Published: November 26, 2008 01:31 am         

Stakes high for Oklahoma Sooners

Oklahoma has to hope the computers are impressed if the Sooners beat Oklahoma State Saturday in Stillwater.

If the Sooners beat OSU and Texas beats Texas A&M Thursday and Texas Tech beats Baylor Saturday, as expected, the trio will tie for first in the Big 12 South.

The tie will be broken by which team is ranked higher in the BCS.

Texas was ranked No. 2, OU No. 3 and Texas Tech No. 7 in BCS Rankings released Sunday.

Texas had a BCS ranking of .9209, compared to .9125 for the Sooners.

With OSU being No. 12 in the BCS, USA Today and Harris polls and No. 11 in the Associated Press poll, a win over the Cowboys could push OU over the top, especially with Texas facing lowly Texas A&M at home.

“I would expect if Oklahoma wins, they’d finish ahead of Texas,” said Jerry Palm, an independent BCS analyst and blogger. “Maybe not. You never know what the voters are going to do.”

The Sooners have been putting up computer-like numbers lately with three straight 60-point performances — 62-28 over Nebraska, 66-28 over Texas A&M and 65-21 over Texas Tech.

“I guess to this point, with the convincing way that we just beat the No. 2 team in the country here late in the year, I guess that’s what it’s speaking to,” Sooners coach Bob Stoops said.

“But Oklahoma State is another major challenge, and we’ve just got to do our best to be prepared to play well there.”

The Cowboys, 9-2, would like to do nothing more than spoil the Sooners’ party. OSU is undefeated at home this season.

The Cowboys, in 2001, knocked OU out of both the Big 12 Championship and national championship.

OU had narrow escapes at Stillwater in 2000 (12-7), 2004 (38-35) and 2006 (38-35). OSU beat the Sooners 38-28 in 2002.

“Oklahoma State is a big rivalry game, we know,” quarterback Sam Bradford said. “We’ve circled it from the beginning of the year. It’s one of our goals to beat them.

“I really don’t see how we could overlook them.”

Bradford has thrown for 3,710 yards and a school-record 42 touchdowns. That’s two more TDs than Jason White threw for in his Heisman Trophy season in 2004.

He has thrown for 300 or more yards nine times this season.

Bradford threw for 150 yards and four touchdowns in a 49-17 rout of the Cowboys last season.

DeMarco Murray has rushed for 929 yards and 13 touchdowns. Running mate Chris Brown has gained 890 yards and scored 12 times.

OU has five receivers with 30 or more receptions — Juaquin Iglesias (52 for 881 yards, 7 TDs), Jermaine Gresham (41 for 648 yards, 10 TDs), Manuel Johnson (35 for 653 yards, 9 TDs), Ryan Broyles (31 for 528 yards, 6 TDs) and Murray (30 for 379 yards, 4 TDs).

Gresham has broken the single season yardage record for a tight end, formerly held by Trent Smith (603).

The Sooners have gone over 500 total yards in eight games this season.

The only game the Sooners didn’t have a turnover was a 45-35 loss to Texas Oct. 11.

Redshirt freshman linebacker Travis Lewis has 118 tackles on the season.

That’s only 15 short of Brian Bosworth’s freshman record of 133.

The game can be seen on KOCO-TV, channel 5, at 7 p.m. ESPN’s Game Day will be in Stillwater.

OU or OSU has been on ABC’s prime time game the last four weeks.