We’ve had an unwritten rule to not even mention the team in Stillwater until Bedlam week arrives.
But this year it is apparent the Sooners and the Cowboys are on converging paths. The winner of Bedlam will likely play either Alabama or LSU for the BCS national championship.
That’s contingent upon both getting to the December 3 game in Stillwater undefeated.
Last Saturday’s lackluster performances by OU and OSU raised some question whether that will occur. But, it still remains likely that the recent sputtering of those two offensive engines will not keep either from outscoring all remaining opponents.
Despite the Sooners’ trouble in the red zone at Kansas (only scoring three TDs in seven trips inside the 20 yd line in its 47-17 win), Oklahoma still piled up nearly half a hundred points. That’s what a bad offensive performance for the Sooners looks like. They have key mistakes and ho-hum play, and the Sooners still obliterate their opponents by putting up enough points to satisfy even Barry Switzer.
And, before thinking maybe the Cowboys aren’t all that menacing — yes, they struggled at times against a Texas Longhorn team (OSU won 38-26) that OU scored at will against in the Red River Rivalry a week before — never forget Justin Blackmon is the most dominant wide receiver in the country, not just in the Big 12. The Cowboys had half a hundred on Kansas in the first half. True, QB Brandon Weeden was off his passing mark at times agaisnt Texas. But, so was LandryJones in his play against Kansas.
We expect both teams to iron out this week in practice whatever difficulties they had on the road.
The remaining schedule for each team is:
Oklahoma: Texas Tech, Texas A&M and Iowa State at home; Kansas State and Baylor away.
Oklahoma State: Baylor and Kansas State at home; Missouri, Texas Tech and Iowa State away.
The Sooners highest hurdle will be that posed by Bill Snyder in Manhattan, Kansas on October 29. No one will forget the huge 35-7 upset No. 13 K-State got over then No. 1 Sooners in the Big 12 Championship Game in 2003. The Sooners haven’t lost to the Wildcats in four meeting since, but three of those have been wins of 12 points or less.
The Cowboys may be heading into a trap game in Columbia, Missouri on Saturday when they play the Tigers.
My bet is both the Sooners and the Cowboys will survive close matches on the road in the next few weeks.
Close calls on the road will be humbling for fans, but they will only strengthen each team — just in time to crack helmets at the last Big 12 game of the year and what will probably be the semi-final game, the winner of which will take on either Alabama or LSU in the BCS Championship.
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