Mike Stoops

Former Arizona head coach and Oklahoma defensive coordinator Mike Stoops is reportedly joining Nick Saban's Alabama staff in an "off-field position" as an "analyst or consultant," according to George Schroeder of USA Today.

Stoops would become the latest former head coach to join Alabama's program in a support role, joining names like Mike Locksley, Butch Jones and Steve Sarkisian, among others.

As Schroeder noted, Locksley went from being an analyst in 2016 to the team's offensive coordinator and eventually the head coach at Maryland, while Sarkisian was an analyst in 2016 as well before being promoted to offensive coordinator for the National Championship Game that same season. He then spent two years with the Atlanta Falcons as the offensive coordinator and is expected to return to Alabama in the same role.

Saban spoke in December about bringing aboard established coaches in support roles:

"We have coaches who have a track record of being very, very good coaches, very productive, they make some mistake or get in some circumstance of situation that maybe creates this downward plummet but they still have a lot of positive values. We can get them in our program, maybe they learn a better way to do things. But we also can take advantage of the good things they know and they've done."

Stoops, 57, spent eight seasons (2004-11) as Arizona's head coach, leading the team to a 41-50 record and three bowl games. He also served two stints as the defensive coordinator for Oklahoma (1999–2003, 2012-18) and coached in various roles for Iowa (1986-87, 1991) and Kansas State (1992-98) during his career.

He was fired by Oklahoma in October following the team's loss to Texas.

"I have great respect for Mike," Sooners head coach Lincoln Riley said in a statement at the time, per Tom Fornelli and Ben Kercheval of CBS Sports. "He's a quality football coach and a close friend. It became time for a change in our program and that happens sometimes in football, but we cannot lose sight of the accomplishments Mike had at Oklahoma."

The Oklahoma Sooners officially fired defensive coordinator Mike Stoops on Monday morning, the team announced.

"I have great respect for Mike," said head coach Lincoln Riley. "He's a quality football coach, great man and a close friend. It became time for a change in our program and that happens sometimes in football, but we cannot lose sight of the accomplishments Mike had at Oklahoma. He was responsible for a lot of success and deserves the gratitude of everyone associated with Sooner football, not only for his role in the winning, but for coaching with integrity."

James Hale of Sports Talk 1400 KREF in Norman, Oklahoma, first reported Stoops' ouster and The Oklahoman's Ryan Aber later confirmed with a source Sunday.

OU Daily's George Stoia reported one of Ruffin McNeill or Bob Diaco will replace Stoops as the defensive coordinator. McNeill is the assistant head coach and defensive tackles coach, while Diaco works as a defensive analyst.

The move comes after the Sooners gave up 48 points and 501 yards in a loss Saturday to the Texas Longhorns.

Plenty were quick to heap blame on Stoops for Oklahoma's dreadful defensive showing against Texas.

First question for Lincoln Riley at the half: Will Mike Stoops still be employed in the 3Q?

— Kevin Sherrington (@KSherringtonDMN) October 6, 2018

Mike Stoops' defense had Texas 3rd-and-20 and couldn't force a punt. Again: I don't know how he has kept his job for so long. Great guy. Consistently lousy defensive coordinator whose defenses never even tackle consistently. Just a nightmare.

— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) October 6, 2018

If Oklahoma wants to be a championship contender CUT the Stoops cord and get a real defensive coordinator!

— Mark May (@mark_may) October 6, 2018

Stoops discussed the performance with reporters after the game.

"I'm extremely disappointed in my inability to get this team to play at a higher level," he said, per the Tulsa World's Guerin Emig. "It takes everybody pulling the same way, and certainly I take a lot of that responsibility."

The defeat was a microcosm of Oklahoma's biggest issue in recent years.

