MyT Oklahoma
11/11/2009, 12:07 PM
Now is the time for all of us to support our players and our coaches through the end of the season. The time to point fingers at anyone (players should always be off limits IMO) can wait until the end of the year. Boomer Sooner!
P.S. Thanks Veterans. Enjoy YOUR day today.
http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/OU/article.aspx?subjectid=92&articleid=20091111_202_B1_NbrORM282672
OU needs to avoid pointing fingers
Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops argues a call. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
By DAVE SITTLER World Sports Columnist
Published: 11/11/2009 2:23 AM
Last Modified: 11/11/2009 7:57 AM
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Go to Dave Sittler's Blog
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NORMAN - The wheels on the bus are definitely going round and round around the Oklahoma football program these days.
People are also getting tossed under it, as a frustrated Sooner Nation attempts to identify those responsible for the totally unexpected 5-4 start to a season when most Sooners figured their favorite team would be 9-0.
Everyone can agree on one point injuries to key players is boarding on the absurd. In what has almost become a daily ritual, coach Bob Stoops announced Tuesday that another starter is lost for the season offensive lineman Jarvis Jones is out after fracturing a heel in Saturday's ugly 10-3 loss at Nebraska.
The loudest critics insist that even with the loss of All-American talent like quarterback Sam Bradford and tight end Jermaine Gresham, OU's still should have won some of those games it lost by a frustrating average of 3 points.
So who's to blame for one of the darkest periods in Stoops' 11 seasons at OU? An angry Stoops fired back at those who believe that he and his staff are pushing too much of the responsibility off on the players.
"Here's the problem with that: Don't ask us questions, then," Stoops said. "You want to ask me what went wrong (and) I'm supposed to say, 'Well, everything's our (coaches) fault?'
"Then I can't answer the question if you want me to answer it truthfully."
I think it's a combination of injuries, poor player performances and the inability of some of Stoops' assistants to cure obvious problems. And some of that could be the result of Stoops' stubbornness.
The offensive line remains the biggest problem. Offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson and O-line coach James Patton are still shuffling players from position-to-position this deep into the season.
Some switches are because of injuries, but not all of them. And Stoops dismisses suggestions that the O-line might be better if he went with the same five players at the same five positions so they could settle in instead of getting yanked for poor play or practice habits.
While Stoops has often defended his offensive staff by pointing out the record numbers OU put up last season, he said he doesn't believe those accomplishments make any coach off-limits to criticism.
"We're never off-limits," he said. "We'll all be criticized."
The criticism hasn't stopped Stoops from allowing Wilson and Patton to continue the revolving-door act with the O-line. And he's often shot down suggestions that young players and the veterans who are starting for the first time would be better served to stick to one position instead of being moved to another spot or benched.
Then there's frustrating continuance of the O-line killing drives and scoring opportunities by committing senseless penalties.
"If a guy can't go when the (snap count) is on one, what am I (supposed) to do?" Stoops said. "There are some things that are our (coaches) fault, always.
"And there are some things that the players have got to handle. Some of the discipline issues when you look at penalties, to me, are issues are with our players that need to make improvement there."
That's a touchy issue. Penalty problems with the O-line isn't a one-season deal. It's become a trend. But the difference is previous offenses had so much talent they could overcome those setbacks.
I don't know how to fix that problem. But OU pays Stoops and his staff major bucks to have the knowledge to fix things that should not continue to reoccur.
"You're only as good as your last game," Stoops said. "All of us in this profession are very aware of that."
OU's last game was one of the worst of the Stoops era. But I agree with Stoops' plan to keep telling the truth, even if it's negative comments about individual players.
I don't think college players should ever be booed. But those who come to powerhouses like OU need to understand they will be held accountable.
Stoops seldom calls out a player by name. For example, he said the first of Landry Jones' five interceptions against Nebraska was the fault of the receiver instead of the quarterback. He didn't single out Adron Tennell as the receiver at fault.
But there are times when Stoops can't avoid fingering an individual's mistake. He did it with Jones, noting the Hail Mary pass that was intercepted in the final minute wasn't the play called. But Jones looked away from the sideline before he got the entire signal from the coaches.
"Don't ask a question if you don't want the right answer," Stoops said. "And don't go criticizing (coaches) if we give you the right answer and it is on (the players). It's always going to be on both of us (coaches and players)."
That's precisely the point Stoops needs to make to his team before someone (like a frustrated defense) starts pointing fingers.
