Oklahoma Sooners

So, Bob Stoops is passing up opportunities to convince voters his team deserves a chance to play for all the crawdads in the Bayou this January?

"I don't think we have to," Stoops said. "We'll see. I wasn't much on lobbying much the last time we were in that situation, and it worked pretty good."

The last time was back in 2008, when the Sooners got the Big 12 title nod over Texas and Texas Tech, eventually landing in the national title game.

But Stoops has especially good reason to save his breath for now. His team will have ample opportunities to prove itself before the year is over, its best chance to impress coming in its final outing.

The season finale against No. 2 Oklahoma State sticks out as the biggest megaphone for Oklahoma to make its case, but first, a trip to face a ranked Baylor team.

A blowout like the Sooners enjoyed in 2010 would be exactly what's needed.

"You get to this point and everybody wants to project the end, and you can’t. We talk about it every year," Stoops said. "Stay in the moment and really handle what we’re able to handle, and that’s being prepared as we can to go down to Baylor."

That's how you produce desired results, but if Stoops isn't willing to state his case yet off the field, he's already proven himself as a man willing to do whatever it takes to state it on the field. He infamously elected to punt from his own 7-yard line while trailing by nine with just more than two minutes remaining in a loss to Missouri last season.

"It's a long year. Who knows how poll people look at scores?" Stoops told reporters after the game. "Had we had a reasonable amount, some kind of field position, had we shown any signs the previous three plays of making a play, we would have (gone for it). But I didn't see that."

Alabama sits ahead of Oklahoma in the BCS standings, but likely won't play in its own conference title game after losing to No. 1 LSU earlier this month. Oregon lost to the Tigers on the season's opening weekend, but is still a spot behind Oklahoma in the BCS, despite winning at Stanford last week.

The task ahead is simple, and whether Stoops says it or not, he knows what could happen. Wins by big points could put Oklahoma in the title game.

"In some instances, there’s a certain point it doesn’t matter, depending on where the game’s at or how it’s played, but I guess as a voter, it’s considered to a point," Stoops said.

The Sooners must outrun a quizzical loss to Texas Tech that's now the Red Raiders' only win in their past six games. Stoops can elect to politick if he wants, but the truth is this: His best argument is having his team ready to win its final three games by big numbers.

It’s been a struggle for Oklahoma senior center Ben Habern to get back on the field after breaking a bone in his forearm in September.

But his injury forced the Sooners to find depth in their offensive line. And with Habern back, it’s giving OU options it has rarely had before with the interior linemen.

Following the bye week, Habern, like most other players trying to recover from injuries, said he feels a lot better.

SoonerNation: First off, how is the forearm?

Ben Habern: To just jump right back into things after being out for five weeks was probably a little quick, but I felt like I handled it well. I feel completely healthy now. I have no pain.

SN: It had to help to have that bye week to rest up. What did you do last weekend?

Habern: Having Friday and the weekend off was nice, felt good to recuperate. I went home and hung out with my family watched football all day. It was great because we never get a chance to do that.

SN: A lot happened in terms of the national championship picture with the games last week, do you pay attention to that?

Habern: No, not really. Most of the guys know about it, but we can’t be worried about that. We know we have a tough road test against Baylor. We’re focused on what we need to improve on every game.

SN: To an outsider, it’s easy to overlook Baylor because OU is undefeated against the Bears, but you guys certainly aren’t approaching it that way, right?

Habern: I didn’t even know that they were 0-19. I know they’re 5-0 at home this season. I know they’re a good team and play really well at home. The crowd will be real into it and excited. They’ve got a great offense and will score some. We have to keep up with them. (Note: The Sooners are actually 20-0 against Baylor all-time)

SN: Your injury shook up the offensive line, but the guys bounced back in a big way. How tough was it to get back into the flow of things?

Habern: It’s been interesting because when I went out, guys had to step up quickly. Adam Shead stepped up. Bronson Irwin stepped up. It raised everybody’s level of play. It’s raised my level of play. If I’m going to compete, I have to raise my level of play. It’s not like we’re against each other or anything like that. We’re a tight group, the guards and centers.

SN: With everybody raising each other’s level of play, how has that helped the depth of the offensive line?

Habern: It’s definitely helped. We have the depth to rotate two experienced centers in me and Gabe [Ikard]. For him to be able to rotate at center and guard, you don’t see that often. I’ve taken a few reps at guard. I feel confident playing at guard. It’s a lot like center, you just don’t snap the ball.

Monday night, sophomore nickelback Tony Jefferson revealed the injury that has been bothering him is a sprained MCL on his right knee.

Jefferson suffered the injury during the loss to Texas Tech last month. He actually played through the injury the following week against Kansas State, and recorded six tackles, a sack and a forced fumble. But against Texas A&M, Jefferson played only one defensive snap, though Bob Stoops and defensive coordinator Brent Venables cited the main reason was that Joe Ibiloye’s size matched up better against the Aggies’ pro-set offense.

Jefferson said the open date has helped him get closer to 100 percent.

“I feel much better now,” said Jefferson, who practiced Monday.

On the season, Jefferson is fourth on the team with 47 tackles, and leads the Sooners with four interceptions.