Oklahoma Defense Pts/Drive
(vs FBS, minus garbage time)

Stoops
2018: 44th
2017: 75th
2016: 75th

Venables
2011: 16th
2010: 9th
2009: 8th

— The Solid Verbal College Football Podcast (@SolidVerbal) October 6, 2018

The Sooners are giving up 421 yards per game, which ranks 96th in FBS. Over the previous four seasons, they finished 57th, 89th, 31st and 54th in total defense.

Oklahoma reached the College Football Playoff in 2015 and 2017. In two semifinal games, the Sooners surrendered 1,057 yards and 91 points, highlighting how they lacked the defense to make the leap to win a national title.

Parting ways with Stoops doesn't guarantee a change of course in the 2018 campaign, but it's better than maintaining the status quo.

A one-loss Oklahoma can still reach the playoff if it wins the Big 12 title. Considering the Sooners still have to play Texas Tech, Oklahoma State and West Virginia, a Stoops-led defense likely would've unraveled at least once more before the end of the year, thus eliminating the team's national championship hopes for good.

McNeill, Diaco or another coach can be a good stopgap until Oklahoma has the offseason to evaluate full-time coordinator candidates.

For more news and analysis on Oklahoma football, go to SoonersIllustrated.com. 

If there's a perk to being a member of the head coaching fraternity, it's that you're never far away from another job. 

It's been about two-and-a-half years since Oklahoma defensive coordinator Mike Stoops was fired as the head coach of Arizona following a 1-5 start. He's been with his brother, Sooners head coach Bob Stoops, ever since. 

Mike Stoops' first year back with Oklahoma—he served as OU's co-defensive coordinator from 1999-2003—was rough. The Sooners finished 50th in scoring defense, 94th in rushing defense and 65th in total defense (although 30th against the pass). 

The lowlight of that first defensive effort was a 41-13 dismantling by Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl. Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel set a bowl record with 516 total yards, accounting for four touchdowns in the process. 

But it's the improvement Oklahoma showed on defense from Year 1 to Year 2 under Mike Stoops that stands out. 

Despite losing linebacker Corey Nelson and defensive tackle Jordan Phillips to season-ending injuries, the Sooners showed improvement in just about every major statistical category. Oklahoma, though still susceptible against the run, finished 24th in that department. The Sooners also had the second-best scoring defense in the Big 12, and with the help of the offense, ranked third in turnover margin. 

There were setbacks, of course. Losses to Texas and Baylor came by a combined 45 points. The Longhorns and Bears each rushed for 255 yards on 4.3 and 4.7 yards per carry, respectively. 

But there were also reasons to be happy with Oklahoma's defense. In the wake of Nelson's injury, freshman linebacker Dominique Alexander morphed into the Associated Press' Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year.

Alexander, along with the rest of Oklahoma's defensive front seven, returns in 2014. 

Oklahoma should be the preseason favorite to win the Big 12 next season. Not solely because of quarterback Trevor Knight, who threw four touchdowns in a 45-31 Sugar Bowl win over Alabama, but because of that defensive front seven. 

A good defensive front seven always helps the secondary, which in this case loses cornerback Aaron Colvin and safety Gabe Lynn. 

If Oklahoma's defense keeps building on what Mike Stoops has done, it's poised to become the best in the conference. A turnaround like that would absolutely put him back on the head coaching map. 

Mike Stoops had good moments and bad moments in his seven-plus years with Arizona. He led the Wildcats to a school record three consecutive bowl games from 2008-10. He also blamed that ceiling on the university's administration. 

We may have got it as good as it can get. You have to be realistic with what your expectations are and you should have high expectations, I certainly did, Stoops told Bryan Fischer in a 2012 CBSSports interview. But what you're capable of and what the circumstances that are dealt to you, it's hard to achieve those big goals of winning a championship there. 

Some of Stoops' comments may come across as bitter, but he has a point: Programs are only as good long term as the institution allows them to be. Arizona is a far better job now than it was during most of Stoops' time in Tucson. 

