Sooners move on after costly loss

<br>NORMAN, Okla. (AP) _ Oklahoma's loss to Texas A&M dropped the Sooners out of the top spot in the Associated Press poll and the Bowl Championship Series ratings. With Baylor up next, a letdown would

Tuesday, November 12th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) _ Oklahoma's loss to Texas A&M dropped the Sooners out of the top spot in the Associated Press poll and the Bowl Championship Series ratings. With Baylor up next, a letdown would seem natural.

But coach Bob Stoops figures just the opposite is true, that his team should have no trouble getting ready this week.

``I think it may be easier now to focus on what's next because there's no margin for error,'' Stoops said Tuesday. ``I believe overall we're a stronger team than a year ago, and I think our players are in a good position to go after it.''

After their 30-26 loss on Saturday in College Station, Oklahoma (8-1, 4-1 Big 12) fell to No. 4 in the AP media poll, No. 6 in the coaches poll and No. 4 in the BCS. The BCS standings determine the teams that will play for the BCS national championship.

Oklahoma's defense, usually so solid, gave up four big pass plays for touchdowns after giving up just three TD passes in the first eight games. The offense moved the ball well much of the day, but three times bogged down deep in A&M territory, resulting in field goals instead of touchdowns.

Stoops repeated what he said after the game and again on Sunday _ the Aggies made enough plays to win and Oklahoma didn't.

``You have to let it go and move on, and it's easy to do when we still have an opportunity to have an excellent year,'' he said. ``Our players see that.''

As his team rose to the top of the AP poll and the BCS ratings, Stoops said over and over that he and the Sooners were focused only on the next game. After beating Colorado, he said having to talk about the BCS and what might happen ``gets old.''

On Tuesday, he was asked if perhaps his team got caught looking ahead.

``It's natural, human nature, or can be, not to overlook (an opponent) but to get comfortable, however you want to phrase it,'' he said. ``I don't find at all that our players were ever cocky, arrogant or did that. But does it seep in? I don't know. Maybe.''

If the Sooners win their final three games, against Baylor, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State, they will win the Big 12 South title and play for the conference championship. If they were to get that far and win that game, they would wind up in a BCS bowl.

Those have been the team's goals from the start, Stoops said.

``To say that your only goal each and every year is just to be undefeated and win the national championship, I don't know that that's always realistic,'' he said.

``I think you have to have more immediate goals. To win your division, to win a Big 12 championship in one of the better leagues in the country says a lot.''

Baylor (3-7, 1-5) has been shut out in three of its past five games, during which the Bears have been outscored 222-21. They rank 112th nationally in scoring and in points allowed, are 98th in total offense and 85th in total defense.

Oklahoma should have no trouble, letdown or not, although the players at Stoops' weekly news conference were clearly on board with their coach.

``It's going to be as important as any game we've played thus far,'' linebacker Russell Dennison said, ``because it's the next one, and things are a little tighter now.''