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BCS National Championship: The Magic disappears

 
By Berry Tramel | Published: January 10, 2009    Comment on this article Leave a comment

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Sam Bradford came to the line of scrimmage with 10:45 left in the game. Probably left in his college career. The Sooners trailed Florida 17-14 Thursday night, and anyone who watched the Oklahoma offense this historic season of 2008 had to believe OU was in prime position to win its eighth national championship.

photo - Oklahoma's Sam Bradford walks off the field after the BCS National Championship college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the University of Florida Gators (UF) on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2009, at Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. Oklahoma lost the game 24-14 to the Gators. By Chris Landsberger
Oklahoma's Sam Bradford walks off the field after the BCS National Championship college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the University of Florida Gators (UF) on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2009, at Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. Oklahoma lost the game 24-14 to the Gators. By Chris Landsberger

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The ball in Bradford’s hands

Or not. Anyone who has watched Oklahoma football in these salad days of Bob Stoops, this decade, when winning once again became a Sooner birthright, had to feel trepidation.

Had to worry. Had to wonder if indeed Bradford could get the Sooners to the end zone or darn close, in order to kick a tying field goal.

For the truth is, Sooner Magic has gone missing in action, and the 24-14 loss to Florida is only the latest example.

Late-game dramatics in which OU found a way to pull out a near-lost cause? A staple of the wishbone era, when Thomas Lott (Ohio State) or J.C. Watts (Florida State) or Jamelle Holieway (Nebraska) would produce glory from the jaws of despair.

But the jaws won Thursday night. The Florida chomp clamped down on yet another OU title bid, and the Sooner offense — which always is good and often spectacular — again went splat at crunch time.

That’s the strange trend in the Stoops era, particularly in quarterback-rich years.

OU has become Quarterback U.

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