NORMAN — As news trickled out of Kansas last week about coach Mark Mangino's troubles, it didn't take long for the wheels to start turning for some Oklahoma fans.

"Do you think (Bob) Stoops will get rid of (James) Patton and bring Mangino back to OU as the O-line coach?" a Sooner supporter asked in a text.

The questions and suggestions didn't stop there. Another inquiring mind wondered if Stoops might dump offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson and rehire his close friend and former O-coordinator, Chuck Long.

And so it goes these days at OU. One season you're an irreplaceable genius, the next you're a clueless bum.

A year ago, defensive coordinator Brent Venables was the target of these fickle agents of change. Until his unit's unexpected drop off in last Saturday's loss at Texas Tech, Venables was hailed as this season's savior — the only mind bright enough on the OU staff to save the struggling Sooners from total collapse.

Wilson and Patton have replaced Venables on the most-wanted list by those angry and frustrated fans who want heads to roll. Never mind that they were integral parts of a record-smashing offense that carried OU all the way to the 2008 BCS national title game.

Mangino, who was the O-coordinator when OU won the 2000 national crown, will probably be looking for work shortly after KU's final game Saturday against Missouri. Witch-hunting KU officials seem hellbent on railroading Mangino out of Lawrence.

Long, who took over the offense when Mangino left for KU, is already available. After his contract forced him to sit out this season, Long recently reached a monetary settlement with those San Diego State officials who fired him last year.

So what are the chances Stoops will dump Wilson and Patton in hopes that Mangino and Long can help revitalize an OU program that enters Saturday's Bedlam game with Oklahoma State still fighting for a winning season?

Based on Stoops' track record at OU, I'd guess there is zero chance of any of that happening. Loyalty is big for the Sooners' head coach, who hasn't fired a single assistant in his 10-plus seasons.

Stoops seemed to indicate at his Tuesday press conference that he doesn't intend to start making scapegoats out his assistants, even though OU is 6-5 overall, 4-3 in the Big 12 and in serious jeopardy of having hated-rival OSU snap the Sooners' record 29-game home winning streak.

"I'm not a knee-jerk guy; I'm not going to overreact," Stoops said. "I'm always critical of what we're doing as coaches. I think there's some times where we've handled it better than other times.

"I also understand the handicap we've had to play with. In the end, there's a long track record of what we've done here and how it's been successful and our mode of operation and how we've done things."

There is also a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately attitude that's always prevalent amongst some members of the Sooner Nation. They don't care how many records you've set or how many players you've lost to injury. "Just win, baby," isn't a motto used exclusively by the Oakland Raiders.

In addition to loyalty and previous accomplishments, I don't think Stoops will sack anyone because he's a realist. He knows that even the most brilliant coaches can't win without players.

Why do you think Florida coach Urban Meyer broke down in tears this week when he discussed the seniors who are playing their final home game Saturday? An offensive mastermind, Meyer knows it's those seniors instead of his coaching wizardry that has the Gators on the verge of a third national title in four years.

You don't have to be a Sooner diehard to know OU's offense has been decimated by injuries. Yet, it's amazing how dumb Wilson and Patton became when they lost Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Sam Bradford after he played less than two games.

Bradford's injury ignited a domino effect. It quickly spread to an already thin and inexperienced offensive line, and even seeped over to the defense in recent weeks, which might explain OU giving up 41 points to Texas Tech while only scoring 13.

If you think about it, Stoops has basically lost two classes of recruits. There were the seniors who moved on after last season, and then all the seniors who have been wiped out by injuries this year.

"Everything in life doesn't go your way," Stoops said. "This has been a very unusual year with the way it's all happened and you have to work through it.

"Some things are our fault as coaches. Some things are their fault as players. Other things (like injuries) are nobody's fault."

Stoops certainly isn't immune from criticism. Noting OU's 1-5 road record this season and the longest home winning streak in the nation, one pundit suggested that instead of "Big Game Bob," Stoops' new nickname should be "Home Game Bob."

Here's an idea: Fire Stoops and bring back John Blake and Howard Schnellenberger as co-head coaches.

That's no more ludicrous a suggestion than those short-memory critics who are demanding Stoops show Wilson and Patton the door.