Stoops Discusses Latest BCS Rankings

NORMAN, Okla. -- The BCS is back at it, and once again Oklahoma is at the center of the controversy.

The Sooners, ranked No. 2 all season in both college football polls, find themselves narrowly behind Miami for second place in the first BCS standings released Monday. The margin between the two is a mere .0026 points, but the tiny difference -- if it holds -- would keep Oklahoma (6-0, 3-0 Big 12) from playing in the national championship game.

Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said Monday it's too early to be concerned about the BCS, which combines The Associated Press' poll, the coaches poll and a series of computer rankings in an effort to make sure the top two teams in the country will play each other to determine the national title.

Complete BCS Standings | Sooner Gameday Central: Kansas

"There is too much of this season left to play for anyone to get too worked up about this now," Stoops said. "The bottom line is that you have to go out there and win your games."

Last season, it was Oklahoma that got a nudge forward from the BCS, which is short for Bowl Championship Series. The Sooners fell to No. 3 in both polls after losing to Kansas State in the Big 12 championship game, but the computer rankings kept Oklahoma ahead of Southern Cal, a consensus No. 1 in both polls.

The season ended with Louisiana State as the BCS champion and Southern Cal as the AP's national champ.

Strength of schedule and quality wins, the two factors Stoops credited for Oklahoma keeping its spot in the title game last season, were both eliminated in the offseason as the BCS continued to tinker with its formula in search of the perfect system.

Despite the apparent snub, the Sooners' coach actually found a way to compliment the system.

"At this point in the season, it just generates a lot of discussion among the people who like to talk about college football," Stoops said. "In that sense, it's a positive because it keeps people talking about our sport.

"But it really makes no difference where anyone is ranked today."

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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