I think you have missed the point in all of this. I know many intelligent kids can't get into Texas. I also know that most people don't budget/save/plan very well, and they have kids with no thought on providing an education for them, so many solid options are off the table. I also know there are some not so bright kids who don't have any shot of getting into a US News top 50 or top 100 school. I acknowlegde all of that.
What irks me are people, whether it is on this board or in real life, who have kids at piss poor academic institutions like Arkansas, OU or Okie Lite, and try to make themselves feel better by hyping them up as the next tier of public ivies. That was the genesis of this tangent.
If I had a kid who couldn't get into Texas but was still pretty bright, OU wouldn't even be on my radar. FSU, #54 in US News, is a far superior academic institution, and is the same cost (if not cheaper) than OU. Hell, USF is an AAU university and in the top 100, and it is much cheaper than OU. If your kid can't get in to USF, you did something wrong as a parent.