Rough climb for the Sooners

OU’s road to the NCAA Tournament is becoming rocky. Chances are, the Sooners won’t get there. In the real Big 12 standings, OU is in seventh place. The Sooners have to get to 9-7 — I don’t see a Big 12 team making it at 8-8 — and then hope that’s good enough. It probably will. But can the Sooners get there?

Even giving OU home wins against Iowa State, Baylor and Missouri (no sure shot on those last two), the Sooners have to win three out of these four games: home against Texas A&M, at OSU, at Nebraska, at Texas Tech. Nebraska and Tech are tough at home, OSU is Bedlam and A&M has emerged from its slump. A 9-7 record does not look likely.

Let me show you what I mean, with the weekly Big 12 standings using the plus/minus system (one point for a road win, one point deducted for a home defeat):

1. Kansas & Texas: +3

3. Texas A&M & Kansas State +2

5. Baylor +1

6. Texas Tech even

7. OU & Nebraska: -1

9. OSU, Iowa State & Missouri: -2

12. Colorado: -3