Tables turn on OU-OSU friends

STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) _ Just three years ago, Zac Akin felt sorry for his friend and former high school teammate, Bary Holleyman. <br><br>In 1997, Akin and Oklahoma State beat Holleyman and the Sooners,

Wednesday, November 22nd 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) _ Just three years ago, Zac Akin felt sorry for his friend and former high school teammate, Bary Holleyman.

In 1997, Akin and Oklahoma State beat Holleyman and the Sooners, 30-7 in Norman. The Cowboys went on to win eight games and play in the Alamo Bowl. Oklahoma finished 4-8.

``I thought I'd get four rings and I felt bad for him, thinking that he wasn't going to get any rings and this and that,'' Akin said.

How wrong he was. That Alamo Bowl memento is still the only ring Akin and the other Oklahoma State seniors have won. They will finish their careers Saturday with three straight losing seasons.

Holleyman, meanwhile, is part of an Oklahoma team that played in a bowl game last year and comes into this week's game undefeated and ranked No. 1.

``Obviously, that's reversed on us and he's done a great job,'' Akin said. ``I'm happy for Bary and other people that are there.''

Akin isn't the only Oklahoma State player who thought back in 1997 that the Cowboys had turned the corner against Oklahoma.

In Bob Simmons' first year as coach, 1995, Oklahoma State beat the Sooners for the first time since 1976. The Cowboys beat them again in 1997 on their way to their first bowl trip in nine years.

``I remember when we got the ring and I was like, 'I've got four years. That's four rings,' '' said senior offensive tackle Josh Lind. ``I was excited about getting a ring every year. It hasn't happened since.

``It's been pretty disappointing, but to be able to go one time was fun. I really could not tell you why things turned around, what happened.''

Oklahoma State followed the '97 season with 5-6 finishes the next two years. With a couple of breaks here or there, the Cowboys might have been able to qualify for a bowl trip in one or both of those seasons. But they didn't.

This year, after winning the first two games, Oklahoma State lost the next seven.

``I could have sworn things would have gotten better,'' Lind said. ``If you had told me we would have this type of season, I might have punched you in the face earlier this year.''

Oklahoma, under new coach Bob Stoops, went 7-5 a year ago and played in the Independence Bowl. The Sooners were expected to be better this year, and began the year ranked in the Top 25. But no one predicted this kind of success.

After starting the year with four home victories, the Sooners proved they were for real by beating Texas, Kansas State and Nebraska. At the time, those teams were ranked No. 11, No. 2 and No. 1.

``There's always a team that comes out and has a breakout season. They've done it this year,'' defensive end Zac Warner said. ``You have to give 'em a lot of credit.

``Some of those guys are not really the biggest names around, but they've just gelled well and played well together and they're 10-0. You can't say enough about that. It doesn't matter how you got there, they're there.''

Saturday's game in Stillwater is the last for 15 Oklahoma State seniors and for Simmons, who has been forced out. Oklahoma's players will move on to the Big 12 championship game the following week in Kansas City, then make plans to play in a major bowl, perhaps even for the national title.

How quickly times have changed at both schools.

``They're the No. 1 team in the nation and there's a reason for that,'' Akin said. ``They're a good ball club.''