After what could be considered one of the worst weather weeks the Oklahoma City area has seen in quite some time, it was no surprise on Thursday morning when the Big 12 tournament was delayed due to thunderstorms. Of course you know about Moore, but the surrounding cities have been getting pounded with rain.

They pulled the tarp off the diamond and it left what looked like a lake in right field. The first game ended up starting at 12:30.

The days results are as follows:

Game 1: Oklahoma 2 – Baylor 0

Game 2: Kansas State 4 – Texas Tech 3

Game 3: Kansas 7 –  West Virginia 2

Game 4: TCU 8 – Oklahoma State 4

The only two Big 12 teams who did not make the tournament was Iowa State and Texas; the Cyclones don’t have a team, though.

Friday’s schedule kicks off with Oklahoma – TTU at 9:00 AM, Kansas State – Baylor at 12:30, WVU – TCU at 4:30 and closes with Oklahoma State –  Kansas at 7:30.

With only about three weeks left until the Big 12 Championship, the Oklahoma Sooners baseball team (34-12, 11-5 Big 12 play) are looking to finish out the rest of the regular season with sweeps.

The Sooners, who are currently in West Virginia, took game one in their last series against the Mountaineers on Friday night, 4-3. In took 10 innings to get it done. The Mountaineers are 27-20 and 9-7 in Big 12 play on the season. Due to their pitching, they have come on strong in the later part of the season.

After the series in West Virginia, the Sooners move on to play Bedlam against Oklahoma State (32-12, 7-8 Big 12 play) in a three-game series that kicks-off in Tulsa and will finish the last two games in Oklahoma City.

They will close out the season with Kansas State (33-14, 10-6 Big 12 play) in Manhattan, KS. The Wildcats have slowly been threatening to take the No. 1 spot in the conference from the Sooners over the last couple of weeks.

Oklahoma will most likely go into the tournament sitting in the No. 1 spot but need to finish the season strong going in.

The conference championship is scheduled for may 22nd-26th in Oklahoma City.

Well, it’s that time of year again and Phil Steele has made his bowl selections. I normally ignore any type of pre-season projections but I kinda chuckled when I read some of these so I thought I’d share.

Phil’s picks:

New Era Pinstripe Bowl –  Baylor vs Rutgers

I get it, Baylor won’t be as good with RGIII heading up the offense, but Baylor still has a chance to be decent. Their replacement QB Nick Florence isn’t someone I’d sleep on though. He has a great arm and even though he doesn’t have the speed or foot work that RGIII has, he can still pack a punch. Granted the only game we got to really see him in action was the Baylor/Texas Tech no-defense scoring spree. He had 151 yards and 2 touchdowns on the books for last year.

Car Care Bowl of Texas –  Texas Tech vs. Illinois

The Car Care Bowl would be Texas Tech valiant return back into the bowl season. Even with their huge win over Oklahoma early on, Texas Tech had a pitiful 2011 season. It’s Tuberville’s third year in Lubbock so the “getting into the groove” is over. It’s time for the Red Raiders to put the pieces together and prove to everyone it was worth it firing Leach over nonsense. P.S. the answer will still be it wasn’t worth it. 

Holiday Bowl – Kansas State vs. UCLA

Are the Sooners going to Miami? Phil Steele says yes

I don’t know about this match-up. Kansas State came off a great 2011 season and is one of the best coached teams in all of college football. UCLA did get to go to the PAC-12 championship game last season (by default). But with the new additions to the Big XII, you never know what could happen.

Insight Bowl – TCU vs Penn State

I’m all for TCU going to Arizona this year if it means Oklahoma wouldn’t have to make ANOTHER trip there. TCU has a lot to prove entering into a much more competitive conference but this may be a little high for the Horned Frogs. I’m hoping the prove me wrong, but we will see. As for the Penn State pick, I can see this happening.

Alamo Bowl – West Virginia vs. Stanford

Two 2011  BCS bowl teams battling it out in San Antonio? I’d watch this and enjoy it. But with West Virginia being my Big XII sleeper team, I have them picked to go to a higher ranked bowl.

Cotton Bowl – Oklahoma State vs. Arkansas

The Big XII has not had recent success in the Cotton Bowl for the last couple years, but this would be a good match-up. I’m not 100 percent sold on the Pokes true freshman QB yet for obvious reasons, but Mike Gundy has had success at the QB position the last couple years. Arkansas is also entering 2012 with a new coach with a lot to prove. Both teams seasons should be fun to watch.

Fiesta Bowl – Texas vs. Alabama

An 8-win 2011 Longhorns bouncing all the back to the Fiesta Bowl for 2012? That is what Mr. Steele is predicting. Alabama is an easy choice, but the Longhorns? The Longhorns virtually have the exact same team coming back with the same two inconsistent QB’s. Mack is going to have to drastically change it up if he wants a repeat of the 2009 National Championship to work in his favor.

