Could lowly foe sneak up on OU?

It's not safe to be a highly ranked team these days in college football. That's why we tackle trap games and upsets in the College Football Roundtable this week. Here is what our experts had to say about OU's dangerous future, the strength of the Big 12 and OSU's prolific offense.

1. Not counting Texas, what could be the trap game this year for No. 1 OU? What could be their Oregon State?

OU beat writer Jake Trotter: Kansas State is the only road game that will resemble Oregon State, but the Wildcats are terrible and I think OU will handle them. Same for Texas A&M. Really, the one game that could get dicey on the road is in Stillwater. The Pokes are explosive offensively and play OU well at home. If OSU plays any defense that day, Bedlam, again, could go down to the wire.

Columnist Berry Tramel: Kansas State could be the trap game for OU. Stillwater is no trap. Anyone with a clue knows that will be gutcheck. College Station will be a walkover, as bad as A&M is. So that leaves Waco and Manhattan, and as much as I like what I've seen out of Baylor's improvement, I vote K-State. Remember 2004, when OU went up there and survived 28-21 against a so-so KSU team.

Columnist Jenni Carlson: The game at Kansas State could be the trap game. While I think Oklahoma's toughest road game will be at Oklahoma State, rivalry games are always easy to get hyped for. That game at Manhattan is sandwiched between home games against Kansas and Nebraska and might look like a chance at a break. Thing is, the Wildcats are an improving bunch, and no road game in conference play is a gimme.

OSU beat writer Scott Wright: If the Sooners lose, it will happen on the road. Oklahoma State is their toughest road opponent remaining, but Bedlam isn't a trap game. So I'll go with Kansas State. The Wildcats offense is solid, even though the defense is inconsistent. But no one gave Oregon State a chance either.

OU beat writer John Helsley: Kansas State. The game is in Manhattan and the Wildcats, while wildly inconsistent, are a scary team with Josh Freeman at quarterback. They've relied heavily on juco transfers and gotten the expected mixed results. Still, there's talent in the Flint Hills.

Columnist John Rohde: There are nothing but traps when you're No. 1. I supposed the Kansas game (Oct. 18) could be, depending on how exhausting the Texas game is for OU the week before. But I'd expect the Sooners' eyes to be wide open, given their recent history of being "trapped."

OSU beat writer Andrea Cohen: While it's tempting to say Baylor, I think the better answer might be Kansas State. Enough people are talking about Baylor's quarterback and the Bears' improvement that newly-top seeded OU is certainly paying attention. K-State is sandwiched between two significant games, it's on the road, etc.

2. Which top 5 is most likely to be upset this weekend.

Wright: All season, I've believed there was a good chance Texas lost at Colorado. I would feel better about it if the Buffs hadn't looked so ugly against Florida State, but it could be a bounce-back game for them. Their defense is good and I'm not sold on Texas' offensive ability against a good defense.

Trotter: Texas. For those who forget, Colorado knocked off a top five team in the opening weekend of Big 12 play last year. Beating the Buffs in Boulder is not going to be easy, especially with Colorado appearing to be an improved group this year.

Carlson: Missouri and Texas seem most vulnerable. The Tigers go to Nebraska, the Longhorns to Colorado. Both will be the better team, but going on the road against decent opponents can be tricky. Frankly, I don't think Nebraska's defense will be able to keep up with Missouri, but Colorado just might be able to get into an offensive shootout with Texas. That could get interesting.

Helsley: Texas, at Colorado. The Longhorns are Exhibit A of the teams who coasted through September. While Colt McCoy is having a great early season, the rest of the UT roster fails to excite. The Buffs stumbled on the road at Florida State, but weren't dominated. They made too many mistakes. Correct those at home and an upset is very possible. For reference, see Oklahoma, 2007.

Tramel: Texas is the most susceptible top-five team this week. LSU is idle. OU is at Baylor, Alabama hosts Kentucky, Missouri is at Nebraska and Texas goes to Colorado. So I vote Texas. It won't be easy for Mizzou; it might not be easy for OU or Bama, either. But as Sooner fans know, winning in Boulder the week before going to Dallas is dicey. Tough place to play, solid team, though CU certainly stunk it up against Florida State. Texas has a huge quarterback advantage and should win, but you never know.

Cohen: I guess Texas. I picked the Longhorns to win, but Colorado is a tough place to play and despite the Florida State thumping CU has looked very good at times.

Rohde: The next top 5 team to lose will be Texas - if not this week in Boulder, then next week in Dallas.

3. Does Oklahoma State have the best offense in the Big 12 Conference?

Carlson: No, but it's close. I'll still give the nod to Oklahoma because the Sooners have so many playmakers. Manny Johnson, for example, was pretty quiet the first month of the season, then he goes nuts against TCU. The Sooners have all sorts of guys who can come out of nowhere and have a big game. The Cowboys have the best receiver in the conference in Dez Bryant, and in Kendall Hunter and Zac Robinson, they have two of the best at their respective positions. I just don't think the Cowboys' depth of playmakers is as dramatic as the Sooners, so I'd put OSU in the top five but not at the top.

Cohen: If Kendall Hunter continues to be as good as he's been in his first four career starts, it's possible. But I think OU, Missouri and Texas Tech all have to be contending for that title as well.

Tramel: You know, I think it's close on the best offense in the league. I don't think we can tell yet. OU, Missouri, Tech, OSU. They haven't played enough real teams to determine. But don't discount the Cowboys. No team can run AND pass as well as they can. This OSU offense is for real. If Zac Robinson starts running like he did last year, and stays healthy, there's no stopping the Cowboys.

