At least a trip to the Fiesta Bowl is on the line Saturday night in Stillwater, as the third-ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys play host to the tenth-ranked Oklahoma Sooners in the 2011 Bedlam game.
Not only is a Big 12 title and a Fiesta Bowl berth on the line for Oklahoma State, the Cowboys still have faint hopes of playing in the BCS National title game as well. For the Cowboys to do so, they would need to leap past either Louisiana State or Alabama in the BCS standings. Les Miles' Tigers take on the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC title game, while the Crimson Tide are idle this weekend.
The Sooners, though, look to spoil any national championship aspirations for the Cowboys. With losses to Texas Tech and Baylor this year, Oklahoma dropped out of the national title picture. A loss against the Cowboys on Saturday night would essentially ensure that the Sooners would not play in a BCS game this season, as the Sooners are ranked 10th in the BCS. A win, though, would guarantee Oklahoma a repeat appearance in the Fiesta Bowl.
Oklahoma State will have to shut down Landry Jones, who leads Oklahoma's third-ranked passing attack in the FBS. Jones has thrown for 4,052 yards on the season while throwing for 28 touchdowns against 12 interceptions. Jones has eclipsed 400 yards passing on five occasions this season.
The Cowboys, though, can do one better: they boast the nation's second best passing game behind 28 year old senior quarterback, and former baseball prospect, Brandon Weeden. Weeden has thrown for 4,111 yards on the season, with 34 touchdowns to his credit, and has been intercepted only 12 times.
Justin Blackmon has been Weeden's favorite target the past two years, and is having another excellent campaign in 2011. Blackmon has hauled in 103 receptions in Oklahoma State's 11 games so far, racking up 1,241 yards and 15 touchdowns. Oklahoma will be faced with the difficult task of keeping Blackmon out of the end zone -- something that hasn't been done since the season opener against Louisiana-Lafayette.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CT on Saturday night from Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, OK. Televised coverage can be found on ABC.