Norman, Okla. ? No. 6 Oklahoma has a perfect record after clearing what’s usually the toughest hurdle on its way to the Big 12 championship game and beyond.

Still, coach Bob Stoops sees no room for his Sooners (5-0, 1-0 Big 12) to relax, even with an off week before they host Iowa State on Oct. 16.

“College guys are so young that there’s a lot of maturity and experience gained in technique work that should improve as you go through the year, and we’ve got to make it,” Stoops said Tuesday.

“We’re a long way from a finished product. Our job is to keep working it and pushing it to make that improvement, and I think we will.”

Stoops has led Oklahoma to a 5-0 start on six other occasions, and it’s almost always been a good omen. Five of those seasons have concluded with the Sooners playing for the Big 12 title, and four times they’ve played for the national championship, too.

Of course, making it to the halfway point of the season without a blemish means the Sooners have prevailed over archrival Texas, just as they did Saturday with a 28-20 win in the annual Red River Rivalry game. That’s usually an indicator that Oklahoma is on track to represent the Big 12 South in the conference title game, although team captain Travis Lewis doesn’t want to hear that as he sees other strong teams around the league.

“It’s not just a two-horse race anymore,” said Lewis, a linebacker.