Stevie Clark wants to get to know Sooners 
But no coach was more well-known than first-year Oklahoma head coach Lon Kruger. Two weeks ago, OU and the Clark family weren’t on the same page. That’s how quickly things can change.
With Kruger in attendance, Clark scored 35 points and had 16 assists in helping Douglass to another blowout victory. The Trojans are the two-time defending Class 4A state champions and are poised to make a run for their third title in a row.
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Osby: OU loss to Texas Tech 'embarrassing'
“Embarrassing.”
But it wasn’t just the final score that embarrassed Osby.
“Not just because they were 0-11 but because they competed harder than us,” Osby said. “I felt like we just laid down and accepted it. That’s what really hurts when you look back on it.”
After a decent effort in the first half, the Sooners were outscored 40-25 in the final 20 minutes of the game and looked lifeless for much of the second half.
“To lose like that is embarrassing to me,” Osby said. “And I hope my teammates feel the same way... I’m pretty sure they do.”
First meeting of season
In a strange twist to the Big 12 Conference schedule, Oklahoma faces Texas for the first time with just six conference games remaining. OU has faced Kansas State, Kansas, Missouri and Texas Tech twice in its first 12 conference contests.
It makes preparing for the Longhorns a little bit different for an Sooners squad who has become accustomed to playing teams they are already familiar with.
“It’s kind of like the NCAA Tournament or NIT,” Osby said. “You’ve seen a team on TV all year but you haven’t seen them in person.”
The Sooners have had the chance to see the Longhorns while preparing for other Big 12 teams but they don’t have the familiarity of having been on the same court.
“It’s a little different,” point guard Sam Grooms said. “We’ve seen a lot of film on them but other than that you don’t know a lot about them. You just have to get out there and hope you understand what you saw on film.”
The Sooners travel to Austin, Texas, on Feb. 29 for the second meeting between the two teams.
Here are a few highlights from the chat:
Junior (Oklahoma City): If Landry Jones get injured who do the sooners go with Allen, Bell or Thompson? Why?
Jake Trotter: If Landry got hurt tomorrow, Drew Allen would be the QB. If Landry got hurt in August, who knows? Could be Blake Bell if his passing continues to improve. Kendal Thompson has some potential, but he has a ways to go in terms of learning the offense to catch up with Allen or Bell.
Deeann (Dallas): How will team compensate without Ryan Broyles?
Jake Trotter: You can't replace a Ryan Broyles with one player. OU will try to do it with several, including a host of talented newcomers. There's enough talent on this offense to score 40-plus a game next season.
Josh (Lizard Lick): With the hiring of Mike Stoops, will there be any difference in the defense this upcoming year (i.e. blitz more/less, press coverage/zone)
Jake Trotter: I expect Mike Stoops to simplify the secondary coverages significantly next season. There's no question OU's DBs at times looked like they had no idea what they were supposed to be doing at times. Guys like Derrick Strait have told me that Mike preaches simplicity back there so guys can focus more on playing instead of thinking. The rest of the defense should be fairly similar.
Joshua (Houston): Do you think Daniel Brooks ends up as a DB or does he make headway at RB? Based on his film he looks like he has Trey Franks speed with Roy Finch elusiveness...
Jake Trotter: I think the Sooners will give him a look in the slot initially, but it's very possible he gets moved to corner ultimately. Brooks has world class speed... I could see him becoming a return specialist as well. The Sooners could really use somebody like that.
Derrin (Plano, TX): Will the offensive line improve this year and be able to consistently open holes for the running game? The unit has been average at best since the Loadholt and Joseph line a few years back?
Jake Trotter: I believe this group has the chance to be OU's best since the '08 line. Four starters are back, including three multi-year starters. Adam Shead is a rising star, and brings physicality to the run game. The key will be the tackles. Can Lane Johnson make a seamless switch to LT? Can somebody like Daryl Williams emerge at RT?
Either the Sooners will prove their loss to the Red Raiders was a fluke or they will let the bad momentum carry over into Tuesday’s game. OU has won one game since Jan. 17, losing 6 of 7 contests. The players are looking to get the taste of losing out of their mouths.
Key to OU win: Playing like they were embarrassed with their performance against Texas Tech. Execution and game plans don’t matter if the effort and intensity is not there. The Sooners will also need to get Steven Pledger more involved against the Longhorns than he was against Texas Tech.
Key to UT win: Getting to the free throw line. The Longhorns average 25.3 free throw attempts per game and get 25 percent of their total points from the line. UT guards J'Covan Brown and Myck Kabongo consistently get into the lane and have attempted at least 125 free throws this year.
