OU football notebook

Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops says his players should just ignore what happens Friday in the Texas-Texas A&M game. Should Texas A&M win, the Sooners would be in position to clinch the Big 12 South title and play in the conference championship game Dec. 2 in Kansas City, Mo.

"We have a lot of pride in finishing the year strong," Stoops said. "That's all that should matter to us.

"All we can control is getting ourselves ready to play the best game we can."

Sophomore linebacker Curtis Lofton said he'll likely just wait to find out who won rather than watch the game on TV.

"I won't be an A&M cheerleader," Lofton said. "Of course, I want them to win and if they do, that's great, but I won't be sitting there cheering or anything."

• Bedlam turnaround: Lofton said his decision to go to OU changed his allegiance in the Bedlam rivalry.

"In high school, I was an Oklahoma State fan, so I kind of cheered for the orange and black," said Lofton, from Kingfisher. "All that's changed now. I could have gone there but I chose to come here. I had to do what was best for me and I thought coming here was the best decision."

• Howdy, neighbor: The fans' proximity to the players is always a topic of conversation when Oklahoma visits Oklahoma State, and this year has been no different.

OU defensive coordinator Brent Venables says he would expect the raucous atmosphere at Boone Pickens Stadium, where the fans are just a few feet behind the team bench, to bring out the best in his players.

"You love to compete in that environment," he said. "Anybody who likes to go out and fight and compete appreciates that atmosphere.

"You certainly don't want it to be where it's like a spring scrimmage, that atmosphere. You'd much rather it be intense and loud and people breathing down your neck."

• No comparison: Growing up in Fort Collins, Colo., near the campus of Colorado State, OU offensive lineman Jon Cooper always followed the Rams' rivalry with Colorado.

Even though he watched last year's Bedlam game from home because of a broken leg, he could still see that the rivalry is more heated than Colorado-Colorado State.

"(OU-OSU) is definitely more intense, I believe," Cooper said.

"I went to one of the Colorado-Colorado State games at Invesco Field and I don't think they even filled up the stadium."

By Scott Wright