Kent State

 After an off week, filled with some truly terrible news, our Sooners return to the field this week to take on a 1-3 Kent State team. The awful news, of course, is that John Mateer had to have surgery on a broken throwing hand last week that appears will keep him off the field for at least a month. He is unquestionably our most indispensable player on the entire team. The good news, if there is any, is that he misses a bye week last week and an effective bye week this week against Kent State. Beyond that, things get dicey. I know nothing about Kent State but I'm fairly confident that the abortion of a QB that is Michael Hawkins can at least lead us to victory in that one. There is a lot to digest regarding Mateer's availability down the road, but we'll save that for the next week. As it is, not much to say here other than let's TCB, hopefully avoid further injury and get ready for Red River.

Offense

Hawkins was pretty terrible last year, just really overmatched basically at all times. The OC's were dreadful, sure, but he really didn't look capable of leading a team to victory vs a big time opponent. As such, I'm staying away from him and all WRs this week. I think the ground game "gets right" this week and pounds this one into submission. I like Tory Blaylock again. Dude is a stud.

Defense

I won't mince words, it's Kip Lewis this week. He flies all over the field and is generally just a badass. I like him to rack up tackles this week and maybe even force a turnover (remember those?). 

Score

The spread is something absurd like 49.5. I don't see the offense scoring anywhere near that amount so I think it'll be a tough cover. I like the Sooners to take this one 38-6. 

Boomer to the Motherfuckin' Sooner

Auburn Tigers vs. Oklahoma Sooners

 Good Saturday afternoon, Sooner fans. How are we feeling about our football team this week? I'm a little more than cautiously optimistic as the Sooners head into SEC play against Jackson Arnold, Hugh Freeze and the Auburn Tigers.

The Sooners took care of business (TCB) last week in Philadelphia last week against an overmatched Temple team. There could have been a let down but there was not. Now, the Sooners have a confident, violent defense and an offense whose confidence is growing week by week. 

Tigers fans will get a warm welcome in Norman today. Jackson Arnold will not. That's unfortunate as I don't feel much of what happened last year was on him. However, 100 out of 100 armchair quarterbacks would take John Mateer over the mustachioed Arnold. Sooner fans will make life hell on him today.

OFFENSE

Kirk Herbstreit called what Ben Arbuckle and John Mateer are doing is the top story in college football. Folks are getting very bullish on our boys. 

Mateer obviously has some extra moxy that separates him from others. His ability to throw on the move. He has a pre-snap calm. The dude gets it. 

I expect today we will see more growth in the run game. Maybe Taylor Tatum makes an appearance. Tory Blaylock is the man in the backfield though. The Sooners need to continue to find ways to open him up. He's fast and fearless and can take a lot of pressure off Mateer.

Also keep an eye out for Isiah Sategna III who is proving to be a guy who, if given space, can get yards in chunks and make people miss. I'll go with him for my OPOG today.

DEFENSE

What more can be said thus far about this group. They lead the SEC so far in total defense. Will it last? We've seen enough to say that it could. If it doesn't, we still know this group is competent enough to keep the Sooners in games. Teams are going to struggle mightily to overcome a two score deficit.

Today, they are going to sell out to stop JA's read option game. They'll show it a number of different ways, but they are going to shut that down. He is not a great passer.

It is wild that the defense has not gotten a turnover this year. Hopefully that changes today, as JA was more than capable of throwing dumb interceptions as a Sooner. 

I'm going Kip Lewis for my DPOG today. I'm hoping he gets some shots on JA and separates JA from th the ball once or twice.

SCORE

Sooner Nation is coming alive and will have all the motivation they need to spur the Sooners on today. It's a beautiful day in Oklahoma. The Sooners are feeling good and confident. 

I don't know that the Sooners win big, but I like a score of about 34-21 today.

Boomer to the motherfuckin Sooner

Auburn

 Well, here we go. Conference play officially starts today with a tilt against the unbeaten #22 ranked Auburn Tigers. Thankfully the Sooners get to start the slate on home turf. OU has gotten off to a great start, but 3-0 is really nothing in the scheme of things and it's no secret that the schedule is an absolute gauntlet of mostly the nations best teams. There will need to be a lot of breaks go the Sooners way to get to the playoffs, but you have to take it week by week and none of it happens without a little TCB at home today. It's still so early in the season that I have no idea if the Michigan win is a huge game, or if they'll end up being a very average team thus taking a bit of the luster off. I do know that Auburn is good, and this will be a really tough test at home.

The defense once again looked very tough last week. That is really the crux of the entire year in my opinion. If this defense can continue to look as elite as they have so far, then I think OU has a chance to make those coveted playoffs. The offense still looks shaky to me. Matter has been nothing short of a revelation, but the run game has to get going. We all know that SEC football frequently turns into a slugfest and relying on one guy to carry you just isn't going to work against top defenses. Today is a nice litmus test so to speak against a tough SEC team. Let's start by winning the turnover battle today, hm? OK, fine.

