vor Cahill, Jason Hammel.My call: The Cubs are deeper in the bullpen this year than last, and if they play the Giants or Cardinals they will absolutely want another l

NORMAN, Okla. Wholesale Air Max 90 Australia . -- A wacky weekend in college football renewed Oklahomas seemingly dormant playoff hopes.Oklahoma has rallied from a rough start to the season, and losses by Clemson, Michigan, Washington, Texas A&M and Auburn last Saturday opened up the field for the Sooners to possibly claim one of the four spots in the College Football Playoff if they keep winning. The eighth-ranked Sooners (8-2, 7-0 Big 12) will travel to No. 10 West Virginia (8-1, 5-1) Saturday night with a chance to claim a share of the Big 12 title and remain alive for a second straight playoff berth.Were not looking into that, Oklahoma linebacker Jordan Evans said of the playoff. We see it. Some guys in the back of their mind, maybe. But it doesnt matter if we dont handle our business.Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said he doesnt worry too much about other results, though he enjoyed Iowas 14-13 win over Michigan. He played at Iowa and later became an assistant coach there.Im rooting for the Hawkeyes, Stoops said. Absolutely. A big congrats to them. Outside of that, Im not sitting there with my pompoms out.Oklahoma seemingly had no path back to the playoff, but since their early losses to Houston and Ohio State, they have won seven straight. In Big 12 play, the Sooners are averaging 48 points and 591.1 yards per game, both tops in the league.I think we have a ton of guys that were real with themselves, a coaching staff that was real with themselves, offensive tackle Orlando Brown said. Weve all taken it upon ourselves individually, as a group, as a team, as a university, to see what we had to get better at. What we were doing bad, what we were doing good -- we took them and we went from there.The Sooners beat then-No. 25 Baylor 45-24 last Saturday , and West Virginia and Oklahoma State, Oklahomas final two opponents, provide opportunities for quality wins late in the season.All that matters is what weve been doing each and every week, Stoops said. Well be our best Saturday night. Eight Eastern, seven Central, and well be ready to play our best game. Next week will be a different week.Even after the Sooners started winning, a playoff slot wasnt even a thought after the Sooners gave up 854 yards in a 66-59 win over Texas Tech .Only reason I think it (Texas Tech game) was good is we were still able to come out with a win in that game, Evans said. Weve kind of flipped our defense around. It was a good wakeup call for us.Since then, Oklahoma has allowed 51 points combined in wins over Kansas, Iowa State and Baylor. The Sooners have risen to No. 3 in the Big 12 in scoring defense and total defense, No. 2 in pass efficiency defense and No. 1 in rushing defense.It has been a complete U-turn from that game, Evans said. Our intensity, our effort -- guys are making more plays. The number one thing is guys are having more fun doing it. Guys are wanting to get back out there each and every Saturday and wanting to get to practice on Monday to get better and to keep it going.---Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/CliffBruntAP Discount Air Max 97 . The veteran safety was a starter for the Bengals from 2008-2012. He totaled 41 tackles and three interceptions while starting all but four of the 13 games he played last season. Air Max 97 Australia . As he recorded his 23rd and 24th points of the evening, a segment of the sellout Air Canada Centre crowd expressed their appreciation for the Raptors point guard with a smattering of MVP chants. http://www.discountaustraliashoes.com/ch...lance-fake.html . -- Catcher Brett Hayes has agreed to a $630,000, one-year contract with the Kansas City Royals, avoiding salary arbitration. CHICAGO -- Now that the Chicago Cubs have clinched a spot in the postseason for the second consecutive year, lets take an early peek at what a playoff roster might look like. As manager Joe Maddon has indicated several times recently, some on the roster will be determined by who the opponent is, so adjustments will be made accordingly based on a first-round, best-of-five series.Because the Cubs used 11 pitchers and 14 position players last year in the National League Division Series, well use that as our standard here, but thats no guarantee as pitching coach Chris Bosio has already indicated they might want more help in the bullpen.Position player locks: Anthony Rizzo, Ben Zobrist, Addison Russell, Kris Bryant, Jason Heyward, Javier Baez, Jorge Soler, Dexter Fowler, Willson Contreras, David Ross, Matt Szczur, Tommy La Stella.On the bubble: Miguel Montero, Chris Coghlan and Albert Almora.My call: If the Cubs keep 14 position players, the decision may not be that difficult here. Montero and Coghlan would probably get the edge based on a couple of factors: Theyre both veterans and theyre both left-handed. The Cubs likely would be OK with carrying three catchers -- especially when one is a rookie and another is 39 years old -- as that would give Maddon more flexibility within a game. If Fowler needed to come out late for defensive reasons, a better case could be made for Almora. Szczur is more than capable as a late-inning defensive replacement as well.Coghlan might be on the outside looking in if the Cubs keep only 13 position players. La Stella and Szczur get the edge becausse of their ability to come off the bench and deliver a hit or walk. Discount Vapormax. There is a chance Almora makes it over Coghlan no matter how many they keep, but with righty closers throughout the NL postseason, lefty bats off the bench could be most important.Pitching locks: Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks, Jake Arrieta, John Lackey, Aroldis Chapman, Pedro Strop, Hector Rondon, Justin Grimm, Travis Wood, Carl Edwards Jr.On the bubble: Joe Smith, Mike Montgomery, Rob Zastryzny, Trevor Cahill, Jason Hammel.My call: The Cubs are deeper in the bullpen this year than last, and if they play the Giants or Cardinals they will absolutely want another left-hander back there, so Montgomery actually might be closer to a lock than on the bubble. Remember, Wood has been awful against righties, so hes almost a one-batter pitcher in a close game unless lefties are stacked next to each other in the lineup.Smith and Hammel have allowed too many home runs, which can change a postseason game quickly. Zastryzny is a rookie and if not for Montgomerys presence, he might make the roster. Cahill could be the odd man out as he has been inconsistent and is best suited for long relief, a spot the Cubs hope they wont need come October.With weeks until the postseason, things could change simply based on who gets hot down the stretch. And how many pitchers versus position players?they keep will undoubtedly be an intense discussion between the Cubs front office and their manager. ' ' '