Whatever Bob Stoops may have said about the overall strength of the Southeastern Conference, that apparently doesn't apply when it comes to the challenge he sees before 11th-ranked Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl. The Sooners' coach made that clear on the eve of Thursday night's matchup with No. 3 Alabama. ''They've been the best team in the country for three years, up to the very last play of the regular season.'' Last spring, Stoops challenged the notion that the SEC - home of the last seven national champions - is the strongest league in the nation, calling some stories about SEC supremacy ''propaganda.'' His Sooners (10-2) have a chance to back that up in a big way by beating 'Bama (11-1), but Stoops knows that won't be easy. Oklahoma is rarely a double-digit underdog, but odds makers have listed the Crimson Tide as a 16-point favorite. More...