AP
It's only fitting the Big 12 -- this season's most entertaining conference -- would allow its championship race to culminate in yet another, enthralling primetime shootout. Two great quarterbacks and two great offenses traded punches well into the fourth quarter Saturday night in Stillwater, with 10-1 Oklahoma ultimately prevailing 61-41 over 9-2 Oklahoma State.
Now, the conference that's provided the nation with so many thrillers this season -- including Friday's Nebraska-Colorado nail-biter and Saturday's last-second Kansas-Missouri finish -- will sit back and let voters from around the country decide one of its championship-game participants. In a sport built on often-strange traditions, this may well be one of its most bizarre moments yet.
If you tuned in Saturday night, you saw yet another virtuoso performance from Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford. He completed 30-of-44 passes for 371 yards and four touchdowns and added a "signature" moment to his Heisman campaign when he went airborne in an attempt to somersault into the end zone. (He scored on the next play.)
You also saw an Oklahoma State team that simply would not go away, with dual-threat QB Zac Robinson accounting for 358 total yards and four TDs. Three times in the second half, Oklahoma went up by double-digits, only to have the Cowboys respond with a touchdown, including Perrish Cox's 90-yard kick return that made it 44-41 with just over 10 minutes remaining.
But Bradford marched right back down the field to throw yet another touchdown (the Sooners produced six straight at one point), OU finally got a couple of stops and ultimately managed to break the 60-point mark for a fourth straight week. (Almost by accident, Chris Brown broke a 28-yard touchdown run with 25 seconds left.)
Personally, I want nothing to do with deciding which 11-1 team -- Texas, Texas Tech or Oklahoma -- should be crowned Big 12 South champion, and fortunately I don't. That's up to the coaches poll, the Harris poll and BCS computers.
I do, however, have an AP ballot to submit by Sunday morning and must decide which order to rank them.
First of all, to no one's surprise, Texas Tech is not in my equation. The Red Raiders ended their season losing 65-21 to Oklahoma and barely surviving 4-8 Baylor. (They also lost star WR Michael Crabtree on Saturday, but that's another story.) They will remain right where I had them last week -- lowest of the one-loss teams (seventh).
Before Saturday night's game started, here's how I decided to approach the Texas-Oklahoma paradigm: The Longhorns were the incumbents and the Sooners were the challengers. In other words, the onus was on No. 4 (as of last week) Oklahoma to do something Saturday night to prove why it should unseat No. 3 Texas.
As hard as it is to take issue with a road win over a top-15 foe -- I do not think that "something" took place.
Whereas Texas has hard evidence on its behalf in the form of its 45-35 victory over OU on Oct. 11, any argument in favor of Oklahoma is essentially subjective. It comes down to arbitrarily determining the Sooners are playing better right now than are the Longhorns.
That would be a lot easier argument to make if Texas, like Texas Tech, had limped its way to the finish. However, all the 'Horns have done since their last-second loss in Lubbock is drill Baylor, 45-21; win at Kansas (the same team that toppled No. 12 Missouri 40-37 on Saturday), 35-7; and hammer Texas A&M, 49-9. There's no evidence that the 'Horns are playing any worse than they were on Oct. 11.
As for Oklahoma, there's little question the Sooners have the most dangerous offense in the country right now. They've put up no less than 58 points their past five games, and Bradford looks unstoppable every time he takes the field.
Oklahoma's defense, however, has hardly looked immortal this season, and Saturday night was no exception. The Sooners' defense played the game of their lives in shutting down Texas Tech's Graham Harrell last week, but they had a much harder time handling Oklahoma State's Robinson. And, for the fourth time this season, OU's special teams allowed a kick return for a touchdown.
Much like an instant replay review, I need "insurmountable evidence" to convince me to move one team (Oklahoma) above another (Texas). All I see are two extremely deserving teams with no discernible separation between them -- except, of course, for that 10-point margin on the day they played each other.
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Comments (1354) Add A Comment
"...the Big 12 -- this season's most entertaining conference..."
True... for those who view football as little more than something to watch on TV because there's nothing much else on to watch: American Idol, Dancing with the Stars, ... Saturday Night with the Big 12. Yep, that's what college football is all about: TV ratings. (Nope, defense just isn't that entertaining.)
