BCS Rankings: Oklahoma Sooners' Guide to Scoreboard Watching

The Oklahoma Sooners are back in the national championship picture. But, with a loss on their record, Sooner fans have taken to scoreboard-watching.

That's the beautiful thing about the BCS. The old adage that a playoff takes away from the regular season and the BCS makes every game important is proving to be true for Oklahoma fans.

In the old days, before the BCS, a loss almost completely eliminated a team's championship hopes. An undefeated Alabama or LSU would likely play the likes of Clemson or Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl while a Big 12 Champion like Oklahoma or Oklahoma State would have played in the Orange Bowl against Boise State.

Voters would be left to decide a champion without getting to see the top two teams play each other. 

Thanks to the BCS, Oklahoma fans will be glued to their television sets all day Saturday taking an interest in the outcome of several games across the country.

Oklahoma is no stranger to backing into the title game. Their fans are well educated on the quirks and tenancies of the BCS and what it takes to get back into the championship picture.

Who to pull for in the SEC

The good thing for Oklahoma is that at least one of the five teams ahead of them is guaranteed to lose Saturday when LSU visits Alabama for a one versus two showdown.

The key for the Sooners' title hopes in this game is to hope the loser isn't left with a chance to pass Oklahoma in the BCS Rankings. A one-loss LSU or Alabama could have a good argument for being more deserving than the Sooners, whose loss came at home to an un-ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders team.

So, what would be the best result for Oklahoma fans? LSU needs to win. And if they can win big, the Sooners will benefit.

Oklahoma fans might not see another matchup with LSU in their own backyard as a best-case scenario, but the key is to just get there. You can't worry about who you play.

If Alabama were to lose at home, pollsters might find it tough to reward them with a rematch.

If LSU were to lose, especially in a close game, the argument for a rematch in New Orleans would have some validity, and you can count on ESPN to promote such a scenario.

A one-loss LSU also has the schedule strength to keep up with Oklahoma in the computer polls. Especially with a season-ending matchup with Arkansas still on the schedule.

That brings up another point: Alabama has a clear path after this game, and the Sooners have to pull for the team that could lose down the road. LSU still has to play an improving Razorbacks team. 

The one upset OU doesn't want to see

There's one team in the top five that Oklahoma fans have to pull for, and it's not going to be fun. The Sooners need Oklahoma State to stay undefeated.

Nothing is worse than being forced to pull for your rival, but that's just another great product of the BCS.

A victory over a No. 2 Oklahoma State is just what the Sooners will need if they hope to get in over a one-loss Alabama, LSU or Oregon team. Boise State would then be completely out of the mix.

Previous foes need to keep winning

Tulsa and Florida State did their part Thursday with their wins. Now the Sooners have to pull for another rival to keep winning. If Texas is able to win out and move up the rankings, Oklahoma's win in Dallas will once again look impressive.

Florida State hurt Oklahoma just a little with their three-game losing streak earlier in the season, but have not lost since their starting quarterback returned to the lineup. The Seminoles should finish 9-3 and perhaps back in the top 25.

Tulsa hasn't lost since it's three losses to OU, OSU and Boise State. Every win by the Golden Hurricanes and the Seminoles will help the Sooners in the computer polls.

Watch out for sleepers in the SEC and Pac-12

There are a few sleepers ranked below the Sooners that could still pose a threat. 

South Carolina is a one-loss team with some big games ahead. They face No. 7 Arkansas on the road this week and still have Clemson and the SEC Championship game on their schedule. 

A win over a top-ranked team for the SEC title could be enough for the Gamecocks to pass the Sooners. Of course, that would mean a loss for the No. 1 team in the country, which would throw the whole thing into a chaotic mess.

Oregon is also a threat. The Ducks are ahead of the Sooners in the human polls, and if they can beat Stanford and then Arizona State in the Pac-12 championship, Oregon could challenge Oklahoma in the human polls in which they already have the advantage.

Since Oklahoma needs Oregon to beat Stanford, Sooner fans should keep an eye on the Ducks Saturday when they play at Washington. That upset would come into play further down the road when Oregon and Stanford play.

Stanford is the only real roadblock

It may seem hard to believe right now, but all the Sooners need to do is win out and hope for a Stanford loss.

The truth is, if the Sooners win out, they would be ahead of any one-loss team, including LSU or Alabama. A win in Stillwater would mean the Sooners would be the only team in the country with four wins over top-ten teams away from home. 

Remaining games with Texas A&M, Baylor and Oklahoma State will only help Oklahoma's computer ranking. The AP Coach's Poll has liked Oklahoma all year, and the computers already have them ranked fifth even before they go to Stillwater.

How about another crazy statement: Oklahoma may not need Stanford to lose.

That's right, you heard me. The Sooners could possibly pass the Cardinal even if Stanford wins out.

One thing to keep in mind is that the Sooners are already ranked ahead of Stanford in the computer rankings. In fact, two of the polls have Stanford ranked as low as eighth.

An Oregon loss at Washington would really hurt Stanford's strength of schedule down the road.

Arizona State gets no respect from the computers. That means Stanford will get very little credit for a win at home in the Pac-12 championship.

If the Sooners win in Stillwater over the Cowboys, they will have a clear advantage in the computers and the human voters will be pretty high on a resurgent Oklahoma team.

There's plenty for Oklahoma fans to keep an eye on this Saturday and down the road. But the biggest thing the Sooners can do to help their situation is just win.