NORMAN — It will be hard to forget what happened last Saturday at Owen Field. Oklahoma’s 51-48 victory over Oklahoma State unleashed an outpouring of emotion that hasn’t been seen in years.
“It’s one of those games where you almost want to cry. Because it’s Senior Night and it’s Bedlam, and you remember what happened last year. And then you win in overtime,” defensive tackle Casey Walker said. “It’s just a great feeling, especially at the house.”
It would have been a great way to end the regular season. The hard part is there’s still one very important game to go.
The 12th-ranked Sooners (9-2, 7-1 Big 12) face TCU (7-4, 4-4) at 11 a.m., Saturday at Amon Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas.
A win would secure a share of the Big 12 title. Perhaps, even win it outright if Texas can upset No. 7 Kansas State Saturday night in Manhattan, Kan.
The implications of an entire season worth of work rides on what happens on Saturday. But how much gas does OU have left in the emotional tank?
The Sooners admitted on Monday, they don’t know.
“It’s hard to come back and be focused and be all into a game whenever you have these emotional games, I know for sure, because it’s draining,” quarterback Landry Jones said. “It’s exhausting to play in those games and it’s hard to get back up for practice, it’s hard to forget about that game and move on to the next opponent.
“I think we’re going to have to do a good job of, yes, remembering this game but moving on to the next opponent, which is TCU — very capable team, very capable defense. They do a great job of playing together, they play extremely hard. It’s going to be a big challenge for us and for us to execute the way we want to on Saturday, it starts today in our preparation.”
Perhaps, the Sooners pick right up where they left off. OU coach Bob Stoops has raved about this team’s business-like approach all season. It’s handled the weekly challenge all season. OU has lost twice, but it wasn’t because it was flat in either game. It still put in the work during the week in those losses to Wildcats and Fighting Irish. OU must do it one more time this season. What happens against TCU has massive implications.
Stoops doesn’t see an issue.
“I don’t know why it would,” he said. “In the end, there’s nothing to bounce back from. Everything’s in front of us. We’ve got a big game, an opportunity to ... with championship implications. All of that in front of you, so if anything, I would think it’d give you some momentum.”
Still, anyone looking for a scenario to wrap-up the regular season would be hard pressed to find a better one than the victory over the Cowboys.
“Yeah, that’s true. It’s one of those things you want to live in the moment, but you’ve also got to know the season’s not over with,” Walker said. “We’re in line for a Big 12 title and a BCS bowl game. That’s one of the goals you set at the beginning of the year. So you have to forget about it.
John ShinnFollow me @john_shinnjshinn@normantranscript.com”
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