Oklahoma football: Bob Stoops’ halftime adjustments

I’ve got a reader who’s been on Bob Stoops’ case for several years, and his primary charge is Stoops’ lack of second half adjustments. So I did the research.

Here it is. Stoops is 9-21 when trailing at halftime during his OU career. When tied at halftime, Stoops is 7-4. Which makes him 17-25 overall when not leading at halftime.

Let’s review. Here are the games in which Stoops trailed or was tied at halftime.

2012: OU trailed Texas A&M 14-13, then lost 41-13. OU trailed Notre Dame 10-6, then lost 30-13. OU trailed KansasState 10-6, then lost 24-19. OU was tied 7-7 with Texas-El Paso, then won 24-7. OU was tied 24-24 with OSU, then won 51-48 in overtime.

I’d say Stoops clearly lost the halftime battle against A&M. The other games, except for the inexplicable UTEP slow start, featured first halves very much like the second halves.

2011: OU trailed Texas Tech 24-7, then lost 41-38. OU trailed Baylor 17-10, then lost 45-38.

I’d say Stoops won the halftime battle in the Tech game. Baylor was a wash.

2010: OU trailed Missouri 17-14, then lost 36-27. OU trailed A&M 12-0, then lost 33-19. OU trailed Nebraska 20-17, then won 23-20.

I don’t see much affected by adjustments. OU played much better in the second half at A&M.

2009: OU trailed Nebraska 7-3, then lost 10-3. OU trailed Tech 17-6, then lost 41-13. OU trailed Stanford 24-17, then won 31-27.

I’d say OU lost the halftime battle against Tech, won the halftime battle in the Sun Bowl.

2008: OU was tied with Florida 14-14, then lost 24-14.

Clearly OU lost the halftime. The Sooners were much better in the first half than in the second half.

2007: OU was tied with Texas 14-14, then won 28-21. OU trailed Iowa State 7-0, then won 17-7. OU trailed Tech 27-10, then lost 34-27.

OU won the halftime battle against the Longhorns. The loss at Tech was the Sam Bradford concussion game. Not much you can do with that.

2006: OU was tied with Alabama-Birmingham 7-7, then won 24-17. OU was tied 13-13 with Washington, then won 37-20. OU trailed Oregon 13-6, then lost 34-33. OU trailed Tech 24-17, then won 34-24. OU trailed Boise State 21-10, then lost 43-42 in overtime.

Hard to count the Oregon fiasco against Stoops. Hard to credit Stoops for rallying against UAB and maybe Washington. But Stoops clearly won the halftime against Tech and Boise State.

2005: OU trailed TCU 10-0, then lost 17-10. OU trailed UCLA 13-10, then lost 41-24. OU trailed Texas 24-6, then lost 45-12. OU trailed Tech 10-7, then lost 23-21. OU trailed Oregon 7-3, then won 17-14.