That one was fun too! Closer than last weeks game against Texas Tech at home but probably more impressive in a couple of different ways. No doubt crushing #2 Texas Tech last weekend by 44 points helped OU in their bid to move on to Big 12 Championship game. But all would have been for naught had OU lost to Oklahoma State in Stillwater, OK tonight. And there were many (and a lot of the many are bloggers here) who expected exactly that to happen. But...the Sooners went on the road...to play a rivalry game in the Big 12...a 7 point favorite...that won by twenty, 61-41. That the game was close the entire way should surprise no one. After all...it has to be close in order for an upset to happen...and Oklahoma State is a very good football team...especially at Boone Pickens Stadium. Winning by 20 there tonight makes a huge statement about OU.

Let me see...what will we hear about this one? Stoops ran up the score by having Chris Brown score on a 28 yard run with 25 seconds left. I would say the result of that play was more a tired defense than running up the score. Yea, gcoach, but they gave up 41 to Oklahoma State. Yes they did but all I've heard all year is how incredible that offense is. Plus it was on the road in Stillwater where OSU (tired of spelling it out) hadn't lost this year. This one was close all the way so it wasn't like a blow-out. It was much closer than the final score would indicate. I agree absolutely 100% on that. Which makes the final score even more impressive to be able to pull away at the end...on the road...for a quality road win. Can you believe how arrogant Stoops was politicking for the BCS voters? There are going to be Stoops haters who throw that in there...trust me. I actually thought he handled those situations well...even the parts about how they (the OU coaching staff was keeping track of the Texas Tech/Baylor game on the field before the OU/OSU game. So all of those arguments are done for me. Now here is why this win was more impressive to me than the win last week...by 44 points...over the #2 team in the country. And along the way I'll address a few other things.

Five weeks ago the OU Sooners lost to the Texas Longhorns 45-35 on a neutral field in the Red River Shootout. In my opinion that was one of the 3 best games of the year so far regardless of the participants. The differences I'm looking at are that this win tonight was on the road...not a neutral site. They won by 20 against a team that refused to give up and kept on coming at them. Against the Longhorns 5 weeks ago the Sooner offense couldn't run the ball and had to settle on the air game...which was pretty special even on that day. Yea...I know...Bradford threw two picks against Texas. On the first the defensive back laid out and made an outstanding play and the last one was on the last play of the game...a moot point. But the defense couldn't stop Colt McCoy on that day and he led several comebacks before eventually taking over the game. The Sooner offense responded as well as it could but eventually had no answer. Tonight...on the road...the Bradford led offense ran efficiently and effectively all night overcoming adversity that is a hostile environment...an injured QB (OU ran out of the shot gun in the second half because Bradford hurt the thumb on his left hand and snaps from Cooper to Bradford were problematic)...and an opponent that kept on coming. They came back after falling behind and took a lead they wouldn't relinquish...no matter how hard OSU tried...eventually pulling away and winning by 20 points. Is OSU close to Texas. By the numbers you would say no. At home..in a rivalry game...maybe! The point is that the Sooners...since the Texas game...have improved on the field...physically and emotionally. Not once tonight did I see an element of panic in the Sooner game...on offense or defense. This is a different team than the one that lost to Texas.

Now...while I won't deny the Longhorn argument about head to head competition I don't think you can argue the head to head between OU and Texas...and ignore the head to head against Texas and Texas Tech. The scenario and the solution to it are going to make people very unhappy. So...what do we have? We have OU at 11-1, we have Texas at 11-1 and we have Texas Tech at 11-1. We know that the 3 losses against the 33 wins are the big problem. So I'm all set thinking my Sooners are going to get hosed here even though I think...regardless of the head to head record...they are one of the 2 best teams in the country.

The Sooners out of conference schedule is better than either Texas or Texas Tech's with wins over Cincinnati and TCU...both ranked teams. None of Texas or Texas Tech's non-conference opponents are or were ranked. While Texas' run of winning 3 of 4 against highly ranked teams and losing to Tech on the last play of the game are impressive I'd have to throw in 60+ points in 4 games in a row...one against the #2 ranked team in the country and one against the #11 ranked team in the country...on the road...is equally impressive. Common opponents we see that Texas squeeked by OSU at home 28-24 while Tech blasted them 56-20 in Lubbock. OU had to go to Stillwater and play OSU and win by 20. I keep hearing comments about OU being the "flavor of the week" and all of that stuff but a few weeks back Texas had their run as the "flavor of the week." Texas could...and should have won their game against Tech had an easy interception not been dropped. As to the Missouri argument that is made in defense of Texas and their record...OU didn't play Missouri this year. So...big deal? OSU is ranked higher than Missouri is or was. But you all know as well as I do that all of the arguing in the world will still only make one team happy. Aside from the fact that Texas wants to make their argument on the only thing they can argue...the head to head against OU...while pretending the head to head against Tech doesn't count...there are certain things at work here that should be considered.

