Stormin in Norman
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Oklahoma football: Five bold not-so-great predictions for the 2018 Sooners

By Chip Rouse

Caleb Kelly
Caleb Kelly /
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NORMAN, OK – SEPTEMBER 10 : Associate head coach Mike Stoops walks on the field before the game against the Louisiana Monroe Warhawks September 10, 2016 at Gaylord Family Memorial Stadium in Norman, Oklahoma. The Sooners defeated the Warhawks 59-17. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images) *** local caption *** Mike Stoops;
NORMAN, OK – SEPTEMBER 10 : Associate head coach Mike Stoops walks on the field before the game against the Louisiana Monroe Warhawks September 10, 2016 at Gaylord Family Memorial Stadium in Norman, Oklahoma. The Sooners defeated the Warhawks 59-17. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images) *** local caption *** Mike Stoops; /

This will be Mike Stoops final season as defensive coordinator

As dreadful and un-Oklahoma-like the Sooner defense has been for most of the past few seasons, it is hard to believe that defensive coordinator Mike Stoops would survive another deplorable defensive performance in 2018.

The Sooners are making some changes and some progress in turning around the defensive unit, and they have some very good, but not great, talent, with game experience, returning this season. They also have an impressive group of defensive players joining the team as newcomers in the coming season.

The big question is, will this be enough to reverse the OU defensive misfortunes in 2018? I think we will see incremental improvement on the defensive side of the ball for the Sooners, but for OU to put itself in a position to legitimately compete for a national championship, the defensive improvements need to be more transformative in nature.

In Mike Stoops’ first go-round as defensive coordinator, from 1999 to 2003, four of his five Oklahoma defenses finished seventh or better nationally in scoring defense and in the top 10 in total defense. The 2000 OU national championship team was fifth in takeaways, seventh in scoring defense and eighth in total defense. The 2001 Sooner defense was fourth in both scoring and total defense, and the 2002 OU defensive unit finish 10th among NCAA Division I teams in total defense. All of this under Stoops’ direction.

Last season, in Stoops’ sixth season after his return to OU in 2012, the Sooner defense was 54th in the country in rushing defense, 87th nationally in pass defense and 68th in scoring defense. Unfortunately, this was not a one-year phenomenon.

With a defense as bad as OU’s the last several years, it’s a wonder the Sooners have been able to win three consecutive Big 12 championships and appear in two College Football Playoffs.

I don’t believe Lincoln Riley will ask for Stoops’ resignation, however warranted. Instead, Stoops will step down on his on volition. That would be the right way for this needed changing of the guard to go down. Stoops did the right thing in staying on after his brother’s sudden retirement a year ago to ease Lincoln Riley’s transition into his new role, but now it is time for the younger of the two Stoops brothers to do the right thing again by stepping down.

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