Sooners seek new/old vibe
By John Helsley
Jeff Capel admitted Monday that his Sooners have misplaced their mojo.
Not exactly major news for anyone who’s seen them struggle in recent weeks, yet still a somewhat revealing admittance by the OU coach.
The question becomes, of course, can the Sooners recreate the magic that had them 25-1 and rolling to the nation’s No. 1 ranking before Blake Griffin took an accidental blow to the head and missed six quarters of two losses that seemed to allow doubt to seep into some minds?
The feeling Sunday, as the Big Dance card was revealed, was that a clean slate could cure OU’s ills. Dancing has a way of putting some music in the soul. While not exactly the same, look what a fresh start did for Baylor in the Big 12 Tournament.
There’s a freedom the Tournament brings, not to mention a sense that you’re on the doorstep of all you’ve been working toward. The Big 12 battles are behind. New teams and new challenges and new perspectives come into play.
The grind of the season is replaced by the grand appeal of the season.
And the realization that your next loss is your last.
I wrote in my OU Insider this morning about the NCAA Tournament can provide an elixir of sorts for the Sooners. How the adrenaline of this time of the year can play painkiller to the injuries and the ailments and even the mental/attitude issues.
With the Sooners in need of some outside love, the NCAA committee delivered, rewarding OU with a No. 2 seed and a favorable starting locale in Kansas City.
They were rewarded, despite a shaky finish, for their “body of work.”
And it’s an impressive body of work — so far.
But in the end, for these Sooners, the body will only hold its appeal with an extended dance.
And it will take some mojo to pull it off.
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