Norman, Okla. ? What goes from the mind of Bob Stoops to his playbook is the subject of much concern in the Big 12 Conference.

Opposing coaches know no coach more willing to risk it all in big games than Stoops, who reminded everyone of that fact in the third quarter of top-ranked Oklahoma’s 20-13 win Saturday over Alabama.

“That’s why coach Stoops is a pretty good coach,” new Alabama coach Mike Shula said after his defeat. “They pick and choose their times when they’re going to take their shots, so to speak: when they’re going to take a chance for a big play.”

With the Sooners facing fourth-and-10 on their own 31, the crowd in a frenzy and Alabama trailing only by three points, Stoops called for a fake punt.

“We had an alert on, but I didn’t think there was any way that we’d run it,” Oklahoma punter Blake Ferguson said. “It was a shock.”

The play hinged on Ferguson, someone who hadn’t thrown a pass in a game since ninth grade, tossing a pass out in the flat to reserve defensive back Michael Thompson, someone whose career — and life — nearly ended two years ago in a car wreck.

“I was walking to the (sideline) phone and I heard this big roar,” Oklahoma quarterback Jason White said. “Then I saw Michael Thompson running to the sideline. I was so surprised. It was a great call.”

Thompson hauled in Ferguson’s floater after a few juggles, picking up 22 yards. On the next play, quarterback Jason White threw a 47-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Jones to give the Sooners a 20-10 lead.

“I thought it was great — it worked,” Texas coach Mack Brown said. “It was a momentum changer. I thought Bob made a great call.”

Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops discusses the Sooners' win over Alabama during a news conference. Stoops spoke Tuesday in Norman, Okla.

The play brought back painful memories for Missouri coach Gary Pinkel, who last season was the victim of a Stoops’ fake-field-goal call that led to a touchdown and the game-winning two-point conversion.

“As you look at that, you’re talking about a bold call,” Pinkel said. “I admire him to do it. I certainly did think about that (fake field goal call last year).”

Stoops has a history of chicanery when the game is on the line.

In addition to the Missouri game last year, Stoops dipped into his bag of tricks in the 2000 Big 12 title game, calling an option pitch on fourth-and-inches against Kansas State. Quentin Griffin ran for 22 yards on the play, propelling the Sooners to a 27-24 win and into the national championship game.

The next season against Texas A&M, Oklahoma scored the game’s go-ahead touchdown on a fake field goal in the third quarter.

To Stoops, it’s simply a matter of believing that the plays you practice work in games.

“I don’t believe that I’d call it if I didn’t believe our opportunity to be successful wasn’t real good,” Stoops said. “We practiced (the fake field goal against Missouri) for a year and a half before ever used it. You’ve got to have guts to go ahead and do it.”

Stoops’ boldness is bolstered by the fact he’s seldom been on the losing side of such a gamble.

Stoops isn’t through dialing up a little trickery when the time comes for it — regardless of the magnitude of the situation.

“I’m not worried about being criticized,” Stoops said. “We don’t have a set book of (trick) plays — we have an ongoing book. We have some we’re working on now.”

• Recalling the SWC: A couple of Big 12 teams provide a reminder Saturday about why the Southwest Conference broke up in 1996 — the widening gap between the haves and the have-nots and a serious lack of fan interest.

Texas and Baylor will face old SWC foes Saturday when the No. 5 Longhorns take on Arkansas and the lowly Bears play host to Southern Methodist.

Arkansas, which left the league in 1991, and Texas have each thrived in their new conferences after spurning the mostly intrastate league because it had zero fan appeal outside of Texas, hurting the league’s appeal to television executives.

Baylor and SMU have had mostly troubled times since the SWC crumbled. Baylor has gone 4-52 in Big 12 play since the league started, while SMU, already reeling from brutal NCAA probation in the late ’80s, has continued to struggle.

The Bears have been so bad, some folks have not-so quietly suggested they’d be better off in another league. As the only private school in a league of large, state-funded institutions, Baylor struggles to keep up in the Big 12 much as TCU, SMU and Rice once did in the SWC.

New Baylor coach Guy Morriss, a TCU alum, didn’t think much of all the talk about the reliving the good ‘ol days of the SWC.

“I don’t know that any of our players are aware of that rivalry too much,” Morriss said. “I don’t really think that’s going to be that significant to them.”

• Extra points: Texas A&M coach Dennis Franchione said MLB Jared Morris would be lost for the season after tearing the patella tendon in his left knee in Saturday’s game against Utah. … Kansas State quarterback Ell Roberson will be sidelined indefinitely after his injury during a victory over McNeese State, forcing coach Bill Snyder to turn to senior Jeff Schwinn, a McLouth native. Schwinn has only played in five games for the Wildcats, but Snyder doesn’t seem concerned. “Granted, we don’t have another one who can do all the things Ell can do, but Jeff is very capable,” Snyder said. “In practice you see him and say, ‘This guy can be playing a lot of places.'” … Another multitalented quarterback went down Saturday when Missouri’s Brad Smith left in the first half of the Tigers’ 35-7 win over Ball State because of a concussion. Coach Gary Pinkel said he planned to work with Smith on when to scamper around. “I’m not doing a very good job of reigning him in, am I?” Pinkel said.