Sooners know how far they have to go

By Berry Tramel

Published: September 4, 2006

Barry Switzer always said that Oklahoma football should judge everything by this question: Will it help us beat Texas?

So let’s put it to the test. Will playing, and barely beating, the mighty Alabama-Birmingham Blazers on opening night help the Sooners beat the Longhorns?

Yes. By showing the Sooners how far they have to go.

In the dumbed-down world of college football, OU could have taken the low road in its season opener.

Only in this maddeningly-unregulated sport could playing UAB be described as brave, but comparatively, that’s so. Four AP Top 25 members opened against I-AA foes; three more opened against Sun Belt Conference foes, who also rank no better than exhibition fodder.

So there’s the good news. The Sooners played a decent foe, survived 24-17 and learned a little about themselves while putting Watson Brown’s old-schoolers in the rearview mirror.

Now for the bad news. OU learned its vaunted defense still is cutting fangs. The Sooner dobermans didn’t match their hype.

Whiling away the summer with talk of Paul Thompson and Adrian Peterson and the blocking boys up front, Sooner defensive dominance was an assumption. Misplaced, it was obvious Saturday night.

Dominant defenses do not let teams from Conference USA reel off a 15-play drive. Do not let option quarterbacks complete 11 of 17 passes for 169 yards.

“The area I was most displeased with was the defense,” Bob Stoops said ... “I get tired of what guys are supposed to be. I want to see them do it.”

Ouch. But truthfully spoken. OU’s defense had its moments late last season, but was that reason to elevate it to elite status in 2006? The early results say no.

Even after OU gained control with 10 straight points to go up 24-17, the Sooner defense did not shut the door. UAB drove into field-goal range but missed a 43-yarder. Then with eight minutes left, flanker Willie Edwards got behind the confused Sooners, but Sam Hunt’s pass glanced off his hands.

Oregon and Texas and a whole bunch of Big 12 teams will make that pass-and-catch. Some would turn it into a 61-yard tying touchdown.

Now, a disclaimer. Give UAB credit. Brown is a old fox. His Blazers put on a magic show, with options and crossbucks and crazy formations like the antiquated full-house backfield, which surely hasn’t adorned Owen Field in at least 20 years.

“There’s a little bit of that,” Stoops said of possible confusion over UAB chicanery. “But we worked on it. We were ready for it.”

The Sooners will play no coach with more offensive tricks than Brown. But they will play plenty of teams with more talent.

Truth is, this OU defense is not established. It contains all of three players who have been members of a dominant defense (2004 Sooners): linebacker Rufus Alexander, end Larry Birdine and cornerback Marcus Walker, and the latter plays little now.

“I do have confidence we can get better and I believe we will,” Stoops said.

But we get back to the good news. If the Sooners had played Murray State or Florida Atlantic, Northeastern or Montana, the Owen Field scoreboard would have read 56-3 and Soonerville would be celebrating in its ignorance.

Alabama-Birmingham showed us exactly where the Sooners stand. They had to struggle to beat a middle-of-the-road Conference USA team.

Tough news to swallow for those expecting a quick return to glory. But that’s better than not knowing.