Another one over at Sporting News
Steve Greenberg
What we learned: Sooners, Cowboys put on a show
STILLWATER, Okla. -- Five things we think we know after watching Oklahoma out-PlayStation Oklahoma State 61-41 in the Big 12 regular-season finale.
1. It pays to play last
We can't say at this point with conviction that Oklahoma will pass Texas in the BCS poll and represent the Big 12 South in the conference title game next weekend. But there is no doubt the Sooners walked off the field at Boone Pickens Stadium feeling very good about their chances.
A national audience of pollsters flipped off their TVs, and you can bet the number that stuck with most of them was the 61 points scored, not the 41 points allowed. For many pollsters, the numbers 45 and 35 -- as in 45-35, Texas over Oklahoma -- are the only ones that matter now.
But you can bet there were a dangerous number of previous "undecideds" who were swayed the Sooners' way on Saturday night.
2. Sam's the man
Many of you don't want to hear what I'm about to tell you, but I've got to say it: Sam Bradford is so far out in front in the Heisman Trophy race, Texas' Colt McCoy and Florida's Tim Tebow can hardly see him. But they have to keep running.
If Oklahoma goes to the Big 12 championship game and loses to Missouri, Bradford won't win the Heisman. If Texas goes to the Big 12 title game and McCoy has another monster game, he'll have a chance to pass Bradford for much the same reasons pollsters will have supported the Longhorns over the Sooners.
But looking at it as November ends, Bradford has had the best season of anyone and deserves to be leading the race. He was close to perfect (30-for-44 passing, 370 yards, 4 TDs, 0 INTs) agaisnt the Cowboys, and his 46 TDs is the most impressive individual statistic for any player in the BCS conferences.
3. The truth hurts
Big 12 fans won't like this, either. After leaning for weeks toward the Big 12 as the best conference of 2008, I've finally gone the other way, back to the SEC.
The fact Oklahoma allowed Oklahoma State to move the ball so easily really bugs me. Why should I believe OU might be the best team in college football if it plays defense like that?
To me, Florida is the best team and there's little doubt about it. The Gators are unstoppable right now on offense and dominating defensively. Alabama's defense, meanwhile, is as impressive as any Big 12 offense, and the Crimson Tide are undefeated. There's greater strength at the top in the SEC.
4. Location, location, location
Week after week, season after season, many of us lose sight of one of the most influential factors in the national championship race: home-field advantage. Were those the same Sooners in Stillwater who destroyed Texas Tech so spectacularly the week before in Norman? Yes, and the fact is OU played very well against the Cowboys.
OK, maybe not very well. But Bradford was money on third downs all night, the receivers caught every big pass thrown their way, and the defense came up with a couple of turnovers that led to 10 points.
True, the run defense was porous and the special teams were putrid. But look around college football, will you? No one ever plays a perfect game on the road against a quality opponent. Everyone just tries to escape with victories.
Consider that for all the huge games in the Big 12 this season, OU's nail-biter in Stillwater and Oklahoma State's self-pronouncement Oct. 11 at Missouri were the signature road wins. There really weren't any others of significance.
5. Stillwater was worth the wait
We should pause for a moment and appreciate what Oklahoma State endured this season, and that was waiting longer than any big-time program in America to play host to a really big game.
The Cowboys played four games against teams ranked in the top three nationally at the time, and only the Oklahoma game was in Stillwater. The program and its fans really earned their time in the spotlight Saturday night, and they held up impressively.
Speaking of impressive, Mike Gundy's team was outstanding overall in those four games, beating Missouri in Columbia, taking Texas down to the wire in Austin, getting bombed by Texas Tech in Lubbock and, finally, going up and down the field for four quarters of thrilling football with the Sooners.
Given all we saw from the Big 12 this season, who's to say the Cowboys wouldn't have flipped the script on Texas Tech had their game been played in Stillwater?
Steve Greenberg is a staff writer for Sporting News. Email him at
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