Q&A: Todd Blackledge

Todd Blackledge, who will be the analyst on ABC's telecast of the Big 12 championship game, discusses the game:

What do you think will be some of the keys to the game?

Anytime you get into a big, high-stakes kind of game, turnovers — who protects the football — and special teams play are always critical. I think Oklahoma has kind of lived with turnovers this year and gotten away with it. But in a game of this kind of magnitude, I don't know if you can get away with being careless with the football.

I think both teams want to run the football. Oklahoma has really gone to a heavy running game the last few weeks, and Nebraska, the success they've had running the football, has taken a lot of pressure off their quarterback and really allowed them to have great balance on offense. Both teams will want to run and both teams will make it their first aim to stop the run.

What are your impressions of OU quarterback Paul Thompson and Nebraska quarterback Zac Taylor?

I think both of them have played very well. They both have protected the football. Both of them have a nice touchdown-to-interception ratio. That speaks of being smart with the football and making good decisions and not throwing it in places where they shouldn't throw it. Both have shown toughness and leadership. There are a lot of factors that have contributed to why these teams are playing for the Big 12 Championship, but they are a big part of it.