The Big 12 has used a North Division-South Division format and played a football championship game since 1996. In 10 of the 12 previous editions of the Big 12 Championship, one of the two teams involved has been ranked in the top five of the Associated Press poll that preceded the game.In those 10 instances, the top-five team is only 5-5, and there have been a couple notable upsets.
In 1996, an unranked Texas team took down second-ranked Nebraska 37-27 in St. Louis.
In 1998, it was tenth-ranked Texas A&M shocking second-ranked Kansas State 36-33 in double-overtime.
2001 saw Colorado, rated ninth, edging third-ranked Texas 39-37. Then, most notably perhaps, Kansas State blew out top-ranked Oklahoma 35-7 in 2003.
Last year, Missouri fell out of the top spot in the polls after a blowout loss to ninth-ranked Oklahoma.
Can Missouri return the favor this year, and knock Oklahoma out of a spot in the BCS title game?
Normally, I would just dismiss the Tigers and tell everyone to move on.
I don't think they can keep up defensively, and I don't think their offense is good enough to attack Oklahoma's defense like Texas did.
However, the history of upsets in this game gives me pause.
I am not one of these folks that thinks an upset is going to happen because one happened in a similar situation before. I do, however, find the poor record of highly-ranked teams in this game very interesting. The old theory about the game meaning more to the underdog does apply. No, Missouri doesn't have a shot at the national championship. However, the Tigers can get their school to a prestigious BCS bowl game while at the same time ruining Oklahoma's national championship dreams.
That does mean something.
Can it work again?
Well, Oklahoma has been on fire lately. I can't remember the last time a team racked up 60-plus points in four straight games, with two of them coming against high-quality opponents. Missouri's schedule doesn't really match up, and while the offense is hitting for 45 points per game (a touchdown and two-point conversion behind the OU machine), I don't think they can keep up.
Sam Bradford is hitting on all cylinders. His backs and receivers are in sync. The line has been blocking incredibly well. While OU's defense is a major question, they get the boost of confidence from the fact that the offense is good for six points pretty much every time they have the ball. It's always nice to think that way as a defense.
There are ways Missouri can win, but it involves concocting scenarios based on unpredictable factors such as turnovers and injuries. Perhaps Bradford can't work around his bad left hand and he has problems with the snaps. Maybe OU can't hold on to the ball.
All it takes is a couple bounces.
If anything weird does happen, remember where you were reminded of the history of upsets in this game. If Oklahoma is playing backups in the third quarter, well then we'll see the Schooner in Miami.
Comments (Page 1 of 1)
I have been an OU fan since 1971, but I take nothing for granted. Especially after the horrible BCS Bowl performances in the recent past. OU was beaten by inferior Boise St. and West Virginia teams. The losses against LSU and USC were bad but plausible given the quality of the opponent. Stoops needs to win a few more BCS bowls before he can earn back his title of of "Big Game Bob."
I think ou will win big they are a very disciplined team this year. Sorry espn Texas etc
This just in:
BCS DECLARES GERMANY WINNER OF WORLD WAR II
US Ranked 4th
After determining the Big-12 championship game participants the BCS computers were put to work on other major contests and today the BCS declared Germany to be the winner of World War II.
"Germany put together an incredible number of victories beginning with the annexation of Austria and the Sudetenland and continuing on into conference play with defeats of Poland, France, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium and the Netherlands. Their only losses came against the US and Russia; however considering their entire body of work--including an incredibly tough Strength of Schedule--our computers deemed them worthy of the #1 ranking."
Questioned about the #4 ranking of the United States the BCS commissioner stated "The US only had two major victories--Japan and Germany. The computer models, unlike humans, aren't influenced by head-to-head contests--they consider each contest to be only a single, equally-weighted event."
German Chancellor Adolph Hiter said "Yes, we lost to the US; but we defeated #2 ranked France in only 6 weeks." Herr Hitler has been criticized for seeking dramatic victories to earn 'style points' to enhance Germany's rankings. Hitler protested "Our contest with Poland was in doubt until the final day and the conditions in Norway were incredibly challenging and demanded the application of additional forces."
The French ranking has also come under scrutiny. The BCS commented " France had a single loss against Germany and following a preseason #1 ranking they only fell to #2."
Japan was ranked #3 with victories including Manchuria, Borneo and the Philippines.
This article is like the weather report that says it will be hot or cold, rainy or sunny, windy ot calm & then the geek who wrote it has the gall to say "You heard it here"?....Boomer Sooner baby, Mizzu WILL NOT HANG..... You heard it here, and there and everywhere.
LOL 7 mins left in the first qtr OK 3 Mizz 0. Not to good a showing there OK LMAO
Hmmm.....now don't you look dumb, ha!
Not at all 3 points midway through the first quarter against the Gators and you will likely be so far behind you cant dig out. Go Gators!
You keep bringing up "3 points through the first quarter", however, there are four quarters (not including overtimes) in collegiate football. The score at the end of the game is what matters, not midway through the first quarter. It is also pretty apparent that you must live under a rock because the Oklahoma team that I have watched this year can put points on the board quick, fast and in a hurry.
LMAO against defensless Big 12 teams. Good luck your going to need it! Last night the two best teams in the land met in Atlanta, the rest is icing on the cake for the Gators! We are going to remind Bob Stoops what its like to be a Gator as I am sure he remembers "Its great to be a FLORIDA GATOR!"
Get ready gators. Ready or not here we come. OU all the way baby.BOOMER SOONER.#1
Sooners play better when they have a chip on their shoulder. Sooner offense was still growing, when they lost to Texas. Now, they have arrived! They will be relentless and ready, when they play the Gators in the title game, not just because the Gators are a great team. But, because they lost to Texas early this season! Oklahoma will beat Teabow and the Gators!