One - teams change along the way. OU is clearly not the same team that lost 5 weeks ago to Texas. They have improved tremendously along the way. Their offense is a work of art with Bradford running things as effectively as Colt McCoy or any of the other Big 12 QB's. The defense...despite the 35 points last night (kick return)...is vastly improved. I'm not saying they are great but I would be hard pressed to find a team that has over come the adversity of losing so many key players to injury and...getting better!

Two - they are the only Big 12 team with a quality win over a quality opponent...on the road this year. Going in to Boone Pickens tonight and winning like they did makes it a quality win. The quality opponent is ranked #11 in the country. Texas and Texas Tech haven't been able to accomplish that feat this year. It also shows that OU can go on the road and win impressively...something they struggled with...oh...say...5 weeks ago.

Three - OU wins out in the regular season by playing two ranked opponents...#2 and #11...while Texas closes with Kansas and Texas A & M in Austin. And...I'm sorry...beating Texas Tech by 44 and OSU in Stillwater by 20 is a bit more impressive than laying a 28 point win over Kansas and a 40 point win over Texas A & M. As I have mentioned previously...a 40 point win against A & M was expected and are "style points" really "style points" if you are favored to win by almost the exact number of "style points" you won by? Beating the #2 team in the country by 44 points...at home or not...is impressive as hell and I don't care who you are. Were I a voter that counted I would be more impressed with an OU win on the road over a quality opponent than I would be a 40 point win over a team that ranks somewhere between 116th to 119th in the 4 major defensive categories.  And that is among the 119 Division 1A teams playing college football. But...hey...that's just me.

Four - historically...and no matter what sport you are talking about...you always strive and encourage your coaches and your players to gel and come together down the stretch so that you are primed and ready for the post season. We did it when I played and coached youth sports. We did it when I played high school sports. We did it when I played junior hockey. We do it now as I coach high school hockey. We have been eliminated from post season play and seen teams that we beat play in the state tournament. Is it fair? It is painful but it is what it is.

Five - if OU doesn't jump over Texas with all of what I have mentioned in the BCS then Texas should give a great big HOOK 'EM to the media. Herbstriet, Corso, Musberger, Fowler, Mark May, Doug Flutie...just to name a few couldn't have done OU any more harm this weekend than if they were the actual people who set the championship bowl pairings. Texas and Texas A & M is where it started. Let's interview the guy that set up a facebook page titling it 45-35.com and then continually show all the fans in the stands with the same posters up. While I had less problems with the panning shots of the crowd (lack of network control over what fans do) I have issues with the interview. At least Fowler mentioned something about Texas Tech doing the same thing only calling it 39-33. That is where the equality ended. Every freakin' time the subject of the 3 way tie in the Big 12 came up every freakin' one of these guys threw in the head to head thing...every FREAKIN' time. They even actually showed the plane flying over Boone Pickens today with the 45-35 banner flying behind it. I guess if they are going to be objective and talk about everything that OU has done to get into the Big 12 Championship game and sway the BCS then they also have to continually support Texas. OU had the spotlight at the end of the year and took huge advantage of it. Instead of that being what we all see and hear...these sportscasters did their best to level the playing field.

Oh, well. Do I think OU deserves to be in the Big 12 Championship game next Saturday. ABSOFREAKINLUTELY! Do I think they won't be there on Saturday? ABSOFREAKINLUTELY! Do I think OU is better than Texas right now? ABSOFREAKINLUTELY! Do I think it is disgraceful that there is no way to line 'em up and find out...like in the Big 12 Championship game WHICH SHOULD HAVE THE TWO BEST TEAMS PLAYING IN IT! ABSOFREAKINLUTELY!!! But...then when OU wins we'd all be pissing and moaning about a rubber game! And sadly...that is the state of college football today. It is so whacked that conference championship games don't even have the two best teams from the conference playing in it! Just another thing for the common fan...people like me and you...to argue over.

Gcoach prediction - Texas plays for NC against Florida and Bradford wins Heisman. Sort of the grand payoff for not getting into NC picture after being one of 2 best teams in the country at the end of the year. His numbers are better than McCoy's and his leadership skills are unquestionable just like McCoy's.

I'll just congratulate the Longhorns now and hope for something to happen so that OU doesn't end up playing another non BCS conference school in the Fiesta Bowl...again!

And that's the bottom line...