Mike Stoops has done much for Oklahoma football. He was the defensive coordinator for the 2000 national championship team and for multiple conference championships.

Mike was the more excitable, more animated version of Bob. (Although Bob usually was pretty laid back, he could definitely rip into players and staff, and did.) He brought a toughness and intensity to Oklahoma.

But, save a stint in Arizona, Mike has been in Norman for 19 years. He’s not new anymore. The conference is far different than it was two decades ago, thanks in large part to his counterparts on the offensive side of the ball at OU.

He’s a great coach, but it’s time. Bob moved on. President Boren is moving on. It’s time for Mike to move on.

The Glenn Spencer exit makes the issue more pressing. Mike Gundy and company have made great strides in closing the gap on offense with the Sooners. The Cowboys, however, have been plagued by the same defensive issues as Oklahoma, struggling to contain explosive offenses. If OSU upgrades on defense and OU doesn’t, don’t expect Oklahoma’s conference championship streak to continue.

If Gundy can make the move after a modest season (with a program with modest expectations), there is no excuse for OU to continue to tolerate mediocre defense. Oklahoma State lost only one more game than Oklahoma, albeit with a much easier schedule, and barely lost to the Sooners in a barnburner. The Cowboys simply aren’t much worse than the Sooners.

And Gundy still made the right move. It’s time for Lincoln to do the same.

The Spencer firing was first reported by Kyle Boone and Kyle Porter of Pistols Firing Blog; check out their post.

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