Sooners make strong case
Cowboys cannot contain Bradford
Now it's up to voters and computers.
Sam Bradford threw for 370 yards and four touchdowns, and No. 3 Oklahoma based its case for a BCS bump on its high-powered offense, outscoring No. 11 Oklahoma State, 61-41, last night in Stillwater in the highest-scoring Bedlam rivalry game in the century-old series.
Needing to make up a minuscule eight-1,000ths of a point to second-place Texas in the Bowl Championship Series standings to earn a spot in Saturday's Big 12 championship game, the Sooners (11-1, 7-1) relied on the Heisman-caliber arm of Bradford.
He completed 30 of 44 passes and also scored on a 1-yard touchdown run, leading Oklahoma to its fourth straight 60-point game.
The Sooners' defense, which had been improving and made a statement in last week's 65-21 rout of then-No. 2 Texas Tech, had few answers for quarterback Zac Robinson and the Cowboys - but it was enough.
Robinson threw for 254 yards and three TDs and ran for another score, but never could guide the Cowboys (9-3, 5-3) into the lead after halftime.
A two-section wide swath of crimson-clad Sooners fans started chanting "B-C-S" during a timeout with 32 seconds left and the game finally in hand, and Chris Brown scored on a 28-yard run on the next play to add an exclamation point.
Whether those fans' wishes will be granted is still up in the air. The BCS standings will be released today, establishing who comes out ahead in a three-way tie between Oklahoma, Texas, and Texas Tech in the Big 12 South standings and also who gets a leg up in the national championship race.
One team will get a trip to Kansas City, Mo., to face North champion Missouri and either bolster its case for the BCS title game or suffer a deflating defeat - and open the door for the team that loses out in the division race to possibly play for the national title.
"There's plenty of reasons for us, as there are for other people," said Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops. "Our argument's just stated here again today, what we've done here down the stretch. It will be what it'll be."
Alabama 36, Auburn 0 - At Tuscaloosa, Ala., Glen Coffee rushed for 144 yards and a touchdown and the top-ranked Crimson Tide snapped a six-year Iron Bowl losing streak with their biggest margin of victory in the series in 46 years.
The dominant win set the stage for Alabama (12-0, 8-0 SEC) to face Florida in the league championship game with a berth in the BCS national title game on the line.
Of more immediate concern for Tide fans, the state belongs to them again. And there was little question of that by the middle of the third quarter when a 10-0 game turned ugly - or beautiful, depending on the perspective.
The loss left Auburn (5-7, 2-6) shut out of a bowl game for the first time in nine years and cast another shadow on the decade-long tenure of coach Tommy Tuberville. Auburn, which had been 7-2 under Tuberville in the rivalry, has lost six of the last seven games after starting the season ranked in the top 10.
The Tide scored three touchdowns in the third quarter to let the fans start the celebration early and complete their first perfect regular season since 1994.
Auburn had been 6-0 in Tuscaloosa and allowed only 35 points in those games. Yet another streak crushed into oblivion with the one-sided performance. It was the most lopsided Iron Bowl since Bear Bryant's 1962 group won, 38-0.
Mark Ingram rushed for 64 yards and two touchdowns for the Tide. John Parker Wilson was 8 of 16 for 134 yards and a touchdown in his final home game. He drew a standing ovation when trotting off the field midway through the fourth quarter for backup Greg McElroy.
The Tigers were outgained, 412-170, and lost three fumbles as their offensive struggles continued and even the normally tough defense was pushed around.
They had allowed just four rushing touchdowns in their first 11 games, but were manhandled for 234 yards and three scores on the ground this time.
Florida 45, Florida State 15 - Tim Tebow threw three touchdown passes, ran for 80 yards and another score, and the second-ranked Gators thumped the 23d-ranked Seminoles in sloppy conditions in Tallahassee, Fla.
Florida (11-1) extended its winning streak to eight games and continued its dominance in the intrastate rivalry.
The Gators have won five in a row against Bobby Bowden's team, and this one was nearly as big a laugher as last season's 45-12 victory in Gainesville.
Florida scored on five of its first seven possessions, held the Seminoles (8-4) without a touchdown for the first 2 1/2 quarters, and again proved that the gap between the programs is as wide as ever.
Florida State's day was ruined by Tebow - and Boston College.
Tebow completed 12 of 21 passes for 185 yards and burned the Seminoles with a few scrambles and some key runs up the middle. He also made a key block on Percy Harvin's TD run, recovered a fumble, and made a touchdown-saving tackle following an early fumble.
The Eagles piled on by beating Maryland, 28-21, ending Florida State's chance of getting to the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game.
Christian Ponder threw two interceptions, including one on the first play of the second half. Brandon Spikes returned it to the 20-yard line, and Tebow took over from there.
