A walk through the halls of the Switzer Center will reveal a lot of things. But there’s one thing that’s going to be tough to hear. Compliments for Oklahoma’s offensive linemen are few and far between. Even offering one falls on deaf ears.
“We have to keep our edge,” guard Duke Robinson said.
It’s far cry from last August. The infant stages of the 2006 season included an offensive line thin on experience and numbers. Paul Thompson was the biggest question at quarterback, but how OU was going to keep him upright was second.
Then Thompson went out and threw for 2,667 yards and was only sacked 16 times. Despite losing Adrian Peterson for eight games, the Sooners still averaged 177 yards a game.
The offensive line stepped up. But what happened last season only revealed potential.
Instead of praising the overall numbers, coaches harp on last two games. The Sooners were held to 42 rushing yards in the Big 12 championship game against Nebraska. They piled up 174 against Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl, but struggled to get the ball moving until the second half.
The late-season dip left an impression the unit got soft at the end of the season. Great offensive lines don’t allow that to happen.
“Anytime someone is slacking or something that always gets pointed out,” center Jon Cooper said.
But outside of the Sooner camp, last season’s performance left a very favorable impression. Most preseason publications have labeled OU’s offensive line as one of the best in the country. With all five starters back and depth no longer an issue, the accolades are warranted.
But the way the 2006 season ended has been the only thing that matters in OU’s camp.
“With the experience we have and the guys that have played and been in the fire, we can hold ourselves to a high standard,” offensive line coach James Patton said. “We have to hold ourselves to that every week.”
Clearly, the bar has been elevated. OU is breaking in another starting quarterback and will enter a season without Adrian Peterson for the first time since 2003.
However, the potential up front is enough to believe the Sooners shouldn’t miss a beat.
Last year was all about developing that talent. OU did that and showed its line has the potential to open holes against any defense.
The goal for the next five months is to prove it can do it consistently over what the Sooners hope will be a 14-game season.
“They will be good at the end of the year when they have been good every week,” offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said. “You can’t be a good line unless they are an everyday and every week performer. It is a grind position. The potential of this group doesn’t matter if they don’t prepare on Tuesday and Wednesday to play at a high level on Saturdays.”
So don’t expect to hear much praise for the Sooners’ offensive line this season. They’re not looking for it either. They expect to be judged over what they do over the entire season. They want the bar to be set as high as it will go.
“We want to be the best line in the country,” Cooper said. “We’ll do whatever it takes to do that.”
John Shinn
366-3536
jshinn@normantranscript.com
OU Sports
Strong up front
- OU Sports
-
-
Sooners make winning look easy
As Oklahoma’s players locked arms around the pitching circle, coming together for what passed as a celebration following Saturday’s 7-1 NCAA Super Regional-clinching victory over Arizona, three gloves remained near second base....
-
There are no easy outs in the lineup
Looking for a gameplan to stop Oklahoma? Well, one may or may not be available, but walking two of the first three Sooners you face certainly isn’t part of it. Just ask Arizona’s Kenzie Fowler....
-
Sooners will play for Big 12 championship
OKLAHOMA CITY, — It’s been 16 years since Oklahoma won the Big 12 tournament. It’s closer now than its ever been to ending the streak. The Sooners rolled through Baylor, 7-2, on Saturday at Bricktown Ballpark to advance to the tournament’s ...
-
Sooners send five more to nationals
AUSTIN, Texas — Oklahoma track and field teams had five more individuals qualify for the NCAA Championship on Saturday evening at the NCAA West Preliminary. The men’s 4x100-meter relay team also advanced to the national semifinals....
-
OU sophomore Jao-Javanil wins NCAA golf title
FRANKLIN, Tenn. — Oklahoma’s Chirapat Jao-Javanil made Oklahoma golf history Friday, becoming the first Sooner, man or woman, to win an individual NCAA national championship....
-
Pitching staff is exactly where Golloway wants it to be
When the Big 12 tournament began, Oklahoma felt like it had the pitching staff to make a deep run. Dillon Overton, Jordan John, Jonathan Gray and Damien Magnifico gave them four quality starters and a closer — Steven Okert — capable of ...
-
Sooners shut out Wildcats, need one more win for WCWS entry
Oklahoma might have scored more runs, not committed an error and starting pitcher Keilani Ricketts could have been just a little more efficient along the way....
-
Sooners send 4 more to NCAAs
AUSTIN, Texas – Oklahoma’s track and field teams added four individuals to the list of Sooners advancing to the NCAA championship Friday at the NCAA West Preliminary. In addition to the four new qualifiers, Brittany Borman advanced to the ...
-
Big 12, SEC deal breaks the mold
It is unclear what the on-the-field product of the game-for-which-there-is-not-yet-a-name will be. Indeed, all we really know is the Big 12 and SEC plan to play a game on Jan. 1, 2015 (and on every Jan. 1, thereafter) that will include ...
-
Rivalry helped shape program
For coach Patty Gasso, it goes all the way back to 1995, her first year at Oklahoma. That was when her Sooners played Arizona six times throughout the season. Those Sooners were “annihilated” in all six of those contests....
- More OU Sports Headlines
-
Sooners make winning look easy