The Big 12 boasts some of the top quarterbacks in the nation.

But none puts more stress on a defense than Baylor’s Robert Griffin III. The Bears quarterback, who combines Olympic-level speed and a solid arm, forces defenses to prepare for his various talents.

“He’s not just a runner, he’s not just a thrower, he does both,” Oklahoma defensive coordinator Brent Venables said. “He’s a very explosive player, he’s like having a bigger Ryan Broyles at quarterback.

"He’s got great incredible speed, great burst to him and great short-area quickness in space. He’s kind of got it all.”

While Griffin brings unique talent to the table, the Sooners defense could be well-equipped to face the junior quarterback. OU features several versatile defenders including defensive end Ronnell Lewis, linebacker/safety Tony Jefferson and safety Aaron Colvin.

Lewis has unique athleticism that could help him corral Griffin in the pocket, Jefferson can help support the run like a linebacker with his physical play yet feels comfortable in coverage like a safety and Colvin brings the ballhawking skills and range of a safety along with the coverage abilities of a cornerback.

Expect Venables to take advantage of the Sooners speed and versatility to put Griffin in difficult situations with the goal of forcing mental mistakes.

Last season, Dejuan Miller suffered a season-ending knee injury, which ultimately cleared a path for wide receiver Cameron Kenney to come out of nowhere to help the Sooners run off five straight wins to end the season.

Miller has only 11 catches this season, including none in three of OU’s last four games. But with Ryan Broyles out with a torn ACL, Miller is in a predicament not all that different from Kenney’s in 2010.

“My injury opened it up for him, and he took advantage of it,” Miller said of Kenney, who had monster performances against Oklahoma State, Nebraska and Connecticut to close out his career. “In the big games, in the spotlight, he took it upon himself and made plays.

“I can definitely see myself making similar plays. This is kinda of like a similar situation.”

Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops gave an interesting answer when asked this week if he is frustrated with media and fans already looking ahead to a Dec. 3 showdown at Oklahoma State with still two games to be played beforehand.

“I'm not complaining,” Stoops said. “That's what the media does, that's what fans do and that's what makes our game so marketable.

“It's our job to stay grounded and in the moment and play as well as we can."

Stoops admitted the challenge is as tough as ever to keep players grounded through the season, especially for a team with national championship aspirations.

“Oh sure, there's so much more media or friends hitting them,” Stoops said. “It is a challenge."

Many of the Sooners spent their Saturday off watching college football on TV, including safety Tony Jefferson, who posted comments about several games throughout the day on Twitter.

“That’s my favorite thing on bye weeks, being a commentary guy,” Jefferson said. “Saw my boys at Oregon ball out and play Stanford really well.”

Center Ben Habern was especially tuned in to TCU’s 36-35 win at Boise State.

“I was on the edge of my seat for that game,” Habern said. “I was cheering for TCU. I don’t hate Boise State or anything like that, but you have to root for what is going to help the team.”

Wide receiver Dejuan Miller checked out Kansas State’s four-overtime victory over Texas A&M.

“I watched that entire game,” Miller said, “and I don’t regret it.”

Many of the players admitted they also watched Dec. 3 opponent Oklahoma State throttled Texas Tech, which knocked off the Sooners last month.

“Uh, yeah,” Jefferson said. “That was dreadful watching that. I was embarrassed. But that’s over with now.”

» BCS standings reaction: ACC | Big 12 | Big East | Big Ten | Pac-12 | SEC | Non-AQ

Oklahoma's national title hopes got two big breaks Saturday.

Boise State and Stanford both broke down and lost on their home fields — just like the Sooners did last month.

So here Oklahoma sits at a tidy No. 5 in the latest BCS standings, with a date against No. 2 Oklahoma State coming into focus.

The biggest problem?

The two teams ahead of the Sooners have only one blemish: A loss to the nation's No. 1 team, LSU.

Would a victory over Oklahoma State on Dec. 3 in the de facto Big 12 title game slingshot the Sooners into the national championship game?

Ultimately, it's going to depend on voters, who make up two-thirds of the BCS standings. The Sooners are strong in the computers — they're in the top five in five of the six computer rankings (and sixth in the other) and below both Alabama and Oregon in just three. Oklahoma State is No. 1 in three of the computer rankings.

Oklahoma's best hope? A voter mutiny against a rematch between LSU and Oregon (LSU won 40-27 in Dallas on Sept. 3) or Alabama and LSU (LSU won in overtime in Tuscaloosa, 9-6) and an impressive closing stanza for voters to remember the Sooners before coaches cast their ballots in the USA Today poll and before Harris poll voters send their ballots in.

Oklahoma, if it wins out, would have an impressive five victories over top-25 teams. Oregon would have two. Alabama would have four.

The Sooners, though, will have difficulty outrunning that Texas Tech loss, which gets worse and worse by the week. The Red Raiders have lost five of six games, and have been outscored 159-33 in losses to Iowa State, Texas and Oklahoma State.

Call it a fluke if you want, but championship teams don't have fluke losses. It could cost Oklahoma a shot at the title.

That is, unless the Sooners win out and voters say Alabama and Oregon don't deserve another chance to knock off Les Miles' team.