November 18, 2011
The Oklahoma Sooners still got a chance at the National Championship
The Sooners need to win the next three games to actually have a chance at the National Championship Bowl, but they could very well just pull it off.
By Stephen Lars
Football in Norman, Oklahoma, is a vital part of the student life of this typical college town. The Stadium is by far the tallest and most imposing building in the whole county and on Saturdays, when they host a game, it becomes the heart and soul of the Sooner Nation. Be it the Red River Rivalry or their ups and downs during the regular season, Oklahoma has constantly managed to be among the top football schools in the country. Bob Stoops has been criticized for his decisions and failures ahead of the program but he has also been part of recent successes. And this year, knowing that the squad opened the season as the No. 1 ranked school and then blew it all away in an upsetting and unexpected 41-38 loss against Texas Tech at home.
If the Sooners can play their cards right, they could very well be in the contention for the National Championship.
It wasn’t good, dropping that game certainly made the situation look quite bleak for Oklahoma. After losing to Texas Tech the Sooners dropped to No. 11 in the Top 25. And then a series of fortunate events succeeded and once again there’s a little light at the end of the tunnel. If the Sooners can play their cards right, they could very well be in the contention for the National Championship. After falling to Texas Tech the Sooners recovered and defeated Kansas State and Texas A&M in the next two games. Then came a much needed BYE week, where despite not playing, some of the other National Title contenders such as Stanford and Boise State fell from the ranks of the unbeaten. Suddenly the Sooners were in a much promising spot.
The Sooners need to win the next three games to actually have a chance at the National Championship Bowl, but the issue here is that things are getting crowded at the top of the ranking. The Sooners are currently 5th in the BCS rankings and is still one of the 8 teams that have also recorded one loss this season. Sure, at the very top the LSU Tigers and the Oklahoma State Cowboys are still the two teams to beat for a spot at the National Championship Game but then again, the Sooners are going to close the season playing none other than Oklahoma State. If the Sooners manage to win it’s next two games and close the season on the road against it’s sister school with a victory, they could certainly build one heck of a case to be included in the National Championship Bowl game.
The Sooners will play the 6-3 Baylor Bears on Saturday. Truth be said, the Sooners shouldn’t really have much trouble winning a game against the Bears, not even if it’s played at Waco, Texas. The Bears are still to experience a win against the Sooners. Then again, it’s precisely against these weaker teams that the Sooners should be especially careful. Let’s not forget that against Texas Tech the Sooners were a 30+ point favorite on the spread. Currently, the Sooners are a 15-point favorite for Saturday’s game against the Baylor Bears. It’s quite a long shot for the bears to pull this one off, particularly because there’s so much at stake for Oklahoma. Then again, it’s college football and anything can happen.
Stephen Lars is a prominent sports blogger and currently covers the Sports news, previews and handicaps for the BetIAS Sportsbook. You may reprint this article in its full content, please note no modifications to it are accepted.