Sooners Have No Excuses

After a heart-breaking 30-13 loss to Notre Dame last Saturday in Norman before 86,031 rabid fans, the largest attended sporting event in state history, Oklahoma must pick up the pieces and rebound this week against a scrappy Iowa State Cyclone team looking for an upset in Ames.

However, before we turn the page, a thoughtful look back at the historic Notre Dame game and five things that contributed to the loss to the Fighting Irish:

1--Big Plays

According to John Shinn of The Norman Transcript, Oklahoma has been involved in 979 plays in the first 7 games this season.

Four of them account for the two losses.

"Bad Landry's" fumble on the 1 yard line that was returned for a touchdown and Blake Bell's fumble on the goal line resulted in the Kansas State loss.

The Sooners held Notre Dame to 291 total yards if not for two huge plays Saturday: the 62-yard first quarter run right up the middle for a touchdown and the big 50-yard bomb late in the fourth quarter that led to the go-ahead touchdown making it 20-13 with a little over 5 minutes to play.

Bad quarterback play killed us against Kansas State.

Bad defense killed us against Notre Dame.

Many sportswriters have blamed Tom Wort for the 62-yard run in the first quarter. However, watching the game live, it was Javon Harris who Bob Stoops zeroed-in on after the play. Whatever Harris was supposed to do on the play, he didn't do it according to Coach Stoops and Harris received an earful on the sidelines.

On the fourth quarter 50- yard bomb, Demontre Hurst was the corner beaten on the play. But a closer look reveals that Javon Harris had deep cover responsibility and somehow missed his read.

Sounds familiar?

Sooner fans will remember Harris' many busts in 2011 that caused Stoops to move him to strong safety this year.

Whatever the reasons, two big plays Saturday night were killers and four total on the year have resulted in the two Sooner losses this year.

2--Poor Offensive Game Plan

Before the game, the obvious weakness in the Notre Dame defense was the secondary.

After all, they had gone through injuries losing key starters and were using converted wide receivers in the defensive backfield.

So it was clear that the major part of Josh Heupels' offensive game plan to beat the Irish would be to attack the secondary deep. Correct?

Wrong.

Because as obvious as this solution was to everyone else, Heupel thought otherwise and only attacked the Irish with a deep ball three times the entire game. And, one of those deep throws was on the meaningless last drive of the game to Kenny Stills.

In fact, most all of the 52 passes OU called were of the dink-and-dunk variety over the middle.

Of course, Jalen Saunders had a record-breaking night by catching 8 first quarter passes and tied Ryan Broyles school record 15 passes total.

However, most were underneath the Notre Dame coverage and the longest reception of the night, the 35-yard completion to Saunders in the fourth quarter, was an underneath pass that he split right up the Irish secondary.

So what happened?

Obviously, Heupel felt that the imposing Notre Dame front seven could not be held long enough for Landry Jones to wait for the deep ball to develop. Otherwise, he would have called more deep throws.

However, Jones was only sacked two times and was comfortable most of the night.

And, to not try and attack the opposing teams obvious weakness is a sure sign of waving the white flag and was the most disappointing outcome of the Sooner offense Saturday night.

The result was that Notre Dame stayed in their base 4-man defense or 3-4 formation most of the night. They never went dime which caused Oklahoma to adjust their playcalling. They basically said here we are let's see what you can do!

Also, Heupel's calls are dysfunctional. I don't know how else to describe them. One minute he'll have the Irish defense on its' heels with a series of up-tempo passes and the next minute he'll send Brennan Clay crashing into the Notre Dame front seven for a 1-yard loss.

You would think by the seventh game that Heupel would have found a rhythym in the Sooner offense. However, he hasn't mastered the Kevin Wilson symphonic display of up-tempo play calling and he's killing the Sooners momentum on key drives.

And, the incessant stopping and looking over at the sideline delays and then Landry Jones scrambling up and down the line changing the play has become somewhat comical among Sooner fans. And disastrous to the Sooners. More on this later.

One person on the blogosphere Saturday night called Heupel's play calling reminiscent of the driver who hurredly speeds up and then suddenly brakes only to gun the gas once stopped only to brake again.

I agree.

3--Momentum Killer Calls

Bob Stoops said the Sooners were on the wrong side of a couple of judgment calls. He was right.

Struggling to tie the game right before halftime, Blake Bell's Belldozer finally scored with a minute remaining in the first half. However, a late flag from the opposite side of the field came in and negated the play.

How weird was this late call? ABC's Brent Musberger and Kirk Herbstreit thought that it was a unnecessary celebration penalty that would be tacked on to the ensuing kickoff.

Wrong.

The backside official called a holding penalty on Sooner lineman Bronson Irwin. Replays showed Irwin taking his Notre Dame defender to the ground well after Bell had crossed the goal line. Obviously the action had no impact on the outcome of the play.

Borderline call?

Of course if you consider that when two 300-pound behemoths get tangled up on a play anything can happen.

Sooner fans would have preferred a no-call but the Big East official had other ideas. OU settled for a field goal and instead of being tied at 10 with the momentum going into halftime, the Sooners trailed 10-6.

The second momentum killer call was the interception with just over 3 minutes remaining which resulted in a Notre Dame field goal that put the game into a two-score comeback for the Sooners.

Sooner wide receiver Jalen Saunders was hit from behind just as the ball hit his hands which caused the ball to deflect up and into a diving Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'os' hands.

Ruling on the field was a clean hit and pickup. Notre Dame ball. Ball game.

Sooner fans screamed for pass interference. The Big East official ruled otherwise despite protests from an obviously animated Sooner head coach Bob Stoops.

These plays didn't cost the Sooners the game. However, they certainly were momentum killers and had a huge impact on the outcome of the game.

4. Third Down Conversions

Any offensive playcaller will tell you that the key to winning close games is to be successful on third down conversions. The Sooners were an awful 4-14 Saturday night.

Not all were the result of bad calls. Two of them were set up by the result of self-inflicted mental lapses on plays preceding the third down (see below.)

However, any way you slice it, the Sooners were awful on third down on Saturday and you have to credit the Notre Dame defense for winning the line of scrimmage battle and imposing their will on the Oklahoma offense.

5. Poor Quarterback/Center Exchanges

Ala the Kansas State game, every Sooner fans worst nightmare was Landry Jones scrambling in his own end zone after a loose ball with Notre Dame defenders closing in.

Happened twice Saturday night.

First time occurred on the Sooners first drive of the game. After reeling of several sterling passes to Jalen Saunders the Sooners found themselves at their own 46-yard line with a first down.

The weirdness happened when incredibly the Sooners let the game clock dwindle down to 3 seconds with Landry Jones scrambling up and down the line apparently trying to change the play.

Junior center and Sooner captain Gabe Ikard incredulously snapped the ball to no one and after a mad scramble Sooner running back Brennan Clay recovered. The resulting 19-yard loss created an insurmountable 2nd and 29.

