NORMAN — Barring any NFL early departures, Oklahoma will return nine offensive and eight defensive starters next season.
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With quarterback Sam Bradford leading the offense and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Curtis Lofton back on defense, the Sooners will have the talent to win OU's eighth national championship.
Talent, however, won't be the issue.
The question is, will OU have the mindset to win another championship?
This season, whenever the Sooners had their backs against the wall or had something to prove, perhaps no team in the country was better.
In the Big 12 Championship, OU put up a dominating 38-17 performance against Missouri after the Tigers had said all week they gave their first meeting away.
In the Bedlam Series, OU hammered Oklahoma State after the Sooners seemed to have little momentum heading into the game following an injury-filled loss at Texas Tech.
And at the beginning of the year with Boise State still on the minds of fans and the media, OU won its first four games by an average of 50 points a game, vanquishing any thoughts of a Fiesta Bowl hangover.
Any time the Sooners were doubted, they made the doubters look silly.
Where OU faltered, however, was when they didn't have their backs against the wall, when they had little to prove or when few doubted them.
Losses at Colorado, at Texas Tech and even against West Virginia were puzzling, largely because almost nobody thought OU would lose those games.
College football, however, does not allow for mulligans.
Next year's Sooners must treat every game with equal intensity and preparation.
Need inspiration?
Look no further than the 2000 season Sooners.
With far less talent, those Sooners had a superior mindset and swagger that this season's team did not.
Because they had been downtrodden for so long, that team played with chips on both shoulders. The 2000 Sooners played with something to prove.
After four straight BCS bowl losses, the 2008 Sooners will have something to prove.
Time will tell if they play like they do.
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Well you can obviously tell that Stoops beats his kids. I mean I was watching the WV game, and his hat had strings on it. I like turtles and lemon cookies
One other item.. Stoops has never fired anyone to my knowledge, is it possible that he doesn't have the heart to fire a coordinator? There haven't been many sub par seasons in his tenure for sure, so maybe his coordinators truly are the best, but something needs to be done about the team breakdowns that happen during the season, like this year's colorado and the BCS game.
Consistency is the only issue with this team. I think the writer got it correct when he said they only played well when they had something to prove and were being doubted. OU is a great team and I've rooted for them my whole life, but it is getting old to get to the big dance and lose it twice, then get to another bowl and get beat so badly. When you are a top gun super team with all the stats.. most weeks a first place, most championship bowls, highest scoring etc. etc. Why is it that lately every time they get up in the big games, they lose? Did anyone notice that most of OUs losses come at night by the way? Don't know if that matters or not but it's worth looking into. Anyway they have to find a way to come up big in the BCS bowls. I'm very proud of most of the season, the Big 12 title, and beating the Horns, but those blowout bowl losses (USC, LSU, and WV) really make us, and our conference look weak in the eyes of the nation.
I have had some childish comments the last few days. Especially about the losses and the coordinators. I agree with your. i just remember what Jimmy Johnson said about the wishbone back way back when, great players and game preparation can stop it. I think maybe OU was a little overwhelmed on defense, and couldn't handle WV great players, like Pat White and Devine. I'm still baffled about our offensive line. I don't agree with Stoops getting anymore raises but under him OU has 5 Big 12 Championships - one national championship and one near miss (SC was too much). Troy from Skiatook you had the best comment I read in awhile - Stoops had recruited those special group of players in the National Championship year. OU will be back at again next year.
We have an opening on the offensive staff, what about that Tulsa OC that got run out of Arkansas by Nutt? Tulsa offense had our defense confounded with much less talent.
I agree with the article. BUT we also need better game planning. Instead of exploiting opponents weakness and planning for there strength--OU is too arrogant and instead just does want they want and then wonders why it didn't work.
Why don't we spy super mobile QBs who can't throw that well like Pat White? Why don't we disguise our offense better?
And Mr. G in Shawnee who do you recommend as OU's next coach? Don't forget he has to win every game and be perfect just like you.......Mr. Arm Chair Coach!
Derrick Strait, Brandon Everage, Torrance Marshall, Andre Woolfolk, Curtis Fagan, Josh Heupel, Quentin Griffin, Roy Williams, Jimmy Wilkerson, Trent Smith.... NOT BLAKE'S KIDS! 2000 National Championship would never have happened without these fellas.
they will get back to where they were
bob stoops needs to coach like he used to when he hardly had a whole bunch of talent when he won in 2000 it was with john blake's kids
Whew! All these arm chair coaches. Stoops isn't perfect but he seems to run a no nonsense program that puts integrity ahead of winning. And he still wins.. a lot! He gets paid so much money because it is very difficult to even remain consistently in the top ten, let alone win a national championship every year. He and his staff put a good team on the field every year. What do you expect? Really, how many programs have done better over the last 8 years?