BCS National Championship Game – Oklahoma vs. Florida State

Oh. Here we are again. Same two team predictions from 2011. Both of these teams had upset 2011 seasons. I am not buying into any hype this early on like I did last year. Florida State has been a constant on the over-rated bubble since Jimbo Fisher took over from Bobby Bowden. The Sooners are returning a veteran QB and brought back Mike Stoops to run the defense. I admit, it would be fun watching the three Stoops brothers coach against each other in the BCSNCG, but I’m not counting my chickens before they hatch yet. Major adjustments need to be made on the defense in order for the Sooners to have a legit chance this season, and from what I hear it’s been improving. It’s time for the waiting game.

Kansas and Iowa State were not picked for a bowl by Steele.

Like I said, I am not a fan of listening to preseason hype. I know it’s just a prediction and this is not set in stone but Sooner fans know what happens when we are predicted to go somewhere this early on. At least they aren’t picked No. 1; that’s always a death sentence.

Sorry Trojans.

That’s it folks, the regular season is over. For the Sooners, it was plagued with heartache, injuries and just an overall odd season. They had major ups and major downs.

Oklahoma States Athletic website, OKState.com's current landing page

Saturday night at Bedlam, the Oklahoma State Cowboys came out on the field to prove a point, and the point was definitely made. Oklahoma State wants to play for the crystal ball in New Orleans in January. In what was supposed to be one of the worst defenses in the country, Oklahoma State didn’t give Landry and crew a chance. Not that Landry and crew stepped it up and tried very hard to make them look worthy enough to play in a BCS game.

Oklahoma offense was flat from the first snap. Continuous 3 and outs, dropped balls and Landry being road Landry. The Sooner defense started off looking good, once they noticed the offense wasn’t playing, it’s almost like they decided to give up, too. A little something that will make Sooner Nation angry, if you didn’t already hear, Ronnell Lewis was actually cleared to play, but missed class. Stoops benched him. Clearly a sign this team was not focused.

Now I shouldn’t say that the Sooners gave up; I don’t actually believe that. I do believe that they played like a team who seems to be broken, battered and unmotivated. They were out played on every side of the ball, on absolutely every play. By halftime, I had circus music rolling through my head every time the Sooner offense took the field.

Stats from SoonerSports.com

The Pokes finally ended the dominating Sooner winning streak, and this was Gundy’s first win against the Sooners since taking the head coach job. They also won their first out-right conference title since 1948, when they were in the powerhouse Missouri Valley Conference, which had a whooping 3 teams (Yes, I’m taking shots while I’m down).

Deservedly so, the Pokes stormed Boone Pickens after the game, while the students chanted LSU, LSU, LSU. The real question is, what will the voters do? You would think that this would push the voters to make Oklahoma State jump Alabama. But from what I am seeing, it is all still on the fence. Many people would like to see a rematch between LSU and Bama, many of those people are also SEC homers.

Oklahoma State won their conference, Alabama did not. Oklahoma State has 5 wins against Top 25 teams, Alabama has 2. This shouldn’t be a difficult choice, but I have a bad feeling for the Pokes. They deserve to be there, they will lose, but they still deserve a trip to New Orleans.

It’s up to you now voters and computer. Make this right, give the Cowboys their chance.

I now know what Oklahoma State has felt like 82 times before this, losing isn’t fun. But they deserve it. Winning only 18 times in a 100 year period, it was bound to happen again at some point. All jokes aside, I’m a Poke fan this bowl season.

Boomer Sooner

Is it me, or does the hair get more gel and spike each year?

What would Bedlam week be without making fun of little sister’s coach, Mike Gundy. Gundy provides enough entertainment to last a life time. Have you ever seen him dance?

If not, you get to now.

Classic dances moves -

Vintage Gundy with a mullet-like hairdo

It’s Bedlam Eve, everyone needs a laugh.

And it’s hard to live that dance down. It was Texas A&M you beat, congrats. Everyone else beat them, too.

The regular season has come to a close. It all ends this weekend in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

Bedlam separates the entire state. You are either an Oklahoma fan or an Oklahoma State fan. Every other day out of the year, they work side by side, share a dinner table and laugh together. This weekend that stops for a day. Your Sooner boss is now your worst enemy, your Cowboy brother ignores you: This is Oklahoma Bedlam.

Whichever Oklahoma team comes out on top on Saturday will win the Big XII and get a BCS Bowl berth. If Oklahoma State wins, this will be the first time they have outright won the conference. This even goes back to the Big 8 days.

Oklahoma will be facing a high powered Poke offense featuring the best O line the Cowboys have had in as far back as I can remember and probably one of the best the Sooners have faced this season.