One has to wonder what Ikard was thinking but for a junior center and team captain to make such a crucial mistake is hard to swallow for Sooner fans.

The second mistake was almost as bad as the first. Trailing 23-13 late in the game, Ikard again sent a wayward snap right through the legs of an unassuming Landry Jones.

Just incredible.

Two of the most experienced offensive players, a fifth year senior quarterback and junior center, both captains, made two of the most critical mistakes in the game.

The resulting scramble was nothing short of miraculous. Probably the most athletic play of Landry Jones career.

The Sooner quarterback ran back toward his own endzone after the wayward snap with Notre Dame defenders hot in pursuit.

Not knowing whether Jones was going to fall on the ball or attempt to kick it out of the end zone for a saftey, he incredibly scooped up the ball and completed a sideline pass to Brennan Clay to avert disaster.

However, the play resulted in a 9-yard loss that led to an insurmountable 2nd and 19. OU would turn the ball over on downs which led to the final Notre Dame touchdown.

Again, these two plays didn't in themselves lose the game for the Sooners. However, they were critical in their timing and contributed to the overall demise of key momentum at critical times.

Summary

Saturday's game will go down in the memory banks of Sooner fans everywhere for all of the pre-game hype, excitement, national attention and "big game" atmosphere the Notre Dame game brought to Norman.

I have been going to Oklahoma football games in Norman since 1979. Admittedly, I missed the 2008 Texas Tech game but for my books no other game elicited the type of electricity that Saturday night's game created.

This was one of the few games that the on the field performance matched the pre-game hype for intensity. This was a heavyweight slugfest with two of the more tradition-rich and successful football programs standing toe-to-toe until the final minutes until someone blinked. Unfortunately, it was the Sooners who blinked first.

Too bad the outcome didn't turn out the way we wanted. But according to The Daily Oklahoman, Bob Stoops' Sooners are now 0-14 in games where they trailed in the fourth quarter since the Missouri game in 2007. A trend that is as dissettling as it is confusing.

No one will claim that this group is the best unit Bob Stoops has fielded. However, it's an awfully gifted team that except for four plays out of 979, could be undefeated and playing for a national championship.

Boomer!

Bob Stoops Notre Dame Pre-Game Talk

Ok men, listen up.

The officials just came in and we have 10 minutes until we take the field.

Game captains, we are going to defer if we win the toss and kick from the south end zone if they decide to receive.

Really excited about our opportunity tonight against a really tough team over there. Coaches have you well prepared. You know your responsibilities. Watched alot of film. Know their tendencies. What they do really well. Enough said.

Not really interested in what they do tonight. It's up to us to do our jobs.

Really proud of the practice time this week. Very intense. Focused. Coaches, players. Really just everybody. The entire team.

Alot of noise out there about this game. Alot of national attention. Prime time matchup. Everyone's gonna be watchin' you tonight.

Alot of history between the two teams. 47-game winning streak. 15 national championships. 12 Heisman Trophy winners. Not gonna spend much time discussin' that. You've heard it and read about it. None of those guys are gonna make any tackles tonight or score any points or anything.

But I did want to talk a little bit about you tonight. Your opportunity. Your time to shine in a really big matchup of top ranked teams.

You know as we have discussed, these games are why you came to Oklahoma. Want to play against the best. Show the world what you're made of. Well, tonight's your chance.

Everyone of you have a reason to be here tonight. Because you were meant to be here. No one ever said this was gonna be easy. Doing anything great takes time, discipline & sustained energy.

And, you can't do this by yourself. Takes alot of teamwork and help from the coaches, trainers and support staff who keep you hydrated, healthy and ready to play.

At your deepest core, what do you stand for? What are your beliefs? What makes you who you are?

Men, you were meant to be here tonight because you were not meant for an ordinary or mediocre life. You do not exist just to get by and cut corners. The only thing that will satisfy you tonight is what you were born to do. You were meant to accomplish something no one else in the world can do.

Because together tonight, you're gonna go out there and do what you do best. You're gonna run your routes, make your reads, fill your gaps, complete that pass, run through the tackle, wrap em' up, hit em' in the mouth. Let em' know who you are and where they are.

Nothing special about tonight. You've done it all before. Remember that first day of spring practice and that 5-foot two by four? You walked right over it without any problems. Just like your practice routines, off-season workouts, two-a-days in August. Just right up through tonight.

Now imagine raising that two-by-four 10-feet off the ground? You might be lookin' around and thinkin' "gosh, that's kind a high. What if I fall?"

Well, I'm here to tell you that you're not gonna fall. Your not gonna fall because you have already succeeded because of what you guys have been through this year and how well prepared you are to execute our game plan. You could walk over that two-by-four if it was 100-feet off the ground.

We've come along way since El Paso. Not gonna revisit the games but you know what I mean. Alot of doubters out there. Media types. Fans. Hell, even Coach Switzer got on the band wagon and said you weren't good enough after Kansas State.

But you never wavered. Never doubted in yourselves or each other. You've responded and answered the critics. Three exciting wins against Tech down in Lubbock. Really satisfied with how you handled yourselves in Dallas. Big Cotton Bowl win. Handled Kansas last week here.

Now it's time to take the next step on that two-by-four and walk down that ramp and play.

Alot of youngsters in here haven't played in this type of match-up. That's ok. Not gonna worry about how you'll respond because we have been through a couple of tough games this year. Seniors have been through these wars.

When I look around the room, I see some of you fifth-year seniors who walked down that ramp in the BCS National Championship game at the Orange Bowl back in 2008. You saw the preparation, the anticipation and the execution. Same thing here tonight. Ben Habern. Landry Jones. David King. Stacy McGee. Casey Walker. Tress Way. R.J. Washington. Joseph Ibiloye. Really proud of all you guys. You've been with us the longest. You're one of the reasons we're here tonight.

The Cali-brothers. Tony Jefferson. Brennan Clay. Kenny Stills. Really proud of your production, commitment and toughness. Your third year here. Tonight's why you came here.

Tom Wort. Jaydan Bird. Corey Nelson. Really proud of your efforts this year. Toughness. Commitment. Need a big game from you linebackers tonight.

The Belldozer. Blake Bell. Aaron Ripkowski. Trey Millard. Geneo Grissom. Taylor McNamara. Brannon Green. That other bunch over there hasn't allowed a rushing touchdown all year. Bet you'll have something to say about that tonight,huh? You'll be tested tonight.

You Oklahoma players. Gabe Ikard. Aaron Colvin. Bronson Irwin. Gabe Lynn. Javon Harris. Dominique Whaley. Julian Wilson. Chance to play before your home folks tonight.

The Texas guys. All of you. Jamarkus McFarland. Drew Allen. Marquis Anderson. Rashod Favors. Aaron Franklin. Demontre Hurst. Michael Hunnicutt. Lane Johnson. Chuka Ndulue. Adam Shead. Tyrus Thompson. Austin Woods.

