Bob Stoops to Blame for Oklahoma's Hugely Disappointing 2014 Season

The University of Oklahoma Sooners were one minute away from sealing their 11th victory in 12 years over the rival Oklahoma State University Cowboys.

Instead, Bob Stoops' team, with memories of Tyreek Hill's game-tying 92-yard punt return fresh in their minds, left Bedlam wondering, "What if?"

The 16th-year coach is the one most responsible for the Sooners' 38-35 overtime loss at Memorial Stadium. And, to be frank, he'll quickly become the scapegoat of Oklahoma's disappointing 8-4 campaign.

Samaje Perine exited the game during the third quarter due to an ankle injury, but the freshman running back left the Sooners with a 14-point lead after compiling 151 rushing yards and two scores.

From that moment on, however, Oklahoma's offense ultimately stagnated. The Sooners went three-and-out on seven of their final eight possessions. Sure, Keith Ford's 56-yard scamper set up an Aaron Ripkowski touchdown with approximately eight minutes on the clock, but the Cowboys controlled the remainder of the rivalry showdown.

Yet, Oklahoma State didn't play that well. The Pokes needed a miracle, but Oklahoma was the squad that provided it. The Sooners squandered numerous opportunities to seal the victory, including two offensive possessions and a defensive interception.

However, Stoops' decision to accept a running-into-the-kicker penalty with one minute left was simply terrible—not even in hindsight; it was awful live. Hill had fair-caught Jed Barnett's kick at the OSU 15-yard line, yet Stoops wanted to pin Oklahoma State farther back.

The OU coach inexplicably elected to give the Cowboys' explosive returner a second chance, and Hill ripped off a 92-yard return to tie the score.

But why? Mason Rudolph and Co. had to cover 85 yards and didn't have any timeouts as support. When trailing by 14 points, Rudolph had dropped back seven times and completed 2-of-6 passes, throwing one interception and drawing a sack.

From that distance and under those circumstances, Stoops shouldn't have been concerned about a major comeback. Arrogance veiled that poor decision, and the lack of late-game execution epitomized the 2014 season.

The Sooners opened the year as the No. 5 team in the nation, hyped by an outstanding Sugar Bowl triumph over Alabama to close the 2013 campaign.

Losing Trevor Knight undoubtedly hurt, but Baylor was already routing Oklahoma and eventually won 48-14—in Norman. Losing Perine was rough, but there was no legitimate reason for a collapse against Oklahoma State—in Norman.

The only teams Oklahoma actually dominated were Louisiana Tech, Tulsa, Iowa State and Kansas. They dropped three games at home for the first time in Stoops' tenure.

That's simply not getting it done at the school. Injuries certainly affected Oklahoma, but the Sooners threw away multiple opportunities to close out games.

So what's next for Stoops? Well, he could hang around OU, but the current staff isn't cutting it. The offense failed to click against top competition, and the defense was consistently overpowered in those games.

"Staying the same...doesn't appear to be an option," Matt Brown of Sports on Earth said. "Because fatigue with the current situation for all involved will only continue to grow."

After a 4-4 finish to a stretch the Sooners could've ended 7-1, Stoops will take the blame for the late-season struggles. Just as he should.

Follow Bleacher Report college football writer David Kenyon on Twitter: @Kenyon19_BR.