By John Shinn — Is it possible to look at an 11-win season that includes a Big 12 Conference championship as a disappointment? That’s the question Oklahoma will ponder in the offseason.

Few were in the mood following Wednesday’s 48-28 loss to West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl.

“You just have to move on to the next season,” linebacker Curtis Lofton said.

It’s likely that the answer will be yes. Because there’s a strong belief that the 2007 Sooners will be remembered for what they didn’t accomplish rather than what they did. That’s what happens when a team doesn’t reach its full potential.



Highs and lows

The highs started with the emergence of quarterback Sam Bradford in September. OU had an offense full of veteran players. The only question was who would run it.

By season’s end, he put together the best campaign of any freshman quarterback in NCAA history. He set the freshman record for touchdown passes with 36 and led the country in passing efficiency at 176.5.

“The guy is so young and he has so much more that he’s going to get better at that he’s going to be incredibly special,” OU coach Bob Stoops said.

For a position that was supposed to be a question mark, OU answered it quickly and began racing up the poles throughout September. Lopsided wins over North Texas, Miami, Utah State and Tulsa shot the Sooners up to No. 3 in the national polls.

Talks of a national championship season broke out before Big 12 play began and were well warranted.

Offensively, it was an incredible season for OU. It scored more touchdowns than any team in the program’s rich history (80) and came close to establishing the mark for points in a season (592).

But OU found out as Big 12 play began that as Bradford went so did the rest of the team. He faced his first adversity in the conference opener at Colorado and it led to a stunning 27-24 loss.

Bradford averaged three touchdown passes in OU’s 11 wins and one in the Sooners’ three losses. Still, the Sooners righted the ship and beat Texas and assume control of the Big 12 South.

They were able to keep control of it despite a late-season loss at Texas Tech that was set in motion by Bradford suffering a concussion on OU’s first offensive snap.

The Sooners were in position to play for a national championship when they went to Lubbock. Even after those hopes were dashed, they rebounded and played their two best games of the season.

OU crushed Oklahoma State to secure the South division and beat Missouri, which was ranked No. 1 at the time, to win its fifth conference title in Stoops’ nine seasons as coach.

What happened Wednesday night will overshadow the regular-season accomplishments.

“When you sit back and you reflect, obviously we’ve done a great job of getting to that point, winning championships, the Big 12 and all” Stoops said. “Maybe we haven’t done as great a job … it isn’t just about winning the Big 12 championship, it’s about winning the bowl game.”

Those are questions OU will ponder in the offseason.



Future

The performance in the Fiesta Bowl will likely cost the Sooners a shot at being the next year’s preseason No. 1 team. It will likely belong to either Georgia, USC, West Virginia or Ohio State. But the Sooners will be in the top 5 and will be the favorite to win another Big 12 title.

There are several juniors contemplating entering the NFL draft. Wide receiver Malcolm Kelly is only considered as a possible first-round pick. But he could improve his stock if he comes back another year. Stoops said he hasn’t discussed the situation with Kelly as of Friday.

“I mean I don’t know anything different today than I did before,” he said.

The future remains incredibly bright even after a fourth bowl loss in the last five years.

“Everywhere you look, there are playmakers on this team. There is a long list,” Bradford said. “With that much help around you, it’s fun to go out there and look around and see the guys on the field with you and know that anyone of these guys can score at any time.”

OU could have as many 12 players back on offense with starting experience and nine on defense. That defense includes defensive end Auston English, who led the Big 12 in sacks and defensive tackles Gerald McCoy and DeMarcus Granger.

Stoops said Granger will face further disciplinary actions after being arrested for shoplifting prior to the Fiesta Bowl. But he expects him to be back next season.

Lofton, who went from a backup to an All-American in his first full season as a starter, should also be return alongside a healthier Ryan Reynolds at two of the linebacker spots. Cornerback Reggie Smith and safeties Nic Harris and Lendy Holmes should also be back.

The Sooners’ expectations are always going to be high. Perhaps, OU didn’t live up to them this season. But all the pieces are in place to meet them in the next one.

John Shinn

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jshinn@normantranscript.com