The BCS is an election, so why not campaign?

Mossman and his staff would send email blasts to members of the college football media with stats and facts accentuating the strengths of Oklahoma’s resume.

Most of the people on the receiving end of those emails didn’t have a vote in either of the BCS polls, but they had platforms that could alter the public debate and maybe sway a voter or two.

“What you’re trying to do is get to the influencers,” Mossman said. “Some may be voters and some may be not.”

Mossman said he would always consult with Stoops about the message.

“Ultimately, he’s the face of the program and you don’t want to make him feel uncomfortable,” he said.

Kelly, after saying he would stay away from lobbying a week earlier, decided to tout the Irish on Sunday. And why not?

He pointed out the Irish have the No. 1 scoring defense in the country, and they are the only contender that hasn’t played an FCS team.

“If you want style points, look at our defense, look at the schedule that we played: 10 FBS teams,” Kelly said. “We’ll just keep working on one at a time and let other people figure out where that puts us.”

The odd thing about Notre Dame’s BCS position is that it belies the perception among many college football fans that the Irish are media darlings and consistently overrated.

The Notre Dame brand isn’t going to help the Fighting Irish in this race, and neither will the voters, no matter how much Kelly campaigns.

“Notre Dame is not going to jump (Oregon and Kansas State) without their help,” Palm said. “They’re way too far behind in the polls. The voters are not on board with Notre Dame.”

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HEISMAN WATCH

Oklahoma’s Adrian Peterson finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting in 2004, the best result ever by a freshman.

Before that, Georgia’s Herschel Walker had the best showing for a freshman in the Heisman voting, with a third-place finish in 1980.

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