Is this team "playing with a chip"?

[achiro]

I've heard several talking heads mention that OU is playing different this year than the last few. Is it a chip? Is it coaching? Attitude? Or did they have a locker room cancer the last few years?

[Jacie]

Maybe so.

Whatever it is, I hope they can keep it up through the end of the season.

[Breadburner]

We have a gamer under center...It's flowing through the whole team.....

[cherokeebrewer]

I think it's a combination of staff additions, some good young players with fire, being more humble & hungry and a QB with confidence and is a gamer...Mike getting back in the groove helps too.

[Flagstaffsooner]

Its 2000 all over again.

[cherokeebrewer]

I left out what is the single most improvement...leadership with Blake Bell, Gabe Ikard, Gabe Lynn, Corey Nelson.

[JiminyChristmas]

We have a gamer under center...It's flowing through the whole team.....

Don't get me wrong, I really like what Bell brings to the offense, but the attitude has been different since the first game when Bell wasn't in there yet. Seems to me the defense as a whole is playing like they were embarrassed by last year and determined not to let that happen again.

On offense, it starts up front and the difference coach Bedenbaugh has made has been huge. If they can keep improving each week, it very well could ge 2000 all over again.

[SoonerorLater]

I've heard several talking heads mention that OU is playing different this year than the last few. Is it a chip? Is it coaching? Attitude? Or did they have a locker room cancer the last few years?

To some extent all of the above. It starts at the top. Stoops finally decided that changes needed to be made. New Assistants, new attitude and philosophy. As far as BB goes, even though he didn't start, if he would have had a bad attitude he could have easily become that locker room cancer that people speak of. He didn't and we are a better team for it. The true test will be if the train jumps the track and they have to deal with some adversity. That will tell a lot about this OU Team.

[boomersooner28]

Landry was not a Rah Rah emotional guy. The team feeds off of the leader. Bell is an emotional Rah Rah kind of guy and say what you will, but it does get the team fired up and makes guys try harder. I like it. I like the attitude of this team.

[Therealsouthsider]

...it has little to do with Bell, or any other individual player in my opinion.

...it seems that Stoops has been a little edgy this year, making some snappy statements about other conferences, pay for play, etc., so my hope is that it is coach Stoops who has the chip because he sets the tone...and if so, it's about damned time because in 99-2000 he was a man on fire and I feel like that has been lacking. Big Game Bob had an edge and I liked it

ss

[hawaii 5-0]

There's a certain 'team spirit' this year. No individual stars, just team players.

5-0

[SoonerMarkVA]

...it has little to do with Bell, or any other individual player in my opinion.

...it seems that Stoops has been a little edgy this year, making some snappy statements about other conferences, pay for play, etc., so my hope is that it is coach Stoops who has the chip because he sets the tone...and if so, it's about damned time because in 99-2000 he was a man on fire and I feel like that has been lacking. Big Game Bob had an edge and I liked it

ss

Maybe Mike is like a spark plug for Bob. Brothers have been known to be like that from time to time :) Anyway, the correlation between "Bob w/ Mike" and "Bob w/o Mike" is pretty striking.

That said, I agree. Bob definitely seems to have his edge back.

[oupride]

Agreed

[Piware]

I don't know what the difference is either. All I know is there seems to be some swagger and Sooner Magic is in the air.

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

I think it's a combination of staff additions, some good young players with fire, being more humble & hungry and a QB with confidence and is a gamer...Mike getting back in the groove helps too.Add to that, two quarterbacks that are not afraid to use their legs.

[SoonerKnight]

My guess there were too many me players past years. Difference is there are team players this year! They talk about being family and taking care of each other.