The Bedlam Preview

Lots at stake today. OU has an opportunity to stake its claim to a spot in the Big 12 Championship game and to keep its BCS title game hopes alive. For OSU, the first 10 win season in history and a chance to do every OSU fans favorite thing; ruin OU's season. Families are divided today. I know. Mine is.

This is going to be a great game to watch. Two high octane but more or less traditional (dba balanced) offenses loaded with playmakers and two of the college game's best offensive minds playing chess.

It's also senior day for the Cowboys, it's at the T. Boone Palace and it's the marquee game in the country in prime time. Everything that worked in the favor of OU last week is now in OSU's favor this week.

That said, OSU is not winning this ballgame.

It boils down to two factors. One, who has the better defense and two, who stands the better chance if their respective running game is shut down.

OSU's defense has improved this year but how it could it not? It was abysmal last year. It simply hasn't improved enough to put the fear in this Sooners offense. The Sooners have way too many weapons and is too good at spreading the ball around. Six players have scored 7 or more touchdowns for the Sooners, 12 in all. The Sooners receivers are deadly after the catch. They also have two Running Backs in DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown who not only constitute the best tandem in college football but also have rushed for nearly 1,000 yard each.

The Cowboys meanwhile are potent on offense but really only have four stars. Zac Robinson, Kendall Hunter, Brandon Pettigrew and Dez Bryant. The Sooner secondary shut down Michael Crabtree last week and the rest of the crew is going all in to stop Hunter and Robinson. Pettigrew stands to wreak the most havoc. But letting him get his will not be enough to keep pace with the Sooners. He has yet to score a TD this year.

The Sooners don't need to be able to run as badly as the Cowboys to win. The Sooners could go to a Texas Tech style offense and still put up 50. But if the Cowboys become one dimensional what then? The Sooners will pin their ears back and Robinson will be running for his life.

For the Sooners I see Juaquin Iglesias having a big game. This is his type of atmosphere. For the defense I see Travis Lewis racking up a kazillion tackles.

For the Cowboys it's all about Kendall Hunter and their D-Line being able to do what few others have and that's get to Sam Bradford.

I'm nervous about what the Cowboys have in terms of intangibles but 10,000 empty seats will put a damper on that. I like the Sooners 52-35.