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DALLAS (Ticker) -- Oklahoma had visions of a second straight national championship until a shocking loss to Oklahoma State knocked it out of the Bowl Championship Series and the Big 12 championship game. The 10th-ranked Sooners (10-2) were forced to settle for a consolation prize -- a trip to the Cotton Bowl to face Arkansas (7-4). It will be the first trip to the Cotton Bowl game for Oklahoma, which plays Texas in the facility on an annual basis. Nebraska's shocking 62-36 loss to Colorado the day after Thanksgiving left the door open for Oklahoma to play Miami in the national championship game. But the Sooners could not take advantage of the opportunity, suffering a 16-13 loss to Oklahoma State the following day that snapped their 19-game home winning streak. Oklahoma is not going to the Rose Bowl due in large part to an inconsistent running game that continued to struggle against Oklahoma State. The Sooners rank 89th in Division I-AA in rushing, averaging just 119.4 yards per game. They had zero net yards on 27 carries against the Cowboys. If the Sooners continue to have problems running against a physical Arkansas front seven, quarterback Nate Hybl could face additional pressure. Hybl lost his job to Jason White during the season but regained it when White suffered a season-ending injury. Hybl finished third in the Big 12 in passing yards with 2,216 but threw 13 interceptions, including three against Oklahoma State. Arkansas rates as one of the most improved teams in the country, rebounding from a 1-3 start to win six of its last seven games. The Razorbacks could have won the SEC West, but suffered a 41-38 loss to eventual SEC champion Louisiana State on November 24 that snapped a six-game winning streak. Arkansas coach Houston Nutt used three quarterbacks against LSU, but the emergence of Matt Jones has added another element to the Razorbacks' option attack. Jones rushed for 592 yards during the season, second on the team behind Fred Talley's 774. Jones may have to take on an even bigger role against Oklahoma after Talley was suspended by Nutt on November 29. Various reports claim Talley was involved in a fight with a member of the Arkansas track team. The contest also features three of the best defensive players in the country. Oklahoma safety Roy Williams and linebacker Rocky Calmus won the Butkus and Nagurski Awards, respectively, while Arkansas linebacker Jermaine Petty paced the SEC in tackles with 140. The Razorbacks are 4-9-1 all-time against Oklahoma, including a 42-8 loss in the 1987 Orange Bowl in the teams' most recent meeting. Arkansas has dropped eight of its last nine bowl games to fall to 10-17-1 all-time in postseason play. The Razorbacks' only bowl victory since 1985 was a 27-6 win over Texas in the 2000 Cotton Bowl. The Sooners are making their 35th bowl trip and third straight under coach Bob Stoops. They have an all-time bowl mark of 21-12-1. |
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