Sooners hit New Orleans with their minds on the game

Sooners hit New Orleans with their minds on the game
With AP Photos
MARY FOSTER
AP Sports Writer
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- The Oklahoma Sooners arrived in New Orleans on Saturday determined to avoid off-field distractions as they prepare for the Sugar Bowl against LSU.
"We've always been very good in the past with our players doing the right thing and being where they need to be," coach Bob Stoops said. "Hopefully that will continue."
The No. 3 Sooners got to town a day ahead of No. 2 LSU, and planned to get down to work quickly for the Jan. 4 game that will determine the BCS champion.
The Oklahoma players, coaches and others stepped quickly past the Dixie Land band and onto buses taking them to their hotel. The Sooners then practiced in the Superdome.
LSU was scheduled to arrive Sunday from nearby Baton Rouge.
Oklahoma has plenty of reason to look forward to getting back on the field after losing to Kansas State on Dec. 6 in the Big 12 title game.
Until that 35-7 loss, the Sooners (12-1) were everyone's choice for the championship. The lopsided loss dropped them behind No. 1 Southern Cal and LSU, however, and set up a chance for a split championship.
"You're always eager after something like that to get back and redeem yourself," quarterback Jason White said. "But we've had to wait for a month now. I think that's really fueled our team throughout the practice we had at home and this practice this week."
The team is looking forward to hitting Bourbon Street, seeing the French Quarter, maybe walking along the Mississippi River, White said. But fun isn't what they're focused on.
"We'll get to go out and see the city and stuff, but we know why we're here," White said. "We've got a lot of stuff to prove to ourselves. So we'll get down to business."
The players have been cautioned about the distractions and the possible problems that could snag their road to the big game, said linebacker Teddy Lehman.
"Everyone understands that, but we're not the type of team that's going to go out and get ourselves in trouble," Lehman said. "Everyone understands what you can do, and it's not just New Orleans, any place is like that if you don't have guys on your team that care about their tem more than they care about themselves. I think we understand what we need to do."
The Sooners began answering questions about the possibility of a split championship as soon as they stepped off the plane.
With the No. 1 Trojans trying to win The Associated Press title in the Rose Bowl against Michigan, and Oklahoma still No. 1 in the BCS rankings, there could be a split title for the first time since the BCS was started in 1998.
"We don't know if there's going to be a split championship yet," White said. "Nothing's decided yet."