Here's why it's Oklahoma's time 05:12 AM CST on Tuesday, January 4, 2005 FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – One of the great personal appeals of football is that it's not algebra, despite what some might have you believe. A popular line of reasoning going into tonight's national title game, which promises to be the best in a generation or two: USC's biggest nemesis the last two years has been Cal, which got blown out by Texas Tech, which lost by two touchdowns to Oklahoma. Hey, Sam Baker: What do you make of this equation? "I don't know how that translates," the USC tackle said, "or how it translates at all, but it does make you turn your head a little bit." Math still makes my head spin, Sam, but here's my take: Oklahoma will win its second title in five years for a lot of reasons, and it won't be because Mike Leach's chalkboard squiggles made Cal's defense dizzy. The Sooners will win because they've got the more balanced attack of the two great teams. They'll win because, unlike last year, Jason White has two good legs. They'll win because Adrian Peterson has the best legs in the country. They'll win because they lost last year. Question: Can you imagine Bob Stoops losing this game two years in a row? Answer: Not when they practically scheduled it. "Of course I expected to be back playing for the national championship this season," White said. Colleges FedEx Orange Bowl Two teams, two Heisman winners, one goal Stoops a success, not an icon Sherrington: Here's why it's Oklahoma's time Orange Bowl preview OU, USC coaches eager to kick off Online extra: Breaking down Adrian Peterson More OU More Colleges Hey, Jason: There's a whole big world out there. Bob Stoops has just made it seem like a suburb of Norman, Okla. Created all kinds of monstrous expectations since the Norman conquest, too. Stoops remembers the early days of the dynasty. Come dragging home from a hard-fought campaign abroad and great throngs meet you at the gates, pelting you with rose petals and cell phone numbers. And now? "We chuckled the other day," Stoops said. "We get back from Texas A&M, we come home and there's nobody there." Such is the life of kings. One day the loyal subjects are simply thankful you're not John Blake, and next thing you know, everyone's sick of champagne and roast pig. Or at least that's Stoops' take. He's always conjuring hurdles or doubters in an effort to motivate his players and maybe even himself, and it's been difficult when no one's saying the Sooners don't deserve to be here this year. Oklahoma deserves it. USC, too. And so does Auburn. But playoffs are an argument for another day. No matter how valid your case, it's hard to knock the quality of Tuesday's participants. How often do you get contenders who can match Heisman for Heisman? How often do you get four Heisman finalists in the same year? USC is so good, Pete Carroll's not even sure how much they missed Mike Williams this season. Said Carroll, smiling: "We wouldn't have won any more games." They won't win Tuesday. They won't win because these Sooners are better than they were last year, even if the defense isn't as good. They'll win because Mark Clayton is as great and determined as he is quiet, and it's been eating at him for 12 months how a touchdown catch slithered through his fingers in last year's title game. They'll win because White has something to prove, too. Something for all the e-mails he got after last year's loss. "One of my friends sent a newspaper clipping to me that said they needed a recount on the Heisman," White said, looking over a room full of reporters. "That somebody might be here, too." They'll win because White came back to prove a writer wrong. "I guess," he said, "last year wasn't enough." Not if you're the Sooners. Nothing's ever enough with these guys, no matter what they do. Not even five years of beating Texas. Stoops had the best line in the build-up to this title game when he said the worst part about the BCS was that it forced him to pull for Texas the last two weeks of the season. "What is that?" he asked, incredulously. He conceded that Texas has "a strong program." Of course, he said, Oklahoma's been able to win and play in national title games. This makes three, for those scoring at home. Why does that matter now? "It's a factor in recruiting," he said. Just ask Adrian Peterson. Oklahoma will win Tuesday because Texas beat Michigan in the Rose Bowl, and Bob Stoops loves to upstage Mack Brown. No matter how brilliant he is, Pete Carroll has no defense for that. Love this line:
I hope SC stomps a mudhole in the gooners......but I think they'll probably win. Too balanced offensively and defensively.
Seriously, I can't imagine Stoops losing two years in a row, either. More importantly, I keep envisioning Adiran Peterson, legs churning, pads lowered, just flat wearing out the USC defense by the 4th quarter...after Jason White's lit up the secondary for most of the first half. Stoops is gonna pulls some play out of his ass, too, in typical Stoops fashion. What can be better than seeing a blank, unhappy look on Pete Carroll's face when that clock hits zero around 11pm tonight? My answer: nothing at all. Boomer Sooner, baby! Get 'er done! :thumb: OU 31 USC 20
I hope OU is up 45-0 with 2 mins to go and pulls a fake punt for a TD and THEN fakes the XP for a 2 point conversion and THEN goes for an onside kick and THEN late hits Leinart if they don't get the onside. That's all.
Honestly, that's my hope, too...except the pass thrown by Leinart is intercepted (he's hit late after the throw) and, just as he's getting back on his feet and is still stumbling around, he gets decleated by a Sooner throwing a block as Antonio Perkins runs the INT back for the final score. It's one of those cool decleaters, where the first thing that hits the ground after Matt flips into the air is his head. (PS-Stoops goes for two again after this and Adrian Peterson plows over a LB, hitting him so hard that, when they show the slo-mo instant replay, you see the LB's head snap back and turn to the side, followed by his mouthpiece and spit flying out of his mouth as AP runs him over at the goal line). Final score: 53-0. That's all. :thumb:
