Well, in the grand scheme of things, it apparently doesn't cause a coach many sleepless nights when he's endured what Bob Stoops went through last season.

In Tulsa on Wednesday as part of the Sooner Caravan booster trip, Stoops didn't seem concerned that he will head into fall camp for the third straight season without knowing who will start at the game's most important position.

Of course, when the Sooner Caravan made its annual stop in Tulsa a year ago, Oklahoma's coach thought he was set at quarterback for the next three seasons. Two months later, Stoops kicked sophomore Rhett Bomar off the team for violating NCAA rules.

The Bomar situation was the first of several incidents in perhaps the most tumultuous season Stoops has experienced in eight years at OU.

The Sooners lost All-America running back Adrian Peterson for seven games with a freak shoulder injury, and were on the losing end of both the season's most controversial game and most compelling contest. Oh, by the way, OU also won the Big 12 Conference championship.

The controversy came in the third game when several officiating mistakes cost the Sooners in a 34-33 loss at Oregon. Eleven games later, OU lost 43-42 to Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl in what many consider one of the most exciting games in college football history.

"It was one of the more gratifying and satisfying (seasons) that I've had," Stoops said. "In the end, it was incredibly gratifying the way it all played out."

Stoops apparently feels the season ended when OU defeated Nebraska 21-7 in the Big 12 championship game. That was his reaction when asked if he found it difficult to put the Boise State loss behind him.

"What's to put behind me?" Stoops asked. "Was it the Big 12 championship?

"We had already won the Big 12 championship. If it (Fiesta Bowl) was the Big 12 championship, I probably would still be trying to figure out how I was going to change that (loss)."

Boise State captured the nation's imagination when the Broncos used several trick plays to upset the favored Sooners in overtime. The school has agreed to make both a documentary and a movie about its magical, undefeated season, with the Fiesta Bowl victory playing a huge role in both productions.

Stoops contends that the attention focused on the Boise State loss clouds the bigger picture of OU overcoming so many challenges to win the conference championship.

"Why is that (Big 12 title) forgotten with everyone?" Stoops asked. "It shouldn't be. I know there are 11 other (Big 12) teams who would love to have that (championship) banner."

OU's league title run hasn't been overlooked by the national media. With some football magazines already on sale, the Sooners have been ranked as high as No. 3 in preseason polls. Not many schools would receive such lofty consideration if it faced the quarterback question Stoops must solve before the Sept. 1 season opener against North Texas.

"I think it (ranking) reflects that they (media) have done their homework," Stoops said. "(They know) that we've won four Big 12 championships in the last seven years with four different quarterbacks.

"And last year was probably as difficult of circumstances as we've had and we still did it."

After he booted Bomar, Stoops was forced to move former quarterback Paul Thompson back to the position from wide receiver. Stoops won't have to make such a drastic move this season, but he must find a starter from the untested trio of true freshman Keith Nichol, redshirt freshman Sam Bradford and junior Joe Halzle.

"This is all about our business of building guys, improving guys, giving them experience and shaping them," Stoops said. "That's what is exciting about our job.

"These (three quarterbacks) have talent. They are good, sharp, young guys. We look forward to having a chance to mold them, build them and shape them."

Stoops should have the quarterback dilemma solved the next time he's in town on a business trip. The Sooners are scheduled to play Tulsa in the season's fourth game on Sept. 21.

"This isn't the NFL, where you have a (quarterback) for 12 years," Stoops said. "It's college football; guys come and guys go.

" And it's not like we haven't had this issue in eight years. We've had it many times and we've managed it fairly well if you look at what we accomplished in those years with a lot of different guys at quarterback."

See? No quarterback, no problem. At least not until the bowl game.