OKLAHOMA Mitchell ready for Longhorns

Texas and Oklahoma meet Saturday for their annual showdown.
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
NORMAN, Okla. -- Oklahoma middle linebacker Lance Mitchell is ready for some football.
Enough of the spread offense and all its trickery. Enough of the finesse running game. Bring on Cedric Benson and the nation's best running attack.
It's time for down and dirty. Texas vs. Oklahoma.
"You always look forward to games like this," Mitchell said. "You've got to love it. Texas is pretty basic, hat on hat. You've just got to make tackles. There's not too much thinking about it. You just go out and play ball."
Amen, said nickel back Brandon Shelby.
"This is why you come to a school like Oklahoma," he said. "Four quarters of pure hitting, a lot of fun, and who is going to stay with that competitive edge for the whole 60 minutes is usually the winner."
The question of the week is not about intensity, preparation or anticipation. It is about whether the Sooners' defense is solid enough in the middle without dismissed anchor Dusty Dvoracek at tackle to successfully go head-to-head with what is probably the Longhorns' most physical offense in recent years.
Mixed emotions
OU coach Bob Stoops says he feels "great" about the situation at tackle. Co-defensive coordinator Brent Venables, who tutors the front seven, seems less emphatic.
"I think [defensive tackle] is still an area of concern," Venables said. "The numbers, the quality, the lack of experience. All of the above.
"Texas has as good an offensive line as they've had since 1998 when they had Ricky Williams, and they're playing at that level. That's the biggest difference in them that you notice. They're going to challenge [the tackles], and you will find out what you've got by the end of that game. That's for sure."
Starters Lynn McGruder and Carl Pendleton have, for the most part, been solid. Stoops complimented both for their play Saturday against Texas Tech and their part in holding running back Taurean Henderson to 65 yards on 17 carries with a long run of only 14 yards, one week after he posted a career-high 169 yards against Kansas.
Backups Remi Ayodele and Steven Coleman probably played more early against Tech than at anytime this season, and got extensive practice reps during the preceding off week.
But while expressing concern over the yet-unproven depth in the interior, Venables nevertheless expressed confidence in his unit's ability to play the run.
"We feel strong about it," he said. "We feel good about the guys we've got lining up."
Solid at linebacker
No doubt the presence of Mitchell in the middle along with a solid crew of linebackers and the secondary's history of strong run support enables Venables to have that attitude.
"They have proven their ability to play in tough situations," he said.
Stoops pointed out Oklahoma has played three spread offenses and a pro-style attack (Oregon), but lining up against a strong running attack isn't exactly a new experience for a veteran defensive unit.
"One thing everyone always forgets," Stoops pointed out. "We compete against our own team every day during the spring and two-a-days -- good against good. We run the ball pretty well."