Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- After winning the national championship in only his second season of coaching Oklahoma, many Sooner fans presumed that Bob Stoops could walk on water.
Four losses in Bowl Championship Series games in the last five seasons are leading some to think that Stoops' feet have gotten wet recently. And it's
led to some unaccustomed scrutiny of Stoops' program after its inability to win or even compete in the big game, particularly after the Sooners' defense was torched for 55, 43 and 48 points in its last three BCS bowl games.
Stoops said he tries to scoff off such questioning, reminding critics of his team's success during his 10-year coaching tenure. The Sooners have claimed five Big 12 championship game victories under Stoops, most recently a convincing 38-17 victory over Missouri last December in San Antonio. No other Big 12 head coach has ever won more than one conference championship.
"No, I just bring up that we're five out of six in Big 12 championship games," Stoops said. "And we did beat the number one team in the country a few weeks before in a pretty decent way when they were passing out Big 12 trophies. We're questioned whether we win or lose."
But the Sooners' recent struggles in BCS games overshadow their success inside the conference and have shaped the national perception of the program and indirectly the conference itself.
OU's customary swagger and bravado seen regularly inside the Big 12 has been missing when they ventured outside. The Sooners dropped a 21-14 game to LSU in the 2004 Sugar Bowl national championship game and were completely overmatched the following season after a 55-19 beatdown by USC in the 2005 Orange Bowl.
Those were to recognized powers of the BCS era. It's been a little harder to explain a 43-42 overtime loss to Boise State in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl and stunning 48-28 loss to West Virginia in last year's Fiesta Bowl. That game turned on an ill-advised onside kick decision by Stoops when the Sooners appeared to have grasped momentum early in the third quarter.
Stoops said after losing to West Virginia that he was considering changing his approach, but stopped short of revealing any specific plans.
"In the end, it's a situation that there hasn't been any one answer for it," Stoops said. "You can look at all the factors. I think we've played pretty well at the end of the year ... everybody is complimenting you for three or four weeks leading up to the game and there are some factors you can't control. We didn't have four starters in the game. But in the end, it's obvious that if you're playing another championship team and you're not at your best, you're not going to fare well."
Only a few years ago, Stoops was known as "Big Game Bob" after winning his first eight and 11 of his first 12 games against top 10 ranked foes. The recent defeats have retired that nickname from public usage.
"We've won two Big 12 championships in a row and nobody else has done that," Oklahoma center Jon Cooper said. "But I think some people see it as if 'Oklahoma won this, but.' There's always a but in there. And that leaves a bitter taste in your mouth."
And the Sooners' passionate fan base has made its feelings known after the last two losses.
"You hear a lot about it," Cooper said. "People in Oklahoma are unsatisfied unless you've won a national championship. People were wondering about us even before I got here because of the first two (earlier) championship game losses. There are very high expectations that are tough to meet. But I wouldn't be playing anywhere else."
Stoops said the recent bowl struggles haven't changed his philosophy or the urgency he brings to his job for each season.
"As opposed to when we won it all, no," Stoops said. "It's how we coach every year. It's a whole new fight and adventure every time and we approach it that way."
In order to improve from last season, Stoops has targeted limiting penalties and turnovers on offense, along with finding playmakers at linebacker and in the secondary. He's also tweaking with a no-huddle offense he hopes will boost the effectiveness of quarterback Sam Bradford, who posted an NCAA national freshman record last season with 36 touchdown passes.
"We've got to play smarter," Stoops said. "And we've got to find guys who continue to improve and mature and get themselves into position like we're used to playing. I saw a lot of it in the spring. But now it has to happen in the fall."
To help push his team along, Stoops and his coaching staff have reminded the Sooners of their post-game struggles. West Virginia quarterback Pat White's post-game comments have been highlighted in huge block letters in the OU weight room for the Sooners to read every day.
"I think we were just a little bit hungrier than they were," White said in the aftermath of the Mountaineers' shocking 48-28 upset victory over the Sooners in the Fiesta Bowl.
And Stoops also has displayed the letters "WTLG" for "win the last game" as a prominent team motto for the 2008 season.
"We just want to finish strong this year," Cooper said. "Obviously we haven't done it the last two years. It's something we want to work on because it's hasn't been the case. We've got to do a better job of closing things out."
Tim Griffin joined ESPN.com in February 2008. He has covered the Big 12 since its inception, among a variety of beats during a 24-year career at the San Antonio Express-News. Griffin, a Memphis State University graduate, lives in San Antonio with his wife and son.
