Big 12 Championship Game Breakdown


by Jimmy Boyd - Date: 2006-12-02 - Word Count: 455 Share This!

Oklahoma came into this season without its starting quarterback Rhett Bomar and seven weeks ago Adrian Perterson, the best back in the country, went down with a broken collarbone. After losing its top two offensive weapons, one would think that Oklahoma's BCS bowl hopes would be shot. However, the Sooners have kept on winning (and they got some help from Texas) and they have found themselves in position to play in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year's Day with a win over the Nebraska Corn Huskers at Arrowhead Stadium.

Senior Paul Thompson, who had conceded to back up duty, replaced Bomar at quarterback this season and has really come on of late throwing 10 touchdown passes against just two interceptions during Oklahoma's current seven-game winning streak. Adrian Peterson's injury appeared to be Oklahoma's knockout blow. The 2004 Heisman Trophy runner up had racked up 935 yards and 10 touchdowns in the season's first six games before going down with injury. Stoops isn't going to take any chances inserting Peterson into the lineup this Saturday despite the talented back showing a lot of progress. Stoops' decision was likely made easier by the fact that his team has rushed for 224 yards or more in four of their last five games including a season-high 238 yards last week against Oklahoma State. Junior tailback Allen Patrick has picked up most of the slack with four straight 100-yard games.

Despite both of these storied college football programs being perennial rivals in the former Big Eight, Oklahoma and Nebraska have never met in a Big 12 Conference title game. Nebraska is partially to blame for that as the Huskers haven't appeared in the conference championship game in 7 seasons.

After several subpar years, hideous seasons by Nebraska standards, "The Big Red Machine" has been revitalized by Bill Callahan and his pass oriented offense which looks much different than the old option sets we were used to seeing for so many years. Senior quarterback Zac Taylor makes this offense work. He has thrown for a school record 2,789 yards this season with 24 touchdown passes and just four interceptions while leading the Huskers high-powered offensive attack which is averaging 33.9ppg and 434 yards of total offense.

The Huskers ran the table in the Big 12 North going 5-0, but they dropped two of three games against the South division this season. Will Nebraska regain its stronghold on the conference or will Oklahoma conquer one more hurdle this season to go BCS bowling yet again? I am so confident in Saturday's winning side that I have made this Big 12 Championship matchup my Big 12 Game of the Year. Make sure you're on board this Saturday for the biggest winner in the Big 12 this season.


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Jimmy Boyd is a documented member of the Professional Handicappers League. Read all of his articles at http://www.procappers.com/Jimmy_Boyd.htm

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