STILLWATER (AP) — There’s a different feeling in the air around Oklahoma State these days. Quarterback Zac Robinson noticed it when he ran into star receiver Dez Bryant before weightlifting Monday morning.

With a meeting against No. 1 Texas looming Saturday, Bryant was in a different mood than most weeks.

“I’m never really that fired up for practice, but I can’t wait to go practice today,” Bryant told Robinson.

It’s understandable that Bryant, the nation’s second-leading receiver, would be a little extra juiced.

The No. 7 Cowboys (7-0, 3-0 Big 12) have never been so highly ranked when facing the No. 1 team in the country, and this week’s game rates among the biggest in school history — up there with the 1984 season finale that pitted third-ranked Oklahoma State against No. 2 Oklahoma, with the national championship still in the picture.

“Any time you’re on a national stage and you’ve had a little success, I think it lends itself to give kids a little more confidence than they normally have,” offensive coordinator Gunter Brewer said Monday. “You feel good when you’re winning, and that’s a good thing. That’s what you want your program to get to and aspire to play games like this.

“Obviously, we have our hands full with who we’ve got and where we have them is a factor, too.”

Oklahoma State, off to its best start since 1945, opened sixth in the BCS standings and a win at Texas’ expanded, 98,000-plus capacity Darrell K. Royal Memorial Stadium could even make enough of a case for the school’s first appearance at the top of the AP poll.

“I’d be happy to be No. 1. Who wouldn’t? But it would say that we’re a good football team and that we continue to work at it, and hopefully we’ll show that we’re deserving of the No. 1 ranking,” safety Quinton Moore said.

Robinson admitted getting chills at the suggestion that this could be the biggest game in Oklahoma State history, but in the next breath said that’s exactly the kind of hype the Cowboys can’t get caught up in.

“If you try to make one game bigger than the next, then guys might be pressing and trying to do too much,” Robinson said. “We’re going to go out and just play the way we do. Our team’s so young that they don’t know any better than to do that.”

The Cowboys are just over a week removed from a 28-23 upset of then-No. 3 Missouri, which itself was one of the program’s most impressive wins. There was no letdown Saturday in a 34-6 win over Baylor, so the next task was to prevent too dramatic of an emotional swing in the other direction.

“Nowadays, I think they kind of do what they want to do and you try to keep them focused for 2 hours in practice,” Cowboys coach Mike Gundy said.

“I’ve been looking for Dez for two days. Tell him to stop by and see us. We have some things to go over with him. We haven’t seen him in two days.”

Bryant, a Texas native, caught 11 passes for 212 yards and two touchdowns against Baylor to position himself behind only Rice’s Jarrett Dillard in receiving average.