The Altus Times (Altus, Okla.), Vol. 110, No. 100, Ed. 1 Monday, December 1, 2008 Page: 4 of 10
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SPORTS
BCS tiebreaker sends Oklahoma to Big 12 title game
1 ‘
their second win in their last 21 games.
Kansas City had lost seven in a row.
4 • Monday, Dec. I, 2008
Altus Times
was going to wind up on the short
end of the BCS’ latest controversy.
This time it didn't even take until
the final standings come out next
week.
A three-way tie had to be broken
to determine whether Oklahoma,
Texas or Texas Tech would repre-
sent the South division in the con-
ference title game, and it came
down to the fifth tiebreaker: the
BCS.
Oklahoma finished a single point
ahead of Texas in the USA Today
coaches’ poll and six points behind
the Longhorns in the Harris Poll.
That left it to the computer ratings,
and the Sooners came out on top in
four of the six.
As it turned out, the only element
of the BCS system that couldn’t be
swayed by the campaigning made
all the difference.
Texas made up ground in both
polls after fans handed out signs and
created a Web site based around the
winning score from the Longhorns’
45-35 win against Oklahoma in
October. A plane was even hired to
fly over the Bedlam game with a
banner serving as a reminder.
While Texas coach Mack Brown
campaigned even on the air during
ABC's telecast of the Oklahoma-
Oklahoma State game, Stoops
declined to do the same two days
earlier and tried to keep away from
all the politicking.
Bedlam brings harsh end to
OSU’s successful season
TULSA, Okla. (AP) — Oklahoma coach
Bob Stoops says quarterback Sam Bradford
has sustained torn ligaments in the thumb on
his left hand.
Stoops announced the injury on Sunday
and said Bradford will likely have surgery
after the Big 12 championship game.
OU won a three-way tiebreaker with
Texas and Texas Tech and will play Missouri
on Saturday in the Big 12 championship
game.
Bradford has torn thumb ligaments
Buccaneers 23, Saints 20
At Tampa, Fla., Jermaine Phillips and
Phillip Buchanon intercepted Drew Brees
in the closing minutes and Matt Bryant
kicked a 37-yard field goal with 1:55
remaining for the Bucs.
Bradford sustained his injury on the
Sooners third series on Saturday night but
returned. The only difference was he took
snaps in the shotgun formation the rest of the
game. Stoops said he will be able to play just
fine in the Big 12 championship game.
Bradford passed for 370 yards and four
touchdowns against Oklahoma State in a 61-
41 OU win
Falcons 22, Chargers 16
At San Diego, rookie Matt Ryan threw
two touchdown passes and Michael Turner
ran for 120 yards against his former team.
The Falcons (8-4) remained a game behind
Timpa Bay and Carolina in the NFC South.
Ravens 34, Bengals 3
At Cincinnati, receiver Mark Clayton
threw a touchdown pass on a reverse, then
made a spectacular one-handed catch for a
70-yard score as the Ravens (8-4) won their
sixth in seven games.
The Bengals (1-10-1) managed only six
first downs and were held to 155 offensive
yards.
Colts 10, Browns 6
At Cleveland, defensive end Robert
Mathis scooped up Derek Anderson’s fum-
ble and rumbled 39 yards for a touchdown
in the fourth quarter as the Colts stayed in
the thick of the AFC playoff chase by win-
ning their fifth straight.
The Colts (8-4) got a 30-yard field goal
from Adam Vinatieri and improved to 5-0
in November.
49ers 10, Bills 3
At Orchard Park, N.Y., linebacker
Patrick Willis had 14 tackles and a forced
fumble as the Niners all but ended the
Bills’ dwindling playoff hopes. The win
also prevented Arizona from clinching the
NFC West and their first playoff berth in 10
years — the longest active playoff drought
in the NFL.
Dolphins 16, Rams 12
At St. Louis, Mo., the Dolphins (7-5)
made it into the end zone only once, but
relied on stingy play from a defense to
secure their fifth victory in six games.
The Rams (2-10) ended a string of
blowout losses the previous four games
behind Steven Jackson, who had 94 yards
on 21 carries, but were undone by mistakes
in the second half against a Dolphins team
that's quickly become competitive after
going 1-15 last season.
Giants 23, Redskins 7
At Landover, Md., Eli Manning had his
first 300-yard game of the season, Clinton
Portis was held to 22 yards rushing, and the
Giants put aside the Plaxico Burress mess
with another dominating performance.
The Giants (11-1) have won seven
straight, including six in a row against
teams with winning records, and have a
three-game lead in the NFC East over the
second-place Dallas Cowboys with four to
play.
