The bottom line is the Sooners have lacked the toughness to handle the pressures of playing in enemy territory.

“We were undisciplined and unfocused,” center Jon Cooper said. “It was a mental thing … We just didn’t have the toughness and discipline to finish those games.”

Those problems cost OU a shot a national championship last season. A toll will be paid again if the problems aren’t rectified. The Sooners have accepted the issues, but they must still do something about it.

“We’ve talked about some of the issues from last year, about how you’ve got to be ready to play,” OU coach Bob Stoops said. “I can be all excited and ready to go, but I’m not in (their) shoes. It’s up to (the players) to put in the extra focus and extra time and commitment to be ready to play.”

John Shinn

366-3536

jshinn@normantranscript.com