I hope I speak for a lot of fans...

[IronHorseSooner]

I have been through the ups and downs of this program. From the time that I met Steve Owens when I was 6, I have been a fan. When I was a kid, I remember crying when we got beat by thUg those three year, and going outside to scream that we had won the championship in 1985. I suffer through probation and the 1990s. On my 21st B-day, I got tix to my first OU game in Norman, only to pelted by beer bottles by drunk CU fans. That was also the day the Schooner tipped over and Cale Gundy was injured. I have cheered for the Sooners in Iraq and had to take it when they have been upset. However, with all of the emotion that I have felt over the past 25 years that I have been a fan of my home state's team, I have never been on such an emotional roller coaster as I have been with this team since 2001. Even though I will always be loyal, the 90s are proof of that, I don't know if this team, with it's current assistant coaches, will ever win #8. This team looked impervious, but I guess we were all fooled. Thoughts?

[MissouriSooner]

I'm hear you IronHorseSooner, but the difference between those good old days and today is that the scholly limits have spread the talent around, and not just the Miami's and USC's and LSU's and OU's of the world have talent. It takes extremely good coaching, positive acceptance of coaching by the players, and a special combination of game planning and some luck to win consistently. Not many teams these days go undefeated and dominate their opponents in every game. WVU proved that last night, and we proved it today. Boomer Sooner.

[Miko]

Yeah, this hurts. It always does. I guess that is what makes winning so sweet.

At times like these I almost wish I was like most people and only had a passing interest in the game. Or like a tech fan for whom the ocaisional win is nice but a loss is no big deal.

Last year I felt that playing for a conf. title was great and winning it was sweet. This year I really felt we were capable of so much more.

It must be nice in a way, to cheer for a school for whom national titles are not expected. "Papa didn't see us win it all, I think Grand Pa did but he was just a kid....We lost? Bummer, what do you feel like doing for dinner tonight?"

I'm not giving up on this staff. Gut wrenching heartbreak is a part of having such a stong emotional attachment to a school. When losing your shot at the crystal football stops hurting is when we become something other than Oklahoma.

As the King said, "you can't win every one of them dadgum things."

[OUmillenium]

Agree with the original post.

I think Venables is a great LB coach, motivator, recruiter, etc.

He's just not a gameday defensive coordinator, IMO.

Boomer Sooner, beat Uterus.

[DrZaius]

I am not sure if I watched the same game. Our defense played well until they ran out of gas.

[Eielson]

I think we have a very good chance at winning a title next year if we don't have juniors going pro. Am I correct in guessing that 10 of 11 starters will be back and that one gone would be Allen Patrick, who is almost a half starter? Assuming that John Williams gets his extra year of elligibility does that leave us with everybody back but Lewis Baker, Marcus Walker, and DJ Wolfe? I think we could be better at EVERY position except for Kicker and this is one heck of a team.

I don't think we have to win a championship to have fun being a Sooner fan, though. If that's the only reason you are excited every year for football then you are extremely spoiled. It isn't like we lost to Troy 41-10 before a few fourth quarter scores that make it look closer.

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

We played fair on defense. We COULDN'T MOVE Colorado's D line, our players couldn't hang onto the ball, and Kevin Wilson or somebody started again with those "hand it off to the tailback 10 yds behind the line of scrimage, be sure to don't fake anything, and all the while show the ball to the nation before handing off" type plays. On top of all that, we still needed a good hosing by the refs to seal the loss.

[AlbqSooner]

I am not sure if I watched the same game. Our defense played well until they ran out of gas.
Playing virtually all of the second half at 5400 feet will run you out of gas even if you went through Schmidt's conditioning.

[sanantoniosooner]

move to France if you want to raise your white flag.

I hate to break this to you, but going undefeated is a rare thing. Teams that have done it often deserved to lose a game and were fortunate to catch a break. It's a rollercoaster because you buy into all the hype and then want to slit your wrists when the team isn't the one to bring home #8.

I'm not even giving up on the MNC. Other teams can stink it up in a game just as bad as we did.

[Piware]

As Sooner fans, we always expect to run the table. I have been following OU football since 1957 and I, for one, am glad that we approach each season that way. I hated the Gibbs/Blake/Smellyburger years when we just hoped to hang on and not get humiliated too badly. That expectation and believing we can win is part of why Colorado won today and what makes OU special 99% of the time. Ther other 1% I don't like but I can live with it.

Boomer Sooner - this season is a long way from being over.

[TrophyCollector]

If we ever, even one time took our great athletes in the secondary and lined them up man to man in a crucial 3rd or 4th down situation, the other team would be so shocked that their QB would just lay on the ground and start crying.

