MORGANTOWN, WV — Nothing can salvage Oklahoma’s season at this level.

The Sooners (5-5 total, 2-5 Massive 12) clinched a shedding file in convention play with Saturday’s 23-20 loss to West Virginia in Morgantown.

OU’s plethora of issues all popped as much as contribute to the shedding effort.

There have been particular groups miscues, expensive procedural penalties, third down struggles on either side of the ball and Oklahoma as soon as once more confirmed the shortcoming to grab momentum of any variety.

For the second time this season, the Sooners needed to catch a flight again to Norman recent off consecutive convention losses.

Losses to Kansas State and TCU had been a intestine punch, however there was theoretically sufficient time to show the season round and doubtlessly get again into the Massive 12 race.

However, with simply two video games left within the season, all OU can play for now’s bowl eligibility and an emotional Bedlam win.

Forward of the contests towards Oklahoma State and Texas Tech, Brent Venables is searching for a special type of response from the group to shut out his first season as head coach.

“In some unspecified time in the future and time, we have to be pissed as nicely and do one thing about it,” Venables mentioned after the loss on Saturday. “All of us. It ain’t okay. We have a bunch of causes the place we are able to justify failure. However we have to get higher.

“We have to educate them higher, and we have to play higher. We have to play smarter. We have to be extra environment friendly. I assumed West Virginia did a terrific job at this time, however I assumed Oklahoma beat Oklahoma at this time.”

Regardless of the dip each OU and OSU have taken since final yr, Bedlam will once more be in prime time on ABC this Saturday evening.

With the eyes of the faculty soccer world peeking into Norman, offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby mentioned the group has to select themselves up and dictate how the group desires to shut out 2022.

“We’ve acquired two video games left,” he mentioned. “We’ve acquired Bedlam arising Saturday at house and we’ve acquired to decide on who we need to be and the way we need to end this issues so we’ve acquired to choose collectively to exit, do our job, execute, play clear, and play how we’re able to enjoying.

“… I feel everyone in that locker room is hurting proper now. We’ve acquired to get them again up, acquired to get us again up, and discover a option to go struggle our butt off on Saturday and win Bedlam. I feel everyone additionally understands the significance of this sport arising on Saturday… Our guys will struggle and scratch and put us able to have the ability to go win.”

There is no such thing as a change Oklahoma can flip to repair its issues.

If it existed, the group would have locked in weeks in the past.

However now as everybody works to try to eradicate the psychological errors which have value OU dearly this yr, the teaching workers must struggle off any dips in confidence.

Now, greater than ever, Venables will look to the leaders within the locker room to make sure everybody stays locked in mentally over the following week.

“That is simply what management ought to do,” he mentioned. “Whether or not that is coaches or the opposite leaders on the group, you have to be sensible, you have to be sincere and you have to have accountability.

“We have been speaking about ending the correct method for a very long time. We’ll proceed to emphasise these issues. The journey is hard. It is difficult. Via disappointment, there’s a possibility to develop and get higher. That is what we’ll attempt to do these final two video games.”

Management has by no means been questioned publicly by the teaching workers.

Venables has maintained that he’s pleased with that side of the group regardless of the entire adversity this yr.

Even after OU’s meltdown in Morgantown, defensive coordinator Ted Roof believes the Sooners have the correct voices within the locker room to keep away from a disastrous four-game shedding streak to finish the yr.

“We’ve got nice angle and nice character guys in our locker room,” Roof mentioned. “Since we acquired right here, guys have purchased in. I’ve a lot respect and admiration for them and I’m disillusioned for them.

“Our leaders in that locker room, we have now some soccer left to play. I’ve little doubt in my thoughts they’re going to method it the correct method.”

A 7-5 season can be the worst file to shut the common season in Norman since Bob Stoops’ first season at OU in 1999, however it’s the very best Oklahoma can hope for.

The message from the highest has remained the identical, so it’ll finally fall on the gamers to vary their fortunes over the following two weeks, and it begins with Bedlam this Saturday

“In some unspecified time in the future you gotta get uninterested in shedding,” OU security Billy Bowman mentioned. “You may’t hold popping out right here and hold doing the identical issues. We’ve solely have one selection. Return to work.

“We solely acquired two video games left for certain. So return to work and we simply gotta discover a method to verify we’re on the opposite aspect of what we had been at this time.”

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