With three games left in the regular season and Oklahoma fighting to stay in the national championship race, winning big is almost as important as winning.

The Sooners trail Ohio State, LSU, Oregon and Kansas in the latest Bowl Championship Series standings. Only three regular season games remain to make a favorable impression.

OU coach Bob Stoops said this week the conditions will not change the outlook on the remaining games.

“You just do the best you can to play as well as you can and win,” Stoops said. “That’s all we can do.”

The Sooners are a 37-point favorite against Baylor and will be a favorite in their remaining games against Texas Tech and Oklahoma State.

Running up the score is tempting late in the season. But Stoops doesn’t envision seeing many offensive starters playing late into the game if blowouts occur.

Defense is different, however.

“You do what you feel you need to do to be ready for the next week or to make sure you have the rhythm you want,” he said. “I think we have always, defensively, kept our guys in longer because on defense you can’t punt the ball. If you’re not doing real well, they score.”

Stoops on list

OU coach Bob Stoops is among 16 coaches to have been named to the watch list for the Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award. The announcement was made by the awards committee of the American Heart Association.

The fourth-ranked Sooners are currently 8-1 with a 4-1 mark in the Big 12. Stoops’ teams have been ranked 127 straight weeks and have played for the national championship three times.

Stoops has been named consensus Big 12 Coach of the Year three times and has won a total of 10 national coach of the year honors, including the Bryant Award in 2000.

The Bryant Watch List will be narrowed to between five and 10 finalists Dec. 12. The finalists will attend an awards dinner on Jan. 17, 2008, where the winner will be announced.