GlennAllen
Richmond , VA
Total Comments (198)
I would actually rank Oklahoma over Texas. They both have been beating up on their other opponents, and among the round robin between them and Texas Tech, they destroyed Texas Tech, whereas Texas lost to Texas Tech and edged Oklahoma.
FlameOfYah
Lilburn , GA
Total Comments (14)
OSU took the Horns to the wire in Austin, losing by 4 points. OU went on the road in a big game and took the same team by 20 the week after dismantling the Raiders. This is something that no other of the Big 12 teams have done, beat a good team on the road. The OU Texas game was a great game, but OU has made their case. Texas destroyed Texas A&M, who sucks hard core. So what. Oklahoma will overtake Texas.
EThom
Los Angeles , CA
Total Comments (68)
Did my saying that A&M sucks get my post deleted? They aren't NFL refs are they?
EThom
Los Angeles , CA
Total Comments (68)
Whoops, there it is...my bad.
EThom
Los Angeles , CA
Total Comments (68)
It comes as no surprise that You would vote Texas ahead of OU. I noticed a few times you didn't even have them on your pick the games. I do read you weekly, but when OU screws up or loses, you drop them like a hot potato. I guess it doesn't mean anything that OU would be favored if they played again today on a neutral site.
briscoe
Plano , TX
Total Comments (2)
What is the deal with Mack Brown getting a 15 minute interview to politic during the second half? ESPN is doing anything they can to undercut OU, and keep them from the Big 12 championship game. What a load of burnt orange.
NB Sooner
New Braunfels, TX
Total Comments (3)
What is the deal with Mack Brown getting a 15 minute interview to politic during the second half? ESPN is doing anything they can to undercut OU, and keep them from the Big 12 championship game. What a load of burnt orange.
NB Sooner
New Braunfels, TX
Total Comments (3)
How about OU already beat a BCS bowl team, Cincy. How about beating TCU. Less we forget that Texas barely beat OSU in Austin, and lost to a team OU whipped. Sorry, even though Texas beat OU on a "neutral" field in Dallas Texas, at the Texas state fair, OU has a better body of work. OU that Texas win over Missouri now looks less impressive than OU victory over Kansas.. Just my two cents.
Vill40
Total Comments (1)
There's only one question. Who won Texas or Oklahoma? Thats how the votes will fall tomorrow.
davidc2009
Flowery Branch , GA
Total Comments (3)
It comes as no surprise that you would vote the Longhorns before the Sooners. You left them out of a few pick your games this season. You usually really don't like them after they lose or make a mistake. Percentage wise, the more kickoffs you do, the more likely you are to have a huge return or one for touchdown. You just see the touchdown. The Sooners are hot right now. They are even favored right now over the Longhorns at a neutral site.
briscoe
Plano , TX
Total Comments (2)
Edged OU ? 45-35 is not just an edge, and the score does not reflect the complete a**wooping because OU scored a garbage TD when the defensive subs were in late in the game.
cbro2
Georgetown, TX
Total Comments (6)
I like the way you said Texas lost to TTech but edged Oklahoma. Why didn't you just say Texas lost to TTech but beat Oklahoma, since Tech won by six and Texas won by 10. This just shows bias in your word play.
HORN4LIFE
Dallas , TX
Total Comments (185)
I love how all the commentators on ESPN and other places are saying that all that should be considered in determining who goes to KC is the head to head with Texas and OU, thus giving the nod to Texas. This is all they want to consider while, we (OU) are the ones that beat Texas Tech by 44, who beat Texas, and now they want to take Tech out of the discussion completely, thus forgetting that Tech beat Texas. Tonight, we beat a good number 12 team on the road by 20, and Texas beat Texas A&M, at Austin, by 40, and they want to praise Texas??? win this weekend and say we squeaked by OSU. Well sure we squeaked by OSU in Stoolwater because they are a good team, while Texas should have killed a 4-8 Texas A&M squad at home. And isn???t it amazing how we beat Texas A&M by 38 AT Kyle field.
The media is biased and just want to make it about OU and Texas head to head, forgetting totally about how OU has done against other teams. I also want to add that we beat Cincinnati(BCS ranking #16) and TCU(BCS ranking #14) while Texas beat Arkansas (BCS ranking #not ranked) and Rice (BCS ranking #not ranked). Yeah, I guess the media would like to discredit those games and say that they are equal in difficulty also, thus we should give the nod to Texas, because, uhhhh, they are Texas?!?!?!?!?!?!? Totally ridiculous!
