Sooner coordinators breed no confidence

While Ted Roof offered pablum, Jeff Lebby was nonsensical … and that was before he gave strategy away to future opponents

Sooner offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby watches his unit during preseason practice in August. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

On Monday, the coordinators speak at Oklahoma, so whether he’s calling the defensive plays or not, that meant Ted Roof, also Jeff Lebby, answered questions.

Roof offered pablum.

Lebby made you doubt how much he knows about coaching any sport, football included.

It wasn’t pretty.

Begin with Roof.

On giving younger players more snaps, he came up with, “We push everybody hard, including ourselves as coaches, and to your point, obviously we watch every snap of practice, every detail of practice, and we make decisions based on who we think gives us the best chance to win.”

So, taking him at coachspeak value, par for the course. Then again, par for the course at coachspeak value is entirely insufficient when your defense has allowed 1,762 yards from scrimmage the last three weeks.

Real answers should be the standard.

Taking him seriously, at face value, he ought to turn in his keys to the building now, because given all his polishing of the preparation process, his unit’s turned in three of the worst debacles in program history, allowing 1,762 yards from scrimmage.

Even Mike Stoops’ worst coordinating days were reserved for Heisman winners like Johnny Manziel and Robert Griffin III, or West Virginia’s Geno Smith and Tavon Austin, who’ve played more than 18 NFL seasons since, or Patrick Mahomes, who is Patrick Mahomes.

It doesn’t wash.

And still, the difference between Roof’s and Lebby’s performances was the difference between where it appeared the Sooners were headed three games ago and where they are now.

Light years.

Lebby sounded like he’d been coaching college football for 15 minutes rather than 15 years (more if you count his student assistant days at OU, 2002-2006).