Analytics are for nerds. Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield can tell you concisely what went wrong for the Sooners in 2014 when they started the season 4-0 only to finish 8-5, and he doesn't need a bunch of fancy-pants algorithms to do it.
It's Katy Perry's fault, plain and simple.
Perry, as you might recall, was the guest picker on ESPN's "College Gameday" the week No. 4 Oklahoma went on the road to TCU. Perry explained she was picking the Sooners because she had an eye for then starting quarterback Trevor Knight (Mayfield was sitting out to satisfy transfer rules). Oklahoma went on to lose to the Horned Frogs 37-33 as part of a 4-5 finish on the season because, naturally, Perry completely jinxed that team by laying it on thick for Knight.
In speaking about that collapse nearly three years later, Mayfield knew exactly where to point the finger.
Digging in even further, Mayfield also confessed he's "Team Taylor Swift" in the ongoing bad blood between the pop stars.
Some mysteries can take years to solve. Thanks to Mayfield, no longer a dark horse to win the Heisman, Oklahoma can put that painful season behind it and focus on achieving its wildest dreams.