It's Bedlam week, y'all.

But it's not just any Bedlam. It's the last scheduled Bedlam and the final installment in the rivalry as a Big 12 conference game. Plus, both teams can take control of the conference with a win.

Saturday (2:30 p.m. in Stillwater, ABC) is a huge game. It's essentially a must-win for the Sooners. And the questions I received for this week's mailbag reflect the stress that I know a lot of fans are feeling right now.

Let's get into it.

I’ll break this down into one answer on offense and one answer on defense.

Offensively, the Sooners desperately need to fix the conservative play calling. Even if there was a little rain last week in Lawrence, it’s inexcusable that Dillon Gabriel had only 12 passing attempts before the final drive. What’s worse is that Gabriel had just one pass that totaled 15 or more yards before that final drive, and it was an 18-yard completion to Nic Anderson. Whether it’s Gabriel needing to be more aggressive on run-pass-option plays or Lebby needing to dial-up more pure passing plays — I lean more towards the latter — the Sooners can’t afford to be timid about attacking opposing secondaries. The Cowboys are really poor at both defending the run and the pass, but they particularly struggle at giving up chunk plays. They’re surrendering nearly 14 yards per completion. It is critical that Gabriel test the Cowboys down the field.

Defensively, the Sooners just need to tackle better. The Kansas game was easily the Sooners’ worst tackling performance of the season. It’s no surprise Brent Venables had this to say on Tuesday:

“Tackling is going to be at a premium. We put on a clinic of how not to tackle, particularly in the first half last week. I say that, that’s a reflection of me. My name’s all over that. That’s not on the players. They do have a responsibility but it starts with me. Really disappointed in how we tackled last week. If we don’t tackle better than we did last week, (Ollie) Gordon is going to pull away from the pack…”

Pro Football Focus has the missed-tackle count at nine last week, which seems inaccurate at best. But it does list Jaren Kanak as the worst offender with four. Whether Danny Stutsman plays or not, Kanak has to be better. The team as a whole has to be better.

Yes, it’s too soon to say that they are busts. No, there’s no real reason to be concerned with DeMarco Murray’s development of the running back room. At least, not yet.

As it stands with Jovantae Barnes and Gavin Sawchuk, it’s been an objectively weird and uneven season. It has not played out AT ALL like I thought it would. I would’ve never guessed that through eight games, Barnes would have 33 total carries and Sawchuk would have 34. Plus, Sawchuk is averaging just 3.7 yards per carry (Barnes is averaging 4.2). I think everybody thought this would be the year they took over the backfield, especially after their performances in the Cheez-It Bowl. But it’s clear to me that Barnes’ injury from the spring and Sawchuk’s injury from fall camp threw a wrench in the plans. Neither of them have looked as explosive as they did last season. You know what else threw a wrench in the plans? Tawee Walker has been the best running back on the team, pure and simple. But ultimately, Barnes and Sawchuk are second-year players. Give them time. If we’re having this discussion at this point next season, then you can panic.

As far as DeMarco — no, this season hasn’t been his best coaching performance. But let’s not forget his track record at Oklahoma:

— In 2020, Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for 665 yards in six games, putting him on pace for over 1,300 yards in a normal 13-game season. He was drafted in the fourth round.

— In 2021, Kennedy Brooks had his best season as a Sooner: 1,253 yards, 6.3 yards per carry, 13 touchdowns.

— Even the most optimistic of Sooner fans couldn’t have predicted the season that Eric Gray had in 2022: 1,366 yards, 6.4 YPC, 11 touchdowns, 33 receptions, 229 yards. He has the ninth-most yards in a single season of any OU running back. He was legitimately one of the best running backs in college football and was drafted in the fifth round. I don’t think anybody expected him to be drafted before the season began.

And again, I think Barnes’ and Sawchuk’s injuries and lack of production, combined with Walker’s surprising season, has made things weird. There’s been some weird decisions, like Barnes seeing carries in the fourth quarter against Kansas despite not having played since the Tulsa game. But this running back room hasn’t turned out at all like anybody expected, and I bet that includes DeMarco, too. It’s okay to criticize the handling of the position group as a whole, but Murray has a good track record as a developer.

I wouldn’t say the fan base is necessarily overreacting. That’s the beauty (and madness) of college football. SO much can change from week to week. Think about where things stood less than a month ago. The Sooners were 6-0 with an impressive win over Texas. It felt like Oklahoma was almost destined for a magical season. Now, things have crashed back down to reality just a bit.

Last week was rough. The Sooners did put up a decent amount of points and yards, but the play calling was too conservative by all accounts. It’s not all Jeff Lebby’s fault. The inability of this team to run the ball unless Walker is in the game is incredibly frustrating. But like I mentioned earlier, it’s simply inexcusable to only throw the ball 12 times before the final drive. Walker was having success on the ground, but every team has to throw the ball regularly to keep the defense honest.

That whole possession after the Ethan Downs interception was a microcosm of that — the Kansas defense knew what was coming, and the Sooners opted to run the ball anyways. And, of course, the Sooners didn’t execute very well without Walker, and it was a three-and-out when a first down would’ve won the game. Lebby’s explanation after the game didn’t help matters, either.

Lebby is a good offensive coordinator. That’s part of why last week, and the week before, was frustrating.

All I would suggest is caution for OU fans. The offense looked mostly great against Texas. It’s just as likely the Sooners’ offense looks great against Oklahoma State. If it does, and the Sooners win, all of this noise goes away.

However, if the play calling is again conservative and the offense looks disjointed and it contributes to a Bedlam loss, then I do think the criticism and questions will grow, and deservedly so.

All I’ll say is this: Enjoy the ride.

This game on Saturday is HUGE. It’s a must-win for the Sooners. We’re going to learn a lot about Brent Venables and this team and this program. Their College Football Playoff hopes are gone if they lose, but still viable if they win. Their chances at a Big 12 title decrease significantly with a loss, but they’re in the driver's seat if they win. Plus, it’s the last Bedlam for the foreseeable future. The stakes couldn’t be higher.

I know there’s a lot of anxiety and stress for fans given what’s happened the last two weeks. But I have to remind myself to enjoy the highs and lows. That’s what sports are all about.

One of my biggest heartbreaks came in the 2016 NBA Western Conference Finals, when the Thunder blew a 3-1 lead against the Warriors. Klay Thompson absolutely ripped my heart out in Game 6. Once that happened, I knew we were going to lose Game 7. I'm still not completely over it. The losses hurt, but the wins wouldn't feel as great without the losses.

Again, just enjoy the ride as much as you can.

(But if that’s not what you’re looking for, then be excited for basketball. Both the men’s and women’s teams tip off on Monday. This is a huge season for Porter Moser and he has essentially committed to a completely different style of play with a brand new roster. Jennie Baranczyk’s squad is having to replace a lot of key players. Both teams are intriguing and should be fun to watch).