Vikings 34, Bears 14
At Minneapolis, with a gutty goal-line
stand and one big heave by Gus Frerotte,
Minnesota grabbed control of the NFC
North and sent Kyle Orton and Chicago
home with a humbling defeat.
•Seconds after the Bears (6-6) were
stopped four times at the 1, Bernard
Berrian pulled in a 99-yard touchdown pass
from Frerotte that carried the Vikings to
sole possession of the division lead.
Minnesota (7-5) turned three turnovers
into 17 second-half points. Adrian Peterson
had 100 yards by halftime and finished
with 131 and a TD.
Chiefs 20, Raiders 13
At Oakland, Calif., Tyler Thigpen engi-
neered a 91-yard drive capped by Larry
Johnson's 2-yard tiebreaking run early in
the fourth quarter to lead the Chiefs to just
“I had hoped it wouldn’t come
back to haunt us,” Stoops said. “I
just feel there’s some place that's
appropriate and then there isn't. I
hope I hung around the appropriate
area and didn’t overdo anything.
When I'm asked a question, I stated
it. Just trying to do it the right way
and have some principle in what
we’re doing.
“And I’m not saying anyone else
didn’t. That’s just how I tried to do
it.”
Stoops learned of the BCS stand-
ings while watching TV in the lock-
er room with a few players and then
had a news conference to talk about
what happened. Brown issued a
statement calling the situation
unfair and suggesting that the Big
12 change it's tiebreaker procedure
to match that of four other confer-
ences, including the SEC and ACC.
"I'm really disappointed for our
kids that two teams we beat this sea-
Road-field advantage?
Visitors win big on Sunday
By The Associated Press
The holiday weekend was a good time
for a road trip.
If winning away from home is a predic-
tor of playoff success, count Pittsburgh.
Denver and Carolina among the con-
tenders.
The Steelers and Broncos ignored
wicked weather conditions in impressive
victories over AFC East foes, while the
Panthers pulled out a wild one in Green
Bay, 35-31.
There was little home-field advantage
Sunday with visiting teams going 10-2.
Only Tampa Bay and Minnesota managed
to send their fans home happy.
In East Rutherford. N.J., Jay Cutler
threw for 357 yards and two touchdowns in
the Broncos' 34-17 victory over the New
York Jets. Rookie Peyton Hillis rushed for
a career-high 129 yards and a score,
becoming the first to gain 100 or more
yards against New York’s third-ranked run
defense.
"The thing that really got me going was
the ESPN analysis and they were all saying
we shouldn’t get off the plane." Hillis said.
"That really got me fired up."
In Foxborough, Mass., Pittsburgh domi-
nated the second half of its 33-10 victory,
outscoring the Patriots 23-0. The Steelers
had all of their five takeaways and four of
their five sacks after halftime, giving up 81
yards to a team that had gained more than
500 in each of its two previous games.
“We heard a lot of talk about it being a
rivalry." Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin
said. “It hasn’t been much of a rivalry until
you win some. That’s what we talked about
coming up here.”
11 1 •
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) - Bob
Stoops woke up with a knot in his
stomach, worried what the BCS had
in store for his Oklahoma football
team.
When the knot and the Big 12
South untied themselves, he and his
Sooners were bound for the confer-
ence championship game — and
maybe the BCS title game, too —
and rival Texas was left with that
nasty feeling inside.
Oklahoma edged out the
Longhorns by 13 thousandths of a
point for second place in the Bowl
Championship Series standings
Sunday, meaning the Sooners will
get to face No. 19 Missouri for a
chance at their third straight confer-
ence title and most likely a shot at
the national championship if they
win.
But after the craziness that the
last week brought — with airplanes
towing banners, Web sites touting
each of the Red River rivals and all
the campaigning of a presidential
race — Stoops isn't comfortable
even believing that.
“I'm not convinced of anything
anymore," Stoops said
Stoops woke up Sunday morning
and had to remind himself that his
.third-ranked Sooners (11-1. 7-1)
beat then-No. 12 Oklahoma State
61-41 Saturday night in the Bedlam
rivalry game. That made only one
'-thing certain: Some deserving team
son will be playing for the Big 12 teams that wound up highly rated in
Championship," Brown said. "I'll the BCS standings - TCU in 11th
try to explain it to them, but most and C incinnati in 13th.
importantly, my message will be "In the end. I can't equate what
that you've done enough to put all transpired and how muc o an
yourself in position to play for the influence it had, but it had an influ-
conference championship, you had ence. Stoops said. And I think for
a great season and there still is a lot people to continue to want to play
out there for you to play for." out-of-conference games that peo-
Texas could still have a chance to ple want to watch and go to and be
play for the national title if excited about, there has to be an
Oklahoma loses to Missouri, or it incentive to do it. Otherwise, heck,
could be fifth-place Southern Cal just schedule four wins and move
that would jump up in that scenario on dow n the road
Alabama is in first and Florida 's for the Sooners vasa repeat of
fourth, and those teams meet in an 2004, when strength of schedule
SEC title game that’s essentially a helped them edge out undefeated
playoff to get to the BCS champi- Auburn lor a chance to play USC in
onshipgame. the Orange Bowl.
