2006 Big 12 Championship: Nebraska
vs. Oklahoma
By Doug Kroll
12/1/06 12:39 pm est
Much like the ACC Championship, the Big
12 Championship game has a surprising participant this season,
especially after losing their biggest playmaker earlier in the
season. No. 8 Oklahoma (10-2) jumped over Texas last weekend,
into first place in the South Division, after Texas lost to Texas
A&M, and Oklahoma defeated Oklahoma St. The Sooners will
take on No. 19 Nebraska (9-3) in Kansas City on Saturday for
an automatic bid to the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.
The teams have met 82 times, with Oklahoma leading the all-time
series 42-37-3. This will mark the third straight season that
the inter-division rivals will meet, with the Sooners taking
the last two meetings. An interesting note on the game—this
will be the first time since 1979 that the two will meet on a
neutral field. That year, Oklahoma won the Orange Bowl, defeating
the Cornhuskers 31-24.
Oklahoma will be looking for its 40th conference championship,
and looking to improve upon a Big 12 best of three Championship
game wins. After a year off from the Title game, the Sooners
will be looking to make it two in a row in Kansas City, after
a 42-3 win against Colorado in 2004.
Although star running back Adrian Peterson will not return from
a collarbone injury, Oklahoma has moved on and played well without
him. A running back by committee has taken over, including Allen
Patrick and Chris Brown, who have combined for nine touchdowns
on the ground. Quarterback Paul Thompson continues to improve
at his “new” position, averaging 180 yards per game
through the air and tossing 18 touchdowns this season. Thompson
has completed 61.5-percent of his passes, and has also run for
three touchdowns this year. Wide receiver Malcolm Kelly is the
Sooners biggest weapon on offense, leading the team with 52 receptions
and eight touchdowns. Kelly is averaging over 16 yards every
time he catches the ball.
Nebraska continues to improve each season under head coach Bill
Callahan, and made it back into the rankings this season and
won the Big 12 North division. This will be Nebraska's first
appearance in the Championship game since 1999, and for the first
time in the 11-year Big 12 Championship game, will face Oklahoma.
After being almost a mainstay in the first years of the Championship
- playing in the first three of four and winning two championships
- Nebraska has been absent since.
Quarterback Zac Taylor has really come on this season, averaging
232.4 yards per game, and throwing 24 touchdowns to only four
interceptions, while completing 62.2 percent of his passes this
year. Taylor likes to spread things around, as 13 different players
have made touchdown receptions. Maurice Purify leads the bunch
with seven TD catches on the year.
Douglas
Kroll is an independent contributor to College Football Poll.com. |
