The Oklahoma Sooners are in a position they didn't want to be in this early in the season. The Sooners suffered a 17-10 loss to the Michigan Wolverines, meaning they have to start turning the corner now, before the season gets away from them.
That loss has brought a lot of criticism and doubt. But Oklahoma was in a similar situation a year ago. After losing to the Texas Longhorns and the Ole Miss Rebels, Oklahoma sat at 6-2, with road games against the Tennessee Volunteers and Alabama Crimson Tide, as well as home games against the Missouri Tigers and LSU Tigers, still looming. Very few thought the Sooners could get through that stretch unscathed, but they did and made the College Football Playoff because of it.
Head coach Brent Venables used
that as an example as to why it's not time to panic.
"Last year's team, we started figuring out how we needed to win," Venables said via Sooners Illustrated. "That identity wasn't developed until 3/4 or so of the season."
The circumstances aren't identical this season. Oklahoma is 1-1 rather than 6-2, and the Sooners still have the toughest part of their schedule to come. The Michigan loss also exposed areas that need immediate attention, particularly on offense.
But Venables' larger point remains relevant: the team Oklahoma needs to become in November does not necessarily have to be the same team it is in September. That gives the Sooners some breathing room, but not unlimited time. The New Mexico Lobos offer the first chance to show that the Michigan loss can become a turning point rather than the start of a slide.
If Oklahoma can correct its mistakes, develop a clearer identity and continue improving, Venables' reminder of last year's run could become more than a comparison; it could become the blueprint for another turnaround.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Oklahoma Sooners aren't panicking after Michigan loss