All of you were meant to be here tonight.

Some of you are new here.

Justin Brown. About this time last year, hell you were getting ready to play Northwestern weren't you? Come a long way from Happy Valley. But you wanted to be here didn't you? This is why you came to Oklahoma, isn't it? When we met last spring, you said coach can I win a championship here? I said, hell yes. Get on down here and we'll get it done. You were meant to be here tonight.

Jalen Saunders. This time last year you were at Fresno State preparing for Nevada. Right? Well now you get your chance to go up against the big boys and show the nation what you got. You were meant to be here tonight.

Trey Metoyer. You've come along way from Virginia Military Academy. This time last year you were trying to get your head on straight, make your grades and get eligible to play here. Your hard work paid off. Tonight you get your opportunity. You were meant to be here.

Damien Williams. A little bit bigger stage tonight than Western Arizona Juco, isn't it? You wanted to win a championship didn't you? Tonight, you get to up your game and run against the big boys. You were meant to be here.

Sterling Shepard. Your daddy would be proud of you tonight wouldn't he? I've watched you since you were 6 years old. In my camps. At my house. Playin' with my kids. I told your momma that I would give you an opportunity to prove yourself here after your dad died. Tonight's your time to shine. You were meant to be here.

Now, I said I wasn't gonna talk much about the history of this thing. But I got a note from Claude Arnold this week. Played for Coach Wilkinson back in the 1950's. Was on that 1950 national championship team here. He wanted me to tell you this:

"Coach, I played for Coach Wilkinson in 48', 49' and 50'. We won our first national championship that last year in 1950. Didn't play those guys in the gold helmets. But they did end our 47-game winning streak here in 57'. Still bothers me to this day. I know you'll have the men ready. But dadgummit, I sure would like to see a good ole' fashion butt-kickin' Saturday night. Boomer Sooner!"

That's the kind of tradition we have here men. 7 national championships. 5 Heisman Trophy winners. 43 conference championships. 153 All-Americans.

In this room tonight we're represented by a few of those national championships.

Coach Johnson over there. You all have talked to him at one point or another of how much it means to be a Sooner. Well, what you may not know is that Coach Johnson once coached for that team over there. In 1977. Won a national championship there with a quarterback named Joe Montana. But he felt something was missing. Didn't you coach? He had a calling to leave that other school in 1979 and come to Oklahoma. Been here for 33 years. Was a part of the 85' national championship and with us here in 2000. Coach Johnson was meant to be here too.

Coaches Stoops, Shipp, Gundy, Wright, Schmidt and Heupel. All a part of that 2000 national championship. Hell, Coach Heupel played in that game. Led us to a 13-2 win against a really good Florida State team. Coach Stoops' game plan shut em' out on defense. Got a late intentional safety. The coaches were meant to be here tonight too.

Now, not everything is gonna go our way tonight. Need to expect some adversity. But we can overcome it. Nothing they do, you haven't seen already on film. We'll make adjustments and move on. Do what we do.

Only fifth time two top-ranked teams have played here during non-conference play. We've had big games here before though.

Back in 2000 Nebraska came in here ranked #1. We were #2. No one gave us a chance. They came out, punched us in the mouth and got up 14-0. Everyone said see. Just what we expected. Except they didn't know the fire inside each of those players and how prepared they were for the game. Coach Heupel responded and led us to 31 unanswered points and we won on our way to our seventh national championship.

REFEREE: "Coach, you have two minutes."

Ok. Alright. So to close. Let me just say. I'm proud of each and everyone of you. Proud of the way you have prepared, practiced and played leading up to this game. Really proud of the love and trust you have for one another. And not really worried about anything tonight. Just go out there and do what you have been coached to do. Let it all loose. Let those bodies fly around out there hittin' someone. Do what you've been prepared for and play like I know you can play and everything will be fine. We're gonna come back in here at halftime, access the situation, make adjustments and go back out there and bust our tail. And, remember this. You are the player you are because this is the moment you have been preparing for all your life. You were not meant to be anywhere else tonight. You were meant to be here. Because there's only one Oklahoma.

Alright. Let's get in here and go. 1-2-3 Sooners!

What The HEUPEL Is Going On?

It didn't take long to single out the reason for the unexpected 24-19 loss to Kansas State Saturday night.

And it wasn't from the out-of-control blogosphere, rabid, media-punditry or Oklahoma President David Boren.

It came straight from the horses' mouth.

Bob Stoops labled it "bad football" in his post-game comments. Anytime you give up a defensive touchdown early, fumble the ball on the next series at your opponents 1-yard line and then throw an interception on your own 38-yard line late that led to another touchdown, you will lose.

That is a 21-point turnover-driven game-changer that is hard for most teams to overcome.

The fact that all 21-points were results of bad quarterback play is even more defeating.

Anyone who watches Jon Gruden's "QB Camp" on ESPN knows the worst momentum-killer in football is for the offense to give up a pick-six or fumble return for a touchdown.

However, as bad as the turnover battle was, there are other more glaring deficits that were rearing their ugly head Saturday night that we have seen all too often the past year. If this undermanned, suspension-riddled, injury-depleted, youthful team has any chance at redemption, Bob Stoops must implement the following steps immediately:

1) Play Calling

Josh Heupel is calling awful games.

The second year play caller is showing his youthful inexperience and perhaps stubborness in key times during key games that are killing us.

The first commandment of any offensive coordinator is to call plays that give you the opportunity to maximize your players talent.

The second commandment of any offensive coordinator is to put your players in positions to succeed.

Unfortunately, Josh Heupel did neither Saturday night. And, he knows it:

"At the end of the day, if you're not scoring points, that's my job and I've got to find a way to get these guys in position to score points and to play better. That's my job."-- Josh Heupel, September 25, 2012. Rivals.com.

Example #1--Give Heupel Some Memory Lessons

First up, with 7:38 remaining in the first quarter of a 3-0 Sooner lead, Heupel calls a three-wide set to the wide side of the field on 3rd and 13 from his own 13 yard line. If the ominous numerology of this play didn't hit home to him, he should of at least had a memory recognition back to last December in Stillwater.

Early in the 2nd quarter facing a 10-0 deficit, Heupel faced a similar situation and called a similar play with similar results. Landry Jones was flushed from the pocket from blindside pressure, scrambled to his right and was stripped of the ball resulting in a 59-yard fumble return to the one yard line that OSU punched in on the next play to make it 17-0. Later in the 3rd quarter down 24-3, flashing back to Saturday night's near fumbled pitch that was ruled an incomplete pass, Jones somehow lost the ball during his throwing motion which was picked up and returned five yards for an OSU defensive touchdown. This was just one of four turnovers by Landry Jones.