Showing improvement on the field is a surefire way to get noticed. With the path Oklahoma's defense is on, it wouldn't be surprising to see another school give Mike Stoops a second chance at being a head coach. 

Ben Kercheval is the lead writer for Big 12 football. All stats courtesy of cfbstats.com. All quotes obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise. 

Oklahoma defensive coordinator Mike Stoops tried to be funny last Friday, but doing so at the expense of a student-athlete usually doesn't turn out well. 

Stoops had a guest spot on Oklahoma City's WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM) and inserted his foot in his mouth—surprising absolutely no one—when he offered his opinion on Texas A&M's Heisman-winning quarterback Johnny Manziel.

“If they can keep [him] out of jail or keep him eligible, he's gonna be pretty good,” Stoops said.

Stoops also offered up this tidbit: “If they can keep him off Twitter, he might have 3-4 Heismans.” 

Obviously, Manziel's behavior over the past three months has irritated Stoops, which is pretty ironic when you consider some of the behavior Mike Stoops has exhibited on the sidelines over the years. 

Manziel has been photographed with beautiful women, lots of cash and lots of festive party props. To sum up Johnny Manziel in one year, he has become the modern-day Joe Namath at the college football level. The fact that (so far) everything Manziel has done has been deemed perfectly legal has apparently touched a Stoops nerve despite the rest of the nation loving every minute of Manziel's off-the-field activities.

Let's face it, a kid playing in the toughest conference—and a former Big 12 team, at that—and actually having a ball doing it must really tick Stoops off. Wasn't Texas A&M supposed to struggle in its inaugural year in the SEC? It didn't.

In fact, the Aggies enjoyed a 11-2 record, including a 41-13 spanking of Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl. 

Stoops has always appeared to be a bit volatile on the sidelines, but at 51 years old, he should be able to control his editing process.

Granted, he did laugh after he made those controversial remarks, but the very fact that he opened that can of worms seems just so damn petty. Stoops sounds like that bitter fan who just found out that his team lost a coveted recruit—jealous, biting and juvenile.

But even more to the point is that Stoops' immaturity hasn't gotten any better over the years. He's a hot head who happens to have a genius defensive mind. Despite his poor attempts at humor, nothing will ever change.

Personally, I'm fine with that because, if nothing else, Stoops is at least consistent. One minute, he's acting like an immature brat. The next minute, he's displaying defensive genius on the sidelines.

Except when he had to stop Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel in the 2013 Cotton Bowl.

In the end, a 20-year-old kid is having more fun than Stoops is. A 20-year-old kid also made Mike Stoops' defensive schemes look like a cheese grater—Manziel passed and rushed for over 500 yards all by himself in the Cotton Bowl. The kid is schooling the teacher.     

Stoops recently apologized for his remarks, according to a Dallas Morning News report, but did so through an Oklahoma spokesperson saying he has the “utmost respect for Texas A&M and Johnny Manziel.” 

Stoops didn't actually issue the statement himself, which again, comes as no surprise. What Stoops did do was call attention to Manziel's glamorous life—not that Manziel needed Stoops' help in that department—and that will now probably cause his Twitter use to become dull and lifeless.  

We, the fans of college football nation, will probably lose a glimpse of what it's like to live the life of Johnny Football. We're not happy about that. 

But, hey, we will still get to watch Mike Stoops on the sidelines, which is probably almost as entertaining.

So there's that. 

Oklahoma Sooners defensive coordinator Mike Stoops thinks that Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel has a bright future as the Texas A&M Aggies' quarterback—just so long as he can stay eligible and out of jail. According to the Tulsa World‘s John Hoover, Stoops said as much in a radio interview on WWLS-FM in Oklahoma on Friday:

Mike Stoops on WWLS: "If they can keep (Manziel) out of jail or keep him eligible, he’s gonna be pretty good."#Sooners #Aggies #Gigem

— John E. Hoover (@johnehoover) January 11, 2013

This quote comes exactly a week after Manziel thrashed Stoops' defense for over 500 total yards and four touchdowns in Texas A&M's 41-13 victory over Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl. In the contest, Manziel became just the second quarterback in NCAA history to pass and rush for over 200 yards in a bowl game, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

After helplessly seeing his Sooners flail against Manziel, it would be easy to write off Stoops' slamming of Manziel as sour grapes. Nonetheless, at least part of his quote has some basis in actual facts. 

