OU's bowl scenarios

John Shinn

Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops doesn’t want to do any campaigning. He has no desire to recite his team’s credentials and accolades, attack others’ or talk to anyone who will listen about how deserving the Sooners are for shot at a national championship.

He simply leaves it at this: “Any one-loss team, there’s an argument for them and against them. I don’t care who it is. It’s whatever you choose to present.”

How well the Sooners present their case in the final two regular-season games will ultimately decide where they finish the season. After 10 games, their bowl possibilities are varied to say to the least.

Obviously, OU would like the season to end Jan. 8 at Dolphins Stadium in Miami in the BCS national championship game. The Sooners, who are currently ranked fifth in the BCS standings, need a couple things to fall their way to make that happen.

But the main components are things they control.

The first thing OU must do is win out. It has the toughest schedule of any team still vying for a national title shot. No. 2 Texas Tech comes to Owen Field this coming Saturday and OU faces No. 11 Oklahoma State Nov. 29 in Stillwater.

Because what’s left is so tough, the Sooners have the most to gain. If they beat Texas Tech, the representative for the Big 12 South in the conference title game would likely be one of three one-loss teams — Texas, OU and Texas Tech.

The Longhorns only have lowly Texas A&M; on its schedule. The Red Raiders finish up the regular season against Baylor. Another loss for either would be a major upset.

Without one all three would have beaten each other, have identical records overall, in conference and in their division. A tiebreaker would be used to pick the south representative. The most likely one to be used is the fifth tiebreaker, which is the team with the highest BCS ranking.

Texas, which beat OU 45-35, is currently third. The Sooners are fifth. But back-to-back win against highly ranked opponents would very likely allow OU to overtake the Longhorns in the computer rankings.

It might be enough to allow the Sooners to sneak into the Big 12 title game. A conference title would guarantee a shot at the national championship.

An upset victory by Missouri, which wrapped up the North division with its victory over Iowa State Saturday, would also give the Sooners a very good chance of reaching the BCS title game without the league title.

OU has resigned itself to ignoring any scenario beyond its control.

“We know what lies ahead and what could come if we beat Texas Tech,” OU defensive tackle Gerald McCoy said, “but all we can do is play the next game on the schedule.”

Two wins to close the season would, at the very least, send OU to a BCS bowl as an at-large team. It’s a spot the Sooners covet.

However, another loss before January means the Sooners’ bowl trip won’t include another BCS banner. They could fall anywhere from the Cotton Bowl to the Holiday Bowl or the Gator Bowl, depending on scenarios around the league.

It all depends on what happens between now and when the final BCS standings are released Dec. 7. Until then, every team has a chance to make their case. Coaches can, if they choose, turn into political candidates trying to make their case to anyone who will listen.

Some will. Most will do so begrudgingly.

“It’s not very comfortable, I don’t think, for any of us. We’re not in the business of politicking,” Stoops said. “I think it’s fair to say for anyone reporting on it, there’s an argument for and against everybody if we’re able to win.”

John Shinn

366-3536

jshinn@normantranscript.com