Oklahoma Grades

OU 61- OSU 41

Oklahoma Grades:

Offense: Scored 61 points, 557 yards, scored on 9 consecutive possessions, answered in crunch time and in 82 snaps had no turnovers.

Defense: C: Credit OSU for being on their game ...a potent offense... that was successful with a few new wrinkles put in during the off-week. But OU came up with three big turnovers-four if the refs hadn't blown an obvious fumble. The interception set up the first score and...big plays late sealed the game.

Specials: B: Everything was outstanding...kickers, punter, coverage teams...but if not for Sam Bradford's remarkable third down success and answering Cowboys scores, the kickoff return for a touchdown could have cost them a chance to play for the national championship. Stripping the ball is not the best way to tackle a great return man.

Overall: A: Clearly the best road win in the Big 12 this season.

Handling of BCS argument: A+: If OU had lost the debate by a scant margin the grade would be an F. If the Stoops Bros had voted in the Coach's poll, it would have meant OU would have won out. And if the lack of a more aggressive PR campaign cost them enough points to make a difference, the grade would have been lower. But that didn't happen. And smiles have been on faces on the OU campus since Bob Stoops first heard the news an hour before it was announced on FOX.
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How does OU the BCS decision that Texas won't advance to KC affect the Heisman results when it comes to Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy? Will the tons of votes in Texas and those in the Southwest be split between the two with some for Graham Harrell sprinkled in so much that Florida's Tim Tebow sneaks in for the hardware? Quite possible.
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Still not to the Bud and Barry status, Stoops is doing remarkable things. In a 12-team conference loaded with division heavyweights, the tenth-year coach has his team playing in its seventh conference title game. A two-TD favorite, playing in the backyard of their opponent, a win would make it an astounding six Big 12 title. Maybe more remarkable is the fact that it would mean he would be batting .400 in taking teams to the national title game. He won a national title as Florida's DC a couple of years before coming to Oklahoma, so I guess you could make it five out of 12. Maybe Castiglione made a good hire.
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Finally, one SEC coach tells a friend of mine today that he believes Alabama will win the SEC title game Saturday. No. 1 Alabama is an unusual 10-point dog to the No. 4 ranked Florida Gators. Says they are physically imposing, sound, have two great backs and don't make many mistakes.
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If OU advances to the title game against Alabama they'd be meeting another SEC with Nick Saban as head coach. Daunting. If they advance and meet Florida you've got Stoops taking on his old school that desperately tried to lure him from Norman. Much more importantly, you'd have OU the road team for the third time in its four national title games under Stoops: the win over Florida State in Miami and the loss to Saban and LSU in New Orleans being the other two.