When Michigan heads into Norman, the matchup will carry an extra layer of meaning for head coach Sherrone Moore. Before taking the reins in Ann Arbor, Moore spent two seasons as an offensive lineman at Oklahoma, where he was part of the Sooners’ 2006 and 2007 Big 12 championship teams.
Though he never cracked the starting lineup, teammates and coaches saw leadership potential early.
“He was incredibly bright, a great communicator … a team guy, and that matters,” former Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops said. “Everything about him was fantastic.”
Moore played in 14 games across those two years and was on the sideline for some iconic Sooner moments, including Malcolm Kelly’s freestyle rap following the 2006 title win. His impact on the program wasn’t measured in starts, but in how he carried himself and connected with others.
The connections remain strong. Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables was the defensive coordinator during Moore’s playing days. Tight ends coach Joe Jon Finley and running backs coach DeMarco Murray were teammates on those same championship squads. Kevin Wilson, Moore’s offensive coordinator at the time, now serves as an analyst on Venables’ staff.
Still, Moore insists this game is not about him.
“(Oklahoma is) a great place, but this is all about our kids,” he told reporters Tuesday. “It’s not about me or a return to home for me. It’s about the players and trying to win the game. There’s no emotional attachment to it because I’m emotionally attached to the players at Michigan. These guys are who I’m emotionally attached to more than anything so that’s all I’m worried about.”
Saturday will mark just the second meeting between Michigan and Oklahoma in the last half century, a rare clash of two historic programs with top-20 rankings and playoff implications on the line.