It's Time for a Change: Sooner Nation Needs a New Leader

Change is never popular. Sometime it hurts; sometimes it's necessary. Regardless of the reason, everything eventually goes through a change.

It's time for a change with the University of Oklahoma football program. Bob Stoops, step aside.

After coming out of the shoot fast (winning a national championship in his second year), he has reached his ceiling of success as the leader of Sooner Nation. Looking back at the performances year in and year out, it reminds me of Bobby Cox and the Atlanta Braves. A prolonged period of sustained excellence but never getting the hands around the ultimate prize. 

Going on ten years now. Six conference titles. One national title. A winning percentage over 80 percent. Very few coaches in the history of college football can measure up to those numbers, but this is not about numbers. It's about winning national championships at a school like Oklahoma. By winning the national title in his second year, Stoops raised the bar of expectation beyond the norm.

To be a Sooner fan has to be painful. Getting to so many BCS games and consistently coming up short. No school has benefited more from the current BCS system than Oklahoma. They played in seven BCS bowl games which is incredible over this nine year stretch. But losing five of the last six bowl appearances? Including an 0-3 record in their most recent BCS Championship games?

Still not concerned?

How about losing four of the last five games against their main rival, Texas.

Let me make this very clear. All coaches have an expiration date for a particular job. Stoops is a fantastic coach; one of the best in the country. But something is not adding up.

Maybe losing solid coaches from his staff over time that has eroded the performance on the field. Maybe injuries that has raised its ugly head during key moments (i.e. Jason White's injury prior to the BCS game vs LSU, Demarco Murray's injury prior to last year's BCS game vs Florida or the rash of injuries that have hit the current version of Stoop's troops). Maybe a combination of both. Whatever the reason for coming up short in recent years, the expectations do not change.

It's time for a change.