The Red Zone Report

To say the least, the script flew out the window when Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford didn’t pop up quickly after being driven into the Cowboys Stadium turf late in the second quarter tonight against BYU.

Even had the Sooners held on to beat the Cougars, the win would’ve been bittersweet due to Bradford’s injury, but the pain was compounded, especially for Bradford, by BYU’s late touchdown to score a 14-13 upset.

It’d be absolutely cruel to pin the loss on backup quarterback Landry Jones, who was thrust into a situation that he likely didn’t bargain on having to be in, despite having no doubt been told numerous times to ‘be ready’.

BYU’s defense had done an admirable job even when Bradford was in the game, limiting the Sooners to 10 points in the first half and forcing two turnovers deep in their end to thwart Oklahoma scoring drives.

However, it’s fair to make the assertion that things would’ve turned out differently had Bradford not been sidelined. In the second half, the Sooners had drives that started at their 40, BYU’s 27, and their 40, and all they came away with is a field goal. I don’t see BYU providing any less resistance than they did in the first half or when Jones had to come in, but with Bradford in, you’d expect at least a touchdown or two from that kind of field position, not a solitary field goal.

But it’s not just Bradford’s loss that hurt Oklahoma’s chances tonight, especially given what transpired. Tight end Jermaine Gresham missed tonight’s game due to a knee injury, and while it robbed Bradford of one of his prime targets, that loss was magnified when Bradford exited. Having a weapon like Gresham in the game would have really benefited for Jones on those drives when Oklahoma had a chance to turn excellent field position into points.

Unfortunately, when Oklahoma needed a late score, there was no Gresham, and there was no Bradford, and as unlikely as it may have seemed even seconds before the hit that sent Bradford out for the night – and for the next few weeks, according to early speculation, Oklahoma’s national title hopes have been derailed out of the gate.

Anyone associated with Oklahoma football has to be pretty down tonight, I would think. Any loss hurts, and an upset one stings even more, but when you lose your best player on top of losing the game, it makes for a long, forgettable night.

From here on out, every game is a must-win for the Sooners if they want to have a chance to return to the BCS national title game. Sure, being able to win the Big 12 title is nice and all, but winning the conference title is a stepping stone towards the ultimate goal, not the ultimate goal itself.

However, the season is far from over, and just like they controlled their destiny before, they still control it. Bob Stoops won’t let his team dwell on the loss and on Bradford’s loss, and

Oklahoma will be able to cope just fine without Bradford against I-AA/FCS Idaho State next week, and you’d have to expect them to be able to down Tulsa at home two weeks from now. However, if Bradford’s still out for Oklahoma’s road showdown against Miami on October 3, that game could bear a lot more watching than it did before.

But if the Sooners can make it through Bradford’s absence with nothing but Ws – which I think they will, they’ll still very much be a player in the title race when they hit the meat of their Big 12 schedule.

From the looks of it, Bradford will be back in the saddle by the time Oklahoma returns to Cowboys Stadium to face off against Texas on October 17, and a win over the Longhorns could thrust the Sooners right back in the thick of the national title race. From there, it‘ll be all about winning out, letting the rest take care of itself, and just hoping for the best.

Injuries. All it can take is one to the wrong player, and your season can be ruined.

Will that be the case for Oklahoma? Only time will tell, but it’s safe to say that this is a question that no one in Norman wanted to have to ask this early in the season, or at all.