With all the peculiar happenings in college football, and this season has had it's share, one of the most remarkable scenarios could be the significance of Texas A&M's game against Oklahoma on Saturday.
I'm guessing there were few fans, even avid Aggie supporters, who saw A&M's victory over Texas Tech coming.
But not even those clairvoyant enough to have predicted A&M's victory at Lubbock could have flexed their prognosticating muscles enough to suggest the OU-A&M game would mean more to the Sooners than the Aggies. That's exactly what it might mean, though, if the Sooners want to go to a bowl game.
The same OU team ranked in the top five to start the season and coming off three straight BCS bowl berths needs a victory more than A&M on Saturday in Norman, Okla., if the Sooners want to play after Thanksgiving. Both teams are 5-4, one victory away from a bowl with three games remaining. And even though the Sooners are thought of as the better team -- look at the line and see OU favored by a whopping 20 points -- it will be more difficult for them to secure a victory in their last two games than it will be for A&M.
The Aggies finish the season with two games at Kyle Field. One of those, vs. Bayor, should have A&M pegged as at least a touchdown favorite. The Aggies' path to a bowl game seems secure.
OU, however, must face Texas Tech (6-3) in Lubbock, where the Sooners lost two years ago, then host Oklahoma State in its Bedlam Series finale.
Imagine the Cowboys heading to Norman knowing they can send the rival Sooners home for the holidays -- with a losing record. Add to that the fact that OSU could be fighting for a BCS bowl bid, and the onus seems squarely on OU to get that sixth victory before Bedlam strikes.
All of this means Big Game Bob's big game for this season is Saturday against A&M. Kind of a far cry from a Jan. 9 matchup with Florida.
"It's kind of a tough one," OU defensive tackle Adrain Taylor said when asked what's keeping the Sooners going in the midst of a season in which all of their preseason goals have been wiped aside. "We are motivated by a pride thing at OU no matter the circumstance. We want to still salvage the season. We're one win away from a bowl game -- obviously not the one we wanted."
It's easy to see how it's come to this.
The Sooners first had to replace eight offensive starters from last year's team. Then came the injuries to Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford and All-American tight end Jermaine Gresham before the first half of the first game was over. Since then, OU's leading receiver Ryan Broyles and All-Big 12 back DeMarco Murray have been banged up and missed a game each. And last week, offensive linemen Brody Eldridge and Jarvis Jones were lost for the season.
That means five offensive starters from OU's opener, not including Gresham, will not suit up against A&M.
OU's defense is as tough as ever, allowing just 12 points a game. But last week, starting defensive end Auston English was also lost for the season.
Add to those injuries a schedule that includes only five home games and doesn't allow for any slip-ups, toss in some poor field goal kicking at inopportune times and you've got yourself a four-loss season.
You won't hear anyone around the Big 12 crying for OU, outside of the tears in Norman. Bad luck hits everybody at some point, and can even put a dent in Sooner Magic, as it were. In this crazy season, Iowa State and Kansas State could gain bowl eligibility before OU.
And I'm betting nobody predicted that.
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