By Mike Kays
ARLINGTON, Texas — Forget the fact that Labor Day was still 24 hours away.
A big dose of talk radio here Sunday, both locally and nationally, was ready to consider BYU running the table and putting itself smack dab in the debate of the Bogus Championship System title hunt.
It began in the press box following the Cougars’ 14-13 upset win over No. 3 OU. One postgame talk show host, airing from the press box and presumably from Provo or other parts Utah, was singing that tune.
And this one: “Tonight was clearly about how a 20th-ranked Cougars team just physically manhandled the No. 3 Sooners up front.”
Um, ya think we’re overreacting there a little? His comments brought chuckles from a CBSSports.com writer and another guy next to me, which I duly noted.
Certainly the matchup in the trenches was a little more balanced than thought prior to kickoff. Certainly, Sooners quarterback Sam Bradford was manhandled enough on one play that puts at least the early portion of his playing season in jeopardy.
But the problems in the trenches focused more on penalties, simple stuff like procedure and holding calls. Right tackle Corey Brandon was flagged four times for procedure calls and twice for holding. That was half of OU’s 12 penalities for 93 yards.
You don’t have to use a shoulder pad to cause that kind of mess, which brought forth the chuckles as we listened to the BYU radio guy.
But credit BYU and the Mountain West for this. They’ve handed Bob Stoops his only two opening game losses in 11 seasons and with last year’s bullying by Utah in the Sugar Bowl of Alabama, a national title contender until losing to Florida in the SEC championship game, along with a TCU team that last season held OU under its 50-plus average and lost only once the rest of the way — to Utah by a field goal — have clearly made a case for the MWC getting an automatic bid into the BCS bowl system or taking one from the Big East, which has held its spot even while losing the core power teams it once had to the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Whether the Cougars are national title material will be meted out in three tests — in two weeks against Florida State, Oct. 24 vs. TCU and the regular season finale Nov. 28 against Utah. All three games will be played at BYU. Sweep that, and the only thing that might keep them out is an at-large Boise State or unbeaten Notre Dame along with an unbeaten team from one of the power-broking conferences, such as a USC, Texas or Florida.
Or, perhaps OSU.
Judging from Saturday’s happenings in Stillwater via the TV monitors here, the Cowboys passed the test they had to pass with an A-plus, particularly by beating Georgia in the way SEC teams often beat its rivals — with defense. A marquee win against a quality opponent in an emotionally intense atmosphere. And the polls should reflect that this week — No. 5 in the country would be a reasonable jump for the No. 9 Pokes.
With the Georgia test out of the way, the schedule gets cushy for a month — home games all of September with Houston, Rice and Grambling State awaiting. The first road date isn’t until Oct. 10 at Texas A&M;, probably the weakest of the Big 12 South outfits. Then it’s Missouri at home, followed by a visit to a Baylor team that looked impressive in an opening win at Wake Forest.
All that before the biggest home game of the year, a Halloween matchup against Texas on Oct. 31. The orange karma bleeds all over this.
It’s only Labor Day, but I’ll go out on a limb. That game decides who comes back down here the first Saturday in December.
Bradford or no Bradford, it may take that long for OU to get off on the snap count.
