'You have to set your past aside': Bedlam dominance nice, but Sooners say it's a minimal help vs. OSU

NORMAN — OU defensive lineman Isaiah Thomas has plenty of confidence.

There are plenty of factors that build that confidence, from his recent play to the Sooners’ defense’s recent success.

But heading into Saturday’s Bedlam matchup in Stillwater, the confidence also comes from OU’s dominance over Oklahoma State both recently and historically.

“It definitely helps with your confidence level because anything that can help you boost your confidence in any situation, I don’t see why not to use it,” Thomas said.

“But don’t let it override what you actually have to go out there and do. Because you can have all the confidence and all the sayings and quotes in the world, but if you don’t actually go out there and do it, all that does nothing for you. If it distracts you, it diminishes you. So you have to use what you can use to motivate and impact you in a positive way.”

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No player on the Sooners’ roster has lost to the Cowboys. OU has won six consecutive Bedlam matchups and 16 of the last 18.

All-time, the Sooners lead the series 90-18-7.

“As far as how much time we spend on it and talk about it, honestly not a whole lot,” Sooners coach Lincoln Riley said. “We try to keep it more about here and now because ultimately that’s what’s going to get it done.”

The Cowboys enter as the favorites, thanks in large part to a defense that is putting up the best numbers in the conference in several years.

“We’ve got a lot of respect for this opponent and you’ve got to prepare at a high level, play at a high level,” Riley said. “You’ve got to do it in a road venue. You have to handle all that well. Past teams have been able to do it. This team’s gotta do it. We’ve got to prepare that way. We’ve got to play that way on Saturday.”

Sooners defensive coordinator Alex Grinch has spent time talking to his players recently about stepping away from the past.

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“You have to set your past aside,” OU safety Pat Fields said. “At best, it’s a distraction and at worst, it’s a burden. If you’re holding onto the last play when you got beat, then it’s a burden to your confidence. If you’re holding onto the play before when you made a good play, at best it’s a distraction.

“Something we’ve been focusing on as a defense is setting your past on fire and being present in the moment. I think it’s the same thing we’re applying to this week. Obviously I’ve had some success playing Oklahoma State, but I know they’re not the same team I’ve faced in previous years.”

H-back/tight end Jeremiah Hall said the Sooners’ historical domination in the series is more for the fans to enjoy.

“The success of teams in the past is good for trash talk. It’s good for tweets and stuff like that, but it doesn’t have an impact on this game at all,” Hall said.

“We respect our rivals. It’s kind of the same way we treat the Big 12 championship. We’re not defending champs. We have to go out there and earn it, and it’s the same thing with this rivalry. We’re not riding on the success of the past, we have to go out there and earn the win because they’re a good team.”

Riley would rather have the historical edge than not, even if he said it won’t have an effect this weekend.

“I think it just is what you make of it,” Riley said. “I think we can take the confidence that we’ve prepared well and been able to play well in this game historically. But the flip side of that is if we think that alone is going to allow this team to do that, then we’ll be mistaken.”

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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU football: Sooners say Bedlam dominance minimal help