Before the 2012 season, Manziel was arrested in June on charges of possessing a fake driver’s license and fighting following an incident at a bar.

That wasn't Manziel's only run-in with a bar-related controversy this year. Following Texas A&M's bowl win, TMZ reported that Manziel, who is 20 years old, was seen at a 21-and-over nightclub with bottles of Dom Perignon. 

The eligibility portion of Stoops' slamming of Manziel is much murkier, but seems to stem somewhat from Manziel's habit of sharing his lifestyle on social media. Here's what Stoops also said in the interview regarding Manziel's use of Twitter, also via Hoover:

M.Stoops' 2nd quote on Manziel: "If they can keep him off the Twitter, he might have 3-4 Heismans. He'll have that type of ability."#Aggies

— John E. Hoover (@johnehoover) January 11, 2013

That comes shortly after the Texas A&M quarterback was roundly criticized for posting a picture of himself with casino winnings (h/t Yahoo! Sports). Though the casino admitted anyone over the age of 18, many criticized Manziel for the incident. 

Based on his quote Friday night, Stoops has seen Manziel's lifestyle and he's not exactly a fan, either.

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There will be plenty of offense when the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas A&M Aggies collide at the Cotton Bowl Jan. 4, but the key to an Oklahoma victory lies in the mind of defensive coordinator Mike Stoops. 

The Stoops brothers grew up on defense.

Bob Stoops seasoned his coaching prowess as the defensive coordinator under the "old ball coach" Steve Spurrier at Florida before becoming Oklahoma's head coach in 1999.

Mike Stoops learned from Bill Snyder as an assistant at Kansas State and from his brother Bob as the defensive coordinator at Oklahoma the first time around. 

The youngest Stoops, Mark, worked his way up the coaching ranks and held the defensive coordinator jobs at Arizona and Florida State before being named Kentucky's head coach in November.

Defense defines the Stoops brothers and it will be Mike’s job to step up in order for Oklahoma to claim a Cotton Bowl victory.

There are two glaring examples of why Mike will have to change his schemes against the Aggies.

Oklahoma's defensive line and linebackers aren't exceptionally talented and it showed against West Virginia and Oklahoma State late in the season.

The Sooners gave up 49 points and 778 total yards against the Mountaineers on Nov. 17, 458 yards coming on the ground and 345 coming from just one guy (Tavon Austin).

A week later, Oklahoma gave up 48 points to Oklahoma State. The Cowboys rushed for 225 yards and quarterback Clint Chelf dashed for 81. Although they didn't exactly destroy Oklahoma's defense like the Mountaineers, they still found major holes and took advantage.

The similarities between West Virginia, Oklahoma State and Texas A&M are far and few between but there is one glaring comparison that could mean a few sleepless nights for Mike Stoops in the near future: Each team features a quarterback that can make plays with both their arm and their legs.

Manziel finished the season with over 3,400 passing yards and over 1,100 rushing yards. He also finished with 43 total touchdowns.

The Stoops brothers haven’t had a strong track record against mobile quarterbacks. Vince Young, Brad Smith, El Roberson, Colt McCoy…and the list goes on. Manziel is not only a mobile quarterback; he's the most dynamic player in the nation. 

The Sooners cannot run three-down linemen against the Aggies like they did much of the second half against West Virginia. Also, they can't allow Manziel to reach the outside like they did against Chelf and Oklahoma State. 

Mike's schemes will be paramount in the Cotton Bowl. He's the leader of the defense and he has to scramble the X's and O's in order to find a game plan for stopping Manziel and Kevin Sumlin's explosive offense.

