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David Stanley Ford

Point/counterpoint: Can Oklahoma salvage its season by beating Texas?

By JAKE TROTTER and DAVID UBBEN, Staff Writers, jtrotter@opubco.com and dubben@opubco.com    Comments Comment on this article5
Published: October 17, 2009



→Jake Trotter: While returning to the national title game was the expectation, all anyone can do is make the best of the cards that are dealt. And OU has been dealt injuries to its top-three playmakers. Beating Texas alone won’t salvage the season. But beating Texas and winning the Big 12 is a solid season, all things considered.

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→David Ubben: The injuries have been a big reason for the losses, and Sam Bradford can pump his sunshine about four Big 12 Championships all he wants. But he, along with Gerald McCoy, Jermaine Gresham and Trent Williams, didn’t come back to get a win in December in Dallas.

→Trotter: OU hasn’t won a national title in nine years. Does that make all the seasons since failures? Certainly not. There are other goals to be had than a national championship. Beating Texas and winning the Big 12 are two big ones.

→Ubben: OU hasn’t brought back a Heisman winner and three more probable first-round picks from a national runner-up nine times, though. When that’s the team that returns, there’s only one implied goal. Anything less is failure, no matter the reason.

→Trotter: Not saying this season is ideal. But whose would with its three best offensive players missing extensive time? Beat Texas, and those one-point losses won’t hurt so much. Win the Big 12, and this season becomes salvageable.

→Ubben: Beat Texas and, if anything, those one-point losses hurt even more. A win would only cranks up the "What could have been?” factor. Losing a close game to Texas or getting upset in the Big 12 Championship to a middling team from the North would have been a lot easier for fans to deal with. Instead, they have to sit through an entire conference season with almost no chance to improve on last year’s result.

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David Stanley Ford


Related Topics: College Athletics, College Football


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OU has played its best football when its back was against the wall. I hope they can do it again. But with a weak offensive line, receivers with lead in their hands, and a defense that cannnot stop a drive when it counts the most, I doubt they will win. I only hope they play with passion, tackle well, maintain their assignments and reduce the penalties. If they do that they will keep the score respectable and might win.
William, Fairfield - Oct 17, 2009 at 10:01 am
Would have could have should theories are basically the thought process of whiners. Its a new season now for the Sooners. A win has them 2-0 in the Big 12. However a loss, if that loss is not frought with mindless penalties, turnovers, lack of effort, and poor fundamentals rights the ship for me. I dont mind losing when the fundamentals are in place, OU's two loses were fraught with poor fundamental football. Based upon what I have seen thus far OU will lose 38-20 or much more if they continue to play fundamentally poor football. If they can play fundamentally sound then the shorthorns can be had, but again OU has not shown me good sound blocking, tackling, running, catching, and near errorless in penalties. Maybe it changes today. Also this game serves as a huge game in recruiting which unless i missed the debate wasnt mentioned. Which I did not so boyz bone up on your history of this game and actually do some reporting. Fairly lame and superficial "debate" here.
Terry, Norman - Oct 17, 2009 at 7:25 am
We're about to get a mudhole stomped in our collective @sses...this article nothing more than is just internet fluff/filler
Lee, Euless - Oct 17, 2009 at 7:20 am
Report as inappropriate or
Ignore Lee
Ubben is an idiot!! Sure, we had National Title aspirations. However, you have to play the cards you are dealt.

Let's examine.

What happens if you take Percy Harvin off of last year's Florida Gators Title team? They probably don't make it to the Title Game, but if they do OU wins the game. That simple. Percy took over the game in the second half and more importantly the 4th quarter.

What happens if you take Vince Young off the 2005 Texas National Championship team? 3 maybe 4 losses!!

The point is that OU lost arguably the nation's best quarterback, the nation's best tight end and endzone threat hands down, and at the time the Nation's leading receiver. NO TEAM can make it to the National Title game under those circumstances. If someone can remember a team with so many devasting injuries, then prove me wrong.

Beat Texas and the one point losses hurt even more? Shut your mouth. It is more like Beat Texas and we rise up in the polls faster than Ubben can spell IDIOT!!!
Samuel, Wichita - Oct 17, 2009 at 6:37 am
Ill take a texas victory and a bcs bowl win as success.
Danney, Oklahoma City - Oct 17, 2009 at 12:33 am

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