Bedlam Rivalry 2012: Oklahoma Deserves BCS Bowl Berth After OT Victory

No. 13 Oklahoma will head into their final game of the season on a high note after a thrilling 51-48 overtime victory in the Bedlam Rivalry game with Oklahoma State. The Sooners are 9-2 on the season, and if they are able to defeat TCU as expected, they deserve a place in a BCS bowl game. 

Bob Stoops’s team is still in the hunt for the Big 12 title, which would earn it an automatic bid into the Fiesta Bowl and spare it all the drama of hoping for an at-large berth. 

But the Sooners are not in control of their own destiny at this point. They must root for No. 6 Kansas State’s dream season to finish with consecutive losses. If the Wildcats lose against No. 16 Texas, Oklahoma will win the Big 12.

However, KSU certainly has the potential to bounce back form its disappointing defeat to Baylor and play like an elite team again. If this happens, the Sooners still deserve an at-large bid into one of this year’s marquee bowl games.

Oklahoma’s only two losses this season came against Kansas State and No. 1 Notre Dame, both of whom spent time atop the BCS rankings.

Texas and Oklahoma State are the only two ranked teams that the Sooners have beaten this year, but they did show off their offensive firepower against Texas Tech, Baylor and West Virginia, all of whom were ranked at times during the season. 

The Sooners also have an incredible amount of offensive firepower, and star quarterback Landry Jones has passed for over 500 yards in each of his past two games. This, in addition to the program’s history, makes the team an attractive pick as an at-large bid.

While these factors do not show Oklahoma as necessarily a deserving at-large team, they will act as a means to an end in this case.

The Sooners gave Kansas State a tough game, and with the exception of its matchup with Notre Dame, it has been competitive in every contest this year.

This is a team that can score with any opposing offense in the nation, and only the country’s top defenses have any chance of slowing down Jones and his receivers. The Sooners have enough talent on their roster and an impressive enough résumé to be in a BCS bowl game, and they should receive an at-large bid if they do not end up as the Big 12 champion.