Offense

Last week I felt like an RB would have to step up and take some pressure off of the passing game. And while it was much better than the first 2 weeks, it still needs to get more consistent. I guessed Javonte Barnes. An early TD by him had me robustly patting my own back. Alas, he might as well have showered and gone home after that (maybe he did) as he was scarcely heard from again. However, Tory Blaylock really stepped up and thus far has been the most consistent back. The frosh has been really good and the run game has continued to improve. I think that continues today. At the risk of just picking a hindsight guy from last week, I'm going with Blaylock today and say he keeps it going at RB. 

Defense

So many good players on this side of the ball so far this year. It's been strange to see. I'm still very much waiting for the other shoe to drop so to speak and see a team just expose us. Oh how I would love to be wrong about that, but history has jaded me just a touch. I don't really know a ton about Auburn, but aside from the usual need to stop the run, I think pressure on the QB will be essential to get off of the field today. I went with him before and whiffed, but I still believe R. Mason Thomas is due for a breakout game and I think it's today. He's my DPG.

Score

OU currently sits at -6.5. I think personally think this is lofty. I think this will be a bit of a grind and will really come down to the final few drives. I think Mateer and the offense do enough in the clutch to get out of here with a win. Sooners stay unbeaten 27-24.

Boomer to the Motherfuckin' Sooner

Oklahoma Sooners vs Temple Owls

 May there be no letdown in Philadelphia today. The Sooners showed the country last week that they have enough pieces to be a complete football team. They dismantled Michigan and really could have inflicted more damage if not for some self inflicted errors on special teams. The Sooners have had some decent wins in the Brent Venables era, but Sooner fans have been waiting for a team like this for well over a decade. 

The Sooners have an aggressive defense that can get pressure with the front four. They can fly to the ball and hit hard. They have some lockdown corners. This is a unit that can make life miserable if you get down two scores on them. 

And the Sooners have a quarterback in John Mateer who has some moxie and can put his team on his back. He is mistake prone, but if his O-line can gel and they can develop some balance in the run game, this team should be in every game they play. 

The test today for the Sooners is can they bring the effort and attitude to Philly against a crappy Temple team after coming off the high of last week. Can they be sharp and avoid self inflicted penalties and errors?

OFFENSE

The offensive line looked much improved last week and they had four new starters on the unit. Freshman Michael Fasusi started at Left Tackle and played real well. That is a fantastic sign for the future, both short and long term. 

The key today is to continue to develop chemistry across the board and to find some wrinkles to continue to get the running game going. The qb run game is solid,but opponents need to know the Sooners can run the ball 

That said, how beautiful was the 16 play, 9 minute drive to ice the game in the 4th quarter. Love that shit. 

For my OPOG I’m taking John Mateer. I know it’s low hanging fruit and I won’t do it next week. Today though I think it’s especially important for him to come out with some energy to lead this team and avoid a letdown. 

DEFENSE

It’s the same story with energy here. Can these guys have near the same level of focus they brought last week. If yes, then we’ve got a group that realizes they haven’t done shit yet and probably realize they have a ways to go before any mountain tops are summited. Great teams come out and take care of business in games like this. 

I’m taking Jayden Jackson for my DPOG. Dude was a menace last week. What a luxury to be able to get pressure with your front four. When was the last time the Sooners had that?

THE SCORE

I think Mateer has his side ready to go. I think BV has his side ready to go. Sooners win going away, but not too crazy. 

Sooners 42, Owls 6

BOOMER TO THE MOTHERFUCKIN SOONER

Temple (not of the dog)

 Another week and another impressive win for the Sooners. So far they’ve been winning with very good defense and a serviceable offense. The running game hasn’t really gotten going and Mateer, while deserving of most of the credit for any of the offensive success, has also been a little careless with the ball at times. Losing the turnover battle against better teams will definitely get you beat. Hopefully this week at Temple (of the dog) will give the team a chance to clean some of this up. 

I know next to nothing about temple. But I’m sure that this will be a huge game for them.  In past years, this just screams trap for OU. It has all of the ingredients but one thing that gives me a little confidence is that we’ve been winning with defense. Admittedly it was against an inferior opponent and a young QB in his first big game, but still, the results have been impressive. We will need to continue our improvement on this side of the ball and not ask the offense to score 50 points a game. 

Offense

Last weeks it was the Mateer and Deion Burks show on offense. Both guys had amazing games. I think it is probably a safe bet each week to pencil Mateer in here and look halfway right at minimum. But I’m going to go with Javontae Barns this week. I think OU really needs to get the ground game going prior to starting SEC play and Barnes has the skills. 

Defense

What a game these guys had last week. I suspect the plan was to stack against the run and then contain underwood and make him beat you with his arm. It’s a sound strategy and apart from the one super long run, it worked beautifully. It all starts up front, the Sooners Dline is shaping up to be pretty solid it seems. On that note I’m going to go with David Stone who might be on the verge of finally breaking out. 

Score

I think that temple will get a handful of big plays to tally some scores but mostly I think they’re held in check by the sooner D. I think our guys clean it up a bit against, presumably, a much less talented defense this week. I like our Sooners to win this one handily 38-13. 