You people who say stoops needs to go SUCK! I went to OU when Schnellenberger was coach...I went to OU when Blake was coach...I watched this guy I went to high school with run 99 yards down the sideline and score on a kick off, his name was Wes Caswell and he went to TU. I much prefer losing to a well motivated, talented, West Virginia team than to TU. Stoops is a tremendous coach. He will get us back to a Championship again. All you people who keep complaining need to realize that the game is over with and there is always next year. I am in Morgantown WV this week on business and these people out here have class.I agree...it is a mindset, the 2000 team has it, the 2007 team does not.
Christopher, Oklahoma City - Jan 8, 2008 at 9:01 am
> Nothing lasts forever ( even coaches who have won a > NC). Stoops was fresh blood when OU won in 2000.
Here's an interesting exercise: Look at the coaches who have won a NC, starting with 2000, and see how many years they were in that position before they won it.
> Afterall, it is OU's turn- it has been 8 long years.
After looking at the stats from my question above, and I don't know all the stats yet, but I would venture to guess that few head coaches have won a NC after their 8th year with a team.
It's time for Stoops to go! OU needs someone who can coach beyond this league. Loss after loss to teams with inferior talent is getting old. Nothing lasts forever ( even coaches who have won a NC). Stoops was fresh blood when OU won in 2000. Maybe a transfusion is in order. Three million a year has dulled the hunger and satisfied the spirit of competition. Resting on history just like Barry Switzer did is where Bob Stoops is today. Time for him to go to the next level and bring in the next coach to win yet another national championship. Afterall, it is OU's turn- it has been 8 long years.
You can say that we need to remember the 2000 sooners, but many of these kids playing for OU now don't know who they are. And the thought that we need to go into games to prove something every time, is a good idea. I'm sure what angers every Sooner fan is, WHY didn't Stoops think of that before the game? Especially when every Sooner fan knew that it should have been a no brainer. Seems to me the problem isn't the motivation of the players, but of the coaching staff. Maybe they forgot that THEY need to prove they can lead a team to a victory.
If the last few seasons are any indication, nothing looks to change next year. The current mix of the coaching staff doesn't have the necessary attitude to compete with the best in the nation. I note that Mack Brown hired his second defensive coordinator in four years. Good, motivated coaches are always looking for a chance to move up. OU should have no problem attracting the best.
For me the question is can Stoops bring back the confidence and brashness that the 2000 team had and leave behind the cockiness and arrogance the 2006 and 2007 teams. I had the misfortune to be in Boulder when CU put a whuppin' on us, and was disheartened at the assy attitude of some of OU's players. Had I been the coach I would have yanked them out of the game. There is a difference between being brash and being a jerk. That is the difference between 2000 and now. At the CU game and early in the WVU game, I thought I was watching an old Miami team instead of OU. Made me embarrassed to be a Sooner. Stoops needs to reign in the team, teach them some humility and hunger for winning, or we will never see a repeat of the magical season we had that culminated in a national championship.
For me the question is can Stoops bring back the confidence and brashness that the 2000 team had and leave behind the cockiness and arrogance the 2006 and 2007 teams. I had the misfortune to be in Boulder when CU put a whuppin' on us, and was disheartened at the assy attitude of some of OU's players. Had I been the coach I would have yanked them out of the game. There is a difference between being brash and being a jerk. That is the difference between 2000 and now. At the CU game and early in the WVU game, I thought I was watching an old Miami team instead of OU. Made me embarrassed to be a Sooner. Stoops needs to reign in the team, teach them some humility and hunger for winning, or we will never see a repeat of the magical season we had that culminated in a national championship.
I remember the 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's and the 90's (lived in Nebraska in the 90's and took some crap up there let me tell you)and it's been a pretty good ride on the Sooner Schooner over the years. Still fun to get excited about a new year and a new team. The sun came up on Wednesday, I was pretty sure it would. Don't like losin' but when you ain't ready to play you will. I can remember a few years ago Switzer took the boys down to the Orange Bowl and all he had to do was beat Arkansas (who had suspended 3 first stringers) to win the NC and we got our butts whooped. Sun came up the next day after that one too.
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With quarterback Sam Bradford leading the way, OU will enter the 2008 season with something to prove after another BCS bowl loss. BY CHRIS LANDSBERGER, THE OKLAHOMAN
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Why don't we spy super mobile QBs who can't throw that well like Pat White? Why don't we disguise our offense better?
bob stoops needs to coach like he used to when he hardly had a whole bunch of talent when he won in 2000 it was with john blake's kids
Here's an interesting exercise: Look at the coaches who have won a NC, starting with 2000, and see how many years they were in that position before they won it.
> Afterall, it is OU's turn- it has been 8 long years.
After looking at the stats from my question above, and I don't know all the stats yet, but I would venture to guess that few head coaches have won a NC after their 8th year with a team.
What a joke - when you guys write stuff like that it just shows how afraid you are to stand up to stoops and the gaylords -