Pasadena, Calif. ? Mike Price’s second trip to the Rose Bowl will be his last as Washington State’s coach, something he’s trying not to think about.

Price, whose seventh-ranked Cougars play No. 8 Oklahoma today, is leaving after 14 years as head coach to take over at Alabama, where he was hired Dec. 17.

“I want to concentrate on this game, the strategy of this game, and be calm, cool and collected,” Price said. “After the game, I’ll be a blubbering idiot, probably.”

Price has spent 20 years at Washington State. He became head coach in 1989 and has led WSU to its only three 10-win seasons. His dedication to the program is one reason his players are glad he was allowed to stick around for the bowl game.

“We’ve been playing all year long with this guy. We want him to be here for this game as well,” quarterback Jason Gesser said. “Everything’s the same — he’s here, we want him to be here, we want him to coach, we want to play for him.”

Receiver Colin Henderson said the Cougars “need every single resource possible” for this game.

“I can’t imagine a better resource, a better coach, a better piece of the puzzle than coach Price,” he said.

Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said he doesn’t expect the Cougars to get an emotional lift from this being Price’s last game.

“They’d probably get more excited if he was retiring,” Stoops said Tuesday. “‘Win one for the coach who’s going to Alabama’ probably doesn’t mean as much.”

The Cougars (10-2), Pac 10 co-champions, face an Oklahoma team making its first Rose Bowl appearance. The Big 12 champion Sooners (11-2) received the invitation after the Orange Bowl selected Iowa and Southern California for its game.

The Orange Bowl’s choice of Iowa left the Rose Bowl without its traditional Pac 10-Big Ten matchup. Before last season, when the Rose Bowl was host of the BCS national championship game, champions of the Pac 10 and Big Ten had met in this game every year since 1947.

“I do believe there are those that are concerned that someone else was able to put together a Pac 10-Big Ten matchup and we weren’t able to do that, but that’s not the Tournament of Roses’ position,” said Mitch Dorger, the group’s CEO. “The Tournament of Roses’ position is that we’re members of the BCS, we followed the BCS rules and we got a great matchup between Washington State and Oklahoma.”

The teams are pretty evenly matched. Oklahoma averaged 39 points per game during the regular season, Washington State 34.8. Both teams have solid defenses — Oklahoma gave up 15.5 points per game, the Cougars allowed 21.8.

The teams have different styles, particularly on offense. Gesser makes the Cougars go, having fought through injuries to throw for 3,169 yards and 27 touchdowns. Washington State will try to spread Oklahoma’s defense and hit big plays when possible.

“I think we’re going to have to try to misdirect a little bit and try to use their aggressiveness against them,” offensive coordinator Mike Levenseller said. “And we have to be able to run the football.”

The Cougars’ leading rusher is Jermaine Green, who averaged 65 yards per game and 5.5 yards per carry. Oklahoma counters with a defense that allowed just 115 yards per game rushing.

The Sooners like to throw the ball, too, but they will look first to establish their ground game. Quentin Griffin ran for 1,740 yards this season, the first 1,000-yard back in Bob Stoops’ four years as Oklahoma’s coach.

“He’s an explosive little back,” said Rien Long, Washington State’s Outland Award-winning defensive tackle. “He’s strong, he breaks tackles. We’ve got to have 11 guys going to the ball and wrap up, because give him any little crease and he’s gone.”

Price’s decision to leave for Alabama was another in a series of distractions for the Cougars. Injuries have resulted in 44 players starting at one time or another. Long was suspended one game for breaking team rules on a road trip. Another player was suspended after breaking a teammate’s cheekbone in a locker room scuffle. And Gesser has battled rib and ankle injuries.

“That’s why I did it — to give them some adversity,” Price laughed. “It’s all a master plan.”

Price and defensive coordinator Bill Doba, who will become head coach when Price leaves, were in good humor on the eve of the game. Doba wasted no time when he was asked who would be missed more next year, Price or Gesser.

“Jason Gesser,” Doba said, smiling.

Price’s reply?

“No question.”