Graham R
Overland Park , KS
Total Comments (3)
My Sooners are going to the Big12/NC. OU has the biggest win on the road among OU, Texas and Tech. Combine that with the non-conference schedule of OU, and it's a no-brainer. Texas claims they barely lost to Tech -- they were down by couple of touchdowns pretty much all of that game. Enjoy playing Utah in Fiesta, Mac.
calisooner99
San Diego , CA
Total Comments (8)
I love how all the commentators on ESPN and other places are saying that all that should be considered in determining who goes to KC is the head to head with Texas and OU, thus giving the nod to Texas. This is all they want to consider while, we (OU) are the ones that beat Texas Tech by 44, who beat Texas, and now they want to take Tech out of the discussion completely, thus forgetting that Tech beat Texas. Tonight, we beat a good number 12 team on the road by 20, and Texas beat Texas A&M, at Austin, by 40, and they want to praise Texas??? win this weekend and say we squeaked by OSU. Well sure we squeaked by OSU in Stoolwater because they are a good team, while Texas should have killed a 4-8 Texas A&M squad at home. And isn???t it amazing how we beat Texas A&M by 38 AT Kyle field.
The media is biased and just want to make it about OU and Texas head to head, forgetting totally about how OU has done against other teams. I also want to add that we beat Cincinnati(BCS ranking #16) and TCU(BCS ranking #14) while Texas beat Arkansas (BCS ranking #not ranked) and Rice (BCS ranking #not ranked). Yeah, I guess the media would like to discredit those games and say that they are equal in difficulty also, thus we should give the nod to Texas, because, uhhhh, they are Texas?!?!?!?!?!?!? Totally ridiculous!
Graham R
Overland Park , KS
Total Comments (3)
My Sooners are going to the Big12/NC. OU has the biggest win on the road among OU, Texas and Tech. Combine that with the non-conference schedule of OU, and it's a no-brainer. Texas claims they barely lost to Tech -- they were down by couple of touchdowns pretty much all of that game. Enjoy playing Utah in Fiesta, Mac.
calisooner99
San Diego , CA
Total Comments (8)
Egded OU ? I wouldn't call 45-35 an edge, and the final score doesn't reflect the total a** wooping because OU scored a garbage TD late in the 4th quarter when the defensive subs were in.
cbro2
Georgetown, TX
Total Comments (6)
We do have some hard evidence. Oklahoma destroyed the same team (TTU) that Texas couldn't beat. They also handily beat OSU in Stillwater, who almost upset the Longhorns in Austin. The biggest difference for the Sooners since the UT game is the uptick in their ability to run the ball. Since then DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown have both exploded, and it's lead to even better play from Sam Bradford than ever. If I'm not mistaken he has 23 touchdown passes and only one interception since that game. The Sooners now have an offense that can do literally anything they want to, including milk the clock to protect a lead and rest their defense, something that would have come in handy when they had a 4th quarter lead in Dallas.
And GlennAllen: I know it was sarcasm, but defense can be very entertaining in football. If you are trying to say they don't play any in the Big XII, you should rethink your argument. Only one team (Florida) in the SEC has a quarterback as good as the top Big XII passers, and that team is putting up the same kind of offensive numbers against SEC defenses that you see in the Big XII. Do you really think SEC teams would rank so high on defense if they had to play against Graham Harrell, Colt McCoy, Sam Bradford, Joe Ganz, Chase Daniel, and Zac Robinson? Give me a break. OU would put 60 up against any team in the SEC except (maybe) for Florida and Alabama.
boomermavs
Norman , OK
Total Comments (6)
With 5 common opponents (plus the head-to-head), Oklahoma is + 138 and Texas is + 100 in scoring differential. That's almost 1 touchdown per game in favor of OU. Add to that the fact that in playing those 5 common opponents, OU has only one home game and 4 road games, while texas had 3 home games and 2 road games, I think the decision is clear ---- OU is the better team over the season and the better team right now. Also factor in Ryan Renolds getting hurt in the OU/UT game and 9 or 11 points added to the OSU game score if OU gets the fumble recovery on the first possession of the 2nd half.
This isn't even close. OU plays Mizzou next Saturday.
PaulAnderson
Houston , TX
Total Comments (123)
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