Hopefully this will end any more discussion about the head coach of the USC Trojans.

For the sake of everyone’s sanity, I’d like to propose an agreement between fans of the Oklahoma Sooners and the college football media writ large. What I’m suggesting is quite simple, really, and if you’ve partaken of the Discourse in recent weeks, you understand what I’m trying to broker here.

On the one hand, I’d offer that OU fans cut the Lincoln Riley sh*t. And don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about – #TBOW, blowing up Twitter mentions at the mere invocation of Riley’s name, et cetera. I inadvertently pointed the swarm in the direction of a couple writers recently, so I’ve seen what it’s like up close. It’s annoying and it’s tired.

As for you, members of the media, this is a two-way street. I’d humbly propose you consider the possibility that football was played in Norman, Oklahoma, before Riley ever set foot there.

You see, even in times like these, we should all be able to agree on certain statements of fact. For example, Riley has a brilliant football mind. He also possesses an innate understanding of the importance of recruiting and how to market a program in the modern landscape of college football.

Riley’s addition to Bob Stoops’ coaching staff in 2015 injected vitality and ambition that seemed to be fading from the team culture. He played an instrumental role as both an assistant and head coach in a stretch that produced six Big 12 titles, four appearances in the College Football Playoff and a record of 77-14. Only the hatingest of haters would try to argue that OU football didn’t benefit from Riley’s seven years as part of the program.

I’d hope we can also agree that Riley took the baton from Stoops in an advantageous position owing to what OU is. That goes for the immediate particulars of the team Riley inherited in 2017 – a squad with a readymade coaching staff, 18 NFL draft picks on the roster and an abundance of experienced players coming off back-to-back conference championships.

But it also goes for the long-term foundation upon which OU football is built. Had Riley started as a head coach at a program of different stature, would he have achieved star status so quickly (if at all)? OU made him chief executive of a blue-chip program at a point in his career in which conventional wisdom would say Riley wasn’t prepared for the job. He proved himself more than capable of sustaining and building on the Sooners’ history of success, but that speaks to both Riley’s coaching acumen and the strength of OU’s program.

With that in mind, I’d submit that we could all use this as a learning experience. If you’re a fan harboring bitterness over the mere fact that Riley chose coaching at USC over OU, time to grow up. There are many great reasons for Riley to opt for Cardinal and Gold over Crimson and Cream – including warm weather, a campus within spitting distance of one of the most fertile recruiting bases in the country, obscene money and a level of autonomy bordering on absolute.

And, if it’s not too bold, the pundit class might want to consider the possibility that hiring a new coaching staff was more opportunity than crisis for OU. Yes, Riley is a proven commodity as a head coach, while Brent Venables is not. However, after watching Riley’s team play last year, let’s not act like Oklahoma couldn’t do better than that.

The Sooners can point to nearly a century of winning as proof that they know how to hire good coaches and run a successful program. In Venables, the Sooners landed one of the most respected assistants in the sport, a coach whose name came up regularly for high-profile openings in the past. He also happens to be intimately familiar with OU football already, and you could make a good case he has assembled a superior coaching staff from top to bottom versus the group on the sidelines a year ago.

In closing, I firmly believe this proposal offers an opportunity for lasting peace – or less obnoxiousness, at least. And when OU is thriving five years from now, we can happily revisit this discussion.

Also, OU’s baseball team stole 11 bases on Tuesday.

Happy Wednesday, Sooners friends and fans!

It was another tough loss for the Oklahoma Sooners men’s basketball team Tuesday night, getting blown out by the No. 9 Texas Tech Red Raiders, 66-42, down in Lubbock. Oklahoma has now lost seven of their last eight games and is 14-14 overall, just 4-11 in Big 12 play. The Sooners produced their lowest scoring output since 2004 and for the first time since at least 2004, not a single Sooner scored in double-figures.

The Oklahoman, as well as the OU Daily’s Grayson Blalock, break down the Sooners’ blowout loss to the Red Raiders and explained how their NCAA Tournament hopes are now hanging in the balance.

Next up is Bedlam round two, this Saturday at 11 a.m. on CBS. The Sooners need to more than likely win these final three regular season games to get back into March Madness.

• If you want to transport yourself to some better times in Oklahoma men’s basketball history, 19nine threads dropped some Vintage OU Basketball gear from the 1988 and 2002 Final Four teams.
• Check out the products down below, remember the good old days and rep the Sooners!

OU Women’s Basketball

• The Oklahoma Sooners women’s basketball team snapped their three-game losing streak, beating the TCU Horned Frogs on Wednesday night, 92-57. Six total Sooners scored in double-figures, led by Skylar Vann’s 17 points and Gabby Gregory’s season-high 13. The bench combined for 50 points in the blowout of the Horned Frogs. OU is now 21-6 on the season, 10-5 in Big 12 play.
• The Sooners are back in action on Saturday hosting the Kansas State Wildcats. OU will be honoring the 2002 Final Four team as well as recognizing former head coach Sherri Coale for all she did for the Oklahoma program. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. on Bally Sports Oklahoma.

OU Softball

• The No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners Softball team has dominated so for in the 2022 season, sitting at 10-0 on the season, outscoring their opponents 95-2, given up 0 earned runs and run-ruled eight opponents, six in a row. The highlight of the weekend was Jocelyn Alo hitting her 95th career home run, tying her with Sooners legend Lauren Chamberlain as the all-time NCAA home run leaders. The Hawaii native will more than likely break that this weekend. The Oklahoman’s Jenni Carlson profile’s how Alo’s ‘exile’ has lead her to becoming the home run queen. The Tulsa World’s Guerin Emig breaks down what Alo’s 96th homer will mean to both her and Sooners legend Lauren Chamberlain.
• The domination has lead to some individual accolades including Jocelyn Alo being named Louisville Slugger/NFCAorg & Big 12 Player of the Week. Alo hit five home runs in five games, including hitting career No. 95 to tie Lauren Chamberlain as the NCAA Career Home Run Leader. Alo batted .600 on the weekend with 11 RBI and seven extra base hits, leading No. 1 OU to five run-rule wins. She slugged an exceptional 1.733 and registered 26 total bases.
• Also, congrats to Hope Trautwein for being named conference co-pitcher of the week. Trautwein threw her fourth career no-hitter in OU’s 11-0 run-rule victory over McNeese on Saturday. The graduate transfer struck out eight in five innings of work and allowed just one walk to the 16 batters she faced. It marked her first individual no-hitter as a Sooner after combining on a perfect game in OU’s season opener.
• Next up, the Sooners head out to the West Coast to Cathedral City, California, for the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. Five total games against Cal State Fullerton, Long Beach State, No. 9 Arizona, No. 18 Tennessee and Utah. First up, Oklahoma faces off with CSU Fullerton on Friday at 2:30 p.m. and Long Beach State at 5 p.m. All games can be caught on flosoftball.com.

OU Baseball

• The Oklahoma Sooners Baseball team looked good on Tuesday, beating Wichita State, 6-2, to improve to 3-1 on the season. Braden Carmichael got the win throwing five innings, giving up one earned run and striking out four batters.
• Cade Horton and Tanner Tredaway both contributed 2-RBI, with Tredaway hitting a solo home run as well. Additionally. Sooner baserunners swiped 11 bags on the day. The OU Daily’s Eduardo Olivas highlights the Sooners successes in their 2022 home opener win over Wichita State.
• The Sooners are back in action this weekend against Northwestern State. The three-game series has been moved to Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas due to inclement weather in the Norman area. All three games can be heard on KREF 1400 AM/99.3FM starting Friday at noon.

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