He rolled right on third down and threw a strike across his body to Louis Murphy to make it 35-9. Tebow could have made it worse, but he got stuffed on a fourth-and-1 run near the goal line later in the quarter.
Tebow also had TD passes to Aaron Hernandez and Harvin.
USC 38, Notre Dame 3 - Mark Sanchez passed for 267 yards and two touchdowns as the fifth-ranked Trojans rolled over the Fighting Irish in Los Angeles.
Notre Dame didn't get a first down until the last play of the third quarter on a 15-yard run by James Aldridge. The Irish had run 30 plays for 23 yards before Aldridge broke loose, drawing a derisive cheer from the partisan crowd of 90,689 at the Coliseum.
USC (10-1) finished with 22 first downs and 449 total yards, while Notre Dame had four first downs and 91 yards. The Trojans have allowed 10 touchdowns and an NCAA-low 7.8 points per game this season.
With Oregon State's 65-38 loss to Oregon, USC needs only to beat crosstown rival UCLA Saturday to win its seventh straight conference title and set up a New Year's date in Pasadena with No. 6 Penn State, the Big Ten champion.
Notre Dame (6-6) is bowl eligible, but the Irish's 15 losses the past two seasons are the most in any two-year span in school history.
Texas Tech 35, Baylor 28 - Graham Harrell capped a 21-point rally with a touchdown pass midway through the fourth quarter as the seventh-ranked Red Raiders kept their hopes for a Big 12 South title alive in Lubbock, Texas.
Texas Tech (11-1, 7-1) looked flat a week after being beaten, 65-21, by Oklahoma, ending the Red Raiders' perfect season.
The Bears led, 21-14, at halftime, and scored on their opening possession of the second half with Jacoby Jones capping a 78-yard drive on a 1-yard touchdown run to make it 28-14.
Texas Tech took control from there - without All-American Michael Crabtree, who left with a right foot injury midway through the second quarter and did not return.
The Red Raiders got a 1-yard TD run by Shannon Woods, a 3-yard touchdown run by Baron Batch, and a Harrell's 4-yard touchdown pass to Detron Lewis to go up 35-28.
Harrell was 41 of 50 for two touchdowns and 309 yards. He was intercepted once and fumbled once.
Georgia Tech 45, Georgia 42 - At Athens, Ga., Roddy Jones rushed a career-best 214 yards, including a decisive 54-yard touchdown midway through the fourth quarter, as the 18th-ranked Yellow Jackets (9-3) rallied to snap a seven-game losing streak against the 13th-ranked Bulldogs (9-3).
Jonathan Dwyer added 144 yards rushing and scored two TDs for the Yellow Jackets. Georgia lost despite Matthew Stafford tying a school record with five touchdown passes - three of them to Mohamed Massaquoi - in what might have been his final game between the hedges. The junior quarterback said he'll consider entering the NFL draft.
Georgia's Knowshon Moreno, who like Stafford may leave school early for the NFL, rushed for 94 yards and scored on a 32-yard run. Stafford added a 12-yard scoring pass to A.J. Green with 4:04 remaining, but Georgia Tech ran out the clock without giving Georgia another shot.
Kansas 40, Missouri 37 - Todd Reesing threw a touchdown pass to Kerry Meier with 27 seconds left to give the Jayhawks the win over the 12th-ranked Tigers in Kansas, Mo.
Missouri (9-3, 5-3) will still play for the Big 12 title, but it will do so coming off a hard-fought loss to its border rival. Kansas (7-5, 4-4) led by 16 early in the third quarter, let Missouri back in it, then traded TDs with the Tigers in the fourth quarter before Reesing hit Meier.
Reesing finished 37 of 51 for 375 yards with two interceptions, throwing two touchdown passes to Meier and one each to Dezmon Briscoe and Dexton Fields.
Missouri's Chase Daniel had 391 total yards and threw for four touchdowns, but also had two interceptions, a fumble, and was sacked for a safety in the second quarter.
Cincinnati 30, Syracuse 10 - Tony Pike threw a pair of touchdown passes, and the Bearcats' senior-laden defense had its way in a victory in the Orange's final game under coach Greg Robinson.
Cincinnati (10-2, 6-1), having already clinched the Big East championship, is headed to a BCS bowl - likely the Orange or Sugar - for the first time. The Bearcats clinched the spot when West Virginia lost at Pitt Friday, taking the drama out of yesterday's game.
Oregon 65, Oregon State 38 - Jeremiah Masoli threw for 274 yards and three touchdowns in Corvallis, Ore., as the 19th-ranked Ducks all but crushed the 17th-ranked Beavers' hopes of going to the Rose Bowl.
A win would have sent Oregon State (8-4, 7-2 Pac-10) to Pasadena on New Year's Day for the first time since after the 1964 season.
The Ducks (9-3, 7-2) avenged a Civil War loss last year at Oregon. 