Saturday night circumstances were virtually identical. Jones faced blindside pressure, panicked and scrambled to his right when all of his receivers were spread left, was blindsided, stripped of the ball and Kansas State recovered for a 1-yard defensive touchdown.

If you think this was just an unfortunate circumstance you are wrong. Kansas State had noticed this play and tendency and had this to say after the game:

“What we did all week was work on trying to flush him out of the pocket,” defensive end Adam Davis said. “We know he’s not good with pressure. If we get to his blind side he’s going to start getting jittery and try to move out of the pocket and scoot up and stuff. We really tried to cause pressure and get after him.”--Kansas City Star, September 23, 2012.

Think Tommy Tubberville at Texas Tech, Mack Brown at Texas, Brian Kelly at Notre Dame or Gary Patterson at TCU and all the other Big 12 coaches have noticed the same thing?

Landry Jones is awful under pressure. Despite his off-season work on footwork, he still has tendencies during the heat of the moment that can't be coached out of him.

The easy response is to ask what quarterback is good under pressure? See Tony Romo and Aaron Rodgers for the answer.

And, for anyone that has hopes that Jones will be pulled in favor of Blake Bell, Coach Stoops answered that question loud and clear during Tuesday's press conference: "No!"

So what to do if the quarterback can't help himself and the head coach just said he won't come out under any foreseeable circumstance? Call plays that don't put him in these situations that have led to such predictable, disastrous results.

Example #2: Simplify Offense

OU ran 70 plays Saturday night to Kansas State's 65. Time of possession was basically even in the first and third quarters of a close game.

In fact, after Blake Bell scored late in the third quarter, the Sooners actually had regained the lead and were up 13-10 with momentum after holding Kansas State and forcing them to punt.

However, right after that score, Bad Landry popped up again and threw a horrible interception off of his back foot. Every Sooner fan in the country had to wince and look away as we have seen this bad play from Jones for four years. Instead of eating the ball or throwing it away, Landry reverts back to his old form and inexcusably tosses a jump ball for the defense.

The result: Kansas State promptly drove the ball 38-yards for a touchdown taking a 17-13 lead that they never relinquished.

Time of possession which was virtually even up until this point soon became a 2-1 deficit as Kansas State used a ball control offense and ran the clock out on the Sooners.

And even more troubling, the pass-to-run ratio was 47 to 23. Why? Because after a dazzling first drive that marched the length of the field to only result in 3 points, Kansas State reacted, put a man in the box and dared the Sooners to throw. The result was a group of inexperienced wide receivers combined with a predictable quarterback and stubborn offensive coordinator equalled: "Bad Landry."

Despite what Josh Heupel might think, this is not the up-tempo offense he inherited from Kevin Wilson. Landry Jones is not Sam Bradford. Kenny Stills is not Ryan Broyles and DeMarco Murray is nowhere to be found as he is busy knocking heads in Dallas.

So the answer is not to try to continue to run the same offense as we have run the last four years and simplify the game plan.

Play more situational football. Put Blake Bell in the game in packages that play to his strength and try and stretch the defense out eating clock along the way.

Keep your thin defense off the field resting so they aren't gassed at the end of games.

Landry Jones should be used in situational down and distances as well. And, if the up-tempo offense gains momentum, certainly roll the dice and see what happens.

However, keep the defense off-balance with the equal threat run or pass packages designed for Bell and sit Landry on situations where we are deep in our own territory and favor obvious passing situations where Landry has shown a consistent pattern of bad behavior. Sounds simple? It is. Even former coach Barry Switzer has recently said Blake Bell would need a different package of plays than Landry Jones to be successful so just plugging Bell into the same offensive system won't work.

This change will shorten the game by eating clock and force defenses to stop the run before we just give the ball back to the defense after three and outs and place our exhausted, thin defense back on the field.

And before any of the folks say this is not simplifying the offense and will result in more confusion. Just listen to what University of Texas head coach Mack Brown had to say just this afternoon regarding the quarterback shuffle at OSU heading into tomorrow's game:

“It is more difficult because there will be some stunts you would use against a quarterback that’s not very mobile that you can’t use when you have an option quarterback in there,” Mack Brown said. “So it does change a lot of what you’re doing.”--Daily Oklahoman, September 28, 2012.

Case closed.

2) Where Is Big Game Bob?

My last post in December asked this same question along with providing four other Holiday Wishes for Coach Stoops following the OSU debacle in Stillwater.

To his credit, Coach Stoops responded and implemented a couple of my suggestions: 1) He moved Tony Jefferson to Free Safety and 2) He replaced the old Brent Venables 3-man defensive front with a 4-man front inspired by his hiring of his younger brother Mike, who replaced Venables.

Actually, the defense was pretty solid Saturday night if not for the back-breaking offensive turnovers that directly led to points and the last quarter when they were left exposed on the field for 10 minutes and predictably ran out of gas.

The first wish however was compromised when Landry Jones decided to return for this senior season. Since Stoops has determined we would not see Blake Bell in an expanded role this season, Wish #2, he has now paid the price suffering his second home loss in two seasons after running off a 39-game winning streak from 2005 to 2011.

After the OSU game, Stoops acknowledged he had noticed the same thing writers had noticed that despite having a run game advantage against a porous OSU defense, incredibly Josh Heupel had called 38 passing plays to only 8 rushing plays in the first half as OSU ran up an insurmountable 24-3 lead.

He did the same thing on Monday's press conference when asked why leading rusher Damien Williams only had 10 carries on Saturday night by saying they probably need to get Williams more touches.

Perhaps Coach Stoops should insert himself more into the playcalling and demand Josh Heupel be more accountable to him directly?

It's something Stoops has chosen to ignore. And, despite Landry Jones accomplishments and assault on the OU passing record books, if he continues to remain silent, his legacy is going to take a big hit after another season of inexcusable quarterback play. Something, by the way, Stoops doesn't tolerate from any other position.

We all realize Landry Jones was being molded to follow in the Heisman-footsteps of Jason White and Sam Bradford. Stoops certainly realizes his system has resulted in two Heisman Trophy winning quarterbacks in four years from 2004 to 2008. No other program comes close and adding a third in 2012 would leave a nice legacy.

However, Coach Stoops needs to realize that 2008 was a long time ago and fans have short memories. The Sooners have had 3 seasons of mediocre football as judged by the Sooner Nation. And just this week, incredibly, a Tulsa sportswriter compared Stoops record to that of underachieving Ohio State coach John Cooper in the 1990's. A bit unfair and not believable since Cooper never won a national championship, only 3 Big 10 conference championships and couldn't beat his arch rival Michigan, in his 12-year tenure in Columbus.

Adding a fourth year of mediocrity in 2012 will not help Stoops' cause or quiet the critics.

Coach Stoops recently answered the Landry Jones boo-birds by saying anyone who questioned his playing status was "insane."

I think Coach Stoops might recall that the definition of insanity is continuing to do the same thing and expecting different results.

