It's official

Great, now that gives OU fans an excuse if we win. Although, I'm glad I won't have to watch our DB's bounce off of him all day.

"J-Train Lane" was supposed to run all over us too, though. I have faith in our guys to be able to step it up. Just as long as we cut down on the long runs I think we'll be fine.

 
It will be interesting to hear if they use the "if we had AD" excuse but with the way Patrick has been playing, I don't know if we'd really hear it that much.

By JEFF LATZKE

AP Sports Writer

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) -- No. 8 Oklahoma will be without star tailback Adrian Peterson when it faces No. 19 Nebraska in the Big 12 championship game Saturday.

 

Peterson, the 2004 Heisman runner-up, has missed six weeks after breaking his collarbone Oct. 14 on a touchdown run against Iowa State.

 

"Adrian is not going to play," Sooners coach Bob Stoops said Tuesday at his weekly news conference. "Without being too technical, he's close. He could be cleared to play, but each week that passes the likelihood of it reoccurring is less and less."

 

Peterson, the nation's No. 2 rusher at the time of his injury, initially was expected to miss six weeks.

"There's enough healing that, yes, he could possibly play," Stoops said. "But there's still a chance if he fell on it wrong or took a severe hit -- I don't know if they're ever totally sure will it hold up at this point? We're not going to take that chance."

 

Oklahoma (10-2, 7-1 Big 12) has won all six of its games without Peterson, who set an NCAA freshman record in 2004 with 1,925 yards rushing. He had 935 yards and 10 touchdowns in six games this season and is 150 yards shy of Oklahoma's career rushing record, held by 1978 Heisman Trophy winner Billy Sims.

He possibly could go for that record in a bowl game.

 

"The bowl game is a very likely possibility and very likely to happen," Stoops said. "Talking to Adrian, he absolutely wants to play. And by that time, that's another four weeks of healing that they're really sure that he'll be fine and there's a really small chance of anything happening to it."

(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

APTV-11-28-06 1343CST

 
Patrick is playing great. The difference that I have seen in him is that he has gained a lot of confidence. He will be tough to stop. Hes no AD but then again ... who is?

 
Actually OU is running the ball better now than when they did with AD. It's probably fortunate for us because their O-Line has really improved their run blocking.

 
They're doing just fine w/o AD. No consolation there. It probably would have been better for us if they'd put him in since he hasn't played for weeks.

 
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They will still be tough to stop. I was actually hoping AD would play for a few reasons;

1. He is not in the rythm right now that the other backs are.

2. He still might have some lingering effects of the injury

3. If we win and he doesn't play, that's the only reason we won in the rest of the country's mind

 
AD is an amazing player, but in no way is he their only weapon. They have a higher rushing percent since AD went out. They will be very tough. I am more concern with their mobile QB. Our D seems to have difficulties containing a mobile QB. AD was one of my least concerns.

 
AP doesnt need to play another down in college again. He needs to stay healthy, where he will be the first pick of the draft. That dude runs hard and finishes hard. Fan or not, he is amazing.

However, OU suprisingly has some good backs besides AP.

 
We have enough senior leadership on this team (especially on defense) that I expect them to get the defense ready and psyched up and step up to the challenge of stopping this Sooner rushing attack.

 
OU's current running back is just as effective as AD was, but under differenct circumstances. You are not going to stop AD. If you can play good defense now though, you can stop OU's rushing offense without AD

 
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