Chase For 8: Oklahoma's Reasons For Hope

Many Oklahoma Sooner fans take a look back at last Saturday and the first blemish on Oklahoma's record and see what a ton of others see, no BCS National Championship hopes. With a home loss to an unranked team, it is very easy to jump on board with this notion and run with it to the end. However, fact remains that there have been several one-loss teams and a two-loss team that have made it to the National Championship Game and have even been crowned Champs.

In 2003 LSU suffered a loss yet played in their backyard and won a title. Florida has done it twice in the past decade, once in 2006 and once in 2008. But, best of all was that Florida lost to an unranked Ole Miss who boasted a 3-2 record at the time...sound familiar to Texas Tech with their 4-2 record heading into Norman?

Now, here sits a one loss team with something to prove and a shot at redemption. How will the team respond and will it be one for the ages?

Oklahoma still has a few shots to get back into the hunt but it is also going to take a few pieces to fall into place outside of OU's control, but in the words of JP from Angels in the Outfield, "it could happen!" 

5-0 - We all know that Oklahoma is going to need to run the rest of the table to keep their hopes alive. With LSU, Bama, Clemson, and Stanford still in the mix, there is no possible way to get in as a two loss team. Clemson is going to go unchallenged for the rest of their season while Stanford still has yet to face a real challenge. Alabama and LSU have a match up in just a few weeks that will knock one of them out of the running most likely as no one wants to see a rematch for the NCG. However, going 5-0 is surely a tall task. Oklahoma will travel on the road to face two top 10 opponents in Kansas St. as well as Oklahoma St. These are statement wins and will look good in the eyes of the voters. I firmly believe that with the drop in ranking Oklahoma received at this point in the season, it is still very much so possible to climb the ladder and make a case for the Sooners.

Oklahoma has not lost back to back games since 1999 - In the past, Bob Stoops and his Sooners have come out with a vengeance after losing a midseason game. The last time OU lost back to back games was in 1999 to Notre Dame followed by a loss to Texas. Expect the team to mature from this loss and grow from it while coming out angry. Needless to say, this Oklahoma squad won't need too much extra motivation for the remainder of the season (or so I hope). 

Since 2005, Oklahoma has come out on fire from Halloween on - In 2005 Oklahoma lost on a controversial call at Texas Tech that gave Tech the win. However, OU went on to Holiday Bowl in which they beat then #6 Oregon. In 2006, OU lost early games against Oregon and Texas after the dismissal of Rhett Bomar. They finished the season with 8 straight wins and a Big XII Championship. In 2007, the Bradford-less Sooners lost in Lubbock and later hammered the #1 Missouri Tigers to win another Big XII Title and in 2008, OU fell to Texas in the RRS yet stormed back and played for a National Title against Florida.

As it currently stands, Oklahoma has placed themselves in the same position that the 2008 team was in. How they will respond has yet to be determined but if history shows anything, Oklahoma should be feared by any team from here on out.