Oklahoma rises to 2nd spot in BCS standings

NEW YORK — A week before the final standings are released, the Bowl Championship Series already was angering people Sunday.

Oklahoma — not Texas — is headed to the Big 12 championship game, with an inside track to the national-title game, by moving ahead of the Longhorns and into second place in this week's BCS standings. Unbeaten Alabama continues to lead and Florida stayed in fourth.

Texas' victory over the Sooners in October in Dallas wasn't enough to give the Longhorns the edge in a three-way tie between the Red River rivals and Texas Tech atop the Big 12 South.

The Big 12 had to use its fifth tiebreaker, best BCS rating, to determine which 11-1 team will play North winner Missouri (9-3) for the conference title Saturday in Kansas City, Mo.

"We don't like it, we don't agree with it or think it's fair, but, like anything else, we'll handle it and move forward," Texas coach Mack Brown said in a statement.

The Sooners, who lost to Texas 45-35 on the field, edged the Longhorns in the BCS formula. Oklahoma has a .9351 BCS average. Texas' BCS average is .9223.

Oklahoma was a point ahead of Texas in the USA Today coaches poll and six points behind the Longhorns in the Harris Interactive poll. The computer ratings preferred the Sooners and that was decisive.

"They don't have agendas, they don't have loyalties, they don't have opinions," Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said of computer ratings. "They don't have all the bias that everyone else does. And if you say no one else does, then I don't think you're really being truthful."

The Harris Interactive and Associated Press media polls have the same top four — in order, Alabama, Florida, Texas and Oklahoma. Coaches rank the top four in the same order as the BCS standings.

The winner of Saturday's Southeastern Conference championship game between Alabama (12-0) and Florida (11-1) in Atlanta is virtually guaranteed a spot in the BCS National Championship Game on Jan. 8 in Miami.

Notes

• Lane Kiffin, 33, is to be introduced as Tennessee's coach at a news conference today. The ex-Oakland Raiders coach replaces Phillip Fulmer, 58, who was forced out after 17 seasons.

ESPN, citing multiple unidentified sources, reported Kiffin's father, Monte Kiffin, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' defensive coordinator, will follow Lane to Tennessee. "It's all just speculation," 68-year-old Monte Kiffin said.

• Virginia has declined to add a year to coach Al Groh's contract under a rollover clause, athletic director Craig Littlepage announced.

• Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford tore ligaments in his non-throwing (left) hand in Saturday's 61-41 victory over Oklahoma State and is expected to have surgery after the Big 12 title game.

• Florida could be without two defensive linemen — Matt Patchan (torn knee ligament, out for season) and Brandon Antwine (knee) — against Alabama in the SEC title game.