The BCS Championship and Rose Bowl matchups will be decided this weekend. The ACC, Big 12 and Big East champions will all get an automatic bid, leaving only three at-large bids. Florida and Oregon are likely to be guaranteed a bid with each school being ranked in the top 5 of the BCS, leaving one bid open. If Kent State beats Northern Illinois in the MAC Championship this weekend, it will likely take the final at-large bid by jumping into the top 16.

The Sooners need some help.

Oklahoma has to beat TCU in its final conference game and then root for Texas. The Sooners have to hope that a team they beat by 42 points can upset Kansas State at home. If Texas is unable to beat Kansas State, then Oklahoma may be shut out of the BCS picture completely.

Some streaks end …

West Virginia used a 75-yard touchdown “pass” from Geno Smith to Tavon Austin and a late fumble by Iowa State to get its first win since Oct. 6. West Virginia had lost every game since beating Texas and earning a Top 5 ranking. The Mountaineers defense allowed 49 points per game in that stretch, giving up more than 50 points on three occasions. Kansas State and Texas Tech combined to end any chance Smith had of winning the Heisman by holding West Virginia to 28 points combined.

The Mountaineers had several good chances to end that losing skid, but could not stop the opposition. TCU and Oklahoma both won by a single point and the Horned Frogs needed double overtime to knock off the Mountaineers.

West Virginia has a chance to start a more positive streak now as it moves toward its game against Kansas and then a bowl game.

… While others continue

Kansas is winless in its last 20 conference games; even worse, the Jayhawks are winless in their last 23 conference games against teams currently in the Big 12. Their last winning season came in 2008 when they beat Minnesota to finish 8-5. The Jayhawks have won 11 games since 2009 and have a staggering 36 losses.

They are one of only three teams in BCS automatic qualifying conferences without a conference win. Auburn and Kentucky are the other teams without a conference win, and both of those schools are looking for new coaches at the moment.

Kansas is in desperate need of some good fortune. The Jayhawks have been irrelevant since their shocking Orange Bowl win following the 2007 season. Defeating West Virginia for their first conference win in ages could help. 

Printed on Tuesday, November 27, 2012 as: OU needs help from rivals to win Big 12 championship