Arizona, It has been a difficult year for the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl , with a dud of a game and losing BCS status after an investigation info financial improprieties. As Bowl organizer worked to restore its imga, the biggest boost to the Fiesta Bowl figured to come when the news turned away from the allegations and investigations back to the field.

Oklahoma State and Stanford, 2 dinamic teams that just turned to be 3 and 4 in the BCS standings, this year's Fiesta Bowl got the golden game it needed.

Oklahoma State (11-1) fell just short in the national championshio bid, despite having a resume that stacked up against Alabama and the Cowboys were third in the final BCS standings.

Stanford (11-1) lost its chance to play the national tittle and it's PAC-12 hopes with a loss to Oregon.

Throw in 2 of the nation's best offenses and premier quarterbacks in Brandon Weeden of Oklahoma State and Stanford's Andrew Luck.

Fiesta Bowl at Bookie www.bookie.mx

"I think this game is going to be great for college football, and it will be exciting. You have a lot of what you're looking for." David Shaw (Stanford Coach) said.

Las year's Fiesta Bowl was left with a so-so matchup between Oklahoma and Connecticut.

The concern heading in was that it would be a blowout and that UConn, being so far away, wouldn't travel very well. Both happened.

If projections held up and LSU met Alabama in a rematch between SEC powers, the Fiesta figured to get its dream matchup of Oklahoma State and Stanford. Had Oklahoma State vaulted over the Crimson Tide to No. 2 in the BCS , well the Fiesta Bowlwould be left to scramble for someone to face Stanford.

The Fiesta got its fiesta, though Oklahoma State isn't too thrilled about it.

It's not for any disdain for the Fiesta. It's just that the Cowboys believed they deserved a shot at the national championship game.

They had a good argument.

Oklahoma State won its first outright conference title since 1948 -- in the three-team Missouri Valley -- and ended the season with a statement, routing rival Oklahoma 44-10 Saturday night.

The Cowboys had more quality wins than Alabama but took a big hit with a double-overtime loss to 6-6 Iowa State two weeks ago -- a day after Oklahoma State women's basketball coach Kurt Budke and an assistant coach were killed in a plane crash.

Still, the Cowboys believed their one-loss season was as good as Alabama's and said the Tide already had its shot at the top-ranked Tigers, losing 9-6 in overtime last month -- in Tuscaloosa, no less.

"If we'd have taken care of business at Iowa State, we wouldn't be having this discussion," Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said. I think it really comes down to what I said last night, and I really meant it was: `They had their shot. We want our shot,' and it didn't work out that way. That kind of disappoints me a little bit that enough people that have some say-so in it across the country wouldn't say, `We already saw them play once, at home."

Oklahoma State's loss could be a gain for the Fiesta Bowl after a difficult year.

President John Junker was fired in March for allowing excess spending, an apparent illegal system of political contributions and an effort to cover up the problems.

The Fiesta Bowl kept its spot in the BCS rotation, but was placed on a year's probation and fined $1 million.

The bowl hired Shelton, the former University of Arizona president, and worked to repair its image while overhauling how the organization is run.

A good game should certainly help in the recovery process.

Oklahoma State and Stanford had seasons that rank among the best in their histories, each coming within a loss of playing for a national championship. Their offenses are among the best in the country -- the Cowboys were No. 3 nationally in total offense, the Cardinal 11 -- and have playmakers all over the field. And they have Weeden and Luck.

Barely an afterthought for the Heisman Trophy at the start of the season, Weeden inserted himself into the conversation with a stellar senior season.

A 28-year-old who played five years of professional baseball, Weeden broke his own school records with 4,328 yards passing and a completion rate of 72 percent. He also set single-season records for attempts (522) and completions (379), matched his record of 34 touchdown passes and finished fourth nationally with 352.75 yards of total offense per game.

Luck returned for his junior season after finishing as the runner-up to Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton last year.

The projected No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft, Luck threw for 35 touchdowns this season to break his school record of 32 a year ago and set the Stanford career record of 80 TD passes in just three years.

He finished this season with 3,170 yards passing, a 70 percent completion rate and only nine interceptions -- without having an elite wide receiver to throw to.

"The nature of the bowl game with two quarterbacks who have put good numbers on good teams, I'm sure there will be a great story line for everybody," Luck said.

It sure will -- and could give the Fiesta Bowl just the boost it needed.

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press