Oklahoma football: Don’t give up on 2012

A theme has emerged from a good number of OU football fans: Start playing for next season. Bench Landry Jones, insert Blake Bell and start planning for 2013.

Of course, it’s madness on many fronts, starting with this one. 2012 remains a land of opportunity for the Sooners. They didn’t play well at UTEP, and Landry played awful against Kansas State. But that doesn’t mean OU is spiraling toward a 6-6 season.

Landry Jones, Blake Bell. OU quarterbacks.

Admittedly, it could happen. But it doesn’t have to. Look at it this way. Let’s say OU loses at Lubbock, and at Morgantown, and at Fort Worth, and even at Ames. That’s five losses. Which would be a disastrous season. But even with five losses, you still want to tank the games against Texas, Notre Dame and OSU?

You want to all in on 2013 and not Notre Dame? You want to plan for the future and take your lumps in the Cotton Bowl? You don’t care if your Bedlam losing streak reaches two?

Hey, even if the national championship carrot is gone, and it virtually, and even if the Big 12 title hopes have vamooshed, which they haven’t, there’s still a lot of good Saturdays to be had, if the Sooners find their footing. If they play well and Landry takes care of the ball.