The Stoops have made a living off coaching defense. Give them enough time and they can scheme for anyone, including the best player in the nation. However, give the best player in the nation enough room and he will burn you.

Hopefully for the Sooners, there won’t be much room to work with.  

(All stats via Soonersports.com and ESPN.com) 

It's Thursday and we've got your mailbag needs covered here. You've got questions, I've got answers. I'm like your college football Ann Landers people. 

@inthebleachers is the return wall a lost art in CFB - was great to see it on Gio's return vs. NCSU - why dont we see more of it? YB11

— Wayne Hunt (@ncsportsguy) November 1, 2012

I don't think it is. The thing about a wall return is you have to surprise teams, sort of catch them off guard with it and make sure their not anticipating it. Other wise they'll just kick away from it and then have their players get behind the wall and shut it down.

So while NC State did a terrible job of defending against the wall return, part of that is due to them expecting UNC to run either a middle return or whatever they'd shown in the few weeks prior to the game.

Jared Abbrederis of Wisconsin scored on a wall return or two a year ago. Obviously Bernard this year. Miami was notorious for their timely usage of the wall return, including Melvin Williams and Ryan Taylor of UNC getting hammered on one such return.

Part of the effectiveness is timing based, and if you time it right, get a good punt that allows you to get to the wall and have the other team hellbent on running right at the ball, then it can be successful.

That said, if your punt team has any sort of self discipline, wall should never work on them. It's a player's fault if he thinks no resistance on a run to a guy fielding a punt is not out of character. If he just keeps running to the ball instead of staying in his lane, that's on him.

@inthebleachers Why have Toledo not hired Bob Toledo? It seems like such a natural fit. #YB11

— J. Schnauzer (@Jschnauzer) November 1, 2012

Toledo did make UCLA ball; two Pac-10 championships if I'm not mistaken. Unfortunately, he just got fired from Tulane and that, even if the name works perfectly, makes hiring him almost impossible anywhere. 

@inthebleachers who are your favorite defensive coordinators? #YB11

— Matt P (@UMwolfpack87) November 1, 2012

I've always been a big Vic Koenning fan. Not the UNC edition where they run this terrible system, but the Illinois and Clemson VK. He knows how to get after the quarterback, coaches up his defensive linemen really well and helps those guys grow as players.

I'm also a sucker for great defensive back play, so Mike Stoops and Nick Saban are two guys that I'm all about. Their secondary players tend to be very aggressive and when they get a player they know it.

John Chavis is a monster. His ability to adapt what he has to what he does is just awesome. I love Pat Narduzzi too. He's maximizing his players talent, he cuts down on how they can be hurt while still bringing pressure, and his defense is so multiple it confuses people.

I really could go on for days. Dick Bumpas is a G. When Ellis Johnson was at South Carolina I was a huge fan of his. I'm a fan of Mike Archer and Jon Tenuta, when they have the players. Their game plans against Clemson and UNC last season were brilliant, and I think this season they miss having capable linebackers.

I'm going to stop now and keep it moving to the next question. 

Craziest Vegas bet/line I just heard. The jags have been favored by 25 against Bama. Would you take the tide to cover? @inthebleachers

— Jordan Ash (@jordash_325) November 1, 2012

This has been on everyone's mind, and to be quite honest, I do not like it. I also do not care. So, my answer to this is I will wait until they play to really take it seriously. So basically never.

@inthebleachers #YB11 Will the ACC ever be worth a damn as a football conference?

— Born Bermudican (@BornBermudican) November 1, 2012

Honestly, I don't think the league is terrible right now. They've got a Top-10 team in FSU and another Top-15 team in Clemson. The only thing that sucks is that the Coastal Division is terrible. Blame Virginia Tech for that. Also Paul Johnson.