Summary

These are obvious solutions to a reoccuring problem that we have all seen play out in losses the past four years.

However, as obvious as the solutions sound, it isn't likely to happen.

Because we have a stubborn head coach who is going to compromise his legacy at OU by irresponsibly sticking with a quarterback who has shown severe deficiencies over the years and because of a young inexperienced offensive coordinator who is in denial.

Before the season, many Sooner fans were asking if Landry Jones was going to end his OU legacy closer to the careers of Heisman winners Sam Bradford or Jason White.

Unfortunately, the answer will be closer to Justin Fuente and Garrick McGee if no changes are made in the offensive playcalling.

Bob Stoops is already on the record saying he plans to do nothing and anyone who suggests otherwise is crazy.

Josh Heupel. Are you listening?

Boomer!

Holiday Wishes for Bob Stoops

After pre-season declarations of "It's time" regarding winning an 8th national championship, a signature win in Tallahassee and a vicious smackdown in the Cotton Bowl, a season of so much promise evaporated quickly.

Numerous key injuries, attitude issues with young players overimpressed with their own talent and some questionable coaching decisions aside, there is much promise in the Sooner Nation for 2012.

However, here are 5 Holiday Wishes for Coach Bob Stoops to avoid another off-season of Hell:

#1--Please Landry Jones: Go Pro!

After three seasons, we've seen enough. Give him a pass on his freshman season taking over for an injured Sam Bradford in game one of the season. Throw him a bone for meltdowns on special teams in losses to Missouri and Texas A & M last season.

But how in the heck do you give him a pass after a dismal display in Stillwater that cost the Sooners any chance of victory?

Yes, he is the school's leading passer in yards and touchdown passes. Yes, he can break Steve Davis' school wins record next season. Yes, he has an NFL arm and potential. Yes, he is a good kid off the field.

But, is he ever going to be better than 8-5, 11-2 or 9-3?

No. I've seen enough. Good luck in the pro's.

#2--BellDozer!

At 6'6" and 265 lbs., Blake Bell represents an opportunity for the future for Bob Stoops by returning to his Youngstown, Ohio roots: blue-collar, hard-nosed, punch-you-in-the-mouth, control the ball football.

And it starts up front with the sophomore quarterback.

Yes, we have mastered the no-huddle offensive package that has been copied across the country. Yes, we have a slew of blue-chip wide receiver recruits arriving in Norman next year to become the next Ryan Broyles.

But if the Sooners have any hope of winning an 8th National Championship in 2012, it will be on the ground and led by the "BellDozer!"

#3--Brent Venables: 5 is > 3!

As good as Brent Venables has been on defense the past 13 years in Norman, he's also been plain awful at times.

Players make plays but coaches make the schemes to put them in position to make plays.

His 3-man front got us killed by a very poor Texas Tech team who seized the opportunity and looked like Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.

It also gave us no-chance to beat the best offensive team we faced all year in OSU who incredibly beat the Sooners on the ground racking up over 250 yards pounding the ball down our throats.

Why? Pressure. Injuries ravaged our defense in key spots all season, but unless the Sooners put pressure on opposing quarterbacks, and figure out a way to stop the run with more than three down-lineman, you can expect similar results in 2012.

#4--Tony Jefferson Is Really Good: At Safety!

Tony complained via Twitter that the Big 12 coaches overlooked him in the All-Big 12 Team selections at the end of the season.

I guess the coaches watched the entire season not just up to the Ball State game.

Jefferson nicked his knee early in the season and clearly was not the same player.

However, the experiment Bob Stoops wanted to try in pre-season practice by moving his best defensive back to Free Safety and was immediately halted when linebacker Travis Lewis broke his toe the first week of practice, was validated by his play in Bedlam.

Stoops moved Jefferson to Free Safety against OSU and guess what happened? That high-powered OSU offense of Weeden2Blackman was held to zero touchdowns. In fact, Brandon Weeden didn't throw a touchdown pass the entire game.

The reason? Shutdown defense by Tony Jefferson deep that took away any chance for OSU going long in the passing game.

Here's hoping Jefferson begins the spring at Free Safety. I bet the Big 12 coaches won't overlook him for Big 12 honors next season.

#5--Where's Big Game Bob? Please Find Him And Deliver To Norman!

Bob Stoops made his mark in Norman and on college football by aggressive and brash decisions on both sides of the ball and physicality in the trenches.

Maybe it's the $5 million a year salary, the Mansion on I-35, and the security that comes by winning a national championship in your second season.

But whatever the reason, Big Game Bob has gone soft.

Soft on the sidelines. Soft on his players. Just plain soft.

How else do you explain his bizarre comments after three key losses:

Texas Tech 41-38 Loss That Ended 39-Game Home Win Streak:

"It will happen again unless we play better."

Baylor 45-38 Loss Which Gave Baylor 1st Win Ever Against OU:

"They have players too!"

OSU 44-10 Loss Which Gave OSU 1st Big 12 Title and BCS Bowl Game:

"I noticed that too during the first half. (OU ran 8 running plays vs. 38 passing plays in the first half.) I brought it up to our coaches at half time."

Dear Coach: Get mad. Show some anger. Scream at your players. Scream at your coaches. Do anything but tell us what we already know.

You are the head coach. Coach them up. Get them fired up. Tell your offensive coordinator to run the ball DURING the game not point it out at halftime.

Big Game Bob lost his edge this season at key times during the year. He needs to find his off-season mojo and come back firing in 2012 to regain his edge and show the Sooner Nation he still has the competitive fire that gave him the opportunity to be where he is today.

Boomer!

Signature Win in Signature Series Signals Greatness

How dominating was Oklahoma's victory yesterday against Texas?

The Red River Rivalry clash in the Cotton Bowl was the 106th meeting between the two border schools. Only Oklahoma has scored 50 points or more in a single game in this series.

The Sooners have done it five times.

Three of those five times have happened in the Bob Stoops era since 1999.

The 106th meeting score of 55-17 represents the 6th highest margin of victory in the series. Third most points ever scored against Texas by Oklahoma. The other two? Yep, Bob Stoops-coached teams in 2003, 65-13 and 2000, 63-14.

Do you recognize a trend? Any time a single coach does what no other coach in the history of the winningest program in college football has done in 106 tries, not Wilkinson or Switzer, you begin to realize you are witnessing greatness.

The Sooners broke or tied six school defensive records yesterday. Not even during the hallowed days of Tubbs, Selmon, Casillas, Harris or McCoy has Oklahoma accomplished that feat.

1. 3 defensive touchdowns in one game.
2. 113 yards lost on 17 tackles behind the line of scrimmage.
3. Most sack loss of yards 84.
4. 2 fumble returns for touchdowns.
5. 8 sacks.
6. 17 total tackles for loss.

Bob Stoops'-coached teams have now scored 42 touchdowns on defense in his 13 year career.