The defense needs to step up and it’s all about pressure pressure pressure on Brandon Weeden. Anytime this season Weeden has had pressure on him, he has panicked. The Sooner defense will also need to contain Poke RB, Joesph Randle. They need to force turnovers and the secondary needs to step up. Poke WR Justin Blackmon does not need to be defended softly, if you give him room to run, he will be gone before you can turnaround, that is if he can hold on to the ball.

The Chase for Eight National Titles may be over for the Sooners, but the Chase for Eight Big XII titles is still achievable. Look for the Sooners to utilize the run game quite a bit during the game. RB’s Roy Finch and Brandon Williams will see the ball often and the Bell Dozer will be in full effect against the questionable Poke defense. Also in typical Bedlam fashion, the offense may run some other surprise plays and actually return the diamond formation which worked so effectively last season.

The weather will be a factor for both teams, it is looking like it will be very cold, wet and windy once again. Advantage to the Sooners in this aspect, since they have played in extreme weather more than once this season.

Bedlam is always one of those games that is weird, crazy and heart-attack inducing to watch. The Pokes have a title game possibly on the line, the Sooners have another Big XII trophy to add to their case on the line. It will all end with who wants it more. Maybe the Gundy Poke Choke will continue for the 9th consecutive year.

After Saturday, all will go back to normal in the state of Oklahoma. Work will be fun Monday morning for one fan base, let’s just hope it’s the ones wearing the crimson.

Mike Gundy, who owns stock in Axe hair gel

As all coaches do each and every week, select members of the team and coaching staff give press conferences about the upcoming game. With so much riding on the game Saturday for the Pokes, I wanted to take a look at what Cowboys head coach, Mike Gundy had to say.

Mike “I’m a man and I’m 40″ Gundy:

“We took a few days off as a team – coaches and players. We brought the team back on Saturday night and had meetings and practice on Sunday and today is their day off. We’ll be back at it on Tuesday. Everybody’s spirits are high and excited. We had a good practice on Sunday afternoon. We’re excited about the game; I know everybody else is. It’s a great week for the state of Oklahoma and our players will be looking forward to playing in the game Saturday night. I think our challenge now is just to keep everybody kind of calm and under control, coaches included. Everybody is excited about the upcoming game, so that’s kind of our goal from this point forward.”

A member of the media actually asked him which coaches need to stay under control….

 ”Well, me. I’m pretty excited about the game. And all of them. Not anything to be alarmed about, I just think everybody is excited to get back on the field and play. As we all know, it’s been 10 days or so that we played in a game. One thing we’d like to do is coach and play in a game, so they’re just as excited to get back out on the field.”

Another genius question, where does Bedlam rank in the history of the school:

 ”I don’t know. I say this all the time – they’re all big, because if you don’t win enough of them, then the ones at the end don’t matter. For the first time in this program’s history – I’ll go back 50 years, maybe further – they have a chance to win a conference championship. So it’s a big game for that reason. It’s something that’s not ever been accomplished here, and the players are aware of that and the coaches are aware of that. It would be nice for our team to go out and play well and win the football game to be able to accomplish something that’s never been done here in football.”

On not winning enough of them remark, just an FYI to Gundy… The Bedlam series sits at 86-17-7… in the Sooners favor. It should also be noted that Oklahoma State has only beat Oklahoma twice in row just three times… since World War II.

On whether or not they will approach the game differently from other games:

“We won’t approach it any differently and it won’t feel any different than it did last year. We were in the same situation last year, and so our players have been in that environment and the preparation this week should be the same. There’s a lot of excitement in this state for the game. Obviously, we don’t have professional football here and it’s a fun week for everybody, but our players and our coaches have to stay focused on the task at hand.”

And I’m not sure he has the confidence level most Cowboy fans would require their head coach to have. Most coaches are out politicking their teams to play in the big game, if they have a legitimate shot. Not Coach Gundy. Gundy was asked who should play LSU in the title game, and instead of pushing for his own team, said Alabama.

 If somebody sat me down and said (I) had to make a decision,” Gundy said, “with where we’re at right now, Alabama lost to what would be the No. 1 team in the country LSU, and Oklahoma State lost to Iowa State.

“In our situation, if I was doing it fair, I don’t know how I could put us in front of (Alabama) right now.”

Not to worry Poke fans, Gundy doesn’t even have a vote in the Coaches Poll. Coaches who actually do get to vote in the poll may reconsider putting a team that their own coach doesn’t believe should be there. Hopefully Gundy didn’t shoot their chances in the foot. If he did, Im sure T. Boone Pickens is going to shoot Gundy’s foot, a couple of times.

For your viewing pleasure, the greatest press conference of all time.

It has been a long season here in Sooner Nation. A team who was slated to win it all has been plagued by injuries and saw their National title hopes disappear. But there is still a lot to play for, and the Sooners have one last chance to do it.

Bedlam.

