Oklahoma Football: 5 reasons why the Sooners will stink in 2017

NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 02: Baker Mayfield #6 of the Oklahoma Sooners is tackled by Montravius Adams #1 of the Auburn Tigers during the Allstate Sugar Bowl at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on January 2, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /

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NEW ORLEANS, LA – JANUARY 02: Head coach Bob Stoops of the Oklahoma Sooners looks on against the Auburn Tigers during the Allstate Sugar Bowl at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on January 2, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /

5. No more Bob Stoops

To say that the loss of Bob Stoops will not affect Oklahoma is just downright wrong. Very few candidates seem like a better fit for the head coach position than Lincoln Riley but no one can replace Stoops. He was one of the longest tenured coaches in college football until he unexpectedly retired around one month ago.

That’s hard for a lot of returning and new players to get a grasp on when your coach just up and leaves like that. The entire culture of the program can change in a split second and that’s not what a lot of recruits originally bought into.

The effects of Stoops’ absence might be felt on both sides of the ball, especially on defense. Players like defensive lineman Matthew Romar and cornerback Jordan Thomas need to step up as leaders even more than needed when Stoops was still there.

Even with some up and down seasons at the end of Stoops’ career, he finished up with a Sugar Bowl victory in 2016 and a College Football Playoff appearance in 2015. Either way, that’s a lot for Riley to live up to.

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