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The Top 5 Reasons You Can’t Blame Oklahoma For Losing The 2007 Fiesta Bowl

Okay. The Boise State Broncos versus the Oklahoma Sooners was the greatest game ever played. Isn’t funny how we forget about the Rose Bowl from last season? Some called it David versus Goliath. Others were saying if you want to run with the big dogs, well, here is your chance.Reason #1: Oklahoma must have believed the media. You know the drill. The heavily favored team has the edge, the players, the coaches and coordinators, and the experience of playing in big games. Leave it up to the media to hype a team up, no matter how much they are favored to win a game. Sports analysts voiced their beliefs on what would happen in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl. Any of the following would apply: Oklahoma had a good running game along with a decent passing game. The interceptions had been few and far between all year. Give the ball to Adrian Peterson and the game is over. The Sooners had won nine straight games. They are on a roll. Boise State will hang around for a half, if that long.  Then, Oklahoma will take over and finish off the Broncos. As we, the fans, all know. That is why the games are played.

Reason #2: Look back at the last two BCS games the Sooners played in. Yeah. Take a quick glance at what happened in the 2004 Sugar Bowl and the 2005 Orange Bowl. The Sooners lost, and lost badly.  Combined score for those two BCS games: 76 – 33. Was that sticking around in the back of Stoops’ and/or his players’ mind?  Maybe Oklahoma is another version of the ACC school that makes it to a BCS bowl game. They lose them. Go ahead and survive the regular season and conference championship game. Then lose the bowl game.  

Reason #3: The Sooners weren’t prepared for the play style of Boise State. Boise State had a game plan that seemed very real at the beginning of the Fiesta Bowl. It became more difficult to defend as the game went on. The Broncos would line up on offense, and it looked like they were going to run a trick play. They did.  At other times, they ran a trick play when the offensive formation looked as plain as could be. Who runs a hook and lateral on fourth an eighteen? Who runs a modified Statue of Liberty play to win the game when all that was needed was an extra point to tie? What about Boise State’s defense? It was very simple. Look ahead to Reason #4.

Reason #4: The Broncos stopped the Oklahoma running game. It was a very simple defensive game plan. Stop the Oklahoma running game.  Nah, it can’t be that simple. Well, yeah it was. Boise State had a defensive line that just would not stop pushing the Sooners O-line. Adrian Peterson had 77 yards off of 20 carries.  Allen Patrick gave the Sooners 61 yards on 11 carries. Once, the running game could not be established for the Sooners, it was over. What do you mean by over? Do you need anymore proof than Oklahoma QB Paul Thompson threw three interceptions?

Reason #5: Oklahoma was supposed to win. Check it out. The Sooners were a BCS team. They are Big 12 champs. They were a bad call away in Oregon of having a shot at the national title game (well, maybe). Sooners head coach Bob Stoops has close to 90 wins and fewer than 20 losses in 7 seasons, a national title, and has been in two other national title games. Of course the University of Oklahoma was supposed to win this game.  

That pretty much sums it up. Any fan or basher can tell the story of turnovers, trick plays, and pumped up teams. The simple part of college football is the final score. In this particular game, the Broncos from Boise State won. One thought. Boise State? I didn’t know the U.S. had a state named Boise.      

2 replies on “The Top 5 Reasons You Can’t Blame Oklahoma For Losing The 2007 Fiesta Bowl”

good article I disagree though with reason #4.  Oklahoma didn’t score well running the ball, but they had close to 150 yards rushing.  that is good no matter what team you play.  good luck.

tend to agree I tend to agree. Does rushing yards matter if they aren’t contributing to the scoreboard? Peterson averaged 144 yards per game during the season. He had 77 yards in this game. I think the Broncos stopped the running game…somewhat.

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