Sooners falling into place

Commentary

By Clay Horning

Looking back on Oklahoma’s 2000 national championship it’s still clear as ever how several factors came together to produce the program’s seventh national title.

There was hardly an injury. Pretty much every player had a chip on his shoulder and absolutely no sense of entitlement. Apparently, John Blake really did leave behind a cupboard full of talent (even if Bob Stoops had to get a bunch of them in the right position after arriving the year before).

Things just came together.

Like destiny.

I’m not sure how it happened that the moment Josh Heupel’s passes lost their zip was pretty much the same moment everything Mike Stoops did with the defense turned to gold.

But those are just the kinds of things that add up to winning it all. And if you look around, a few similar factors may be back at work this season.

None of them can be found on OU’s special teams, which beyond not having earned their name are alarmingly mediocre, from knuckleball placekicks to absent kickoff defense, but perhaps such things can still come around. Kind of the way things have come around with the linebackers and the secondary; which, if you’re looking for who’d-have-thunk-it surprises, is a pretty good place to start.

The secondary had a leg up with the return of Nic Harris and Lendy Holmes at the safety spots, so it’s the linebackers who have left expectation in the greatest dust.

The group led by a guy who’s health and durability everybody used to wonder about: Ryan Reynolds. On the strongside is Keenan Clayton, a once-failed safety who became a linebacker, earned a starting job and now plays the best linebacker and safety he’s every played.

“He gives you a lot of versatility because he’s so fast. He has such good cover skills,” Bob Stoops said. “We don’t have to call him a linebacker. We could call him a safety and say we run a 4-2-5 instead of a 4-3.”

While, on the weakside, Travis Lewis, a third-teamer until defensive coordinator Brent Venables chose him over Mike Balogun when Austin Box went down before opening day, leads the Sooners in tackles.

They’re not just playing well, but well as a unit. Lewis has 32 tackles and 41⁄2 for losses, Renolds has 29 and three for losses and Clayton has 24 and four for losses.

“Travis and Keenan are real smart. We all know how to get lined up,” Reynolds said. “It helps when somebody can help you out and inform you. We all line each other up and help each other out.”

Where the secondary’s concerned, Stoops was quick to point out only four games have been played, but even quicker to point out it’s better than it was four games into last season.

“We’ve been touching the ball more,” he said, “breaking up more balls, eveything (more) than we did a year ago.”

Holmes almost has linebacker numbers with 23 tackles, while corners — new starters both — Dominique Franks and Brian Jackson, have combined on 24 tackles, two picks and six break-ups. But the biggest statement of all is their coach hasn’t had to make any in explanation of deep busts that went for six points.

“If we give up a touchdown, everyone in America knows it,” Franks said. “We just have to stay on our toes and be ready for anything.”

There’s more.

This team seems to have a work ethic that might be bolsetered, rather than challenged, by a No. 1 ranking. Perhaps just like the last bunch of Sooners that pulled it off.

Many things are falling into place.

Clay Horning

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cfhorning@normantranscript.com