Blake Bell Dooms Oklahoma's BCS Title Hopes with Poor Showing Against Texas

Blake Bell made a huge statement against Texas in the annual Red River Rivalry game, but it wasn't the statement Oklahoma was hoping for prior to the pivotal contest.

He was afflicted by a bad case of "happy feet" throughout the game, as noted Andy Staples of Sports Illustrated, and the only touchdown he threw went to the other team:

He finished the game having completed just 12 of his 26 passing attempts for 132 yards with nary a touchdown and two interceptions—one of which was returned 31 yards for a touchdown by Chris Whaley. 

Bell was atrocious, and his poor play was the reason Oklahoma lost the game, along with its undefeated record. 

And it's not like Texas has been shutting offenses down this year. Heading into this game, the Longhorns had allowed 28.4 points per game on defense, and the team had only forced three interceptions in five games.

After Texas was beaten badly by BYU and Ole Miss in consecutive weeks earlier in the season, there was plenty of talk about Mack Brown's job being on the line.

Meanwhile, Oklahoma entered the game with a perfect 5-0 record and a legitimate shot at finishing the season as the top team in the Big 12.

But Bell's abysmal performance proved too much to overcome. 

Near the end of the game, with five minutes left to play, Bell was attempting to lead a comeback bid after the Sooners had pulled to within 16 points, thanks to a pick-six by Geneo Grissom against Chase McCoy. 

His final blunder was indicative of his entire afternoon. Bell incurred a delay-of-game penalty on fourth down only to be sacked afterward to seal the horrible loss, as noted by Aubrey Bloom of the Temple Daily Telegram:

This was the second game in a row that Bell had struggled, but this time his teammates couldn't pick up the slack. 

Before the game, this team had eyes on a potential BCS title game berth.

Now, heading into the second half of the season, with games against Texas Tech, Baylor and Oklahoma State yet to be played, Bell and the Sooners are suddenly on the verge of a failed season. 

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