Looking at where each of the teams rank nationally in the various categories it's easy to be impressed with the way Boise State compares to Oklahoma. Throw in the fact that the Broncos have a first team All-American running back in Ian Johnson and you would think that BSU should actually be favored to win the Fiesta Bowl. That is until you get to schedule strength and you find that the Sooners are ranked 65 spots ahead of the Broncos.
That one state alone speaks volumes as to which way this game is going to go. Oklahoma is clearly the better team and barring the Sooners flat out over looking the Broncos this game should be close through two quarters tops.
| NCAA Stats | Oklahoma | Boise State |
| Passing Offense (Rank) | 188.3 (70th) | 201.4 (55th) |
| Rushing Offense | 177.3 (21st) | 222.8 (6th) |
| Scoring | 29.4 (26th) | 39.4 (2nd) |
| Total Offense | 364.7 (42nd) | 424.2 (11th) |
| Rushing Defense | 97.8 (18th) | 82 (7th) |
| Passing Defense | 182.3 (37th) | 191.7 (48th) |
| Scoring Defense | 15.3 (17th) | 17.5 (18th) |
| Total Defense | 280.2 (17th) | 273.7 (14th) |
| Schedule Strength | 13th (Sagarin) | 78th (Sagarin) |