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OU wants to stop skid
Stoops' Sooners have lost past three trips to a BCS bowl

 
By Berry Tramel | Published: December 30, 2007    Comment on this article Leave a comment

PHOENIX — The ESPN ticker crawls across the bottom of the screen every few minutes, reminding the American sports fan of Oklahoma football's fallen bowl status.

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Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops walks towards the field before football practice at Pinnacle High School in Phoenix on Saturday. The Sooners have lost three straight BCS bowl games, and the coach is tired of it. by BRYAN TERRY, THE OKLAHOAMN


OU football players stretch before practice at Pinnacle High School in Phoenix on Saturday. The Sooners will play West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 2. by BRYAN TERRY, THE OKLAHOAMN


Oklahoma's Dominique Franks tries to make a catch during practice at Pinnacle High School in Phoenix on Saturday. by BRYAN TERRY, THE OKLAHOAMN

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And it gripes Bob Stoops every time.

Oh, he won't admit it. Stoops would sooner denounce his Cardinal Mooney loyalties than admit the media could sting him.

But the truth hurts. Stoops' own players rat him out. He is peeved at OU's three straight BCS bowl defeats and the constant reminders thereof.

"He's been on that the past few weeks,” said tailback Allen Patrick. "He keeps bringing it up. He's tired of seeing it. Ready to make a change. He really brings that to our attention.”

Quarterback Sam Bradford said Stoops "says he sees it every night on ESPN. He's tired of seeing that.”

Well, Stoops ought to be. It's high time he won a BCS bowl.

Stoops started his OU career with a 3-1 bowl record. All three wins came in January, the lone loss came in December, signaling the Sooners played better the better the bowl.

But now Stoops is 1-3 in his last four bowls. All three losses came in January, the lone win in December.

OU pays Stoops a big batch of money not just to reach big bowls, but to win them.

The Sooners' bowl slump can be easily explained individually. The 21-14 Sugar Bowl loss to LSU came in the Bayou, a homefield disadvantage.

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Related Topics: College Athletics, College Football



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