For the first time since becoming a member of the Big 12 Conference the West Virginia Mountaineers have defeated Oklahoma in football. This is another in a long line of setbacks during Brent Venables first season and has a portion of the fanbase on the verge of mutiny. The Sooners now have the most losses in a season since 2014 and have officially been eliminated from Big 12 championship competition. This also marks the first time since 1998-99 that Oklahoma will not have back-to-back seasons of at least 10 wins.
A New Low?
There are a couple of generations of OU fans out there who weren’t around, or don’t remember, the 90’s. They’re just going to have to trust us “old timers” that the Schnellenberger/Blake years were much worse than this. That said, it is a new low point since the turn of the century. The Mountaineers were widely considered to be the worst team in the Big 12 and now Oklahoma will be in that category as well.
Everything Was There For The Win Except For Execution
Eric Gray ran for 211 yards (8.4 YPC) and the defense forced two turnovers. Yet the inability to convert on third (1-11) or fourth (0-2) down, two missed field goals, dropped passes, missed tackles, and crucial penalties all tell the story of how the Sooners came out on the short end of the scoreboard.
The Officials Made A Crucial Mistake
I typically don’t rail against officiating as the reason for a team winning or losing but this was a huge no-call by the officials that had a direct impact on the outcome of the game.
Marvin Mims Has To Be Included In The Criticism
In a season that has gone this bad there’s lots of room for criticism and casting blame. Oklahoma’s top two targets in this category have been quarterback Dillon Gabriel and offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby. While this certainly isn’t a defense of anyone, it is an admission that Marvin Mims seems to have escaped the rage that is floating around. Mims was set to have a record-setting season, as OU’s top playmaker in the passing game, but has been plagued instead by crucial drops, including a sure touchdown today that could have been a game changing moment.
The Late Field Goal Attempt Was The Right Call
I know this may be an unpopular opinion but with the game on the line attempting a 46-yard field goal was absolutely the right call. Yes, Schmit had previously missed. Yes, the weather conditions were far less than favorable. However, the Sooners were 1-of-11 on third down and 0-for-2 on fourth down. The odds of hitting a field goal in those conditions were actually better than converting on fourth down. That’s how bad things were on offense for the Sooners on Saturday.
Follow us on Twitter:Β @SportsHeartland