Off weeks can be a time for rest or a chance for an in-season return to training camp.
Oklahoma went through the latter during its last off week. The Sooners will try a little bit of the former this week.
“It is a good time for a break,” OU coach Bob Stoops said Tuesday at his weekly media luncheon.
The Sooners (5-3 overall, 4-1 Big 12) have won three straight games, and moved one victory away from guaranteeing themselves a bowl berth.
It’s a far cry from where OU found itself in late September. Back then, the Sooners had stumbled out of the gate to a 1-2 start. Instead of giving the players some time off, it was six straight back-to-the-grindstone practices.
Offensive coordinator Chuck Long said that week was like starting all over.
And this one?
“We’re banged up a little bit. They need some rest at this point,” Long said. “It’s just a feel we have for our team. At the first bye week, it was still early in the year, we were going through some growing pains, we weren’t as beat up, so we worked them more.
“We’re going to have plenty of good work this week, but we just felt like, at this time of year, let’s cut back a little bit more, let them have some time off and they’ll come back a lot more refreshed to finish. November’s a hard part of the season.”
Getting Adrian Peterson completely healthy for the first time in more than a month and mending some of the nagging injuries on the offensive line are the priorities.
Stoops believes center Chris Chester will be able to play Nov. 12 against Texas A&M; and will begin to practice this week. The Sooners need him.
Chris Bush, who moved to center when Chester went down, broke his right hand against Nebraska and will have to move back to guard while he wears a cast.
There are also numerous players dealing with the aches and pains of the season.
“To some degree, we will work hard,” Stoops said. “I don’t know that we can be as physical as we were (during the first off week) because of all the guys that we have out or are close to being out.
“We have to get a lot of work done and still improve our health overall. So, it can’t be as physical as it was back then.”
This time around, there isn’t the same type of pressure to get as much work in as possible. The Sooners have improved.
OU leads the nation in rushing defense and has progressed offensively over its last three games.
All that’s left is trying to get ready for the final stretch of the regular season. The Sooners host the Aggies Nov. 12 and travel to Texas Tech Nov. 19 before closing the regular season against Oklahoma State at home Nov. 26.
OU was supposed to play the Cowboys this week, but it was moved in June to Thanksgiving weekend.
At the time, OU was irritated with the move. It wanted two weeks to prepare for a possible Big 12 Championship Game appearance. The Sooners aren’t complaining now.
“This one works out, in our situation, really good,” Stoops said.
John Shinn366-3536jshinn@normantranscript.com
OU Sports
Related Photos
-
Kevin Ellis
Discussion
Off week suits Sooners
- OU Sports
-
-
Sooners did not show up to play
Texas had something to play for. So there’s that. If the Longhorns are to receive an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, this was just the kind of game they absolutely had to win....
-
With W.V. set free by Big East, Big 12 schedule’s out and it’s backloaded for Sooners
With West Virginia finally receiving its release from the Big East Conference on Tuesday, the Big 12 Conference was finally able to release its conference football schedule for the 2012 season....
-
Red River rut
The rut Oklahoma has been trying to escape for the last two weeks continued to grow deeper with a 69-58 loss to Texas Tuesday night at Lloyd Noble Center....
-
OU gearing up for Texas’ Brown
If Oklahoma guard Steven Pledger had his way, tonight’s meeting with Texas will come down to two players: himself and Longhorn guard J’Covan Brown....
-
Sooners will have a dramatically new look up and down the order, on the mound
The clubhouse at L. Dale Mitchell Park hasn’t changed over the last year. Just about everything else has since the 2011 baseball season ended. The locker stalls have 20 new nameplates. The coaches’ locker room has two new ones as well. ...
-
Despite hard fight, UConn wins big
By its own standards, the Connecticut team that took the floor Monday night at Lloyd Noble Center was not in the same class as its previous incarnations. But a down year for the seven-time national champions is still better than just ...
-
Believe it or not, OU women are progressing
Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma appeared plenty willing to embarrass Oklahoma for a third time in seven games....
-
OU reeling from stunning loss to Texas Tech
As Oklahoma’s players headed toward the exit at United Spirit Arena on Saturday night, most had dazed looks on their faces. The 65-47 loss to Texas Tech was something they didn’t see coming....
-
Husky challenge
No time might seem like a good time to face Connecticut. The Huskies are always terrific and this season will enter Lloyd Noble Center likely ranked No. 2 following Notre Dame’s Sunday loss to West Virginia....
-
Sooners put finishing touches on perfect opener
Oklahoma capped off a perfect opening weekend of softball on Sunday with an 11-1 victory over Kent State. The Sooners were led by another strong outing from pitcher Keilani Rickets and an offensive explosion by Allee Allen....
- More OU Sports Headlines
-
Sooners did not show up to play