Rohde: No. The best offense belongs to Oklahoma. The Cowboys have Dez Bryant, but the Sooners have more receivers, a better quarterback, a better line and the running backs are probably a push, even though OSU's rushing numbers are better to date.

Wright: Yes. The Cowboys can throw the ball well when they have to, but their run game is far and away better than anyone else in the conference. It has yet to be proven that they have a weakness in their offense.v Helsley: At this point, with most teams in the Big 12 still lacking a legit test, you'd have to say yes. The Pokes are a dynamic running and passing team, something no other team has proven to be consistently.

Trotter: As good as they are, I say no. Now, if they continue to score 50 a game in Big 12 play, then my vote will change. But right now, I still put OU, Missouri and maybe Texas Tech ahead of the Pokes.

4. What should Texas A&M do to make itself better?

Rohde: Turn back the clock and not fire R.C. Slocum.

Tramel: Texas A&M has lost its identity, which used to be the Wrecking Crew defense. I don't know how the Aggies lost it, and I know some people say A&M has to get with the times offensively, but teams like Auburn show you still can compete at a high level with a defensive mentality. That's what A&M needs to do. Go ask R.C. Slocum why the Wrecking Crew went away, partly under his watch but mostly after he left, and fix it.

Wright: Be patient. They have a good coach and some good young quarterbacks, but the mesh of the old players and the new system is taking some time. The Aggies won't be this bad forever.

Carlson: Ask R.C. Slocum if he's available is the first thing to come to mind. Truth is, though, it all goes back to the defense. Texas A&M built its reputation on The Wrecking Crew. It was intimidating. It was tough. Now, it's just wrecked. The Aggies have to get back to those days of defensive strength. That means recruiting better players, being willing to move offensive guys to defense to get the best athletes out there and making defense a priority.

Helsley: They may have done it, bringing in Mike Sherman, who is now sifting through the mess and transitioning the program to a more current offense. The question is what A&M shouldn't have done. And that's hire Dennis Franchione.

Cohen: Yikes. Tough question, because I think you have to understand how they got so bad and that's a bit of a puzzle. When talking to a bunch of OSU guys who picked OSU over A&M they all said they went to Stillwater because they felt better connections to the coaching staff. So perhaps it's a recruiting issue that can be resolved with this new staff.

Trotter: Realign to the Southwest Preparatory Conference.

5. With three teams in the Top 5, is the Big 12 the nation's best conference? If not, which one is?

Trotter: If only Todd Reesing hadn't thrown that pick against South Florida. That would've placed five teams in the Top 10 and then you'd almost have to say the Big 12 is the best. Top to bottom, though, I'm sticking with the SEC, but the Big 12 is having its best year ever this season.

Tramel: I still say the SEC is the best conference. The Big 12 has three of the top five and four of the top seven only because it hasn't started playing conference games yet. The SEC has played 11 league games already. You've got to lose when you play each other. Let's see if all five Big 12 road teams, sans A&M, win this week. If OU can win at Baylor, Mizzou at Nebraska, KU at Iowa State, Tech at KSU and Texas at Colorado, then I'm impressed with the ranked squads of Middle America.

Wright: It's a dead heat between the Big 12 and SEC right now. I think the Big 12 is better at the top. A lot of people wanted to discount the talent of the SEC because of the Florida loss, but to me, that proves the SEC has better depth than the Big 12 right now.

Carlson: The SEC is still the best. Top to bottom, no one has the depth that the SEC does. If teams like Iowa State, Kansas State, Baylor and Texas A&M were better, the Big 12 would have a stronger case, but significant improvement at those schools could be years off. That said, no conference has a better chance at producing the national champion this year than the Big 12. It's hard to believe that one of those three teams won't be playing for a title in January.

Helsley: I'm not buying the Big 12 is best theory. Too many of the teams played a cushy non-conference schedule. The SEC still rules.

Cohen: That's an awfully close call between the Big 12 and SEC. The Big 12 may have three in the top five but the SEC has five in the top 13.

Rohde: Why can't this argument die? Why is there even an argument? Top to bottom, inside out, from August through January, the best conference is the SEC. End of story. End of question.

6. What would be the most interesting matchup for OU in a national championship game?

Tramel: I love playing this game, because the options are so many and so interesting. Here's a ranking, most of which are for obvious reasons. 1. Alabama: Bluebloods of the sport; 2. Penn State: The Sooners first played against Paterno 36 years ago, when CHUCK FAIRBANKS was coach; 3. Florida: Gator Nation loves Bob Stoops; 4. LSU: The game wouldn't be in New Orleans; 5. Southern Cal. Wright: LSU. After all the great Bedlam showdowns between Bob Stoops and Les Miles, how much better would it be with that week of build-up stretched into a month, and the game being the most important in the nation, not just our state? It's immeasurable.

Carlson: Who wouldn't love to see Oklahoma-Alabama? Stoops vs. Saban? Crimson and cream vs. Crimson Tide? Sign me up for that one.

Trotter: Can you imagine the story lines going into an Alabama-Oklahoma title bout? Basically, two of the three most storied college football programs (with Notre Dame being the other) squaring off, plus you have Nick Saban and Bob Stoops, and it's going to be nothing but interesting watching how those two interact around each other.

Helsley: LSU, of course. Les Miles. A big game with "the conductor" finally having the same weaponry. The barbs back and forth between the Bayou and Bob. Bring it on!

Cohen: Alabama. That would be a great coaching matchup, and after last week it looks like the Tide could give most anyone a run for their money.

Rohde: The most interesting game would be USC. Some teams, same field, same stakes as four years ago. Preferably for OU, not the same result. Alabama also would be a great matchup, rich in tradition. It would rekindle the recent home-and-home series when the two schools developed a healthy rivalry, which is rare these days.

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