"It's special to me," said Coach Stoops. "There's nothing more special for me than a defensive touchdown."

It's not by freak happenstance, luck or as the Texas media apologists would have you believe (due to an inexperienced Texas team) that these records were broken yesterday or defensive touchdowns scored. There are many reasons. Coaching. Talent. Speed. Focus. Purpose. Leadership.

However, here are three keys I noticed during yesterday's game that signified the true greatness we were witnessing:



Defensive End Pressure

I always like to watch Coach Bob Stoops during the game. He is the ultimate field general. Always in the middle of the action. Listening intently on his headset to his coordinators call the game on both sides of the ball.

Coach Stoops does the same thing before every play on the sidelines. He situates himself about 10-yards behind the play and with hands on knees intently watches the line of scrimmage.

Regardless of the schemes, multiple formation spread offenses and film study, that's where it all starts.

So like Coach Stoops, I watch the line of scrimmage. And yesterday I saw something I have never seen this year in Bob Stoops-coached defenses: a 4-man defensive end front. The Dallas Morning News verified this feat today.

Oh sure, Oklahoma's signature defense over the years has been a four-man front. But never before this year has Bob Stoops or Defensive Coordinator Brent Venables unleashed a four-man front consisting of soley defensive ends.

So why unveil this surprise defensive-alignment in the biggest rivalry game the Sooners have on their schedule? Surprise. Keeping Texas guessing which guys were coming. Pressure on the freshman and sophomore quarterbacks making their first OU/Texas game starts. Size. Speed. Athleticism:



Senior Frank Alexander is 6'4", 255 pounds.
Junior Ronnell Lewis--6'2", 244 pounds.
Junior David King--6'5", 273 pounds.
Junior R.J. Washington--6'4", 248 pounds.

The pressure created by these four defensive ends resulted in two fumbles recovered and three more fumbles forced.

And yes Texas fans, that was 6'5", 273 pound defensive end David King scooping up the fumble and rumbling 19 yards untouched for one of three Sooner touchdowns.



Gap Integrity

If you watch any football during the weekend, you'll hear more than one former football playing analyst talk about "gap integrity."

It sounds heavy but what it really means is being disciplined and staying in your lane or area during a play. Not being fooled by misdirection and play-action.

With former Boise State offensive coordinator and trick-master Bryan Harsin calling the plays for the Longhorns yesterday, never before was gap integrity more important.

And never was gap integrity more noticed than when Harsin called a reverse in the middle of the field with Longhorn Wide Receiver Miles Onyegbule. Only needing a block from quarterback David Ash, Harsin's trick play was destroyed when Sooner safety Aaron Colvin recognized the play and streaked into the backfield disrupting Onyegbule's attempt to get around him with a crushing leg tackle.

Gap integrity. The Sooners had it all day Saturday and this was just the most glaring example.



Ball-Hawking

If you watched ESPN's preseason coverage of the Sooners you know that the Oklahoma defensive backs are a cocky bunch. They have named themselves the "Sharks."

Their ball-hawking ability is unsurpassed in college football. A talented, fast and physical bunch that takes their lead from their former defensive back head coach Bob Stoops.

So, it's not surprising that the Sooner defensive backs successfully defensed six passes, forced one fumble and returned it 56 yards for a touchdown and took one of two interceptions 55 yards for another touchdown.

Cornerbacks Demontre Hurst and Jamell Fleming took it to the house for two of the three Sooner defensive scores.

A record-setting, three defensive touchdowns by an aggressive defense that outscored the Longhorns 18-17.

One play signified the Oklahoma dominance yesterday. Late in the game Texas finally moved the ball into the Sooner red zone. However, here is the next three play sequence:

First Down--David Ash fumbles the snap and loses four yards.
Second Down--Tony Jefferson blitzes and sacks Ash for a loss of 15 yards.
Third Down--Ronnell Lewis sacks Ash for a 20-yard loss.
Fourth Down--Longhorns faced a fourth and 49 and punted.

"We went old school playing more 4-3," said Defensive Coordinator Brent Venables.

"They smelled blood and went after them," said Oklahoma Head Coach Bob Stoops.

Game balls to Defensive End Coach Bobby Jack Wright and Defensive Backs Coach Willie Martinez.

Oh and the offense was pretty good yesterday, too. Junior Landry Jones added his name to the early season Heisman talk by tossing 31 completions in 50 attempts for 367 yards and 3 touchdowns with no interceptions. All in slightly more than three quarters of play. Ryan Broyles scored a touchdown and his 9 receptions pulled him to within four receptions of the all-time NCAA record. And, sophomore sensation Kenny Stills pulled in two touchdowns on five receptions. Another Stills touchdown was called back for a suspect offensive interference call.



Summary

Oklahoma football teams have had six undefeated seasons since the modern era began with the end of World War II in 1945.

The Sooners have won five of their seven national championships in those undefeated seasons.

It's no accident that the Oklahoma undefeated teams featured a stout defense.

Bob Stoops said yesterday that his best Sooner defenses have gotten better as the season progresses.

For those Texas media apologists at Longhorn Network partner ESPN who were quickly spinning the Longhorn debacle in the Cotton Bowl yesterday as one caused by the 19 Texas freshman and sophomores on their 2-deep and 56 freshman or sophomores on their roster, I have some words of fact that will not sit well in the Burnt Orange Nation.

Oklahoma had 18 freshmen or sophomores on their 2-deep yesterday and there were 69 freshmen or sophomores on the Sooner roster.

For those media pundits in the AP poll who ranked OU #3 behind Alabama and LSU, you'll have no choice but to vote Oklahoma #1 if as in typical fashion, Bob Stoops' best defense in 13 years continues to get better the rest of the season.

And then there was Kansas.

Boomer!

Columbus Day--September 24, 1977

Columbus Day. The universal holiday that celebrates the arrival of Italian-explorer Christopher Columbus and his historic discovery of the Americas.

However, for Oklahoma fans, Columbus Day has a completely different meaning. It's the day legendary Ohio State Head Football Coach Woody Hayes discovered the Sooners!



The Stage is Set

September 24, 1977. Ohio Memorial Stadium. The Horseshoe. Legendary Coach Woody Hayes. Twenty-seven years as head coach of The Ohio State Buckeyes. Tradition. Linebacker-U. Seven-time Big 10 Champions and 5-time co-champions. Three National Championships in 1954, 57' and 1968. Four of last 5 Rose Bowls. Top 10 finishes 8-straight years. Three yards and a cloud of dust. Blue-bloods of the college football world. The Establishment.



Enter a bunch of renegades from "upstart*" Oklahoma. Led by a young, brash, chain-smoking, outlaw-head coach named Barry Switzer. "Bootleggers' Boy." Unconventional Wishbone offense. Irreverent bandana-wearing quarterback. Mushroom-Afro-hair-wearing running back from Hooks, Texas. Back-to-back National Champions in 1974-75. Undisciplined. Probation-infected. Non-traditional offense. The Anti-Establishment.

