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Computers prefer Oklahoma over Auburn. And Southern Cal.
The Sooners held on to second place in the Bowl Championship Series standings Monday, staying ahead of third-place Auburn because of a stronger computer ranking.
USC still is first the BCS standings with a grade of .9808. Oklahoma's grade is .9621, and Auburn's is .9350.
Last week, the Sooners led the Tigers by .0567.
The Trojans, Sooners and Tigers are all 10-0. Each has two games left, and one loss by any would provide a simple solution to what is shaping up to be another BCS mess. The top two teams in the final standings will play in the Orange Bowl on Jan.4 for the national title.
Since the BCS' inception in 1998, there have never been three undefeated teams after the regular season in the six BCS conference (Big East, Big 12, Big Ten, Atlantic Coast Conference, Pac-10 and Southeastern Conference).
The Tigers made up ground on the Sooners in the polls Sunday, tying Oklahoma for second in the Associated Press Top 25 and getting within two points of No.2 in the coaches poll.
With the voters virtually split on the Sooners and Tigers, the computers are breaking the tie.
"We're in the situation we are: a tight race here, everybody finishing, and the system the way it is, it's hard to know where you're going to be at or what matters to people, voters or computers," Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said.
The polls each count for a third of a BCS grade. A compilation of six computer rankings makes up the other third, and according to that Oklahoma is the best team in the country.
The Sooners are tops in five computer rankings and second in the other. A team's best and worst computer scores are tossed.
USC is second by the computers and Auburn third.
The BCS computers were responsible for putting Oklahoma in the national title game last season after the Sooners lost the Big 12 title game and dropped to No.3 in the polls.
A similar situation is developing.
Unless the Tigers can pull far away from Oklahoma in the polls, the computers probably will send an unbeaten Sooners team to the Orange Bowl to face an unbeaten Southern Cal, according to BCS analyst Jerry Palm.
Palm said computer rankings usually don't fluctuate drastically late in the season, and Oklahoma's strength of schedule advantage over Auburn probably won't change. The way things stand, Palm said, Auburn would have to be ahead in each poll by about 60 points to make up Oklahoma's advantage in the computers.
COACH RIPS OU FANS: Nebraska coach Bill Callahan said his profane outburst directed at Oklahoma fans was prompted by student hecklers who were allowed to get close to his players during warmups and by fans throwing oranges on the field.
As he walked toward the Nebraska locker room after a 30-3 loss Saturday night, Callahan looked into the stands and called Sooners fans "hillbillies" while using an expletive.
"I'm an emotional guy, and I'm a competitive coach, and on the field I stick up for my players," Callahan said on the Big 12 coaches teleconference. "I don't think any team should be subjected to the type of treatment we were subjected to in that particular contest."
Some of Callahan's complaints were directed at the Ruf/Neks, an Oklahoma student spirit group that positions itself near one of the end zones. The students shoot pop guns and heckle opposing teams. Callahan said it's a dangerous environment because of the proximity of the students to the opposing players.
SEC ADMITS BLOWN CALL: SEC supervisor of officials Bobby Gaston said an LSU player should have been called for pass interference on a pivotal interception against Alabama.
Side judge Blake Parks didn't call a penalty when Corey Webster picked off a pass in the end zone after pushing down receiver Keith Brown early in the third quarter.
With the Tide leading 10-6, Webster returned the interception to the LSU 44. Alabama wound up losing 26-10. Gaston said Parks' vision was obscured by Brown, and he couldn't change position because he was responsible for goal line coverage.
SCHOOL NIXES MATCHUP: South Carolina State's third Palmetto Classic matchup with Benedict in September apparently was its last, for now. University president Dr. Andrew Hugine Jr. said the financial return from the Palmetto Classic has not met projections, so the school would not be part of the game in 2005.