Oklahoma Football: Why Big 12 Shouldn't Sleep on the Sooners

An 8-5 season that fell well short of College Football Playoff expectations may have tempered preseason outlooks for Oklahoma in 2015. In the media's preseason poll, the Sooners were projected to finish third in the Big 12 behind TCU and Baylor. 

It did not, however, temper center Ty Darlington's confidence.

"We knew we were capable of playing with any team in the nation last year," Darlington said at Big 12 media days. "But we didn't play to the best of our ability at times." 

That's a bold statement given the outcome, but is it necessarily a false one? 

Darlington pointed to some specifics, and sure enough, Oklahoma was much closer to a Big 12 championship in 2014 than its record would lead you to believe. The little things, he said, can be the difference in a win or a loss.

"Attention to detail is everything," Darlington said, adding that has been the top priority for the Sooners this offseason. "It's part of being a good teammate and holding yourself and others accountable."

Three of Oklahoma's five losses last year came by four points or fewer. Though one play does not determine the outcome of a game, Darlington was correct in noting that those three losses involved pivotal mistakes:

In a 37-33 loss to TCU: Tied at 31 at the beginning of the fourth quarter, quarterback Trevor Knight threw a pick-six. 

In a 31-30 loss to Kansas State: Michael Hunnicutt, one of the most reliable place-kickers in college football, missed a 19-yard field goal with just under four minutes to play. 

In a 38-35 overtime loss to Oklahoma State: Up a touchdown with under four minutes remaining in regulation, Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops elected to rekick a punt after a running into the kicker penalty. Tyreek Hill took the punt 92 yards for a touchdown. 

The Sooners were thoroughly outclassed in their two other losses to Baylor and Clemson, but a few plays contributed to the difference between eight wins and 11. 

"We look at it also in some of those games, we're one play away," Stoops said, "maybe having a chance to have a couple more wins if you don't give up one play on defense or you don't have a turnover for a touchdown, you don't miss a field goal, you don't punt the ball one more time if you have a poor decision by a coach."

If Oklahoma finds that attention to detail, the rest of the Big 12 shouldn't sleep on the Sooners as a possible title contender. Talent isn't a problem. Several key players return on both sides of the ball, including leading receiver Sterling Shepard.

And as Eric Bailey of the Tulsa World tweeted, Oklahoma is well-represented on the media's preseason All-Big 12 team. In fact, the Sooners are right up there with Big 12 favorites Baylor and TCU:

So if talent wasn't the issue in '14, what was? It comes back to execution. 

"I think a lot of the stuff gets blamed on the coaches, but a lot of it should fall on us," said Shepard, an All-Big 12-caliber player who essentially became a nonfactor in the second half of the season because of a groin injury. "We're the ones out there playing. They [the coaches] gives us the game plan, and we have to go execute."

Darlington concurred. "You saw how being on the wrong side of the little details can lose you games," he said. "I don't think it was a character issue or lack of effort in practice; it's just that little things add up. A missed block or assignment here or there is what cost us."

There were other factors as well. It became clear Oklahoma's coaching staff needed adjusting, so Stoops let go of co-offensive coordinators Josh Heupel and Jay Norvell while shaking up assignments elsewhere on offense and defense. In all, four new coaches were brought in. 

"He (Stoops) made those necessary (coaching) changes, and we're behind him on those," Shepard said. "Hopefully, they're for the best. I think they are." 

With a talented roster with a number of All-Big 12 selections and a revitalized coaching staff, Oklahoma seems to be in prime position to make a surprise conference championship run. But don't call 'em an underdog. That's not the title OU wants.  

"Are you kidding? No," Stoops told the Tulsa World's Eric Bailey. "Not one bit. We're not used to that."

No, the Sooners would much rather be called by another name: Big 12 champions. In their minds, they can compete with anyone. They just have to finish. 

"There's a pride factor, a feeling that we didn't finish like we needed to last year," Darlington said. "We didn't perform how we expected to regardless of what other people expected of us."

It's a small difference from the national narrative, but then again, it's all about the details anyway. 

Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football. All quotes obtained at Big 12 media days unless noted otherwise.