The Wiz of Odds

Bradford Meets With Andrews; Tebow Has Illness

Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford flew to Birmingham late Friday and was to meet Saturday morning with renowned sports surgeon James Andrews, according to a report by Christian Steckel of WAPT-TV in Jackson, Miss.

Bradford sprained the AC joint in his right throwing shoulder before halftime of the Sooners' 14-13 loss to Brigham Young on Sept. 5. The Heisman Trophy winner has sat out the last two games. Oklahoma has a bye this week.

"There is no talk of surgery that we know of on the record, this is further evaluation on the original injury," Steckel said. "He wants to return to play next week [against Miami] and he's been in consultation with Dr. Andrews from the beginning, but he's going to make an appearance in front of him on this so he can make a better evaluation."

Florida quarterback Tim Tebow and safety Major Wright have come down with flu-like symptoms. The team plays Saturday night at Kentucky, and the players flew to Lexington on a plane separate from the team, according to Kyle Maistri of the Florida Independent Alligator.

The Finalists for Readers' Choice Poster of the Year

The Wiz is happy to present the 10 finalists for Readers' Choice Poster of the Year.

Each of these teams have survived a rugged primary to reach this point, and now it's your turn to select a winner. Voting will close on Wednesday, Sept. 30, at midnight (Eastern). You get only one vote. Repeat voters are blocked by IP address.

The finalists: Iowa State, Texas Tech, Michigan State, Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee, Penn State, Oklahoma, Georgia Tech, USC and Mississippi. View all of the finalists after the jump and click an image for a closer view.

Putting That Oklahoma Education to Good Use

Alen Howard, a history teacher at Rockwell Charter High in Eagle Mountain, Utah, is a University of Oklahoma graduate stuck in the middle of Brigham Young territory. Howard was so sure the Sooners would beat the Cougars last Saturday that he told his students he would eat a live cricket if the BYU could pull off the upset.

What could possibly go wrong? Oklahoma was a 22-point favorite.

Howard made good on his promise, devouring the cricket with a spoonful of peanut butter, much to the delight of his students.

BYU Win Also a Victory for Gay Rights in Utah?

Provo isn't known as a party place, but Brigham Young fans went nuts after the Cougars' victory over Oklahoma. Much man love for BYU quarterback Max Hall. Check out the dude who says he'd make out with Hall, then gets cheered by the crowd. Yes, historians might look back on Saturday as a landmark day for gay rights in Utah.

The video after the jump shows Hall's game-winning touchdown pass to McKay Jacobson from the BYU section in Cowboys Stadium.

Perhaps this victory isn't surprising if one considers that the Sooners, who were 22-point favorites over the Cougars, returned only 29 combined starts in the offensive line. But reputations die hard.

Oklahoma

It's next to impossible to find a preseason poll that doesn't have the Sooners in the top 5, but is this team over-rated? Heisman winner Sam Bradford is back and the defensive line should be among the best in college football. However, Oklahoma returns only 29 career starts in the offensive line and that's a big concern. There are some tricky games along the way. The Sooners open Sept. 5 against Brigham Young in the new Dallas Cowboys stadium in Arlington. There is an Oct. 3 game at Miami and the Oct. 17 Red River Showdown against Texas in Dallas. Oklahoma State rolls into Norman on Nov. 28. A reminder to click any poster schedule for an enlarged view. Thanks to Scott!

Switzer and Thompson, 20 Years Later

On Friday, 20 years will have passed since Barry Switzer resigned as Oklahoma's coach. Few programs have soared to the heights of Switzer's Sooners, who were 157-29-4 and won three national championships in 16 seasons.

But from Dec. 19, 1988, to Feb. 13, 1989, the program was rocked by an NCAA probation, a player shooting a teammate and two players involved in a rape.

Then came Charles Thompson, the starting quarterback, getting busted for selling 17 grams of cocaine to an undercover FBI agent. Thompson made the cover of the Feb. 27, 1989 issue of Sports Illustrated, handcuffed and wearing an orange prison jumpsuit.

Switzer fought to keep his job, but on June 19, 1989, he resigned.