I like to think of myself as one of the many "quality" OU fans.  So while at times I may be critical of a coach or player, I will also be the first one to sing their praises when deserved.  And that is definitely the case, at least in my opinion, regarding Coach Venables (and in extension Coach Stoops as well) and the game plan they designed for the Texas game.  The defense was everything I could have asked for and I feel as if Venables made just about every adjustment OU fans have been asking for throughout this season and several others.  I hope the rest of you were as fortunate as I was to be in attendance at the Cotton Bowl and witness one of the best defensive performances of the Coach Venables era.  I realize that may sound like somewhat of an oxymoron given that OU lost the game, but I stand by my assessment of our defense.

I cannot even begin to describe the utter shock I experienced when I watched Ryan Reynolds shuffle off the field and replaced by Joseph Ibiloye.  This was the one seemingly obvious weakness of the OU defense and one I think most Sooner fans expected Texas to exploit.  On many different occasions, I saw Brian Jackson up in press coverage on their wide receivers (never saw Franks do this, not sure why?) which is also something OU fans have been asking for.  Well to my complete amazement, Coach Venables actually had this little trick up his sleeve and it worked to the success of these impressive stat lines:

Colt McCoy - 21/39, 127, 1/1

Jordan Shipley - 4-22, long of 9

Dan Buckner - 0-0

To the best of my memory, Ibiloye played extremely well throughout the game with the lone exception being an atrocious pass interference call that lead directly (along w/ a very poor tackle by Q.Carter) to Texas's only touchdown.  This call was only one of several absolutely terrible decisions by the referees who were clearly also beneficiaries of the raises that the Texas coaches received for "winning" the Big XII conference last year.  Oh, and for all the whining and crying Texas fan did last year about Mike Knall's award winning performance on the phantom roughing the punter well that trophy now proudly sits atop Mr. (or is it Ms. after Saturday) Colt McCoy's mantle.  That acting job he did on the personal foul call in the last minute of the game was unreal.  That to go along with the ridiculous roughing the passer on Clayton in the 1st quarter that extended yet another Texas drive.  He needs to just play in a skirt and get it over with.

Now before Texas fan claims this is just another rant from an OU fan whining about how the refs "cost us the game" please believe me when I say despite the numerous terrible calls, the refs did not cost OU this game.  Five turnovers lost us this game, plain and simple.  What Dom Franks was thinking on the punt return is beyond me?  You're right on the sideline w/ the Texas defender baring down on you, where do you think you're going even if you hold on to the ball?  This leads to three points for Texas and on the ensuing kickoff, Mossis Madu proceeds to lose the ball after a pretty good return.  Having returned home from Dallas and having had the opportunity to watch the actual broadcast, I feel confident in saying that every single turnover we had qualified as "devastating."  Most turnovers are so this isn't exactly groundbreaking material by yours truly, but just think about these with me for a moment.  

We addressed Franks and how it lead to a Texas field goal, obviously the difference in the final score.  Then Madu fumbles the kickoff return and while it doesn't lead to any Texas points, we're fortunate that we were able to force a McCoy fumble in the redzone.  Then there's the fumble on the exchange between Landry and Murray which takes place just outside the Texas redzone and very likely preventing at least another field goal by OU.  On to Landry's two interceptions and the first specifically because I am 100% confident that if that's Bradford the ball winds up six rows deep.  Some things just come with experience and while this wasn't Landry's first game, he's still a freshman and Bradford just so happens to be a Heisman trophy winner.  So to see make Landry make a very unfortunate read on his final pass of the game is both depressing and somewhat encouraging.  Incredibly depressing because it pretty much sealed our fate, but encouraging because at least he was given the chance to win the game.  The same cannot be said for the Miami game, so at least our coaches allowed him the chance to go win the game.  Obviously that did not happen, but I think most OU fans at least wanted them to not be so afraid so as to not even give him a chance to do so.  He'll learn from the experience and likely it will make him a better player in the long run.

I know this feeling is not unique to just myself, but there's really few things that suck more than walking out of that stadium having just lost.  However, as I sat there and watched the Texas players and fans celebrate I couldn't help but notice a strange feeling.  Now I admittedly am a fan who probably takes the outcome of OU sports a little to seriously, but it's one of the things in my life that I really, really enjoy.  So after an OU loss I generally don't feel very positive, however for the first time in the past several years that was not the case on this particular Saturday.  I thought our defense played their hearts out and the defensive coaches made all the adjustments I was hoping for.  The offense is another story and while I recognize our O-line has MAJOR issues, DeMarco Murray only rushing the ball five times and only touching the ball a total of 13 times is absolutely unacceptable.  That said, the difference between this loss compared to the others we've suffered recently is that this OU team didn't look unprepared or come out flat or get out coached.  They played with effort and heart and intensity which is really all anyone can ask for and unfortunately on some Saturday's that's just not good enough.  Sadly, this happened to be one of those Saturdays and an offense that has been decimated by injuries and deflated after watching their Heisman trophy winner getting knocked out a second time just couldn't come up with the big play they needed.  

I sincerely doubt I'm alone when I say I'm incredibly proud of the way our Sooners played and while the outcome was certainly not what we wanted, there were some positives to take out of this game and that's what we should focus on.