By Clay Horning
Oklahoma has itself to blame. Getting clobbered by Southern Cal, surprised by Boise State and embarrassed by West Virginia, those national impressions, on the BCS bowl stage, have been the lasting ones.
But they’re not the only ones.
Saturday night at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium, the Sooners take on Missouri for the Big 12 championship. For so many, the Sooners included, it is a gateway to the BCS championship game and a possible eighth national championship.
But for many others, it is also something, well, less, but perhaps no less important. Because regardless of what comes next, it is OU’s seventh appearance in the Big 12 championship game in nine seasons. Since the national championship year of 2000, the Sooners have only failed to play in the game in 2001 and 2005. Of the six already in the books, OU has won five, including the last two, 21-7 over Nebraska and 38-17 over Saturday’s opponent, Missouri.
The Sooners have won it with a sore-armed quarterback (Josh Heupel), a beleaguered but darn good quarterback (Nate Hybl), a strong-armed but weak-kneed quarterback (Jason White), a substitute quarterback (Paul Thompson) and a freshman quarterback (Sam Bradford).
They’ve won it with three offensive coordinators and two defensive coordinators. They’ve won it with a roster of postseason award winners (2004) and with a roster of overachievers (2000 and 2006). They’ve won it with defense and they’ve won it with offense.
They’ve won them all with the same head coach.
Most of all, they’ve just won.
Saturday they can make it four conference championships in five seasons. Call it a dynasty, because that’s what it is.
It’s not easily realized because it’s easy to forget. What happens in December can seem awfully fleeting after a January dive. That could be the case again this season, yet the accomplishment will be no less complete.
Because the best a Big 12 Conference program can do in the Big 12 Conference is win the Big 12 Conference. Redundant, yes, but required to understand. A national title will always be more meaningful than one won in the conference, but greatness over time is best measured in the league. There hasn’t been a major sport national collegiate dynasty since John Wooden’s Bruins. Also, while a January loss can make it easy to forget, a Big 12 championship is never easy to win.
“It’s not easy (to reach the game), particularly in this competitive (South) division. It’s incredibly difficult,” OU coach Bob Stoops said. “I always appreciate the work of the players and the coaches, along with everyone in the program to keep your head down, keep fighting for it each week, Just giving ourselves a chance for it.”
This season might be a special one. Whenever asked, Stoops has spoken of the consistent and businesslike approach his team takes, week in and week out, in practices and games. But even if this year stands out, at least before December becomes January, the Sooners have approached the same type of consistency in several recent seasons. The proof is their success.
“It’s just the leadership of the team,” senior receiver Juaquin Iglesias said. “We put in the hard work and we just try to bring that to every game.”
“It shows the character of this team,” linebacker Travis Lewis said. “We have a common goal and we’re going to go out there hungry every single time.”
There’s probably more reason to believe the approach will carry over to the very end this time. Just as the Sooners gave great emphasis to their approach away from Owen Field going back to the preseason, they’ve internalized the need to finish, games and the season, with the same kind of urgency.
That works for what comes next, but also for Saturday night, when OU can make it three straight Big 12 championships, four in five seasons and six in nine.
A dynasty, by any measure.
Clay Horning
366-3526
cfhorning@normantranscript.com