*Oklahoma had won back-to-back National Championships in 1974 and 1975 for the school's 4th and 5th titles but Switzer was still a relatively new head coach (5th year compared to Woody Hayes 27th season) and compared to the already legendary Woody Hayes, these 1977 Sooners were relatively a young bunch and thus the "upstart" label.



Those are the adjectives that could have been used to describe both programs prior to this game. The establishment versus the new world order. Vintage college football match-up. ABC television game of the week. Two years before the birth of ESPN. Old-school Keith Jackson called the game with former Notre Dame head coach Ara Parseghian.

Oklahoma would bring its' high-powered Wishbone offense into Columbus for the first meeting ever between two historic football powers: Ohio State and Oklahoma. The Sooners came of age in the 1950's under legendary head coach Bud Wilkinson. Three National Championships in 1950, 55' & 56'. Ohio State came of age in the 1950's as well under legendary head coach Woody Hayes. Bookend National Championships around the Sooners titles in 1954, 57' and another one in 1968.

Woody the old-school, task-masker versus Barry the new world order swashbuckler. Ohio State was ranked #4 in the country. Oklahoma was ranked #3. Ohio State was playing a rare non-conference Big 10 game against a Big 8 team in September. The largest crowd in Ohio Stadium history: 88,000. As heavyweight of a match-up as could be found in college football in 1977.

Ali vs. Frazier

Oklahoma came out fast and scored early to take a 20-0 lead early into the second quarter. Elvis Peacock and Billy Sims both scored highlight reel touchdowns. ABC switched the regionally-televised game to other regional coverage. However, the Ohio State defense responded and stuffed the Sooners and the Buckeyes offense, aided by a slew of Sooner fumbles, scored 28 points to take a 28-20 lead with minutes remaining. After Oklahoma missed a two-point conversion to tie the game with 1:29 remaining, the Sooners recovered the ensuing onside kick. And, after moving the ball to the Ohio State 24 yard line the Sooners set-up a 41-yard game-winning field goal attempt with :06-seconds remaining. The kicker was a German soccer player from Fort Worth, Texas named Uwe Von Schamman.

The "Kick"



Woody Hayes tried to ice the young, inexperienced kicker and his freshman snapper named Mark Lucky by calling timeout. Von Schamman responded by taking his helmet off and leading the Ohio State crowd in their chant of "block that kick."

In what is simply known now as "The Kick," Von Schamman calmly kicked the ball straight-through the uprights and the Sooners upset the Buckeyes 29-28. Instant ESPN "Classic" today.

A frustrated Woody Hayes is shown on national television punching an Oklahoma assistant after the game. An ominous precursor to his infamous punch of a Clemson player a year later in the Gator Bowl that led to his early forced-retirement.

Historic Aftermath

The Sooners would finish 10-1, have a shot at a 6th National Championship after their sixth-consecutive Big 8 Championship and wound up back in the Orange Bowl. A shocking loss to Arkansas 31-6 resulted in a 10-2 record. Ohio State would finish 9-2and another Big 10 co-championship tying with Michigan. The Buckeyes would lose in the Sugar Bowl to Alabama 35-6 and finish 9-3.

Although, Oklahoma and Ohio State would play again in Norman in 1983, with the Buckeyes winning 24-14, both teams would not find National Championship success again until years later: OU in 1985 and 2000. Ohio State in 2002.

However, for fans across the country, especially Sooner fans, these two will be remembered for their historic first-ever meeting as Columbus Day: The day Woody Hayes discovered the Sooners!

In Bob We Trust

A few days prior to the 2000 BCS National Championship game in Miami between Oklahoma and Florida State, I was driving home from work one night listening to local Dallas/Fort Worth sportstalk host Chuck Cooperstein on WBAP-820 AM.

Chuck was going through his analysis of the upcoming game and asked himself a question with a one word answer he confidently predicted: "One reason why Florida State wins this game? talent!"

Cooperstein went on to tell his listeners how much talent Bobby Bowden had assembled in Tallahassee and how the Seminoles were bigger, faster and stronger than the team that second year coach Bob Stoops had assembled in Norman.

I laughed then and even more now 11 years later because as Oklahoma proved that night, Chuck, Bobby and the Seminoles were in for a rude awakening in the Orange Bowl. The Sooners beat Florida State 13-2.

As that night proved, as so many more games have proved, Oklahoma has a secret weapon in their head coach that Sooner opponents should never overlook: Bob Stoops.

"Big Game Bob"

Everyone is familiar with the Big Game Bob moniker that the 2000 national championship game in Miami earned Bob Stoops that night.

His underdog Sooners would put on the most dominating defensive performance in national championship game history by absolutely stuffing the high-powered, defending BCS National Champions Florida State offense.

Led by Heisman Trophy winner Chris Weinke, who led the nation in passing with 4,167 yards, playing in their third straight BCS National Championship game and featuring 9players who would go on to be drafted in the 2001 NFL draft, the Seminoles were shut out by the no-name Sooners. The only points Florida State scored that night were on an intentional safety by Oklahoma late in the game to preserve poor field position.

The Big Game Bob reputation was further cemented in years to come with dramatic if not impressive wins over Alabama, Nebraska, Texas A & M and five straight against top rival Texas in the Red River Rivalry. Many of the games involved play calling gambles by Stoops that paid off. Such as the fake punt against Alabama and fourth down conversions deep in your own territory late in games against Texas A & M to run out the clock. Then there were the 63-14 and 65-13 routs of Mack Brown's Texas Longhorns in 2000 and 2003 and a 12-0 shutout against Texas' Vince Young in 2004. Back-to-back undefeated regular seasons in 2003 and 2004 cemented the reputation of the young Sooner head coach.

But then reality and law of averages set in. Back-to-back losses in the BCS National Championship games in 2003 against LSU and 2004 against USC caused a stir that Big Game Bob had lost his touch. Then throw in a disastrous 2005 opening loss to TCU at home and three more losses and a 7-4 regular season. A Holiday Bowl win over Oregon did little to satisfy the critics. Then, Oklahoma would lose a one point game in Eugene, Oregon in a rematch with the Ducks. Oklahoma actually recovered the expected onside kick that incredibly the Pac 10 official gave to Oregon. The Ducks would score and beat OU.

The Sooners recovered and ran off 8 straight games with a converted wide receiver at quarterback and went on to the BCS Fiesta Bowl. However, against little-known Boise State and two of the best-executed trick plays ever, the Sooners would lose a heartbreaker in overtime, 43-42. Follow that loss with another 10-2 season, a second consecutive Big 12 Championship and another Fiesta Bowl game against lightly-regarded Big East Champion West Virginia. With aspiring freshman phenom Sam Bradford at quarterback, the Sooners were routed 48-28 by a more committed, inspired and faster Mountaineer team. Then the Sooners go 12-1, a third consecutive Big 12 Championship and a third shot in six years in another BCS National Championship. After leading briefly, the Sooners would lose to Tim Tebow and Florida 24-14. Hardly anything to be ashamed of in the Sooner Nation.

