It's been more than a decade since Stoops won his only crystal ball, back in 2000 in his second season. Last year, he returned a talented group touted as the country's No. 1 team in the preseason and then watched them lose three games, including a 44-10 rout by an Oklahoma State team that finished the season ranked No. 3.

The Sooners? They capped another 10-win season with an Insight Bowl victory and a distinct feeling of "not good enough."

Stoops said his Sooners have not consistently lived up to high expectations on defense.

"For a lot of years, we did have a strong defensive reputation and felt like a lot of years that's what we hung our hat on," he said. "To not be that way in a few games was bothersome."

The Sooners are stacked with talent again this year and were picked by Big 12 media to win an unprecedented eighth title in the conference's 17th year in existence. This time, it's with their pride smarting.

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