As Stoops’ Sooners Did in ’99, Strong’s Longhorns Still Trying to Figure Out How to Win Big Games

As recently as last Saturday morning, most experts expected that surging Oklahoma would run rough-shot over struggling Texas in the upcoming Red River Rivalry game.

The Sooners stood ranked fourth in the nation, holding down one of the prestigious spots in the first college football final four. Texas, depending on its defense to pick up a struggling offense, simply hoped to find some success for Charlie Strong to hang his hat on against seventh-ranked Baylor.

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Then Saturday happened. Texas’ defense fought valiantly and held Baylor’s high-scoring attack to just 28 points, seven of which came via special teams, in its 28-7 loss, wrote Brian Davis in the Austin American-Statesman. But up in Fort Worth, Oklahoma’s defense allowed 37 points and the offense couldn’t cash in on two late TCU turnovers, falling in a 37-33 shocker, as Carlos Mendez explained in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Now, both teams have just a few days to put last weekend’s disappointments behind them, writes Chuck Carlton in the Dallas Morning News.

“All we care about is next week. Period,” said Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, who is 9-5 lifetime against Texas but will not be facing Mack Brown for the first time in the rivalry, Carlton wrote.

In his weekly media session, Stoops talked about Texas and what he’s seen from Strong.

“I really think a lot and have great respect of course for Charlie Strong and the way he coaches so I know he’s going to continue to develop and work that program and when we go down there this week, we’ll see a team that will be very motivated and ready to play,” Stoops said, as reported for the Dallas Morning News by Ryan Gebosi.

Texas will be plenty motivated. Strong’s Longhorns should be desperate for something positive to take from a number of close calls. While the younger players should benefit from the program Strong is trying to build, seniors don’t have the luxury of time. They want success, and they want it now, writes Davis in Tuesday’s American-Statesman.

“Everyone wearing burnt orange has a chance to redeem himself this week,” Davis wrote. “It’s just a matter of getting fed up with losing and doing something about it.”

“I think the older guys are tired of it,” Hicks said. “I am; I know Quandre [Diggs] is. We’ve got a lot of frustration built up in these losses. It’s got to come out sometime.”

Can Texas take that frustration and use it positively, as it did last year? Only the players in the locker room know that.

The coaches know the first step is teaching this group of players to win a big game. It’s a similar process that those north of the Red River went through when their then-new coach took over in 1999, writes Guerin Emig in the Tulsa World Herald.

“This is a refrain Stoops has repeated over the years – the first thing he had to teach the Sooners was how to win,” he wrote.

Emig also pointed out that at about the same time Stoops spoke about his initial challenge, Strong answered a similar question the same way.

“Well, you look at the team, and I just know that we would like to be better than what we are. This is a team right now that’s lacking confidence,” Strong answered. “It’s lacking confidence where you go and finish the game. It’s confidence to believe. As I said on Saturday, we’ve got to learn how to win.”

What better time or place than on the biggest stage the Longhorns have left?

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