If Florida State wasn't stupid in Raleigh they'd have a Top-Five team staring at a date with Florida to try and push them into a BCS title game. But it is what it is. The perception of the league won't change until they win some non-conference games and get into legit contention. Check the computer numbers for FSU and Clemson, they are terrible.

@inthebleachers Not sure if you did in your D, but how hard was it for you to re-align LB/Secondary on a check if you had a hard-headed LB?

— Rich Fann II (@Fanntastic81) November 1, 2012

YES! Talking football!

In high school we called it "spinning" and in college it was the "kick and mix." Both meant the same thing—adjusting your defensive alignment, responsibilities and the call when teams motion, trade or shift.

For some pre-snap moves it was an automatic flip of the defense, which is why I love slide fronts: zone to X becomes zone to Y and the strong safety trades responsibility with the free safety, line and linebackers slide down and your golden. Other adjustments by the offense would lead to a full-blown reset of the defense with an auto-check. Linebackers trading sides, safeties buzzing down into the box, so on and so forth.

Perhaps I'm biased as a defensive back, but the only thing worse than a linebacker who doesn't want to communicate is a defensive tackle who only stares at the football once he breaks the huddle. If you don't communicate shifts, motions or trades then you end up in terrible situations because you're out of position. Communication, via hand signals, words or physical patting, is key for things to work properly.

As a safety, if the tight end trades and it goes from strong right to strong left, I need to see my Will linebacker pat himself on the butt after I call "buzz down left" so I know that he knows I'm coming down into the flats. The same goes for the linebacker. He needs to see the linemen shift and pat themselves on the butt to signify they know what they're doing.

If you don't get those confirmations the safety has to get down into the box and tell the linebacker. Or the linebacker has to physically move the defensive tackle over a gap. Otherwise the defense is compromised. That communication is why I love defenses doing meetings together a few times a week so that they can all agree on how they want to alert one another.

Hope that helps.

After Oklahoma's 30-13 loss to Notre Dame on Saturday, fans are back to pointing fingers and wanting answers. Despite the fact that the Sooners' only two losses have come to two top five teams, the sentiment among fans is the wheels are falling off the Sooner Schooner.

A few weeks ago it was the play at quarterback that was hurting the Sooners. Now the thought is the up-tempo style of offense is the reason for Oklahoma's struggles. So, is it the offense, the coaching, the quarterback or all of the above?

The truth is Oklahoma has not failed. I know that sounds crazy coming from the guy that just one month ago claimed the Sooners have dropped from their status as an elite program. But since the Kansas State game, Bob Stoops and his team have proven me wrong. It doesn't hurt that I've also had some time to gain better perspective after that loss.

The Wildcats have proven to be for real and after seeing Notre Dame with my own eyes, it's evident that the Irish have something special going on in South Bend. Certainly there's no shame in your only two losses coming to the likes of those two championship-caliber ball clubs.

In both games, the Sooners had a great opportunity to win and lost mainly because of their own mistakes. The up-tempo style of offense was never the reason. In fact, when the Sooners pick up the pace they almost can't be stopped. But, for whatever reason, Oklahoma tends to slow their pace to the point of almost running out of play clock. This is when they usually falter.

Clearly fans want to see the Sooners run the ball more and be more physical. But don't get tricked into thinking you can't be both of those things while running an up-tempo offense. It could even be argued that the Sooners run the ball better when they are playing at a faster pace.

The argument has also been made by some fans that the mistakes on the field are a result of the offense being in too much of a hurry. In reality, most of the mistakes have come when the offense slows its pace.

The bad snap in the Sooners' first drive against Notre Dame came with one second on the play clock. How can you say the pace was too fast when the play clock runs all the way down to 01?

There's also no reason a team can't be physical and move at a fast pace at the same time. Being physical and having less time between plays has very little to do with each other.

Oklahoma definitely needs to be more successful in the running game, but they can do that by picking up the pace.