All the coaches and players need to remain together inside the bus, instead of becoming candidates to get tossed under it.
By DAVE SITTLER World Sports Columnist
P.S. Thanks Veterans. Enjoy YOUR day today.
http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/OU/article.aspx?subjectid=92&articleid=20091111_202_B1_NbrORM282672
OU needs to avoid pointing fingers
Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops argues a call. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
By DAVE SITTLER World Sports Columnist
Published: 11/11/2009 2:23 AM
Last Modified: 11/11/2009 7:57 AM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Go to Dave Sittler's Blog
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NORMAN - The wheels on the bus are definitely going round and round around the Oklahoma football program these days.
People are also getting tossed under it, as a frustrated Sooner Nation attempts to identify those responsible for the totally unexpected 5-4 start to a season when most Sooners figured their favorite team would be 9-0.
Everyone can agree on one point injuries to key players is boarding on the absurd. In what has almost become a daily ritual, coach Bob Stoops announced Tuesday that another starter is lost for the season offensive lineman Jarvis Jones is out after fracturing a heel in Saturday's ugly 10-3 loss at Nebraska.
The loudest critics insist that even with the loss of All-American talent like quarterback Sam Bradford and tight end Jermaine Gresham, OU's still should have won some of those games it lost by a frustrating average of 3 points.
So who's to blame for one of the darkest periods in Stoops' 11 seasons at OU? An angry Stoops fired back at those who believe that he and his staff are pushing too much of the responsibility off on the players.
"Here's the problem with that: Don't ask us questions, then," Stoops said. "You want to ask me what went wrong (and) I'm supposed to say, 'Well, everything's our (coaches) fault?'
"Then I can't answer the question if you want me to answer it truthfully."
I think it's a combination of injuries, poor player performances and the inability of some of Stoops' assistants to cure obvious problems. And some of that could be the result of Stoops' stubbornness.
The offensive line remains the biggest problem. Offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson and O-line coach James Patton are still shuffling players from position-to-position this deep into the season.
Some switches are because of injuries, but not all of them. And Stoops dismisses suggestions that the O-line might be better if he went with the same five players at the same five positions so they could settle in instead of getting yanked for poor play or practice habits.
While Stoops has often defended his offensive staff by pointing out the record numbers OU put up last season, he said he doesn't believe those accomplishments make any coach off-limits to criticism.
"We're never off-limits," he said. "We'll all be criticized."
The criticism hasn't stopped Stoops from allowing Wilson and Patton to continue the revolving-door act with the O-line. And he's often shot down suggestions that young players and the veterans who are starting for the first time would be better served to stick to one position instead of being moved to another spot or benched.
Then there's frustrating continuance of the O-line killing drives and scoring opportunities by committing senseless penalties.
"If a guy can't go when the (snap count) is on one, what am I (supposed) to do?" Stoops said. "There are some things that are our (coaches) fault, always.
"And there are some things that the players have got to handle. Some of the discipline issues when you look at penalties, to me, are issues are with our players that need to make improvement there."
That's a touchy issue. Penalty problems with the O-line isn't a one-season deal. It's become a trend. But the difference is previous offenses had so much talent they could overcome those setbacks.
I don't know how to fix that problem. But OU pays Stoops and his staff major bucks to have the knowledge to fix things that should not continue to reoccur.
"You're only as good as your last game," Stoops said. "All of us in this profession are very aware of that."
OU's last game was one of the worst of the Stoops era. But I agree with Stoops' plan to keep telling the truth, even if it's negative comments about individual players.
I don't think college players should ever be booed. But those who come to powerhouses like OU need to understand they will be held accountable.
Stoops seldom calls out a player by name. For example, he said the first of Landry Jones' five interceptions against Nebraska was the fault of the receiver instead of the quarterback. He didn't single out Adron Tennell as the receiver at fault.
But there are times when Stoops can't avoid fingering an individual's mistake. He did it with Jones, noting the Hail Mary pass that was intercepted in the final minute wasn't the play called. But Jones looked away from the sideline before he got the entire signal from the coaches.
"Don't ask a question if you don't want the right answer," Stoops said. "And don't go criticizing (coaches) if we give you the right answer and it is on (the players). It's always going to be on both of us (coaches and players)."
That's precisely the point Stoops needs to make to his team before someone (like a frustrated defense) starts pointing fingers.
All the coaches and players need to remain together inside the bus, instead of becoming candidates to get tossed under it.
By DAVE SITTLER World Sports Columnist