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Oklahoma still has eye on top prize

Oct 25, 2008 - 10:36 AM (5) Oklahoma (6-1) at Kansas State (4-3), 12:30 pm EDT

MANHATTAN, Kansas (Ticker) -- Of all the one-loss teams in the country, Oklahoma probably is in the best shape to climb up to the all-important No. 2 spot in the BCS rankings.

Coming off a record-setting performance by quarterback Sam Bradford, the fifth-ranked Sooners visit Kansas State in a Big 12 Conference contest Saturday.

Bradford threw for a school-record 468 yards in last week's 45-31 win over Kansas despite being without leading wide receiver Manuel Johnson for all but the first five plays of the game.

Johnson suffered a dislocated elbow against Kansas and is questionable for Saturday's game.

Juaquin Iglesias picked up the slack with a school-record 12 receptions for 191 yards, the second-highest total in school history.

The Sooners (6-1, 2-1 Big 12 South) are fourth in the first weekly BCS rankings behind Texas, Alabama and Penn State. The top two teams following the conference championship games will play in the BCS title contest.

Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said the Sooners' goal is to stay in the national championship race.

"That's what we're trying to do," Stoops said. "Not to beat a dead horse, but in the end there is so much football left you just focus on being good this week. There are examples every year of people being beat as you go through the season. It really doesn't matter unless you win this week."

A rematch between Oklahoma and Texas, which beat the Sooners, 45-35, two weeks ago, in the national championship game is not out of question.

"In the past, I've referred to the Texas Longhorns being the New York Yankees," Kansas State coach Ron Prince said. "From my standpoint these guys (at OU) are a lot like the Red Sox. They have great players and great facilities. Being in contention every year, that's who they are. They have great coaching staffs."

Even if Johnson doesn't play, the Wildcats (4-3, 1-2 Big 12 North) will be hard-pressed to slow down the Sooners, who are averaging just under 47 points per game. Kansas State is coming off a 14-13 loss to Colorado.

Sophomore cornerback Joshua Moore has 22 tackles in his last two games for Kansas State, including a career-high 13 last week, with a fumble recovery and an interception.

Kansas State is dangerous on special teams, leading the Football Bowl Subdivision with seven blocked kicks this season (four punts, two extra points, and a field goal).