In a conversation with a former defensive lineman from Oklahoma State, I was told he hated playing teams like Oklahoma because they could never get lined up correctly and many times didn't even know what they were trying to run on defense. He also told me it was exhausting for them to play at that pace and substituting was almost impossible.

If a rival defensive lineman feels that way about the up-tempo offense, then Oklahoma should take advantage of that. The problem is offensive coordinator Josh Heupel isn't doing it. The offense just doesn't seem to have the same type of rhythm as it did under Kevin Wilson.

In those days it was rare to see the play clock reach single digits. Obviously the Sooners don't have Sam Bradford running the offense anymore, but Landry Jones actually plays better when the pace picks up.

Oklahoma just got beat by two really good teams. One team has to win and one team has to lose. If you end up on the losing end, that doesn't mean you need to change everything about your team. Same goes with BCS titles. Just because you don't win a national championship doesn't mean you need to change everything on your team. The championship-or-bust frame of mind is ridiculous.

The Sooners have been playing football in Norman for almost 120 years. Only seven of those years have they won a national championship. Does that mean Oklahoma has failed as a team over 100 times?

The numbers prove you can't win them all. There are some areas where Stoops could make a few changes, but to say this season or this team is a failure is short sighted.

It's obvious the defense is better than any of us thought it would be. What will Mike Stoops be able to do with a unit full of guys he recruited?

Oklahoma fans should be excited about the fact that in the next couple of years, they might finally get a chance to see what a team with an explosive offense could accomplish with a reliable D backing them up.

After a sluggish start to the season many are doubting the Oklahoma Sooners and their status as a national championship contender. On Saturday night in Norman, quarterback Landry Jones and his team will have a chance to silence those doubters.

It's a similar position to the one the Sooners were in a year ago when they played the Wildcats in Manhattan, Kan. After losing in a shocker to Texas Tech at home and falling from their No. 1 ranking, the Sooners went to Kansas State trying to prove they still belonged in the national title conversation.

Oklahoma would leave Manhattan with a dominating 58-17 victory. It was also a dominating performance for the Sooners' quarterback.

Most people need to be reminded when Jones plays well. So let's not forget he was 35-of-47 with 505 yards in the air in last year's matchup with the Wildcats. He also threw five touchdown passes. All that on the road against the No. 8-ranked team in the country.

The Jones haters tend to forget those type of performances. In fact, somewhere there is a guy reading this article who is already writing a comment saying, "yeah, but he also threw two interceptions in that game."

Well, guess what: USC's Matt Barkley, who is supposed to be the best quarterback in the country and probably the first pick in the NFL draft, threw two picks last week in a loss to Stanford. He also failed to throw a touchdown pass.

Will a strong performance Saturday night against another ranked Kansas State team be enough to silence Jones' critics?

Probably not. But those people will never change their mind.

What might change, though, is the perception that these Sooners are not a top-10 team.

After struggling to beat UTEP on the road, Oklahoma is in need of an opportunity like this to beat a quality opponent. It's a moment these Sooners must take advantage of. A loss would mean a really long season is ahead for Bob Stoops, Jones and the Sooner faithful.

Defensive coordinator Mike Stoops and his defense will also have a chance to earn some respect. Their toughest test will be to stop Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein from running wild.

With the return of defensive lineman Casey Walker, Oklahoma fans are anxious to see if the defensive line will look better then they did in the first two games of the season. This is probably the biggest key to the game.

In a way, the schedule has worked out perfectly for Oklahoma. They had a wake-up call in Week 1, a tune-up game in Week 2 and a week off to put it all together before being tested this week.

Has Jones built some chemistry with his new receivers, Justin Brown and Trey Metoyer? Is Damien Williams the real deal at running back? Does the younger Stoops have his defense ready to battle a ranked foe in a huge game? Is Oklahoma a national championship contender?

These are all questions that will be answered in Norman tonight. The one question that will remain no matter the outcome has to do with Jones and his legacy as a quarterback at Oklahoma.