As for a playoff, Stoops said he Once again, the BC S left a lot of
would support one while his athlet- people complaining — but not
ic director. Joe Castiglione, hedged Oklahoma.
and said now isn't the time for that ■Each year there s going to be
discussion. some type of debate about an ele-
“We may love the rules, we may ment of an imperfect sy stem, and
be challenged by the rules, we may people will be very focused on that
disagree with the rules. It’s part of debate. And a year later, there will a
what makes this sport so interest whole different kind of debate and
ing." Castiglione said.“Yet we have they ve forgot about the other
agreed to play by the rules, and debates and we end up back here
that’s what we all voted for and questioning the system once again,
that's how we've approached what Castiglione said.
ever was in front of us. That’s all we "When everybody steps back
can do.” two or three months after the bowl
Both were glad that the Sooners season is over and takes a deep
apparently benefited in the comput breath, they tend to lean on the sys-
er rankings because of a nonconfer- tem we have in place
ence schedule that featured two
Oklahoma State’s defense in the fourth
STILLWATER. Okla. (AP) One of quarter and that the Cowboys knew com
the best football seasons in Oklahoma ing in that they couldn’t afford to com-
State history didn't have the storybook mit turnovers. An interception and two
ending that coach Mike Gundy had envi- fumbles including one returned for a
sioned — at least not yet defensive 2-point conversion helped
The Cowboys (9-3. 5-3 Big 12) tied the Sooners get and stay ahead
their record for wins in a regular season "We felt like our plan was good
and put a’scare into No. 3 Oklahoma in enough, we were healths enough and
the annual Bedlam rivalry game, but the that if we could put the mistakes on their
Sooners had too much firepower in the side and not ours, we felt like we could
end. Oklahoma State fell three spots to get the game into the fourth quarter and
No. 14 in The Associated Press’ poll have a chance of winning." Gundy said.
Sunday after the 61-41 loss. "But we made more crucial mistakes
“What really hurt me is for the seniors than they did."
to not finish with a win," Gundy said. Oklahoma State still has a chance for
"It’s always difficult, but we haveabowl only the fourth 10-win season in school
game to finish the season and they can history.
still finish with a win. "We know that we've had a great sea-
“What the seniors need to know is that son. The players feel that way, the coach-
they’re responsible for turning this pro- es feel that way and we have no reason to
gram around and bringing it to the level hang our heads," quarterback Zac
it is right now. They've provided great Robinson said. "We've fought in there
leadership. with the best teams really in the nation,
In four years, Gundy’s first freshman when you look at the Big 12 South,
class have been able to take the program "When your losses are against No. 1,
from a 4-7 season in 2005 and bring it No. 2 and No 3, not saying that it’s OK.
back to the level it was at when Les but it’s not like we’re losing to
Miles left following the 2004 Alamo Washington State or something. We can
Bowl season and perhaps even beyond, take away a lot from the season and just
A win against then-No. 3 Missouri vault- continue to build on it."
ed the Cowboys into the Top 10 for the Gundy has credited much of the
first time in 20 years, and only losses to team’s progress this season to a new atti-
teams ranked No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 tude forged during the practices leading
spoiled their season. up to the Insight Bowl last December.
There’s still a bowl game to come for and there’s a chance to make even more
the third straight season. The odds-on progress with the extra sessions before
favorite is the Holiday Bowl in San this year's postseason destination.
Diego, although an announcement won't “We've got to move on, take a few
come until next Sunday after the Big 12 days to get over this and the latter part of
championship game. The Alamo Bowl next week start bowl practice and move
could also end up being their destination, to the next step," Gundy said.
Representatives from both bowls were at For a little while, though, a hard-
the Bedlam game Saturday night. fought Bedlam loss will continue to soak
“I'm not into politicking or trying to in.
sell anything,” Gundy said. “I would say “When you put a lot into something,
that there would be some bowls out here you want to reap the benefits of success'
that would be very interested in having and it's hard to get the feel of having
this team play in it. success when you lose,” Gundy said.
Gundy said he thought Oklahoma's “But I'm still very proud of our football
offense — which leads the nation in team."
scoring — was able to wear down
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Bush, Michael. The Altus Times (Altus, Okla.), Vol. 110, No. 100, Ed. 1 Monday, December 1, 2008, newspaper, December 1, 2008; Altus, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc2183296/m1/4/?q=%22%22~1: accessed August 15, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.