The image of Sam Bradford getting taken to the turf was larger-than-life on the seven story-high scoreboard at Cowboys Stadium.

If possible, Bradford’s sprained right shoulder looms even bigger over the college football landscape.
The impact went far beyond the Big 12 South to a crowded Heisman race and possible national title implications. With one loss, Oklahoma’s BCS hopes look about as good as Bradford’s right arm did Saturday night in a sling.
Suddenly, that Oct. 31 game in Stillwater between Texas and Oklahoma State gained additional prominence.
The news Sunday could be summed up in one word: scant.
Offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said Oklahoma team doctors and training staff were gathering information about treatment options for Bradford and tight end Jermaine Gresham, who injured knee cartilage in practice last week.
“We want to make sure their best interest is taken into consideration with what’s being done,” Wilson said. “There’s no rush.”
The general recovery time for a sprained AC joint can vary, depending on the severity, although surgery can be necessary in severe cases. BYU quarterback Max Hall said he suffered a sprained shoulder in 2007 and played the next week, leading a win over Utah.
Barring a miraculous recovery, Bradford won’t play next week against Idaho State. Tulsa follows Sept. 19, with a problematic road game Oct. 3 at Miami.
Now the job for head coach Bob Stoops, for Wilson and for the rest of the staff is finding a quick fix.
Redshirt freshman Landry Jones wasn’t bad, give the fact his first college pass came in the third quarter.
But Stoops might have mulled going for it on fourth-and-14 with Bradford rather than try a 54-yard field goal in the final two minutes.
Jones seemed ready, having embraced assistant Josh Heupel’s message of preparedness. Asked how the injury might change his life, Jones responded: “I go from the backup quarterback to now the starter.”
For Oklahoma and for Jones, that’s a huge transition.
A bigger problem may be a retooled offensive line that was pushed around and often seemed confused by BYU, even when Bradford was in the game. The offense mustered just 265 yards total offense, less than half of its 2008 average.
Oklahoma averaged only 3.8 yards per rush and was undone by unforced errors and penalties.
“We’re not going to be in a negative state or throw someone under the bus, but we can’t 

ovement to be the team we want to be.”
In a good number of ways, this paralleled the 2005 opener for Oklahoma.
Then, they were coming off a disappointing BCS title game.
They lost Adrian Peterson, their best offensive player, in the first game.
And they fell to a Mountain West opponent in TCU.
Sooner fans can only hope the similarities end there.
Back in 2005, Oklahoma finished 8-4 — which would be far cry from the expectations that surrounded this year’s team.