So after 6 of 9 Big 12 Championships, one National Championship in four BCS National Championship games in 9 years, 7 BCS bowl games, an overall record of 109-24 including a 52-2 home record, Big Game Bob had lost his winning ways? Are you kidding me? Most schools would be absolutely giddy over a head football coach with such a resume. However, for some reason, the national media put the label of "can't win the big one" on Big Game Bob and it stuck.

Fast Forward to 2011

This week Oklahoma travels to Tallahassee to face the #5 ranked Florida State Seminoles. The same Florida State the Sooners steamrolled last year in Norman 47-17. A game that wasn't as close as the final score.

One of the most anticipated matchups of the young 2011 season will be the featured ESPN GameDay game of the weekend and a nationally-televised audience.

The Sooners are coming of a 12-2 season that saw a 7th Big 12 Championship, a brief spot atop the BCS rankings and an end to the BCS Bowl Game schneid with a convincing 48-20 victory over Connecticut in the Fiesta Bowl.

Big Game Bob Is Back

So now with a 129-31 record, including a 73-2 home record, 7 of 11 Big 12 Championships, a convincing opening night victory and a #1 ranking, the Sooners head into Doak Campbell Stadium full of confidence, some might say arrogance, and sights squarely set on an 8th National Championship.

Here are 5 reasons why Big Game Bob will have the Sooner Nation smiling on Saturday night:

Reason #1--Bob Stoops

The main reason the Sooners will win Saturday night is Bob Stoops.

No other coach in college football has as an impressive resume preparing his team for success in big games. Nick Saban and Urban Meyer might have two national championships but they don't win more big games consistently than Bob Stoops.

Stoops has consistently prepared the Sooners for big game success. Seven of 10 Big 12Championship games. Seven of 12 victories over Texas. Six bowl victories including 4 BCS bowl games.



You only have to look at last season to see Big Game Bob is truly alive and well. Facing an explosive Oklahoma State offense in Stillwater, the Sooners outscored OSU 47-41. Although not a defensive gem by any means, listen to what West Virginia Head Coach and former OSU offensive coordinator Dana Holgersen said in August in the Charleston Gazette-Mail as reported in the Tulsa World about Bob Stoops:

"Last year when we played Oklahoma, you talk about a shock. I've known Brent Venables and Bob Stoops for 11 years and played against them for nine. They've been a traditional four-down front team for 10 years. And I watched some tape and said, 'Yeah, that's the same stuff they've been doing for a long time. They're four down. They're a zone blitz team. Every now and then they'll bring a safety down or bring everybody down and play man. They came out against us in a three-down front for the first time in their entire career at Oklahoma. That's when you have to adjust. It took us about a quarter to adjust."

OSU had the ball four times in the first quarter against Oklahoma. They scored 3 points. OU took a 7-3 lead and never trailed before winning.

The Sooners would go on to beat Nebraska 23-20 in the Big 12 Championship game after spotting Nebraska a 17-0 lead.

Yes, Big Game Bob lives and he'll have the Sooners prepared for Saturday night's showdown.

Reason #2--Two Week Advantage Bob

Oklahoma has had two weeks to prepare for a regular season game 15 times in Bob Stoops career since 2000. It is no coincidence that the Sooners are 13-2 during that timeframe and 13-0 at home.

Included in that time span are games against top 25 ranked teams six times. Oklahoma is 5-1 in those games including a 31-14 win against #1 ranked Nebraska in 2000 that positioned the Sooners to win the program's 7th national title.

The Sooners have outscored those teams 529 to 267 for an average score of 35 to 17.

Give Bob Stoops a week to prepare and the Sooners are hard to beat. Give him two weeks and the Sooners are virtually unbeatable.

Reason #3--Landry Jones & Ryan Broyles



The Sooners are led by Heisman Trophy hopefuls Landry Jones and Ryan Broyles on offense.

No other pass catching combination in college football has had more success statistically.



Jones and Broyles picked right up where they left off in 2010 against Tulsa in the season opener two weeks ago. Jones was 35 of 47 for 375 yards and one touchdown. Broyles had 14 catches for 158 yards and one touchdown.

Expect more of the same Saturday night.

Reason #4--Defense

The Oklahoma defense lived up to the pre-season hype delivering an impressive 47-14 win over Tulsa opening night on September 3.

Tulsa won 10 games in 2010, had road victories over Notre Dame in South Bend and Hawaii in a bowl game and led the nation in offense 2 of the past 4 seasons including a top #5 ranking last year. Quarterback G.J. Kinne is a big 6'2", 234 pound dual run/pass threat who threw for over 3,600 yards and also led the school in rushing in 2010.

Kinne was rendered one dimensional and completed 18-33 passes for 271 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception.

Sounds familiar? Florida State is very similar to Tulsa offensively and has a dual-threat quarterback E.J. Manuel who is 6'5" and 245 pounds.

Brent Venables hopes to use his talented, fast and aggressive defense to bottle up E.J. Manuel and make him one-dimensional just like they did to Christian Ponder the first round, #12 NFL draft choice of the Minnesota Vikings. Ponder was 11 of 28 for 113 yards with 2 interceptions before being replaced by Manuel. He completed less than half of his passes for the first time since 2008.

Manuel didn't fare much better. He was constantly harrassed, sacked and confused by the Oklahoma defense taking over for Ponder in the third quarter after back-to-back interceptions. He completed 4 of 8 passes for 109 yards.

Although Manuel did throw a 47-yard touchdown on the games last play, the OU regulars were already resting on the sideline.

Oklahoma has the athletes, coaches and aggressive style to pitch a repeat performance Saturday night.

Reason #5--Special Teams

Tress Way is one of the best punters in the nation. He consistently pins opposing teams deep in their own territory with his thunderous punts.

Jimmy Stevens is a very accurate field goal kicker within 40 yards. Patrick O'Hara handles the kick offs and field goal attempts beyond 40 yards.

Oklahoma was burned with kick off returns against Missouri, Texas A & M and OSU in 2010. Bob Stoops has consistently played his defensive starters on special teams. He stubbornly defends last years lapses on being out of position and not structural.

Let's hope he is right Saturday night. If so, the Sooners will keep the Seminoles offense pinned down all night with Way's leg and O'Hara's kick offs.

Summary

So there you have it. Big Game Bob never left and is as big as ever. He has had two weeks to prepare to have his Sooners primed and ready to defend their #1 ranking and will pull out all the stops to win Saturday night. Just like in 2000, he has the talent and this time the reputation to prove his mantra to Chuck Cooperstein and the nation.