Now the season can finally begin.
Now we can learn something about that retooled secondary and Brent Venables’ linebacking corps that returns just one starter and may still not begin things Saturday with would-be starter Austin Box on the weakside, though Box will play.
Now we can start to view Sam Bradford’s sophomore year, maybe even DeMarco Murray’s sophomore year, and if he catches nine passes every week, even Manny Johnson’s senior year, in a Heisman Trophy context. You know, assuming, each one turns in a big game against the Bearcats.
Because Oklahoma was idle last week.
The stadium was full and another team stood on the other side, but OU might have done everybody a favor by getting Central Oklahoma to drive down from Edmond.
Almost a half million bucks would have remained in the state and the fans would have gotten a better game. But these things happen in big-time college football and when you’ve got Bob Stoops and Joe Castiglione intent on delivering a testing slate, they don’t stay that way for long.
Cincinnati can play.
Brian Kelly, in only his second season to run the program, has won 12 of 15 games and his only bowl game. And should he exit Norman victoriously and should his quarterback, Dustin Grutza, somehow do to OU what he did to Eastern Kentucky, Kelly will have his own Heisman Trophy candidate to look after.
The truth is, Cincinnati is exactly the kind of team that might shock a team like Oklahoma.
The Bearcats are coached by a guy who’s known nothing but success. Kelly won in Division II, he turned Central Michigan around in the MAC and he’s winning at Cincinnati.
The Bearcats are unranked, but shouldn’t be. They return a bunch of starters (16) and, only picked fifth by Big East media in the preseason, have something to prove. They’re opportunistic, leading the nation with 42 takeaways a year ago; just the kind of thing that allows a weaker foe to take down a stronger one.
All the same, Cincinnati’s a model out-of-conference opponent, as is TCU, which comes to Norman Sept. 27. It’s a game OU should win and one that’s bound to look better and better as the season goes along.
It’s just not a victory OU can pencil in today.
I asked Stoops if all the first- week upsets were a favor to his team, serving as reminders that anybody can get beat. He said such reminders aren’t required.
“I don’t get the question …,” he said.
Seemed simple enough to me.
“… They’re a really good football team. That’s all we need to know. We need to be our best if we want to win.”
Me aside, he understands.
So, too, does Sam Bradford, who didn’t think he and his teammates needed to watch UCLA beat Tennessee or Arkansas State beat Texas A&M; to get the picture.
“I don’t think we need to see another good team lose,” he said, “to realize that we need to come out and play our best.”
Which is something else to think about.
If the season really begins Saturday, which it really sort of does, can OU be expected to put its best foot forward so quickly? Does it have to and, should it, what might it look like?
All good questions, while many more abound.
Now the Sooners can finally begin answering them.
Clay Horning
366-3526
cfhorning@normantranscript.com
OU Sports
The season really begins with Cincinnati
Commentary
- OU Sports
-
-
Schedule easing up for Sooners
For some time, the Oklahoma women have been done no favors by their schedule. That may still be the case, but not for much longer....
-
Sooners using roller-coaster season as motivation
Oklahoma’s women’s gymnastics team has been anything but consistent. After dominating its season opener, the Sooners fell to No. 7 Oregon State and No. 9 Nebraska before trouncing then-No. 2 Arkansas....
-
Sooners open season with World Series aspirations
The Sooners haven’t even taken the field yet, but there is already talk of a national championship floating around the Oklahoma locker room. The Sooners will take the first step toward that goal when they open the season at 1:15 p.m. ...
-
Sooners have to eliminate mistakes that are costing them wins
It was a typical practice for Oklahoma on Thursday. The long workout had a lot of energy and precision. It mirrored many it has had over the last three months....
-
Move to Big 12 is chance at stability
Maybe this Internet thing’s really going to make it after all. Maybe even as a news source....
-
Sooners struggling to make climb
Oklahoma left the Lloyd Noble Center floor feeling an emotion that has become far too common on Monday. The 71-68 loss to Missouri was another tough loss in a season that’s getting tougher every day....
-
Sooners quartet needs help from teammates
How well did Oklahoma play Monday night? So well, even after missing 14 of 23 free throws, Steven Pledger, one of the nation’s best sharpshooters, had an open 3 to send the Sooners into overtime against No. 4 Missouri....
-
Sooners good enough everywhere but the free throw line
Steven Pledger sank to the floor with his face in his hands as the buzzer sounded. He couldn’t believe the 3-pointer he took with about 1 second remaining didn’t go through the net. It wasn’t the only thing running through his mind after ...
-
Last season ended in first trip to College Word Series since 2004
Hunger. Passion. Those were the two words most often repeated at the Oklahoma softball squad’s Media Day on Monday. And it’s those two traits that the Sooners are bringing to the 2012 season, which kicks off on Friday....
-
Campbell has another big night when Sooners needed her to step up
Scoring Oklahoma’s last nine points in a narrow victory over Texas Tech, freshman Sharane Campbell had been instrumental in front of the home crowd in one victory already this season....
- More OU Sports Headlines
-
Schedule easing up for Sooners
