To the Point -- by Michael Kinney

It looks like Gil Scott Heron was wrong when he said "The Revolution will not be televised."

Because what Adrian "All Day" Peterson did Saturday in the Red River Shootout was nothing short of a revolt.

The freshman from Palestine, Texas showed the near 80,000 fans in the Cotton Bowl and the millions watching on television that regardless of age or experience, he is the real deal.

The Oklahoma Sooners thumped Texas 12-0 behind a stifling defense and the running of the man-child Peterson, who just happened to be making his initial foray in the Big 12 South Red River rivalry. But that didn't stop him from racking up a workhorse like 225 yards on 32 carries. Peterson would have had more except for the fact that he had to share time with veteran Kejuan Jones, who actually started the contest.

Still everyone who watched the game knows who the best player on the field was. And at times it wasn't even close. That is saying a lot for a kid who is only five games into his collegiate career.

Last year when Ohio State's Maurice Clarett won a lawsuit to enter into the National Football League early, it created a stir. Mostly because many figured the floodgates would open up and underclassmen and high school players would lower the talent of the NFL, just as has taken place in the NBA.

Before the league won on its appeal and closed its doors, that is what happened. USC All-American Mike Williams and six high school players entered their names for the NFL draft, but were denied after the appeal went through.

But there were also rumors flying around that Peterson was thinking about skipping college and going straight to the league. At the time I just figured he was some foolish 17-year old kid who thought he was better than he really was. And that all he needed was to get a taste of big time college football before he even thinks about the next level.

What I should have been saying was "wait until college football gets a taste of Peterson." How lucky Oklahoma and the Sooner nation is that he decided not to follow the ill-advised ways of Clarett and Williams.

But it's too bad for the rest of college football. While it's still premature to anoint Peterson the next Tony Dorsett or Barry Sanders, it is not too early to consider him for a Heismann. After five games, Peterson has almost amassed 800 yards rushing on a team that just a year ago was breaking passing records.

Peterson also has a Sooner record of five straight games over 100 yards to open a season. You can take the Trojans' Matt Leinhart and Reggie Bush, Purdue's Kyle Orton or even OU teammate Jason White and compare their impact to that of Peterson's. And what you have left when the dust has cleared is a freshman and second string tailback as the front-runner for the coveted award.

Not since the days of Herschel Walker has a freshman staked his claim to being the best player in the country.

There is still a long season left and we will have to see if Peterson can keep up the frenetic pace he has set so far.

But if he does, Oklahoma will not only have its fifth Heismann trophy, but it will also have a second national championship in five seasons.

It is the start of a new revolution with Peterson leading way. And lucky for us, it is going to be televised.