Very interesting discussion here...

Having been at the game, I'll toss in a few thoughts.

* OU needs D-Linemen. Desperately. This is easily the weakest defensive front in Stoops' tenure. I don't think most folks realize how much of the rest of the defense hinges on the play of the d-line. It isn't about dominating every play, it's about winning the few critical battles on the few plays that often decide close games between good teams. Right now, OU's defensive line cannot get off blocks, cannot create pressure, cannot penetrate.

* OSU has a really nice offensive system in place. They can churn guys through, and are very close to creating a system where a variety of different athletes can be successful at their QB position. That's how you build a program.

* I can't fathom why OSU didn't blitz more, especially late, unless Bill Young sensed that his defense was getting tired and thought the better strategy was to rush three and stay in coverage most of the time to limit the fatigue factor. That last OU drive - all but 4 seconds of the last, what, 6:18, had to be crushing.

* I think most of the stadium had the sense that OU was going to win that game once OSU had been held to an FG on their OT possession. I think OSU was playing mentally and emotionally "all in" on that last long drive, and when Bell scored, the whole feeling in the stadium changed. Millard nearly scored on the first play from scrimmage, and unless I'm mistaken, they ran Clay through the same hole on the next play where he scored. And the arm tackles on that play alone belie the fact that OSU was, defensively, spent.

* Yeah, Landry threw a horrible pick on that one drive. But if he's not the QB, OSU wins that game. Bell is a horse, but from what I've seen, he's got a cannon of an arm with very little touch right now. How they adjust the offense going into next season will be very, very interesting. OU has a bevy of receivers going into next year, so they can't afford to turn into a run-first team entirely. Fans dissing Jones will be missing his accuracy and, as evidenced the last two weeks, his calm late-game demeanor next season. Without it, OU loses the last two games IMHO. I mean, good grief, the guy drives the team the length of the field in back to back weeks to game-tying/winning TD's...not sure what more you can ask. And I still contend that Bell is not the "heir-apparent" to Jones if they continue to run this offense. Its one thing to come in 3rd and 1 and bulldoze to a first down; it's another to throw an opposite-hash strike to a breaking receiver. We don't know if Bell can do that with the kind of regularity this offense demands.

* Josh Heupel has to get out of his own way when calling the offense. He clearly outthought himself in bringing in the Belldozer twice at inappropriate times when the OU offense was in rhythm, and both times it failed - once on a no-gain pitch sweep, the other on a lost fumble. It's all about rhythm and tempo, and IMHO those were killers. The Dozer is a great tool, used properly (see game-tying touchdown), but abused (see first-and-ten at the OSU 15), it makes you look silly.

* OSU will return something like 17 starters next year from a team that legitimately should have beaten Texas and came within a hair's breadth of beating OU in Norman, so the idea that they could win the conference next year isn't stupid or dense at at all. West Virginia loses a ton this season, OU loses their 2.5-year starting QB, Texas is a mess, and with Tuberville all-but campaigning for the Arkansas job, I don't see Tech challenging next year. KSU will be good again even without Klein at QB just because they're so dad-gum sound fundamentally under Snyder. The point is there isn't a dominant team returning next season, so picking OSU with that much experience returning isn't insane.

Bad, good, or indifferent, the Sooners won; it was no defensive gem, but it was good enough! Now we just need to keep up the momentum and thump TCU to keep Stoops' even-numbered conference title streak alive.