It makes sense. An OU victory over K-State will probably vault the Longhorns into a BCS bowl. If the Wildcats pull off an upset, they along with the Sooners would get BCS bids.
So, the smart Texas fans will pull for an OU victory Saturday.
Sooners fans don't laugh too hard. The same scenario could happen in reverse in a future season.
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Last week I wrote about the national championship game and who would be in it. This week I would like to take a look at who deserves to be in it.
If OU wins they're in. If they lose to K-State there is still a good chance the Sooners will make it because they have built a big lead in the BCS standings. But, computer rankings enter into the BCS equation. I don't trust computers. I work on computers all the time. They have a mind of their own. I don't trust them and I don't trust the BCS in any shape, form or fashion.
Some (specifically Lee Corso) said OU would not be deserving of a Sugar Bowl bid if they did not win their own conference. Others say even with a loss OU would still be one of the top two teams in the country and should go.
Best insurance policy is for Bob Stoops' Sooners to take care of business and get by the Wildcats.
Let's say that happens. Who is most deserving of being OU's opponent in New Orleans?
If LSU wins the SEC championship game and if USC wins as expected against Oregon State on Saturday, who should go? The Tigers would be 12-1 and SEC champions. USC would be 11-1 and Pac-10 champions.
Most critics say LSU because they came through a tougher schedule to get to where they are.
Granted LSU plays in a tougher conference and their loss to Florida is not as bad as USC's loss to California.
That's a good argument in favor of LSU.
But, should USC be penalized because their trek through the PAC-10 is not as difficult and LSU stroll through the SEC? It's not the Trojans' fault that their conference counterparts have not stepped it up. And shouldn't the bid go to the best team? How can we determine that? Only one way. Have the two teams play each other on Dec. 13 for the right to play in the national championship game (just kidding). Perhaps we ought to think more seriously about a playoff (not kidding).
Currently, USC is the number two team in the BCS with LSU not far behind. Can LSU, with a win in the SEC title game, jump ahead of USC?
The Tigers were counting on Kentucky to defeat Tennessee, Georgia to defeat Georgia Tech and Florida to defeat Florida State on Saturday. That could have given LSU some precious points in the schedule difficulty category. However, only Georgia won. The Tigers will have to play Georgia in Saturday's SEC championship game.
Tennessee, Florida and Georgia all tied for the top spot in the SEC East Division. A tie-breaker system involving the BCS standings put Georgia in the championship game. That was bad news for LSU. They wanted to play either Tennessee or Florida in the title game because the Tigers have already defeated Georgia and cannot earn any additional BCS points with a second win over the Bulldogs.
It may now be difficult for LSU to overtake USC because of what happened Saturday. Also, the Tigers face a difficult task of beating a good Georgia team for the second time. The first game at Baton Rouge was a close one and this SEC title game is in the Bulldogs' backyard at Atlanta.
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What about the total BCS picture? Who goes where? Here's one scenario. Miami gets a rematch with Ohio State in the Orange Bowl. Texas goes to the Fiesta Bowl for a meeting with Florida State and the Georgia-LSU winner goes to Pasadena to play Michigan in the Rose Bowl and OU and USC play in the Sugar Bowl. But who knows who gets what bid? The announcements will be made Sunday afternoon.
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What about Oklahoma State? There are three possibilities. OSU could go to the Cotton Bowl or they could end up at the Alamo Bowl or the Holiday Bowl in San Diego.
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The hiring of Mike Stoops at Arizona finally became official Saturday. Stoops will bring one foreign substance to the Pac-10. It's called defense. With the exception of USC, teams in the Pac 10 play horrible defense. Stoops will change that.
Joining Stoops in Arizona will be little brother Mark. The younger Stoops has been the defensive backfield coach at Miami and will be the defensive coordinator at Arizona.
One other interesting note in the Stoops hiring involves an Altus native. Jim Click Jr. was a member of a committee which helped Arizona officials in their search for a coach.
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