Bristol, Conn.

It was almost time for kickoff between Texas and Oklahoma, and Mack Brown was running through his checklist one final time.

“Stop the run. Win the one-on-one matchups on the outside. Don’t lose us the game on special teams,” he said. “And remember, this is the one that matters.”

For so long, this one mattered more than any other for Brown. As the longtime coach of the Longhorns, games didn’t come any bigger than on this weekend in early October, when 90,000 fans fill the Cotton Bowl for the Red River Showdown.