John Shinn
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Boise State has become one of the feel-good stories in college football this season. The Broncos are the little team from the small conference who is getting its shot at the big time.
“We’re trying to gain some respect for the smaller schools out there,” Boise State defensive tackle Andrew Browning said.
Does that mean OU is the big school trying to keep them in their place?
Well, yes.
The seventh-ranked Sooners (11-2) believe they’ve been cast in the role of Apollo Creed while the ninth-ranked Broncos (12-0) get to play Rocky.
Ever since beating Nebraska 21-7 to win the Big 12 Championship and secure their fourth Bowl Championship Series bid in five years, they’ve heard the murmurs of being in this strange situation.
“Boise State doesn’t get the credit they deserve,” OU defensive end C.J. Ah You said, “so a lot of people are going to root for the underdog.”
Strange thing is, OU has been playing that part very well.
From Rhett Bomar’s dismissal, to the Oregon debacle, to Adrian Peterson’s broken collarbone, the Sooners have always been the team that was supposed to get beat.
They were knocked down several times. The “loss” at Oregon knocked them from the national championship picture and the early October loss to Texas made their Big 12 title hopes faint.
Still, OU proved to be a team that was willing to rise from the canvas and keep fighting.
“We didn’t let the setbacks affect us,” OU linebacker Rufus Alexander said. “We have a strong team mentally and we let the losses motivate us more. We knew we had to focus on the season ahead and we worked all that much harder.”
During OU’s current eight-game winning streak it survived close calls at Texas A&M; and at Oklahoma State.
It’s average margin of victory this season has only been 14 points (29.4-15.3). OU’s last two BCS qualifiers in 2003 and 2004 spent most of the season ranked atop the polls and rolled through opponents like a hot knife through butter. At least until the postseason.
The Broncos are the ones who have been running roughshod. In going 12-0, they’ve bludgeoned all comers by an average score of 39-15.
Of course, none of those teams are playing in BCS bowls. In fact, only three opponents — San Jose State, Hawaii and Oregon State — reached the postseason.
Nonetheless, winning is winning. And it usually breeds confidence.
“We have a lot of very confident guys walking around with huge chips on their shoulders ready to prove that we deserve to be here,” Boise State quarterback Jared Zabransky said.
The Fiesta Bowl will be that opportunity. Beat OU, and the Broncos prove they belong in the discussion when it comes to the elite teams in college football.
But the Sooners are scrapping to get into that discussion as well.
“We would not be what we are if certain things had not happened,” OU offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said. “You can look at it and there were negatives but they were also viewed as positives. Those experiences have given us a resiliency and toughness, a fighting spirit that makes us kind of unique.”
In other words, the Sooners have been the underdogs.
John Shinn366-3536jshinn@normantranscript.com
