Trying to find a big difference between 2003 and 2004 and 2008 — or the possibilities between those seasons and this season — is difficult. The only real one appears to be the laundry list of absolute studs.

Then it was Tommie Harris and Jason White and Dusty Dvoracek and Teddy Lehman. Derrick Strait won the Thorpe award in 2003 on his way out, but Adrian Peterson came in the next season and almost won the Heisman.

This year’s list begins with Sam Bradford and maybe, by year’s end, Jermaine Gresham will be the nation’s best tight end. Auston English is on the other side.

Those teams had several icons. This team has a few stars and a whole bunch of really good players at a whole bunch of positions. And still, those teams and this team, even just three games into the season, have intersected.

For OU, then and now, it is not whether it can, but whether it will.

It can be harsh, facing that kind of standard. On the other hand, the Sooners have earned it, perhaps sooner than they wanted, but now must accept it.

Now, if every remaining contender and unbeaten can simply lose one week at a time. That way, there’s a perpetual reminder or what’s at stake.

OU shouldn’t need it, but running the table is hard.

Even for the nation’s best team.

Clay Horning

366-3526

cfhorning@normantranscript.com