Boomer to the Motherfuckin Sooner

Michigan Wolverines vs. Oklahoma Sooners

Welcome to a gorgeous college football Saturday in Norman, Oklahoma. The Sooners (1-0, 0-0) find themselves in a big time early test against a big name Michigan Wolverine squad. The Sooners are fresh off a record setting debut from John Mateer last week against the Illinois State Redbirds. 

This one is not make or break for the season or for Brent Venables. However, a win today would be a big statement and an even bigger confidence boost for the Sooners.

OFFENSE

John Mateer is a gamer. The Sooners have a QB. That's sweet relief. However, there are some questions from last week heading into this one. One, freshman phenom offensive lineman Michael Fasusi did not play last week. Will he be available today? If so will he play and can he be a difference maker? The running game, while likely vanilla, was not exactly stellar. It needs to be better to win today.

Second question. Wither Jaydn Ott? He had 1 carry last week in garbage time and went for -3 yards. Rumor has it he was "dinged up". If so, why play him at all? Is he better now and will he get some more carries today.

That said, freshman running back Tory Blaylock was dynamic with the opportunities he got last week. That guy is going to be good. Hopefully he gets some opportunities today as well.

Third question. Will we see some planned runs for Mateer? He didn't have many last week and Brent Venables admitted after the game that the gameplan across the board was very vanilla.

For my OPOG I'm going with Blaylock although it makes intuitive sense to go with Mateer. His command of the offense will ultimately be the difference maker today. 

DEFENSE

The Sooner D put up some pretty gaudy numbers last week against Illinois State, giving up roughly 150 total yards. They did get gashed in the run game early though.

Obiviously today they have to stop the run. I also expect them to try to confuse the hell out of freshman wunderkind Bryce Underwood. 

The secondary will be key and I expect them to get a couple of turnovers against the young fella.

I am, however, taking David Stone for my DPOG. I think he'll be a disrupter on the d-line and really create opportunities for the secondary to capitalize on Underwood being forced to make throws and quicker decisions.

SCORE

I think this one will be fairly low scoring. The Sooners will have a hard time getting chunk plays against the Wolverines and Michigan will also struggle due to the Sooner D dictating the action.

I like the Sooners 24-17

Boomer to the motherfuckin Sooner

Michigan

 Week 2 finds us coming off a nice solid season opening win and preparing to face a very good, and storied program in Michigan. Weirdly enough, this is only the second time ever these teams have met. Considering OU has the most all time wins and Michigan is tied for fifth, I find that pretty remarkable. 

I wasn’t able to watch last week but reading the recaps, watching the highlights and checking the box score, it appears the offense mostly leaned on Mateer. He set a school record for passing yards in a debut (beating Baker) and generally commanded the game. If there are things to worry about it was the pick he threw and it didn’t appear the running game got fully untracked. I’ll lean into optimism and say that was just the team and o-line getting their feet under them. 

Defensively, the Sooners did exactly what you would hope against an opponent of that caliber. They limited them to almost no offense to speak of, and apart from the series following the Mateer Int which started deep in OU territory, they never really threatened to score. And even there, they held them to a FG. All in all, glad tidings but none of it really means shit. We’ve seen this kind of early season dominance only to have it followed up with some really poor defense. 

This week Michigan comes to town sporting the number 1 QB recruit in the country in Bryce Underwood. Dude is a manchild at 6-4 230 and looked the part in his college debut last week. Michigan will be a true early test and will give the Sooners all they can handle on both sides of the ball. Let’s hope the D can get enough stops to keep us in it and Mateerbuckle can put up some points. 

Offense

I got cute last week and went Jaydn Ott. True to form he was coming off an injury I was unaware of and was very limited. Even truer to form he got 1 carry for -3 yards. I’m just that good. This week, I’m not farting around. I’m saying it is Mateer with a huge game, coming through in the clutch multiple times. He puts up big passing numbers, does some nice damage scrambling and keeps plays alive. 

Defense

As I mentioned, OU will have its work cut out on defense with underwood being an excellent passer and runner as well. He’s big and very accurate in the passing game, and he’s got wheels. Should be a fun guy to try and stop. Michigan gave up quite a few pressures last week against a lesser opponent, so I’m going to go with a guy up front in hopes he can get in the backfield, get a couple of sacks and more importantly make underwood rush some throws that hopefully result in turnovers. I like R. Mason Thomas to be that guy this week. 

Score

This is a big one. College gameday is in town, it’s prime time, all eyes will be on this one. It’s an opportunity to make a statement early in the season. OU comes into this game as 5.5 point favorites (as of when I’m writing this crap), I love that people have that belief but I also think it’s just the home field advantage. I think this game is going to be really close. I think Michigan will score on us. We have to be able to run the ball on them otherwise they’ll just tee-off on the pass. I think we do and I think mateer leads a late drive to put OU ahead. We don’t cover, but we get a tough win against a good team. Sooners win it 38-35. Let’s get this. 

Boomer to the Motherfuckin Sooner