Before the season began, there was talk of how potentially dominant the Oklahoma defense could be. The secondary was so confident in is abilities that the players coined themselves “sharks,” daring quarterbacks to throw at them.

At the start of the season, the hype seemed justified. The defense still gave up some big plays, but for the most part, they were living up to the lofty expectations. Their masterpiece came against Texas — where they had arguably one of the greatest defensive performances in Bob Stoops’ tenure — racking up five turnovers and scoring three touchdowns.

From that point on, the defense has been anything but consistent, something that is cause for concern going into Bedlam.

In wins against Kansas State, Texas A&M and Iowa State, the defense showed the ability to shut down opposing offenses and limit the amount of points teams scored, keeping all three under 30 points total. But in losses to Texas Tech and Baylor, the defense proved unable to create stops, giving up over 40 points in both games.

In both losses, the offense scored 38 points, a number that should have been more than enough to win. Now, the defense is faced with its toughest test of the season, going up against the third-best offense in college football in Oklahoma State, who averages over 560 yards a game.

While the constant secondary lapses are cause for concern, there is hope for the OU defense. They will be the second-toughest defense OSU has played this season.

The Cowboys unquestionably have one of the most lethal offenses in college football with the ability to throw and run the ball with equal amounts of success. Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon are a deadly combination, and running backs Joseph Randle and Jeremy Smith force defenses to not just focus on the pass. But the fact remains OSU has played relatively poor defenses this season.

In total defense, OU is ranked 52nd. This is slightly disheartening, until you realize it is 10 spots higher than Missouri, ranked 62nd, which makes them the third-best defense OSU has played this season. The No. 1 defense the Cowboys have played is Texas, which ranks ninth in the nation in total defense. It was in this game that the Cowboys’ offense looked particularly sluggish, pulling out a tight win, 38-26.

As fans saw on Saturday, the OU defense still is capable of putting together dominant performances. The lone touchdown Iowa State scored came when the Cyclones started their drive on OU's 22-yard line. Coming off of a shaky performance at Baylor, where the defense allowed a school-record 616 yards, putting together a game like the one the Sooners had against Iowa State proves the defense is still capable of great games.

OU’s offense has been consistent all year. If the Sooners are able to limit their turnovers, they will have a chance to move the ball against the 107th-ranked defense in college football. If the Sooners are able to get stops, they will give the offense plenty of opportunities to generate points.

Fans should have reason to feel nervous about whether the Sooners can stop the Cowboys’ potent passing attack as they have shown the ability to surrender large amounts of yards in their two losses this season. But the one thing the OU defense has consistently done this season is play its best in bigger games, such as Florida State and Texas.

With the Big 12 title and a BCS bowl on the line, the stakes couldn’t be higher, something that should provide the Sooner defense all the motivation it needs.