Bedlam 2010

#1 > Oklahoma Sooners 47, Oklahoma State Cowboys 41 Nov. 27

  We’ve remembered a lot of great games from 2010, but since this site has a specific emphasis on sports in Oklahoma, of course this has to be the top game on our list.

  It was the third of three games from Thanksgiving weekend that really seemed to be worth listing in a Top Ten.  This Bedlam matchup had more pre-game hype than any Bedlam game since OU was No. 2 and OSU was No. 3 back in 1984, although a lot can be said for the amount of talent that was suited up for both teams in 1987.

  The two teams went back and forth with eight scores, four apiece, throughout the first three quarters, with the scored tied at 24-24 at the end of the third period.  It was in the fourth quarter that things really got wild.

  The Sooners really won the game with their ability to convert on third down.  They picked first downs on seven tries on third down late in the third quarter and through the fourth.  This was especially big on the 17-play drive that culminated in a field goal early in the fourth that ultimately gave OU the lead for good.  The two teams would score 40 points in the final period that featured a 76-yard TD pass, an 86-yard TD pass, and an 89-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.

  Landry Jones outdueled Brandon Weeden in passing yards, 468-257, but the majority of the stats for the game showed equality for both teams.  (Incidentally, Jones' 468 passing yards is an OU record, tied with Sam Bradford.)  Each team had three interceptions.  Weeden was picked off midway through the fourth quarter, when the Cowboys were still within one score of taking the lead.  But the signature play of the game was when Broderick Brown leapt up at the sideline and knocked an errant pass from Jones back inbounds to Shaun Lewis to complete the interception.

  The Sooner win put both teams at 10-2 and for the season, also tied with Texas A&M.  BCS ranking gave OU the Big XII South championship and the Sooners defeated Nebraska 23-20 in the Big XII title game.  Oklahoma State would go on to dismantle Arizona 36-10 in the Alamo Bowl and claim the school’s first-ever 11-win season.  We’ll find out tomorrow whether OU stop a five game BCS Bowl losing streak in the Fiesta Bowl against Connecticut.

More Sweet Sixteen, Big XII

The conference went 1-2 on Friday. Oklahoma defeated Syracuse to avenge a Tournament loss in 2003, while Kansas had its 9-game NCAA winning streak stopped by Michigan State.
With deference to Kansas, this little blog is about OU. Man, they looked good. The Syracuse zone was totally ineffective against the Sooners' outside game, Tony Crocker in particular, and didn't fare much better against Blake Griffin on the inside. Griffin had yet another 30 point outing and Crocker's 28 kept Oklahoma in control throughout the night. As a matter of fact, the only thing that even slowed Griffin down was the underside of the backboard on a ferocious dunk late in the contest.
For as much hype as Syracuse had been getting late in the season, they looked completely outmatched in this one.
And so, two Big XII teams remain. We'll see if the conference can get one or maybe two entries in the Final Four.

Sweet Sixteen, Big XII

Last year's NCAA Championship game was a thrill to watch. And it was also a dream for high school coaches to point out exactly how important free throws really are.
The Memphis Tigers missed four out of five free throws in the final 2 minutes that would have put the game away and Kansas, down NINE POINTS with 2:12 left, came back to send the game into overtime and win the title 75-68.
There was no need for an incredible comeback by a Big XII team in the final minutes on Thursday night. In fact, at one point in the second half, the Missouri Tigers led Memphis by 24. Mizzou flat out went off on suddenly defense-less Memphis and won 102-91. Missouri looked unstoppable on offense, but that seemed to be partly due to an inability by the Memphis defense to stay with the ball. For as athletic a team as Memphis has been portrayed to be (and truthfully is), the boys in gold put on an athletic display that left Memphis far behind.
Leo Lyons looks better with each game as the Big XII and NCAA Tournaments go on. He had 15 point and 12 rebounds in the win.
The Big XII is now 10-3 in the past eight days.

Day Three, Second Round, Big XII

The conference suffered its first losses in the Tournament on Saturday, but there was no question that the Texas schools would not go down without a fight.
Duke had defeated Texas in the three previous meetings in this series' history by large margins, but that wasn't the case this season. In a hard-fought contest that came down to the wire, the Longhorns showed that the gap between these two programs has been diminished greatly.
Texas A&M ran into a Connecticut team that is returning to mid-season form (which was #1 in the country) or better and had their coach back on the sideline after a small excursion to the hospital. The Aggies never really had a chance.
Only Oklahoma kept the Big XII from coming up empty on the day. The Sooners took out Michigan and Blake Griffin had another stellar day. 33 points and 17 rebounds - just an average day at the office.
The conference is now 7-2 after the first three days.
Here's a look at Saturday:
Connecticut 92, Texas A&M 66
Duke 74, Texas 69
Oklahoma 73, Michigan 63

Day Two, First Round, Big XII

The Big East and the Big Ten each had 7 teams to earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament. The Pac-10, along with the Big XII, got 6 teams to the Big Dance. Of all of these major conferences with many teams representing them, only one conference did not suffer a loss in the first round. That's right: the Big XII. 6 games, 6 wins.
The bracket saved the best games of the day until the late hours, but the early games had some drama as well. The Tennessee-Oklahoma State contest was a compelling a watch as any. And though I was personally for the Vols in this one, Byron Eaton gave the country an impressive and gutsy performance.
North Dakota State showed many folks that the Bison can play with the big boys. Cornell didn't. Kansas was pushed; Missouri wasn't.
Here's a look at Friday's first round scores:
Oklahoma St. 79, Tennessee 77
Kansas 84, North Dakota St. 74
Missouri 73, Cornell 57

Day One, First Round, Big XII

So far so good for the Big XII. One day into the NCAA Tournament and the boys from the heart of the country have gone 3 for 3.
Good shooting was the order of the day for the Longhorns, the Sooners, and the Aggies, who led the way making their first 10 shots from the field in a rematch of last year's first-round game with BYU.
And speaking of good shooting, look no further than Blake Griffin and his 11-12 shooting performance or A.J. Abrams and his 8 three-pointers (which has him now tied for fourth place in career three-pointers made in the NCAA Tournament).
Thursday's scores were as follows:
Texas A&M 79, BYU 66
Texas 76, Minnesota 62
Oklahoma 82, Morgan State 54

The Big XII in the Big Dance

Here are the Big XII first-round matchups and scheduled tip times:

West 8 BYU vs. 9 Texas A&M, Thurs., 11:30 am
East 7 Texas vs. 10 Minnesota, Thurs., 6:10 pm
South 2 Oklahoma vs. 15 Morgan State, Thurs., 8:40 pm
East 8 Oklahoma St. vs. 9 Tennessee, Fri., 11:25 am
Midwest 3 Kansas vs. 14 North Dakota St., Fri., 11:30 am
West 3 Missouri vs. 14 Cornell, Fri., 2:00 pm