By ERIC BAILEY • Tulsa World Oklahoma will enter an off week in unfamiliar territory. The Sooners have a 1-2 record for only the second time in Bob Stoops’ 18 seasons. It’s a disappointing start for a program that advanced to the College Football Playoff last season. The 2005 team also began with losses in two of its first three games. That squad, one season removed from playing for a national championship, ended 8-4 after squeaking by Oregon in the Holiday Bowl. The 2016 season’s main goal is no longer a national championship. Those dreams have fizzled following losses to Houston and Ohio State, with the latter being a 45-24 home loss that fed OU a humbling taste of reality. The Sooners have reset their goals to the Big 12 Conference race. That’s nice, but not nearly the same dream that the program had entering Labor Day weekend. Fixing things begins at the top. Bob Stoops bluntly took responsibility five times during his postgame remarks following the worst nonconference home loss of his career. To keep this season from spiraling out of control, the Sooners will need leadership from their veteran players. During last season’s CFP run, the team was…
Continue Reading: Oklahoma football: Leadership must emerge to keep season from crumbling