This season has come and gone pretty quickly, but a shot to win the Big XII is right here in front of the Sooners, and their rival this Saturday, Oklahoma State. The Pokes have never won a Big XII title, let alone go to the National Title game, so they have a lot on the line this weekend. The Sooners on the other hand, could redeem their season if they beat the Pokes; they will have won the the Big XII and will most likely be headed to the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.

Oklahoma State, if they win, COULD be going to New Orleans to play LSU (most likely) for the crystal ball. In order for OSU to do that, they will need to BLOW Oklahoma out, they need style points to jump Alabama, who sits at No. 2. And that brings a whole other debate, should the Crimson Tide even be allowed to go to the title game without winning their conference or even appearing in the conference title game. Voters seem to think so, since they are still sitting at the second spot.

In today’s Big XII teleconference, Oklahoma State head coach, Mike Gundy said:

No question it’s a big game, OSU has a chance to do something they’ve never done before – be a conference champion.

Funny that you mention that Gundy, doesn’t your team have 2010 Big XII South Championship rings, when you didn’t even play in the game, let alone, win the South? So the rings could actually mean something this time. In case anyone forgot, here is the ring Cowboys QB, Brandon Weeden tweeted out during the off-season.

Sooners offensive coordinator, Josh Heupel on heading to Stillwater this weekend:

“We get a chance to play for a conference championship, that’s what you are looking for. Oklahoma State is a great football team. They have had a tremendous year. Our kids look forward to going down there and getting to play.”

I have a feeling the Sooners will be perfecting the Bell Dozer in practice this week, it could be the key against Oklahoma State’s defense this weekend. Full game preview coming later on during the week.

Budke has been the Oklahoma State Women's coach since 2005

Horrible news out of Stillwater, Oklahoma this morning.

Oklahoma State’s women’s basketball coach Kurt Budke and assistant coach Miranda Serna were killed in a plane crash Thursday while on a recruiting trip in Arkansas.

The two other people, including the pilot, were not affiliated with the university.

This isnt the first time a plane crash has rocked the Oklahoma State community. In 2001, during a Colorado snow storm, a plane carrying men’s basketball staff and players crashed. It killed all 10 people on board.

The team will not play in games scheduled for this weekend. Assistant Coach, Jim Littell will take over coaching duties.

Several Oklahoma State staff including head football coach Mike Gundy have taken to twitter to share their condolences. School president, Burns Hargis, released a statement this morning:

“The Oklahoma State family is devastated by this tragedy. Our hearts and prayers go out to the families of Kurt Budke, Miranda Serna and the other victims.

“Kurt was an exemplary leader and a man of character who had a profound impact on his student-athletes. He was an outstanding coach and a wonderful person. We send our deepest sympathies to his wife, Shelley, and their children, Sara, Alex and Brett.”

Oklahoma State is not a rival today, they are friends who are hurting.

On behalf of Sooner Nation, our thoughts and prayers are in Stillwater with the families.

Oklahoma was idle yesterday, but there was plenty of college football action to keep everyone occupied.

Two BCS Top 5 teams lost yesterday, which means with at least one of those losses, Oklahoma moves up by default. Why only with one of those losses?

The current state of the BCS looks like this:

Boise State was upset by TCU, and since they are not in an auto-qualifying conference, they are completely out of the race. But the wrench is Oregon upsetting Stanford last night. Yes, Oklahoma needed Stanford to lose to still have a shot at a title appearance, but Oregon’s only loss so far this season is to the No. 1 team in the country, during college football’s opening weekend.

I would expect Oregon to jump Oklahoma in the BCS polls after beating the No. 4 team in the country. In the Coaches and AP Polls already released this morning, they did. Oklahoma is now at 5, Oregon at 4.

Oregon also has a conference championship game, the Big XII does not anymore. The computer and the voters SHOULD pick a team who won a conference championship game over a team who doesn’t. So even if Oklahoma does win out, the odds are slim they will travel to New Orleans in January. This may end up being a case to the Big XII brass that we need to get back to 12 teams in order to stay competitive with the other conferences.

Alabama is also in that mix of possible title contenders if everything stays the same in the polls. They shouldn’t get the shot though, they aren’t even eligible to win their own conference, so they shouldn’t get a shot at a rematch against LSU. All of this will only work if Oklahoma beats Oklahoma State at Bedlam. Oregon really has to lose a game for the Sooners to even stay in this mix, though. And that shot may come next weekend, the Ducks are playing an up and coming USC Trojans next Saturday. Still not the same Trojan team from seasons past, but are showing signs of resurgence.

Alabama will also be rooting for the Trojans to win this weekend to keep their hopes alive, too. So this weekend, we are all USC fans. Those are words that I never thought I’d say and feel rather dirty for doing so, but it’s just for one weekend.

Does your head hurt from all the madness yet?

The new BCS poll will be released tonight at 8:15 EST.