GAME NOTES: The 11th-ranked West Virginia Mountaineers will take on the third- ranked Oklahoma Sooners in the 37th-annual Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona on January 2nd. The Mountaineers had a spot all but locked up in the BCS Title game at the end of November, but a shocking 13-9 setback to rival Pittsburgh in the regular season finale on December 1st, left the Big East Co-Champions on the outside looking in on the title game. The loss was just the second of the year for West Virginia (10-2), which also dropped a 21-13 decision to South Florida at the end of September. It also allowed Connecticut to claim a piece of the conference crown. The Mountaineers have been highly successful for several years now and with it comes admirers. Some of those admirers came calling recently and now WVU will be looking for a new head man, as Rich Rodriguez has moved on to coach the Michigan Wolverines. In his absence, Bill Stewart has been named Interim Head Coach and will lead the team into battle against the Sooners. Like the Mountaineers, Oklahoma only dropped two games in 2007. Those losses both came in-conference and on the road, falling to Colorado (27-24) in late September and Texas Tech (34-27) in mid-November. The Sooners rallied though and captured the Big 12 title with a 38-17 win over Missouri in the Conference Title game on December 1st. West Virginia is making its 27th postseason appearance and second in the Fiesta Bowl, losing to Notre Dame (34-21) in the 1989 affair. The Mountaineers have won their last two bowl games, including a 38-35 thriller over Georgia Tech in last year's Gator Bowl. Oklahoma's postseason resume is bit lengthier, with a 24-14-1 all-time record. This is OU's fourth appearance in this event and second straight, having dropped a memorable 43-42 overtime decision to Boise State in last year's Fiesta Bowl. Oklahoma holds a 2-1 edge in the all-time series with West Virginia, but these teams haven't met since 1982.

One of the most explosive teams in the nation, West Virginia has the ability to run the score up when firing on all cylinders. The team really put up some monster numbers in 2007, averaging just over 450 yards of total offense per game (18th nationally), resulting in nearly 40 points per game (38.9). There is no secret as to how this offense will attack an opponent. Few teams in the country run the ball with the kind of success WVU has enjoyed. The team is netting a remarkable 292.9 yards rushing per game (fourth nationally), doing it on 6.0 yards per carry. Having one of the nation's premier offensive players running the show certainly helps. Quarterback Pat White has done it all in his stay in Morgantown and this year was another fantastic campaign, with the duel threat rushing for a team-high 1,185 yards and 14 TDs, while throwing for 1,548 yards and 12 more scores. It doesn't hurt to have a prolific tailback handling the ball as well. Steve Slaton also eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark this year, rushing for 1,053 yards and scoring 17 times. When White does look downfield, it is usually in the direction of Darius Reynaud, who had a strong campaign with 59 receptions, for 691 yards and 11 TDs. A solid offensive line is led by the play of Third-Team All-American Ryan Stanchek (6-4, 300).

The West Virginia defense stood tall this season, holding foes to a mere 17.2 ppg (7th nationally), while limiting them to just 291.9 yards of total offense (4th nationally). The unit could certainly be characterized as a "big play" defense, amassing 37 sacks on the season as well as 33 takeaways. Middle linebacker Reed Williams finished the regular season atop the tackles chart for the Mountaineers with 98 total stops. Getting upfield and making plays is something that LB Marc Mangro and DE Johnny Dingle have done quite well in 2007. The two standout defensive players shared the team-lead in sacks with eight apiece. Dingle added 18 TFLs to pace the Mountaineers, with Mangro adding 12 stops behind the line of scrimmage. Throw in junior LB Mortty Ivy (86 tackles, 11.0 TFLs, 6.0 sacks) and it is clear that West Virginia can bring the pressure from all angles.

The Sooners know a thing or two about putting points on the scoreboard as well. Oklahoma finished third nationally in scoring at 43.4 ppg. There is more offensive balance with Oklahoma, as the team is churning out 451.2 total yards, with steady gains both on the ground (191.8 ypg) and through the air (259.5 ypg). Freshman QB Sam Bradford exceeded expectations in his first season at the helm in Norman, as the youngster set numerous records by completing just over 70 percent of his passes, for 2,879 yards with 34 TDs and just seven interceptions. His maturation process under center was made easier by a full array of quality targets downfield, like juniors Juaquin Iglesias (60 receptions, for 854 yards, four TDs) and Malcolm Kelly (49 receptions, for 821 yards, nine TDs) and sophomore Jermaine Gresham (34 receptions, for 484 yards, 11 TDs). The ground game produced in 2007 despite the loss of star Adrian Peterson to the NFL. It was a group effort with senior Allen Patrick (927 yards, eight TDs), freshman DeMarco Murray (764 yards, 13 TDs) and sophomore Chris Brown (561 yards, eight TDs) all making contributions. All the offensive fireworks are possible thanks to an offensive front that ranks as one of the biggest in the country, averaging 6-5 and 322 pounds across the line.

The OU defense was once again a sturdy unit in 2007, ranking among the nation's best in scoring defense at 18.2 ppg allowed (ninth-ranked). The team has been particularly stout against the run, holding foes to just 91.9 yards per game (eighth nationally). Forcing teams to abandon the run early and go to the air has created some inflated numbers in terms of passing yards allowed (232.1 ypg), but it has also opened the door for big plays, namely 32 sacks and 19 interceptions. Junior middle linebacker Curtis Lofton was unbelievable this season, ranking among the nation's top tacklers with a whopping 142 stops. He also recorded 9.5 TFLs, one sack, three INTs and one fumble recovery. Senior strong safety D.J. Wolfe is the leader in the secondary, recording 83 tackles, a team-high four INTs and two fumble recoveries. Sophomore rush end Auston English (35 tackles) is a budding star up front, pacing the team in TFLs (13) and sacks (9.5).

This should be a classic battle, but the rigors of a Big 12 schedule along with the departure of Rodriguez may just give the Sooners enough of an edge to win this one in what could be a high-scoring affair.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Oklahoma 36, West Virginia 30