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Coming up Oranges
Oklahoma beats K-State to secure title shot
© 2000 KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Oklahoma is more than OK - the Sooners are perfect and on their way to the Orange Bowl to play for the national championship. Josh Heupel threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score as No. 1 Oklahoma completed a perfect regular season with a 27-24 victory over No. 8 Kansas State in the Big 12 title game on a chilly Saturday night at Arrowhead Stadium. The Sooners (12-0), the nation's only major unbeaten team, will get a chance for their first national title since 1985 when they play in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 3, most likely against defending champion Florida State (11-1). Oklahoma and Florida State were first and second in last week's Bowl Championship Series standings and, based on computer projections, seemed certain to remain that way Sunday when the final rankings are released and the BCS officially announces its bowl matchups. Heupel, in his final Heisman Trophy push, overcame a season-high three interceptions, completing 24 of 44 passes for 220 yards. He threw a 1-yard TD pass to Trent Smith in the first half, ran 7 yards for a score in the third quarter and hit Andre Woolfolk with a 17-yard scoring pass 36 seconds into the final period to put the Sooners ahead 24-17. Tim Duncan kicked his second field goal of the game, a 46-yarder with 1:25 left that proved to be the winning points. K-State's Jonathan Beasley threw a 16-yard TD pass to Quincy Morgan with six seconds left, but the Sooners recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock as oranges came flying onto the field. A Sooners-Seminoles Orange Bowl will also create the possibility of split national champions. Florida State is ranked No. 3, behind No. 2 Miami (10-1), in both the AP media poll and the coaches poll. It is conceivable that if the Seminoles beat the Sooners and the Hurricanes win their bowl, the AP media poll could vote Miami No. 1 while the USA Today/ESPN coaches poll would be obligated to crown the Seminoles champions. Miami beat Florida State 27-24 on Oct. 7. Also, No. 4 Washington (10-1) could be considered if the Huskies, who beat the Hurricanes 34-29 this season, beat Purdue in the Rose Bowl. Kansas State (10-3), is 2-19 against Top Ten teams under coach Bill Snyder and the Wildcats appear headed to the Cotton or Insight.com bowl. With the Orange Bowl set, the three other BCS games were busy finalizing their matchups. The Fiesta Bowl, which has the next two selections after the Orange Bowl, was expected to go with No. 5 Oregon State (10-1) against either No. 11 Notre Dame (9-2) or Miami. The Sugar, with SEC champion Florida (10-2) as its host team, would be left with either the Irish or the Hurricanes or could go for No. 6 Virginia Tech (10-1). The Gators beat Auburn 28-6 Saturday in the SEC title game. The Rose Bowl matches No. 5 Washington (10-1) against No. 14 Purdue (8-3). With the score tied at 17, Heupel led the drive that saved the Sooners' season. He hit Smith for 28 yards and, after a 12-yard pass interference call against safety Jarrod Cooper, Quentin Griffin ran 22 yards on fourth-and-1 to the Wildcats' 17. On the next play, Heupel found Woolfolk open across the middle and hit him in stride in the end zone. Before the Sooners start thinking about the Seminoles, they're just happy to have made it through the Big 12 title game with their second win this season over Kansas State. Twice in the first four years of this game, the league's national-title contending team lost and fell out of the championship chase. Texas stunned Nebraska in 1996, and Texas A&M beat Kansas State in double overtime in 1998.
-- Uncle Bob (unclb0b@aol.com), December 03, 2000
The answer is easy: The U of Washington Huskies. Next question.....
-- Dr. Pibb (dr.pibb@zdnetonebox.com), December 03, 2000.