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If you stuck around to watch all of Oklahoma’s 61-41 win over Oklahoma State Saturday, you were rewarded with a real treat. Will the Sooners be rewarded and leapfrog over Texas in the BCS standings and earn a berth in the Big 12 Championship Game? Echos are abounding that OU gives the Big 12 its best shot to win a national title, based on current form.
Updated: It’s official: Oklahoma was voted No. 2 in the BCS rankings, meaning it will play Missouri on Saturday for the Big 12 title. But a loss by the Sooners in that game would likely vault Texas into contention for the BCS title.
And once again, the lack of a college football playoff has laid the ground for another unsettled scenario after a sensational regular season. The BCS can’t be blamed for the Big 12’s decision to use BCS standings to help it break ties. But not letting coaches and players decide matters on the field is another regrettable reality in a sport led by change-resistant BCS overlords.
Indeed, letting teams game the system off the field is now standard operating procedure. There’s no evidence that Oklahoma lobbied like LSU did last year, but if the Sooners do lose to Missouri it well may be dejà vû all over again.
Long after the Bedlam crowd left T. Boone Pickens Stadium and newspaper deadlines were met, beat writers for The Daily Oklahoman speculated on Big 12 title game and BCS possibilities. Boy, do I know this feeling. Shivering in a windswept facade hours after the game’s over, still on the job.
Other multimedia highlights from this weekend’s games: A Birmingham News photo gallery from the Iron Bowl and No. 1 Alabama’s 36-0 win over Auburn, ending a six-year drought. Don’t like the format for these photos at all. It takes away from some very good work.
More photos, from the Orlando Sentinel, on Florida’s 45-15 rout of Florida State in near-flood conditions in Tallahassee. I felt wet just looking at these shots. 
In another high-scoring romp, Oregon dashed Oregon State’s bid for its first Rose Bowl berth in 43 years with a 65-38 win in “The Civil War.” Here’s a highlight video from The Oregonian.
And close to my home, Georgia Tech ended a seven-game losing streak to Georgia with a 45-42 shocker, using its patented triple option offense for more than 400 yards rushing. My former employer does these nifty audio slideshows that combine the work of still photographers with comments from folks participating in game.
Posted by Wendy Parker 