Stat line that will tell the tale: Steals. Both teams average over six steals per game so whoever wins the steals battle is likely winning the battle of the guards, giving them a better chance to win the game.
Sooners X factor: Cameron Clark. There has been plenty of talk about Clark on the offensive end but if the sophomore plays well on the defensive end against UT, it will help the Sooners contain the Longhorns guards.
Longhorns X factor: Julien Lewis. A solid rebounder and defender, Lewis could provide a spark for the Longhorns with his athleticism. And he will make UT extremely dangerous if he provides a scoring punch as well.
Oklahoma's 2012 conference schedule
Here is Okahoma's conference schedule for 2012:
Sept. 22: vs. Kansas State
Oct. 6: at Texas Tech
Oct 13: vs. Texas
Oct. 20: vs. Kansas
Nov. 3: at Iowa State
Nov. 10: vs. Baylor
Nov. 17: at West Virginia
Nov. 24: vs. Oklahoma State
Dec. 1: at TCU
Triple Option: Tim Kish making impact
1. Had to wait a couple of weeks, but the Tim Kish effect on the West Coast is starting to take shape for Oklahoma and its new linebackers coach. The Sooners are a big-time player for linebacker Chans Cox (Pinetop, Ariz./Blue Ridge), who has ties to Kish. OU offered Cox on Monday afternoon. Talking to one California high school coach, he said OU is now a major factor in California and Arizona. He said Kish did a great job at Arizona, a program that doesn’t have near the tradition of the Sooners. Now with Kish in Norman, the West Coast is wide open.
2. OU men’s basketball coach Lon Kruger has picked the right time to hit the in-state talent as the 2013 Oklahoma high school class is easily going to be the best since 2009 that produced NBA players Xavier Henry (Oklahoma City/Putnam City) and Daniel Orton (Oklahoma City/McGuinness). On Monday night, Kruger was in attendance for a showcase performance by point guard Stevie Clark (Oklahoma City/Douglass). Clark, ranked No. 58 in the ESPNU Super 60 for 2013 and with an OU offer, had 35 points and 16 assists. Clark said Monday night he hopes to be at OU-Texas on Tuesday.
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Oklahoma's weakness: Giving up big plays
This week, Brian Fremeau from Football Outsiders looks at question marks for each school 
in Schlabach's top five. He says each team has the ingredients of a potential champion -- historical pedigree, roster loaded with talent, and strong recent success. Here's part of what he had to say about Oklahoma's weakness next season:
Oklahoma's overall defensive efficiency was strong (6th best at forcing three-and-outs), but the Sooners gave up explosive drives on 13 percent of opponent possessions. The departures of Big 12 playmakers at Oklahoma State and Baylor will be helpful, but Oklahoma will need to limit explosive plays to truly be a contender.
Read the rest of Fremeau's piece here.Bob Stoops’ weekend: Better than yours
Bob Stoops played one of the nation's finest golf courses and finished fourth in the biggest pro-am event in golf.
The Sooners coach teamed up with Hunter Haas and finished fourth in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am after firing off a 62 on Sunday.
Not too shabby, guys.
One group ahead of Stoops? New England Patriots' coach Bill Belichick, who teamed with Ricky Barnes for a third-place finish.
Stoops and Haas shot a 255 (68-65-60-62) and finished four shots back of the winners, Brian Harman and Gregg Ontiveros.
No, I don't know which one of those is the pro and which one is the amateur.
Either way, Stoops made quite the impression with a strong outing at Pebble. His team finished eight shots ahead of 17th-place Tiger Woods and Tony Romo.
Little changes for OU after UT junior day
The key word there might also be Sunday, though. The same type of attitude the Oklahoma coaches used with top recruits last weekend seemed to be in full effect in Austin, Texas, this weekend. The trend right now is not to rush the prospects into making a split-second decision.
And because of that mentality, Texas still just has one commit in offensive tackle Jake Raulerson (Celina, Texas/Celina), while the Sooners are still looking at a goose egg in the commitment department.
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Przybylo's Mailbag: 2012 a turning point
John in Norman, Okla., asks: One last disappointment in 2012 with Davonte Neal. What do you think will be the legacy of the 2012 class?
Bob Przybylo: I like the confidence of OU fans, but I’m puzzled how anybody could consider missing out on five-star athlete Davonte Neal (Scottsdale, Ariz./Chaparral) as a disappointment. The Sooners were never really in it until the very end. I felt it spoke volumes about the relationship between OU linebackers coach Tim Kish and the Neal family that it even reached that point.
