In 2011, the bar was set high as the Oklahoma Sooners came in with the nation's top ranking. Fans expected the chase for eight to finally come to an end as Ryan Broyles and Travis Lewis were coming back for a senior season. With all the expectations that were placed upon the 2011 season, only a few have been removed heading into 2012. We are talking about Oklahoma, a fan base that has come to expect championships, no? Yet, there is one glaring difference. This is a season that is shaping up to be far removed from the fanfare as the Sooners have taken on a new sense of focus.
A new mindset was instilled with Landry Jones who still has many doubters heading into his senior season as a 4-year starter. With a spring that was filled with events that included planning a wedding, Jones still found time to work on a few issues. In March, Landry took possibly the only true week he would have off to spend time in Palo Alto on the Stanford campus with quarterback guru, George Whitfield. Jones showed that he has been committed to improving his game as well as staying focused.
This mindset then flowed into senior cornerback, Demontre Hurst. Last season's secondary dubbed themselves "The Sharks" when instead, they should have been labeled "The Gharials," a ferocious looking reptile that is, for the most part, harmless unless you get a finger caught in its mouth. However, heading into 2012, Hurst has been toning it down while dismissing the "Shark" moniker as the leader of a revamped secondary. This will be a year of redemption for Hurst and the rest of the secondary as Aaron Colvin has made the move back to cornerback and Tony Jefferson to safety.
The latest addition the leading this team into a state of focus has been Tony Jefferson, one of the more vocal members of this squad. However, Jefferson's idea is comes from the off the field aspect. In an attempt to remain focused on the goal, he has taken a bit of the LeBron James attitude and had completely done away with social media by the end of July. Initially it was though that this would be something that was short lived but he has stuck by the decision so far. This means one less distraction in life as well as school.
Per running back/slot receiver Roy Finch's Twitter, he could be the next to disappear from social media.
I don't think it could have been put any better than this,
Don't dwell on what went wrong. Instead, focus on what to do next. Spend your energies on moving forward toward finding the answer. - Denis Waitley
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