OU football: Sooners land in Miami, begins preparations for BCS National Championship game
Team holds first of six practices

Florida is practicing at FAU? Is Schnellenberger going to be out there handing out water and keeping up encouragement? Oh, wait, he doesn't believe in drinking water I think (just pure grain alcohol).

ricki, you're not too smart are you?

Oh please ricki, USC played what was basically a home game, 11 miles from their own campus. The Big Televen is overrated. Every year USC gets to beat up on an overmatched Big Televen team and then twits like you spend the next 5 months talking about how great USC is. Blash, blah, blah. Can't wait until the NCAA gets off its butt and does something about USC buying Reggie Bush with a swank house.

Ricki, I agree with you, the Big 12 South looks pretty poor right now. But OU and Florida don't belong? College Football is about impressing voters and getting lucky with the right schedule that satisfies the computers. USC was done in not only by a loss to Oregon State in which they were favored by 23 points but by less than impressive performances against Arizona and California not to mention playing in a conference that had a dismal record against non-BCS teams. Image is everything in college football! The Utes were hurt by beating a weak Michigan team on the road and TCU at home in close games - they were very fortunate to win that TCU game as TCU's kicker missed two chip shot FGs. Oklahoma had a horrible loss last year to Colorado in which they were big favorites which should have eliminated them from consideration but teams above them lost and OU climbed up in the polls until Tech put them away for good.
But I mostly agree with you. Awarding two teams the top two spots in the poll at the end of the year and allowing only them for a chance at the national title is a crime. If they can't get a playoff (which I have mixed feelings about), it's best to go back to the "good old days" when January 1st meant something (just like all the weekends in college football do - unlike any other sport that I know of) and have the bowls hand out invitations to the teams of their own choosing. We could have #1 play #5, #2 play #6, #3 play #4, and then see if what upsets might occur, if any. But it makes that day so much more eventful. This system we have now in which we have one game a night and none of them with any meaning - not even the championship game for anyone except fans of the teams because everyone else is saying like Ricki that they don't belong there, their team does.
But the funny, or not so funny - depends on your perspective - about this season is how because of scheduling and how teams in other conferences did, the Big 12 South set itself up to almost be guaranteed of a team in the National Championship. Texas beats Oklahoma who was #1 then they beat Oklahoma State who was undefeated then they lose to Texas Tech who was undeafeted (but hadn't played anyone of significance until Texas). All the while Oklahoma steps up its play a notch or two because they know they have to to pass Texas and storm through the Big 12 North (which isn't saying much). They end up the season beating Tech and O-State impressively, but now in the nation's eyes those wins don't look so hot becaue they were against two bowl losers.
The National Championship in college football is a misnomer and always has been and always will be. They should always say "Mythical National Title" when they describe the college football champion. It's neat when your school wins it, but's it kind of cheesy. It's part won on the field and part one in the polls and now also in the computers. Barry Switzer will be the first to admit that OU had help with all three of the titles they won with him as coach. (1974 - didn't have to play a bowl game; 1975 - #1 Ohio State lost to UCLA in the Rose Bowl; OU played a Michigan team that had lost once and tied twice; 1985 - #2 Miami lost to Tennesse in the Sugar Bowl and #3 Iowa lost to UCLA (see why I'm also a Bruin fan) in the Rose Bowl). We were fortunate even in our undefeated season in 2000 when Florida State finished ahead of Miami even though Miami beat FSU during the regular season. Playing what I think was a more motivated Miami team in Miami for the National Title would have been a more challenging task for the Sooners.
They ought to decide before the bowls which teams in college football are deserving of merit for "Most Outstanding Team" and have them play on January 1st then decide after the games which team is deserving of that title.

Well Alabama had a chance to prove your theory Edward. Utah not only beat this powerful SEC team but beat them badly.

I hope OU is really getting ready for Florida this time. The bowl preparations for the last few years have not worked. At the beginning of the last two bowl games the Sooners were not ready to play. Against USC they just quit playing. During both the Boise State and West Virginia games when they did finally start playing poor coaching decisions prevented the Sooners from winning. The end of the Boise State game was both coaching screw ups but also poor execution on the part of the players. This is poor bowl or game preparations. My old coach (Bud Wilkinson) always started with thorough preparations for games. If players were not focusing on the job at hand he benched them and that included All Americans. Just ask Clendon Thomas. After one Orange Bowl practice he kept the team to do wind sprints on the traffic island out in front of the hotel until after 10:00 at night to get everyone's attention. I have not seen that dedication from the coaching staff or players in the last few bowls and that includes the Holiday Bowl where OU beat Oregon but just barely. Focus, execution, preparation, dedication and motivation wins games both on offense and defense. GO SOONERS!!!BEAT FLORIDA!!!

UTAH needs to play a REAL schedule throughout the year and then maybe be considered...OU and FL and USC would be undefeated playing your schedule! BOOMER SOONER!

Congratulations to the University of Utah, the true national champions. 13 wins, ZERO losses. All else is just "yadda, yadda, yadda and bla, bla, bla...".

The only team you mentioned that has a legitimate gripe is Utah, after what they did to Alabama. Texas? See Texas Tech about that. Ohio State? Are you kidding? USC? Beat Oregon State next time. Then we'll talk. Oklahoma has as good a case as anyone else save Utah. Between OU and Florida, it's the Gators who have the shakier case, having lost to an unranked opponent at home. But no matter. There's not going to be a playoff anytime soon, period.

Stoops will not interview or even think about Denver Broncos until after the title game and the position will probably be filled by then.

I cant wait for a real national championship.the best eight or 16 teams,,because this is pathetic,these two teams dont even belong in the top four let alone the top two.Texas ran the Sooners into the ground,USC is the best team in the courty by far,Utah is undeafeated and just beat the team that has been ranked No 1 for most of the year and even Ohio St has a bit ch. This sysem has turned into an embarrassment.

I believe they are closed. Hope that little bi-plane flying around with the banner 45-35 wasn't taking pictures...