Isn’t it amazing how far we’ve come in this Oklahoma quarterback thing?

First it was a competition. Extended throughout preseason practices, it became a race. When neither Paul Thompson nor Rhett Bomar played well opening day, it became a mess. When Bomar was named starter and played every down against Tulsa without even throwing a second-half pass it became a full-blown debacle. And when it was made clear Sunday Bomar would continue to start despite a pair of interceptions and three fumbles, maybe for the very first time, it became a controversy.

Of course, all quarterback competitions are called controversies. It’s an accident of alliteration. Competition is too vanilla a word and quandary begins with a q. Whether it’s truly controversial hardly matters. But if it does, it’s nice to know the Sooners are finally fitting the bill.

Thompson was dropped for poor play. Bomar played poorly, but remains the starter. If Bomar was better in the huddle or on the sideline, it might make some sense. As long as they’re blowing sunshine at Thompson, it doesn’t.

So here we are.

Bomar will start.

But that doesn’t mean he’ll finish.

Asked how the balance might be struck between establishing a single quarterback and doing what must be done to win Saturday afternoon at the Rose Bowl, Sooner coach Bob Stoops made an artful dodge.

Say you guys are struggling …

“It depends on what the reasons are that we’re struggling,” he said. “We still are going to continue to develop Paul and have him ready … I think, in the end, that can’t be determined without knowing what the issues are, why we’re not succeeding. You have to determine that as you go.”

When the coach pulls something like that, we know just what to do. Ask a follow up? Hardly.

Ask Chuck Long.

We know you want to establish a quarterback and right now that’s Bomar. But what if it’s not working, you fall behind 7-0, 14-0 …

“You have to win games,” Long said, interrupting the scenario.

So you might need relief?