Associated Press Photo by David Zalubowski Texas head coach Mack Brown argues with a linesman while playing Colorado on Saturday.

Associated Press Photo by Tony Gutierrez Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops gestures toward the action during the first half Saturday against Baylor.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Has any great college rivalry brought together as many unbeaten and highly ranked teams over the years as Texas-Oklahoma? Or, as they say in the Sooner State, Oklahoma-Texas?

It's happening again this week in Dallas, with No. 1 Oklahoma and No. 5 Texas, both 5-0 overall, clashing in the Cotton Bowl.

And, in a year of plenty for Big 12 fans, that's not the only match between unbeaten and highly ranked teams in the second week of October. There's also No. 3 Missouri hosting No. 17 Oklahoma State, another game that down the road could have national championship implications.

But Oklahoma-Texas, with all its color and pageantry, history and tradition, is almost always a showcase for college football. It also brings in a lot of television money and exposure to the Big 12.

"I think that game, year-in and year-out, is the biggest game in the country," said Iowa State coach Gene Chizik. "With both of those football teams always being good, the down year for those teams is if they win nine or 10. That's crazy, but that's the expectation Bob and Mack have built. It's a phenomenal rivalry. It's second to none."

Adding spice to the Red River rivalry between Texas and Oklahoma are the coaches. Both Texas' Mack Brown and Oklahoma's Bob Stoops are among the most successful men in their profession. And both have been at their schools long enough to put their own stamp on storied programs.

"No. 1, it's unusual because so many coaches get fired now," said Brown, who's been at Texas 11 years. "It's hard to imagine a coach making it 10 years, especially at two high-profile schools like Texas and Oklahoma. (Stoops) has done a super job there. He's tough, they're well coached, they play hard each week. He's done as good a job at Oklahoma as any of the coaches who have been there, and you're talking about Bud Wilkinson and Barry Switzer and a long line of great coaches."

Mark Mangino, coach at No. 16 Kansas, has experienced the game both as a spectator and an assistant for the Sooners.

"It's hard for college football coaches to hang on anywhere more than five or six years," he said. "But yes, you have two well respected coaches with longevity at their schools coaching in a big game. It's great for the conference, great for the coaches, and certainly great for Oklahoma and Texas."

MOVING ON: Missouri and Nebraska have both investigated the spitting incident that allegedly occurred before their game on Saturday and both head coaches say it's time to move on.

"We communicated with Nebraska yesterday," Missouri's Gary Pinkel said Monday during the Big 12 coaches call. "As far as I'm concerned, from the University of Missouri's standpoint, it's a dead issue."

Nevertheless, Missouri fans are unlikely to forget Chase Daniel's accusation when the Huskers travel to Columbia, Mo., next season. Calling Nebraska "a dirty team," the Missouri quarterback said a Nebraska player spit on him.

"Walking out before the game, I got spit on. By a player," Daniel said after the third-ranked Tigers beat the Huskers 52-17, winning at Nebraska for the first time in 30 years. "I've never really experienced that before. I'm not going to say who it was. He knows who it is. That's bush league."

Nebraska coach Bo Pelini was only a bit more willing than Pinkel to discuss what would be, if proven, a severe embarrassment for his program.

"We communicated with Missouri," Pelini said. "We investigated and addressed the allegations. At this point, it's a moot issue. It's over."