As the second half transpired, the tension level for Oklahoma fans grew with each passing second. A game that was all tied at the end of the first quarter went to halftime with the Sooners up big after a 23-0 second quarter.
As Lincoln Riley described his postgame press conference, his players thought the game was over, and their mentality reflected that. Riley took responsibility fir the way the second half played out, but it left a sour taste in the mouths of a lot of observers.
The Sooners weren’t the only team that disappointed in the Big 12 or across the country. USA TODAY Sports’ Paul Myerburg picked this weeks “Winners and Losers” and suffice it to say, the Sooners didn’t wind up on the positive end of the ledger.
Too close. Way too close. The No. 3 Sooners sneaked past Tulane 40-35 and raised some eyebrows along the way, especially given the preseason expectations for the OU defense. On the other side of the ball, early Heisman Trophy favorite Spencer Rattler threw for 309 yards but two interceptions, while the Sooners only averaged 3.3 yards per carry. Up 37-14 at halftime, OU brought zero energy out of the locker room and barely survived — Tulane even had the ball with a chance to win before turning it over on downs with just over a minute remaining. – Myerburg
The Sooners have a lot of work to do heading into a week two matchup with Western Carolina. While Tulane certainly made some things difficult, the second half execution on either side of the ball was far from immaculate.
They have a lot of talent, but talent alone isn’t going to carry the Oklahoma Sooners where they want to go in 2021. They need a Jalen Hurts type edge that says, “what we just did isn’t good enough,” even if they win by 40.
That’s the edge that allows a team like Alabama to carry on as the best team in the country even as they send first-round talent to the NFL year in and year out.
It’s just one game, but if the Sooners don’t fix the 30 minute mentality that cropped up in week one, it will be a long season with a lot of tense moments.