Tulsa World: OU Notebook

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OU Notebook

By GUERIN EMIG, World sports writer
Published: 1/10/2009 2:24 AM
Last Modified: 1/10/2009 2:54 AM

Welcoming committee: Mid Friday afternoon, OU tried to get the word out that the Sooners would be arriving back on campus between 3 and 4 p.m. Maybe fans were too depressed, the 70-degree weather was too nice or everyone was too busy to notice OU's Web site press release. Whatever the case, there were more media members (approximately 10) than fans (six) outside Owen Field from 3 to 4.

"I'm kind of surprised," said Tony Lippe of Midwest City, the first to arrive with his wife, Jennifer.

Not that it dampened the spirit much.

"It was a good game," Lippe said of Thursday's national championship. "We don't have anything to hold our heads down about."

"The hardest part is getting there," said Jennifer, with a camera dangling down over her crimson OU pullover.

Linda Webster of Noble came with her 14-year-old grandson, Cayman, and her sister, Norman resident Iola Caldwell.

"I kind of questioned the calls on our plays down there by their end zone," Webster said of the Sooners' two missed opportunities in Thursday's first half. "But I felt like we played well."

The sisters have been season ticket holders for 20 years, and even take a special Amtrak train to Fort Worth for the OU-Texas game every year. Asked if she might consider abandoning the Sooners' ship after their fifth consecutive BCS loss, Caldwell said, "Oh, no. No, no, no. We'll never do that."

Balogun holds his own: Some wondered if Mike Balogun would really get the start at middle

linebacker Thursday night, despite defensive coordinator Brent Venables' announcement that he would after practice Tuesday. And if Balogun did start, the feeling was the Sooners would support him with Austin Box, who had been the starter before injuring his knee at Oklahoma State Nov. 29.

Not only did Balogun start, he went the whole way, registering six tackles and showing Venables he will be a major factor in the linebacker competition this spring. By GUERIN EMIG, World sports writer

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