Home is where the wins are for the Sooners

 
By Berry Tramel | Published: November 23, 2007    Comment on this article Leave a comment

NORMAN — We were talking the other day about tough places to play in college football, and Bob Stoops suggested a fool-proof plan for discovery.

"Check their record,” Stoops said.

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And so I did.

Oklahoma has the best home record in the sport. By a long shot. The Sooners are 53-2 at Owen Field since Stoops' arrival for the 1999 season. No other school has fewer than six home losses over those nine years.

Sam Bradford apparently will quarterback the Sooners on Saturday against Oklahoma State. Who knows how he will respond with a brain bruise?

But here's a hypothetical question that might shed light on the 102nd Bedlam football game.

Which is the better team? OU with Bradford but playing this game in Stillwater, or OU without Bradford but playing at home?

Most combatants and coaches and fans would pick the former. They would figure go with your best players and take your best shot. They would be wrong.

The Sooners' best friend Saturday is Owen Field. OU has proven vulnerable in road games, in this year and others.

Meanwhile, they are monsters at home since Stoops debuted with a 49-0 victory over Indiana State. The opponents have gotten tougher but the results have been the same except twice, OSU's epic 16-13 upset in 2001 and TCU's 17-10 stunner in 2005.

Owen Field rarely is mentioned among college football's snake pits. Such status is reserved for stadiums like Virginia Tech's Lane and LSU's Tiger and Oregon's Autzen.

In the Big 12, Texas A&M's Kyle Field and Nebraska's Memorial Stadium generally are rated tops in atmosphere.

Maybe so. The Sooners' game-day experience seems to match most in revelry, but Owen Field's noise level doesn't equal some.

No matter. OU's home record under Stoops still is much better than any other school.

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