I grew up on OU football.

Saturday games weren’t just something we watched – they were sacred.

My dad, an Oklahoma alum, raised me to love the game, but more importantly, to love the team.

If you know anything about Sooner culture, you know that distinction matters.

So of course, I became a fan.

Now I watch with my own adult kids…third-generation Sooners yelling at the screen, elbow-deep in queso, arguing over plays like it’s a leadership summit in our living room.  Calling up anyone who is not there and doing virtual high fives.

We’ve seen it all: the national titles, the rebuilds, the “what is even happening?” years…
And this season? Now we’ve seen our first loss.

OU fell to Texas on Saturday. And let’s be honest…wasn’t just a stumble. It was a punch to the gut.

Mateer came back after hand surgery. He played with heart, but something was off.

He looked rattled. Like maybe he was trying to prove Sooner football was “back” before he was fully ready.

Meanwhile, over at OSU, the hits keep coming.

I see you, OSU fans.

The coach is out. Players are pouring into the portal. The program getting stripped down to studs.

Whether you’re wearing orange or crimson, it’s been tough to watch.

But here’s what matters more than the scoreboard: how teams – and leaders – respond when the script doesn’t go their way.

Before the loss, I was all in on Mateer. Still am.

Not because of stats. But because he takes the hits. 

He doesn’t point fingers. He leads with his body.

You see it when he puts his shoulder down for a yard that doesn’t show up on highlight reels.

You feel it when the offense lines up just a little tighter behind him.

That’s not hype—that’s earned belief.

But here’s the leadership truth no one wants to talk about:

Even the toughest leaders misjudge timing.

Even the boldest ones get rattled during big moments.

And sometimes, courage looks like… not rushing the return.

Because leadership isn’t about being the loudest. Or the flashiest.

It’s about holding the weight when no one else wants to.

It’s about stepping into the fire—but not at the cost of the whole team.

• If the leader disappears, the team fragments.
• If the leader deflects, the team disengages.
• But if the leader takes the hit—owns the fallout, absorbs the pressure, and stays in the pocket when it matters?

That’s when culture hardens into conviction.

You don’t build high-performance in the easy quarters.

You build it in the losses. In the post-game locker room. In the Monday film review when it hurts to look.

Mateer didn’t make his team better with a soundbite.

He did it by showing up when it mattered. Even when it hurt. Especially when it hurt.

And that’s the leadership moment most people miss.

So here’s the question that matters:

When the pressure’s on—are you showing up with grit, or vanishing into excuses?

Because no one follows a leader who disappears when it’s fourth and long.

Need a gut-check on how you’re showing up right now?
Text me.

Cristina “QB Energy Only” Filippo