As the day approaches for high school players to decide what college football program they will join, an annual war stirs up between OU and UT. But unlike the game in October which is decided on the field of play, this war is fought for the hearts and minds of the best young high school football players. Picking the right college is already a difficult task for many -- adding football scholarships into the mix only adds complexity. What's a high school senior to do when they're recruited by both schools? To such high school seniors I offer the following suggestions -- I hope you find them useful: I've used the following rule for my life and it has served me well to this point -- I now recommend it to you: Never make any major commitment without at least giving yourself 24 hours to reflect on it. Yes, this will mean that every now and then you were miss out on an opportunity. But usually decisions can wait whether it appears like they can or not. Important decisions need to be made from the heart and not from the emotions of the moment. (Of course you can prepare for a big meeting or telephone call that you know is coming by "finding your heart" before hand.) There is wisdom in a multitude of counsel. Get feedback from your parents, a trusted school teacher, a trusted football coach. It's your decision, and you need to be comfortable with it. Don't let anyone bully you into going somewhere against your heart. Be realistic about your chances to get immediate playing time. Very, very few true freshman see a lot of playing time at OU or UT. In high school, most highly recruited players can be in the wrong place or use the wrong technique and still get good results because of their physical superiority. It's highly unlikely that you will have physical superiority in college. Give yourself time to improve your technique and learn your school's offense or defense. I've heard that when a gifted inexperienced athlete begins to act instinctively instead of trying to assess everything as it happens, at that point they'll be able to compete at the next level -- but that takes a lot of repetitions. This point should be obvious -- both UT and OU are universities. An athlete who plays for UT is playing for one of many universities in Texas, and not for the state of Texas. Likewise, an athlete who plays for OU is playing for one of many universities in Oklahoma, and not for the state of Oklahoma. The two states are not in a rivalry, it's the universities that are in a rivalry. Both schools have a tremendous fan-base (much larger than the number of alumni) spread out all across the country; OU fans live in the state of Texas and UT fans live in the state of Oklahoma. If you are not from Texas or Oklahoma, I'm sure you will be awestruck by the spectacle surrounding the weekend and the game: the multitude of fervent fans and the carnival atmosphere draw all types (especially politicians and people in the media). An opportunity to play in this game is special and should not be passed up. The rivalry starts way before the game in the work-places, offices and neighborhoods of Sooner and Longhorn fans all across the country. Many people have crossed the Red River going in both directions -- Billy Sims left Hooks Texas and won a Heisman at OU, Darrell Royal left Hollis Oklahoma and became one of UT's most successful coaches. Do not let your parent's address dictate your college football career; rather, make an informed decision of which university program suits you by listening to wise counsel and your heart. In a heart-wrenching scene, one of the world's most gifted runners, Marion Jones recently admitted steroid use before the 2000 Olympics. Track and field experts have speculated that she would have probably won her 5 medals without using steriods based on her high-school performances. A few years ago, a scandal involvin g steroid use within a prominent high school team made national headlines. The easy access to steroids and the promise of a shortcut to improved strength and weight gain beckons to all athletes. We watch pro baseball players and marvel that they no longer need the split-second timing to hit a pitch perfectly to get a dinger -- a number of steroid users can muscle a hit out of the park even when they don't get "all of it". The problem is that this "shortcut" to strength and weight is really not a shortcut at all. Rather, it's a path to a different destination -- a destination where you will permanently lose some of your mental keeness. The most important organ in football is your brain. That's true for all positions at the college level -- especially offensive and defensive lineman. Successful offensive linemen (those that get drafted into the NFL) are consistently among the smartest players in the NFL according to Wonderlic tests (IQ tests). Mentally preparing for the play, knowing what's going on, and utilizing the correct technique are critical to success for all positions in the team sport of football. Both OU and UT have the resources to build strength and weight the correct way. College coaches know they have the resources to help players build strength and weight and their recruiting evaluations will require your best mental keeness. Do not eliminate some of your potential by taking the FALSE shortcut of steroids. If you have already used steroids, stop taking them now. There are resources to help you, click here for one such organization.