Sooners' Title Hopes Gone Without Gresham

Even the most optimistic Oklahoma fans should start coming to grips with the reality that if the opening loss to BYU didn't kill the Sooners' hopes for a national championship, today's news that superstar senior tight end Jermaine Gresham won't play a down this season did.

OU's lack of credible receiving threats became painfully obvious during the BYU game, as the Sooner wideouts struggled to get open, as well as to hold on to the ball when they did. Gresham, an ultra-talented wide receiver in a tight end's body, would have injected a needed dose of explosiveness into the offense and provided a go-to target in crucial situations.

Gresham is just one player, but it's not an overreaction to say he was vital to the OU passing game. His loss alone is going to cost Oklahoma at least one more game before the season ends.

(And that's all before factoring in that the Sooners' Heisman-winning quarterback will be sidelined for two or three more games.)

Not to be a downer, but there is no silver lining to this cloud. Youngsters will see more playing time, but that offers little solace for a team and fan base ready to win now.

Of course, the season is just a game old. Bob Stoops' teams typically improve as the regular season goes on, and the OU coach and his staff have excelled in the past when forced to adjust on the fly. Don't forget this is the same coach who won a Big 12 championship in 2006 after kicking his blue-chip quarterback off the team the day before the season started and losing one of the most dynamic running backs in college football history halfway through the year.