 "Photo: AP")
After a week chock full of politicking, Bowl Championship Series jargon and student campaigns, Oklahoma emerged ahead of Texas in the BCS standings.
The second-ranked Sooners (11-1, 7-1 Big 12) will represent the Big 12 South in the conference championship game against No. 20 Missouri (9-3, 5-3) this Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.
Oklahoma comes into the matchup riding as high as any team in the nation after scoring at least 61 points in each of their last four games. The latest was a convincing 61-41 rout of rival Oklahoma State in Stillwater.
“I do know that that road win against the No. 11-ranked team in the country would make a huge difference, or should anyway,” OU coach Bob Stoops told reporters Sunday. “Overall I thought winning by 20 there would be enough.”
The Tigers didn’t fare as well in their rivalry game with Kansas. The Jayhawks stole the 40-37 win with a touchdown with 27 seconds left and after blocking a last-second Missouri field goal attempt.
If the Tigers have any hope of upsetting OU, they will have to fix their secondary problems. Missouri has the worst pass defense in the Big 12, allowing 277.1 yards per game.
That doesn’t bode well for the Tigers, as the Sooners average 354.2 yards per game through the air — second best in the conference.
Tech banged up
Texas Tech escaped with a 35-28 win against Baylor on Saturday but not unscathed.
The star tandem of quarterback Graham Harrell and wide receiver Michael Crabtree both suffered injuries to the Bears.
Harrell shattered bones in the ring and pinkie fingers of his left hand during the second quarter, requiring four hours of surgery and the insertion 17 pins and two plates into his hand. Harrell finished the game despite the injury, passing for 309 yards and two touchdowns.
Tech head coach Mike Leach said Harrell’s courage makes him deserving of the Heisman Trophy.
“Even though [I have] no specific comment, it’s just further evidence on why he should get the Heisman, and to me it’s a no-brainer because I thought he should have gotten it last year,” Leach told The Associated Press.
Crabtree, who has caught 18 touchdowns this season, left the game with a sprained ankle in the second half.
Despite the injuries, both are expected to be at full strength for the Red Raiders’ bowl game.
Mizzou coordinator to Wyoming
Missouri announced Monday that offensive coordinator Dave Christensen had accepted the head coach position at Wyoming. He replaces Joe Glenn, who led the Cowboys to a 4-7 record, his fourth losing season in six years.
“I’m very proud of him, and I think it’s a great reflection on our program,” Missouri coach Gary Pinkel told The Associated Press. “He’s just done a great job.”
Christensen, who joined Missouri in 2001, brought the spread offense to the Tigers in 2005. Quarterback Chase Daniel, Missouri’s first Heisman Trophy finalist, flourished in his system, passing for 4,306 yards last season and 3,880 yards so far in 2008. The Tigers are sixth in the nation in total offense.
“He’s going to take that program to levels it’s never seen,” Daniel told the Associated Press.
Pinkel said Christensen will remain with the Tigers for next week’s Big 12 championship game and for the team’s bowl game.
Chizik shakes up staff
Iowa State head coach Gene Chizik, fresh off a Big 12-worst 2-10 season, made some changes to his coaching staff Monday.
The second-year coach demoted offensive coordinator Robert McFarland to offensive line coach and defensive coordinator Wayne Bolt to linebackers coach. He also fired quarterbacks coach Tony Peterson and secondary coach Shawn Raney.
“It’s the head coach’s responsibility to evaluate all facets of the program and make whatever changes are necessary to improve the team’s overall performance,” Chizik said.
Since leaving Texas for Iowa State, Chizik has a 5-19 record.
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