Why is 3rd & 6 or more an automatic all-out zone blitz with gaping holes in the secondary? Over and over I hear the commentators getting onto our kids for a busted coverage or getting burned and I feel sorry for them. It's sometimes hard for 5 guys to cover 4 receivers when 3 of those receivers all run under, into and behind one zone - so we have one player trying to cover 3 receivers and we either get burned under the zone or behind the zone. Yea, we are usually great on D, but it gets old seeing the same thing over and over and over again.

[IronHorseSooner]

Yea, we are usually great on D, but it gets old seeing the same thing over and over and over again.

This is exactly what I am talking about. OUr program is too good for this to be happening. In most seasons, this program has the talent to run the table..WE ARE OKLAHOMA!!!! Lack of focus has cost the program games that we all knwo about, song and verse. I will NEVER thrown in the white flag, and being a proud Army man, I will never turn French, but until there is a playoff, having a loss puts any team in a very precarious position. In some cases, even go undefeated isn't enough. This season likely to be one of them.

[tommie15]

Suck it up Sooners. Sure, the loss hurts - the first one always hurts the most.

But look northwest to Lincoln to realize how good you have it. You have a coach that is a proven winner and will continue to win. 117 other fanbases would trade positions with you.

[SoonerKnight]

i am from Oklahoma. Moore to be exact. I was raised on Oklahoma football and I believe this loss was needed. Our defense played well they were on the field a lot the numbers show that. TOP was being controled by CU and we did not play mistake free ball in the remaining minutes. At least we didn't lose like Saxet!!! I mean a 3 point loss to an unranked team at their field is better than a 23 point loss against an unranked team at home. We will win the Big XII South and possibly our fifth Big XII title. Unfortunately I have to live here in Colorado so now all I hear is woo hoo cu. All I can say is BOOOMER!! SOONER!!!!! Now our team can rebound and beat Saxet!! Our QB can quit reading his clippings and get back to playing OKLAHOMA FOOTBALL!!!

[sanantoniosooner]

i am from Oklahoma. Moore to be exact. I was raised on Oklahoma football and I believe this loss was needed.
I think we could have learned what we needed to know about this team without losing.

So no, it wasn't needed.

[FirstandGoal]

IHS:

1. Thanks for being a fan long enough to remember the debacle that was the 90's. You know from being a fan during this era that things could definitely be much, much worse.

2. You have my utmost respect for service to this country

3. Don't forget that the roller coaster has its highs as well as its lows. Yes, it really really sucks right now to be dealing with a loss, but I would much rather feel this pain now than not care at all.

4. Don't ever lose hope. Who would have thought in 1999 that we would ever be celebrating #7 the following year? I have full confidence that this coaching staff will have us in position to be there in the hunt year in and year out. If it doesn't happen, then it doesn't happen, but at least we are getting shots at it most years.

[Crucifax Autumn]

I'm from Norman and I think the loss sucks!

I will remain positive though and hopefully we learn from it and win out and end up with the BCS title by the time all these other pretenders drop a game or 2.

[soonergooner]

If you have been a fan for long, you can remember we suffered an early loss a few years back and still proceeded to win the NC. It is undeniable that that is still within our grasp. BOOMER!

[Mookie91]

This loss made me so ANGRY but then I realized why this happens, yesterday and Boise St. These are kids playing this game. Do I wish that Iglesias would man up and jump for a ball, sure I do, but he isn't a pro wideout and that's why. Do I wish Smith would have fielded that punt, oh yeah, but as a friend once told me a defensive back is simply a wide receiver who can't catch. Do I wish during the Boise St game we didn't over pursue on the hook and ladder, absolutely, but that's why NFL players play for a living and NCAA kids play for the love of the game and a scholarship.

One thing that I will take away from this loss is the lack of coaching that seems to take place on the Sooner sideline. I love Bob Stoops and he needs to be cheered for the job he has done in Norman but the teams of the past few years don't seem to take the punch in the face very well. They seem to panic way too much and forget that they can hand the ball off 3-5 yards deep and move the chains with that Big O-line. No points in the 4th quarter against Colorado, coaching....

[PhilTLL]

I have been through the ups and downs of this program. From the time that I met Steve Owens when I was 6, I have been a fan. When I was a kid, I remember crying when we got beat by thUg those three year, and going outside to scream that we had won the championship in 1985. I suffer through probation and the 1990s. On my 21st B-day, I got tix to my first OU game in Norman, only to pelted by beer bottles by drunk CU fans. That was also the day the Schooner tipped over and Cale Gundy was injured. I have cheered for the Sooners in Iraq and had to take it when they have been upset. However, with all of the emotion that I have felt over the past 25 years that I have been a fan of my home state's team, I have never been on such an emotional roller coaster as I have been with this team since 2001. Even though I will always be loyal, the 90s are proof of that, I don't know if this team, with it's current assistant coaches, will ever win #8. This team looked impervious, but I guess we were all fooled. Thoughts?

