This one infuriating drive is how I’ll always remember Oklahoma’s Mike Stoops era

Mike Stoops had some good games in his 11-plus years over two stints as Oklahoma’s defensive coordinator. But he was fired after 2018’s Week 6 because he had some bad games.

In his first year back with the Sooners, his unit ranked No. 15 in opponent-adjusted S&P+. By 2017, it’d fallen to No. 101, and it’ll forever be hard not to think it cost OU a spot in the National Championship against Alabama. The final straw was giving up 48 points to a lumpy Texas offense in 2018.

2014’s OU defense wasn’t too bad, but it had one of the most agonizing defensive moments I’ve ever seen, and I’m nowhere near an Oklahoma fan. Watch in horror.

LOOK AT ALL THE CUSHIONS! This is just the first play, but it would continue.

Easy gain for the Bears. Lesson learned! Nope.

After only the drive’s second play, FS1’s Joe Davis was calling out how easy of a time the Bears were having, thanks to all the luxurious cushions. Anyway, the luxury continued. “Again, cushion,” Davis noted mid-play. “Baylor will do that all the way down the field if you let ‘em.”

FS1’s Joey Harrington notes he’s surprised as well to see this continuing.

Forced a third-and-short! Time to tighten up and get this ball! Ha, ha. Nice try. Screen time.

OKLAHAOMA IS LINED UP AS IF IT’S UP BY 10 WITH A MINUTE LEFT, NOT DOWN BY 10 WITH 18 MINUTES LEFT.

Another easy slant. “At some point, you’ve gotta make an adjustment, if you’re Oklahoma,” Davis says, incorrectly.

After tackling Corey Coleman to stop an automatic five-yard gain, OU corner Julian Wilson shouted “fuck!” and shook his fist in frustration while staring at his sideline.

You can see more Sooners looking dismayed and bewildered after that easy Baylor gain as well. How ‘bout another?

“Why not? Big cushion again,” says Davis. The crowd is loudly booing. Harrington’s pleading for Oklahoma to take some risks. And right when the Sooners sooort of inch forward a little bit ...

... the Bears run up the middle for the TD. The crowd’s outraged.

Look how easy:

“We were just taking what they were giving us,” Coleman said after the game.

“Being able to play tight coverage is something you have to be good at and is something we obviously need to look at,” Stoops said.

Immediately after that drive, you saw outrage from Sooners current (Wilson, in a heated discussion with Mike and brother Bob) ...

... past (Tony Jefferson, then with the Arizona Cardinals, in a since-deleted tweet) ...

“We need better defensive schemes. Smh”

... and way past:

And here was local columnist Berry Tramel, in response to a fan who was explaining why the Norman crowd was booing throughout that drive:

Everyone knew what the booing was about. It was really remarkable. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a defensive gameplan get booed. Players? Sure. Refs? All the time. Offensive play calling? Routine. But a defensive gameplan? Not ever. It was something to behold.

I’ll always remember this drive, no matter how mad it makes me to this day.