Sooners Look To Clinch Big 12 South

Nov. 17, 2000

By OWEN CANFIELD
AP Sports Writer

NORMAN, Okla. - The excitement building in Oklahoma about the prospect of the top-ranked Sooners playing for a national championship is not the work of coach Bob Stoops.

It's true that in only two years Stoops has returned the Sooners to national prominence. But it's also true that he refuses to talk about any game except the next one on the schedule, which this week is Texas Tech.

"We're not looking ahead," Stoops said. "We don't want to talk about what the possibilities are. Mathematically, everyone will agree we still need to win another game to lock up the (Big 12) South, which we've said all along is one of our goals."

A victory Saturday would ensure that the Sooners (9-0, 6-0 Big 12) will play in the Big 12 championship game Dec. 2. If they win their final two regular-season games - against Tech and Oklahoma State - then win the conference title game, they would go to the Orange Bowl to play for the national championship.

But that, in Stoops' view, is looking too far ahead. His players feel the same way.

"We have to wrap up the Big 12 South before we get to the Big 12 game and we have to win the Big 12 game before we have the opportunity to be in the national championship," center Bubba Burcham said. "You can't overlook any of those."

Oklahoma has several reasons to be ready for Tech (7-4, 3-4):

The stakes. A loss would cripple the Sooners' national championship hopes. They would still be able to win the South Division by beating Oklahoma State Nov. 25, but a loss Saturday would send them tumbling in the polls and the BCS ratings.

Senior day. The 22 players suiting up at home for the final time will want to close their careers by extending Oklahoma's 12-game home winning streak.

The opponent. Texas Tech beat the Sooners 38-28 last year at Lubbock.

Those reasons render meaningless any talk of a possible letdown following last week's emotional 35-31 victory at Texas A&M, quarterback Josh Heupel said.

"We will be focused," he said. "We have a goal in mind. We have an end objective. We're not looking to the end objective. We're taking it week by week to make sure we stay on task to reach that."

Many of the seniors have endured some dark seasons. The Sooners were 12-22 in the three years before Stoops arrived last year, and he applauded their dedication.

"This program and being back in this position means a great deal to them," Stoops said. "They've got a lot of pride in what they're doing and want to see it through.

"I think what's great about the seniors and this team is they understand everything to this point is still very much incomplete."

There's one other sidebar to Saturday's game. It marks the return to Norman of Tech coach Mike Leach, who last year was Oklahoma's offensive coordinator.

Leach installed the wide-open passing game under which Heupel and the Sooners have flourished. He's using the same system with the Red Raiders, who rank second to Oklahoma in the Big 12 in passing offense.

"We've got great respect for Mike and his offensive philosophy and system," Stoops said. "We need to be ready to play."

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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