Sooners seek new/old vibe

By John Helsley

Jeff Capel admitted Monday that his Sooners have misplaced their mojo.

Not exactly major news for anyone who’s seen them struggle in recent weeks, yet still a somewhat revealing admittance by the OU coach.

The question becomes, of course, can the Sooners recreate the magic that had them 25-1 and rolling to the nation’s No. 1 ranking before Blake Griffin took an accidental blow to the head and missed six quarters of two losses that seemed to allow doubt to seep into some minds?

The feeling Sunday, as the Big Dance card was revealed, was that a clean slate could cure OU’s ills. Dancing has a way of putting some music in the soul. While not exactly the same, look what a fresh start did for Baylor in the Big 12 Tournament.

There’s a freedom the Tournament brings, not to mention a sense that you’re on the doorstep of all you’ve been working toward. The Big 12 battles are behind. New teams and new challenges and new perspectives come into play.