Dominique Whaley Injury: What Does Star RB's Injury Mean for Sooners' BCS Hopes?

Running back Dominique Whaley is out for the season with a broken ankle, but Oklahoma's BCS hopes did not go down with him.

Whaley, a junior college transfer, was the Sooners' leading rusher on the season, running for 627 yards and nine touchdowns in six games. He was also a receiving threat, catching 15 passes for 153 yards.

Oklahoma's rushing attack was reliant on Whaley this season. Coming into the game versus Kansas State, he was the only back with 30 or more carries.

However, I think the Sooners' BCS hopes are still alive.

Oklahoma is much more of a passing team than a running team, and Whaley's absence won't have dramatic effects on quarterback Landry Jones and the air attack.

The Sooners average 379 passing yards per game, who are fourth in the nation, while Jones is seventh in the country with 21 touchdown passes, none of which were to Whaley.

Also, Oklahoma has a capable in replacement in sophomore Roy Finch. Finch was solid in his first feature role of the season, rushing 93 yards on 13 carries against Texas Tech.

The Sooners beat the No. 8 ranked Kansas State 58-17 at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.

Jones was a bit little sloppy with the ball, but Oklahoma's offense still lit up the board, as Whaley's absence did not make a huge impact.

Whaley's injury is a sad twist in what was an excellent story. It's always tough to see kids go down for the season, especially ones that have worked as hard as Whaley.

Oklahoma fans can breathe easy, though. Whaley was an important part of the offense, but he definitely wasn't the most important.

The Sooners will be just fine.