It began Saturday, when something that had never happened to one of Bob Stoops’ Oklahoma football teams happened.

Not only did the Sooners appear overmatched against a team that couldn’t possibly be their talent equivalent, but they lost on opening day.

That led to Tuesday, at Stoops’ weekly media luncheon, when something else that had never happened happened. Basically, 20 minutes into the coach’s standup, almost every question was still about Saturday.

Here’s the way it works for us media types: We get the coach, the assistants and almost any player we want beginning about 15 minutes after the game. Everybody gets their questions in. Sunday, the coaching staff is available again, via conference call. A few questions are repeated, but most beg new answers, everybody having had a day to think it over and a belly full of game tape. Monday, you can get just about anybody you want after practice. Tuesday, everybody moves on.

But nobody was moving on.

What happened to the toughness?

What about the playcalling?

Who fell down on the offensive line?

Was the defense all right?

Some media are there Tuesday but not Saturday. Sunday’s conversations tend to be limited to those who cover the Sooners daily. The newspapers are at practice and sometimes that’s about it. Tuesday, there’s always a question or two about the last game.

But nothing like this. Ever.

More than mere observation, it’s an indicator of the brave new world that is Sooner football, one with an entirely new set of questions and only two assumptions: 1) Adrian Peterson, given space, is still the nation’s best running back and 2) All the old assumptions are wrong.

It would be different if OU had roasted TCU and lost this week. Then, everybody would know the Sooners capable of whipping a decent Mountain West team. This way, nobody knows anything.

Stoops, who even in his 7-5 debut season of 1999 watched his Sooners open with victories over Indiana State, Baylor and Louisville by a combined score of 132-31, understands.

“I think it’s important that we address the issues that are there. I think it’s important that, as a team, we stay together,” he said. “Players and coaches, the worst thing you can do is start pointing fingers. I’ve been very aware that I have criticized us as coaches every bit as much as I have criticized the players.”