OU football: Sooners may have more to gain in Cotton Bowl

Much bigger, even, than beating Florida in New Orleans.

Finally, with a month to prepare, Mike Stoops and his much-maligned Oklahoma defense could make a huge statement with a strong performance against the Aggies and Manziel — who, by the way, will be the last of the three leading Heisman candidates to face the Sooners.

OU lost at home on Sept. 22 to Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein, and on Oct. 27 to Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o.

“To leave teams out like Georgia, and Florida, and Texas A&M and Oklahoma?” Herbstreit continued Sunday evening.

“All of us want to see them in games that matter. And you're gonna give us Northern Illinois?”

All of Sooner Nation is understandly upset to be left out of the BCS party. But there's no doubt that an Oklahoma-Texas A&M showdown in the Cotton Bowl does matter.

And, as it turns out, it matters far more than almost all the BCS bowls.