ZOMG NEVER TO WIN ANOTHER TITLE!! :confused: This loss is infuriating, bewildering, etc, but no, last I checked, the sun has not gone nova, the atmosphere has not floated away from the planet Sooner. If you remember 1985, then you probably remember that team losing once--and that Barry Switzer hadn't won a title for TEN!! ENTIRE!! years!! beforehand. The big one isn't necessarily kaput--and even if it is, we still have the open road to another Big 12 title and BCS game. I can think of worse things.

Playing for the title 3 times in 4 years is exceedingly exceptional, and much more so here in the 2000's. Don't misunderstand me, I love having the privilege of great expectations that Sooner football engenders, but I can still see when they're irrationally so.

Edit: I also don't recall this team "looking impervious." You never are with a veteran of 4 whole games, mostly against scrubs and none legitimately on the road, at quarterback.

[MojoRisen]

Florida losses
WVU Losses
USC barely escapes
LSU - bound to loose at least one game
Wisconsin - Plays Ohio St and others

We still have a big chance at getting in the MNC if we win out - but we need to take this loss as it is - Colorado was emotionally charged - we did not keep the petal to the metal and break there backs and we turned the ball over way too much in the 2nd half alone to overcome popcorn st.

We choked a bit- or panic was a better word - refocus because several teams were upset and nearly upset and it is a long season with much to accomplish- however petal to the metal - no matter what through the end of the year. To much talent running around not to smoke teams when you can.

[stoopified]

move to France if you want to raise your white flag.

I hate to break this to you, but going undefeated is a rare thing. Teams that have done it often deserved to lose a game and were fortunate to catch a break. It's a rollercoaster because you buy into all the hype and then want to slit your wrists when the team isn't the one to bring home #8.

I'm not even giving up on the MNC. Other teams can stink it up in a game just as bad as we did.I'm with ya brother.I would add that Wilkinson only had 3 undefeated teams,Switzer 2, and Bob 1(so far), so undefeated seasons ,even at OU are precious and few.

[mustangsooner]

I know I am about fed up with reading all of these posts and hearing everyone crying around about the sooners losing. I do not think the Sooners played to the potential they could have. Undefeated seasons are few and far between and its not the end of the world. I hear alot of fans saying no reason to even watch the rest of the games. Well don't watch them but thats what I call a fair weather fan. We still have the Big 12 to focus on and alot of potential. I am still excited and can't wait till Friday when I head to the RRS.

[SoonerKnight]

When I said that this loss was needed I was speaking to the fact this team is very talented and seemed to have everything going for it. They were reading the hype and believing it. It has happened before. This team now has to play for pride. This team can now go into Texas and beat the living snot out of them because they don't want to be 0-2. The thing is the NC year 2000 our defense came up big in many ways. We had close very close games that the team almost lost but the defense did not allow the win.

The altitude has a lot to do with how the defense played in the final minutes. First, they were on the field way too long and the offense was not clicking. They had the lead and the conservative play calling was the result. Why we did not go for the trick plays I don't know. I do know that in 2000 Stoops called some plays that require the coach to have balls of steel. As far as watching the Sooners lose. I've been there too! Hell I was 10 years old when they lost to Miami in the orange bowl and I remember the 90's very well. The worst loss for me was the Iowa State game with that old drunk dude as the coach. The ahole who thought he was better than the traditions of Oklahoma. From 1996-1999 I was overseas serving in the military so I didn't catch the games a good thing too!! Before the 1999 season started I got out of the military and watched as we blew a lead in the Notre Dame game. I've seen this before. The loss sucks but a lot of teams lost yesterday!! I will watch the Sooners play win or lose!!! I'll leave the coaching to the coaches even though I agree Stoops has not played as agressive as years past but he is still a very good coach!!! Boomer Sooner!!!!!!

[TXBOOMER]

I'm from Lake Dallas, texass but raised in OK. The loss f u _ _ i _ g sucks and was not needed. We can learn from other things than a loss. Boomer Sooner!

[SoonerKnight]

I'm from Lake Dallas, texass but raised in OK. The loss f u _ _ i _ g sucks and was not needed. We can learn from other things than a loss. Boomer Sooner!

I didn't say it was a good thing but it may turn out to help this team focus. Texas played like shat the first 4 games and got blown out!!! We played like shat in one game and failed to rally now we play for this:


http://www.triumphbooks.com/filebin/fixed_images/Fullsize/1572437715.jpg

Pride!!! we may have been able to learn from this without losing but now we can play without the pressure on the MNc on the line!!!!! Besides if the team had been blown out I would have really been upset but I see this team as unmarked the rest of the season. Remember Florida last year?