Any high stakes game where one team is a solid favorite is scary for the favorite. The dog has nothing to lose and everything to gain. For MU, it's BCS or bust (Alamo??). As a fan, I'm always more concerned with how my team plays than what the other team can do. OU's concerns are: Bradford's thumb, the new MLB, covering a kickoff, Bradford's thumb, the weather, and Bradford's thumb. I like prediction, but I'll say Sooners by 21 (they cover).

Dear Mr. Cronley:

You seem to be one of very few local journalists with any objectivity when it comes to local sports teams, so I am submitting these comments to you in the hope they might be read and might be something you would consider.

As an OU alum and big fan, I am very happy for OU. But someone, maybe President Boren, needs to encourage Coach Stoops to be a bit more diplomatic in public comments. OU gets bashed in the national press (e.g., being accused of running up the score) mainly because many don't like the "face" of our team, the head coach. For example, instead of essentially saying "those were the rules, Texas, so tough!" ... it would've been easy to sound gracious in victory ... something as simple as "Texas has an outstanding team, and we can understand their disappointment, but we're proud of what we've accomplished and think we've earned our way into the championship game." A little diplomacy and an occasional smile from the head coach could go a long way toward silencing the critics, and in the end it would serve OU's interests a lot better.