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1. As we wait for the Big 12 schedule to be released, the Sooners have been connected to several possible non-conference opponents. Florida State at home, UTEP on the road, North Dakota State at home, Rutgers at MetLife Stadium, Central Florida on the road, among others. If I had to pick from those, I'd go with Rutgers and North Dakota State. The Sooners have moved toward a national recruiting strategy, and playing somewhere like MetLife could enhance that. Why North Dakota State? It's a home game.
2. If I had to guess which actually will be scheduled from those, the Sooners will be playing UTEP and North Dakota State. Just a hunch.
3. Not sure the OU women's basketball team has the firepower to knock off UConn tonight. But the crowd should keep the Sooners in the game -- assuming the winter conditions don't keep people from attending.
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Rapid Reaction: Texas Tech 65, OU 47
The Sooners suffered a blowout 65-47 loss to Texas Tech in United Spirit Arena in Lubbock, Texas. OU struggled to find any kind of confidence or rhythm on either end of the floor as the Red Raiders went on a 14-3 run in the middle of the second half to earn their first Big 12 Conference victory.
OU committed 16 turnovers and shot 32.7 percent from the field (18 of 55) including 14.3 percent from the three-point line (2 of 14). The Red Raider did a terrific job protecting the ball with just seven turnovers after committing 21 turnovers in their 64-55 loss to the Sooners on Jan. 17.
Player of the Game: Andrew Fitzgerald. Things would have really gotten out of hand if it wasn’t for the junior forward. He was 7 of 16 shooting from the field to lead OU with 14 points.
Unsung Hero: Sam Grooms. Another solid outing for Grooms, who had nine points, eight assists and two turnovers. He was 4 of 10 from the field and had the lone 3-pointer among the Sooners starters.
Key Stat: 2. The Sooners, who average 6.7 steals per game, finished with just two steals on Saturday. OU had just four points off of turnovers after having 22 points off of turnovers in the first meeting.
Up next: Texas on Feb. 14. The Longhorns arrive at the Lloyd Noble Center on Valentine’s Day in the first meeting between the Red River Rivals this season.
2013 WR Dannon Cavil: OU 'impressive'
“All the championships and the legacy and stature of Oklahoma was very impressive,” said Cavil, who has not received an offer from the Sooners.
Cavil arrived in Norman on Friday before participating in junior day on Feb. 4. After his early arrival, he got the chance to sit down and chat with head coach Bob Stoops.
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Preview: Oklahoma at Texas Tech
Their first opportunity arrives on Saturday when the Sooners (13-10, 3-8) visit Texas Tech (7-16, 0-11) at 7 p.m. CT at United Spirit Arena in Lubbock, Texas.
Key to OU win: Limiting bad possessions. The Sooners have looked back on their losses to Iowa State and Missouri with regret because they know a small number of possessions likely cost them the game.
Key to TT win: Containing Steven Pledger. When the junior guard is shooting the ball well, OU becomes a much tougher team. The Sooners’ road win at Kansas State was sparked by Pledger’s shooting. The Red Raiders must limit his open shots.
Stat line that will tell the tale: OU’s points off turnovers. The Red Raiders play good defense and tends to muddy up the game and force opponents to play low-tempo. If the Sooners can create turnovers and get out in transition, they should win.
Sooners X factor: Carl Blair. Blair’s active nature on defense helps create turnovers while making the overall team defense quicker during his time on the floor.
Cyclones X factor: Jordan Tolbert. OU did a good job against Tolbert in the first meeting, holding to five points on 1 of 10 shooting. He’s been inconsistent in Big 12 play but a scoring outburst from him could scare the Sooners.
Video: Importance of junior days
Tom Luginbill explains why junior days have become so important in college football recruiting.
ABOUT SOONER NATION
Jake Trotter
Jake Trotter joined ESPN.com in 2011 after four years with The (Oklahoma City) Oklahoman, covering OU and Big 12 football. He's a graduate of Washington and Lee (Va.) University and lives in Oklahoma City with his wife. Email him at trotterjake@gmail.com.
Brandon Chatmon
Brandon Chatmon joined ESPN.com in 2011 after spending eight years with The Oklahoman, covering Oklahoma State University, high schools and recruiting. Chatmon lives in Norman, Okla. Email him at bchatmonespn@gmail.com.
Bob Przybylo
Bob Przybylo joined ESPN.com in 2011 after spending four years with The Oklahoman, covering high schools and recruiting. Przybylo lives in Oklahoma City. Email him at bprzybyloespn@gmail.com.