Oklahoma quarterback Paul Thompson couldn't bring himself to watch last Friday's Texas-Texas A&M game. Knowing only an A&M upset over the Longhorns would give the Sooners a shot at the Big 12 Championship Game, Thompson was too scared to watch.
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"I came home, didn't turn the TV on, just sat there in my room," he said. "With about 40 seconds left in the game, I started getting text messages on my phone, ‘Turn the game on, turn the game on.' I said, ‘No, I'm scared.'"
Thompson finally turned the television to the game in time to see the conclusion of A&M's 12-7 upset of Texas.
Soon, the opportunity he and his team had in front of them began to sink in. A win against Oklahoma State the next day and the Sooners were headed to the Big 12 Championship Game.
"I woke up about 4 o'clock (Saturday morning) and thought we had already won the game (against OSU)," he said.
"I woke up and was all excited, but you know how it is when you have those dreams that aren't real. You're kind of upset. I went back to sleep and then had to refocus my mind, because I had already thought we won the game."
• Blake moving?: Rumors in Nebraska have Huskers defensive line coach John Blake, the former OU head coach, possibly headed to North Carolina to join new coach Butch Davis' staff. Blake declined interviews Tuesday night. But Nebraska coach Bill Callahan said Tuesday he didn't think Blake had been in discussions about other jobs.
"Not to my knowledge," Callahan said.
• Weather or not: With forecasts calling for temperatures in the 20s Saturday in Kansas City, Mo., Bob Stoops faces the task of preparing his team to play in such weather.
"We could ride up to Minnesota and have some practices I guess," Stoops said Tuesday. "(The weather is) not gonna matter. I think, more than anything, wind matters in games more than cold does."
The wind is not expected to be blowing significantly Saturday.
Thompson said he has never played in a game where the temperature was below 20.
"If it's 17 degrees, I'm in bed somewhere," he said.
• Williams will play: OU defensive back Darien Williams will play Saturday.
"He practiced (Monday) and looked much better," Stoops said. "I'm sure he will just get better through the week."
• Venables a finalist: Oklahoma defensive coordinator Brent Venables is one of five finalists for the Broyles Award, which goes to the nation's top assistant coach.
Other finalists are Reggie Herring, defensive coordinator at Arkansas; Paul Petrino, offensive coordinator at Louisville; Bud Foster, defensive coordinator at Virginia Tech; and Joe Daniels, passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Ohio State.
Venables' defense ranks No. 1 in the Big 12 Conference in passing defense, total defense and scoring defense, and No. 2 in rushing defense.
The winner will be announced at a banquet in January in Little Rock, Ark.
By Scott Wright and George Schroeder
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