Sooners Far From Finished at 11-0

NORMAN, Okla. -- Oklahoma is far from finished after another undefeated regular season.

The No. 2 Sooners (11-0, 8-0 Big 12) were at the same point last year without a loss, but lost two straight championship games: the Big 12 and then the BCS title-deciding Sugar Bowl.

"It's gratifying, but we realize the biggest prizes are still out there that we're after. We're aware of that," coach Bob Stoops said. "It's a great road to pursue ... we'll keep doing the best we can."

Oklahoma completed its 19th undefeated regular season and third in six years under Stoops with a 35-0 win Saturday at Baylor. That apparently will be good enough to keep them No. 2 when the new Bowl Championship Series rankings come out Monday.

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In the new Associated Press Top 25 on Sunday, the Sooners were alone at No. 2, just five points ahead of Auburn (11-0) a week after they were tied in the poll. The Sooners' margin in the coaches' poll doubled -- from two to four points.

Southern California (10-0) is No. 1 in all the polls.

But the Sooners aren't concerned about polls or the BCS. Their primary focus is the Big 12 championship game Dec. 4 in Kansas City, against Iowa State or Colorado.

"Last year, we went into the Big 12 championship with all those guys up for those awards. We were dubbed the best team that ever played," said defensive end Larry Birdine, who forced a fumble and had three of the Sooners' season-high seven sacks against Baylor. "This year, knowing we didn't finish it motivated us."

The Sooners have won 23 straight regular-season games. What they remember more are the two straight losses that soured last season.

"Our guys, nobody is more aware of that than they are," Stoops said. "It is something that has been on their minds since two-a-days -- finishing."

Oklahoma scored a quick touchdown to start last year's Big 12 championship game against Kansas State. But the Sooners didn't score again and lost 35-7.

"We left something in Kansas City last year that we want to go back and get," Heisman Trophy quarterback Jason White said. "It's going to be great for our team. We think about what happened last year at Kansas City, and we don't want it to happen again."

Even after losing in the Big 12 title game last year, Oklahoma remained No. 2 in the BCS and got to play in the Sugar Bowl, and lost 21-14 to LSU.

The Sooners won't be as fortunate this year if they can't win in the Big 12 game, especially if USC and Auburn stay undefeated.

"We know we can only do one thing, that's go out and win on Saturdays," White said. "We can't help who people want to vote No. 2, that's not up to us. All we can do is go out and win, and that's what we've done."

USC has games left the next two weekends against Notre Dame and UCLA, but the Pac 10 doesn't have a championship game. Auburn's only game before the bowl pairings is the SEC championship game on Dec. 4.

Adrian Peterson matched an NCAA record for freshmen with his 10th 100-yard game, running for 240 yards with three touchdowns on 32 carries against Baylor. It was his third 200-yard game, and just short of his career-best 249 against Oklahoma State.

Peterson had a 49-yard run on the first play of the second half, then had a 14-yard gain before his 1-yard score. Peterson also ended the next two Sooners drives with touchdowns, a 2-yarder on his last carry with 11:29 left making it 35-0.

The Sooners, five-TD favorites, led just 14-0 at halftime after White threw a 10-yard TD to Travis Wilson with 21 seconds left. White was 19-of-32 for 194 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. He's thrown 183 passes -- and 17 touchdowns -- since his last interception six games ago.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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