 12. WISCONSIN

SATURDAY, noon, ESPN

Purdue and Wisconsin stand a top of the race for supremacy in the Big Ten. Purdue and Wisconsin, along with Michigan State, are the only unbeaten teams in conference play. The past three winners have gone on to represent the Big Ten in the Rose Bowl. Don’t be surprised to see Wisconsin at 4-0 in the Big Ten as it rides the momentum from last week’s upset of defending-national champion Ohio State.

Pick: Wisconsin 21, Purdue 10

Published on October 14, 2003 at 12:00 pm