Get yourself buckled up boys and girls because what we have here is a big damn football game.
Sooner Head Football Coach Bobby Stoops said earlier this week that it's probably the biggest game since Nebraska came rolling into town one Red October back in 2000. Navin and I were at that football game and I can say that it was, without a doubt, the best atmosphere for a football game I've ever been a part of. It was the first time at any sporting event that I literally felt electricity in the air.
The Sooners of 2000 were a Cinderella story in college football and the contest against the Huskers put the Sooners back on top. The thing is, in the Spring of 2000, nobody looked at the calendar, saw Nebraska on the schedule, and said, "Boy is that going to be one hell of a game." On the contrary, most people probably hershey squirted their pants a little. Nebraska was a juggernaut at the time.
Flash forward to the Spring of 2012, however, and every Sooners fan I talked to was looking forward to this contest. It's the first time I can remember such a thing in my adult life. Not only was everyone looking forward to it but now we find a contest worthy of the hype.
All of this to say that there will almost certainly be electricity in the air once again come Saturday in Norman.
I am giddy that we find ourselves, Sooner fans, in the position of doing the circling on the calendar for once. And, I don't need to remind anyone how well the Sooners play when they are looking forward to something (look at Texas two weeks ago).
OFFENSE
The Notre Dame defense is the reason for their 7-0 start. They have yet to allow a rushing touchdown on 3rd and goal situations. Is this the day the Belldozer is contained? I'm interested in finding out. It's inexplicable that the Belldozer has yet to be contained. If anyone can do it, it's the Irish. Today is the first day I'm really excited to see him in there and I really hope it works.
The Irish also have a LB in Manti Te'o who is appearing on some Heisman short lists. He sounds like a man among boys and, in that sense, is frightening. Turnovers are the reason the Sooners have one loss. If the Irish are as fierce and ballyhooed as the pundits say, then this is a classic turnover battle game. Landry has to have protection. How far has the O-Line come since K-State. We find out tonight.
The Sooner offensive arsenal, including Special Teams, is scarier than the Irish Defense. This Te'o fella can't cover them all and smear Landry at the same time. The Sooners need to pull out all stops and take their dynamic propensities to new heights.
My favorite weapon on a day like today, and my pick for OPOG, is Night Train Trey Millard. He's the most versatile. He's a matchup nightmare. He is a man among boys on the offensive side of the football.
DEFENSE
I ain't skeered of the Irish offense. The Sooner D has been getting stronger as the season wears on and they have another shot on national television to prove they are elite.
By all accounts the offense for Notre Dame is predicated on the run game. This means a lot of Tommy Wort which is not ideal, unfortunately. Hopefully the Sooners won't get burned on play action if he's in there.
I'm unconvinced that the Irish have faced anything resembling the Sooner defense. The Irish have put up enough points to win against teams that don't really strike fear in opposing defensive coordinators.
For my DPOG today I'm going with Demontre Hurst. I think the Irish will try to sneak in some big pass plays and they have to pick on someone. Demontre will make them pay.
THE SCORE
I think this one goes along the same lines as the K-State game. It's a race to 30 points. The Sooners can't turn the ball over more than once and get there. The Irish will have to capitalize on mistakes to do it.
The atmosphere will be off the charts. The stadium will be candy-striped red and white. They are handing out rally towels (the first time I can remember a giveaway). The proverbial roof was going to be blown off without these gimmicks but it's going to be a scene unlike any other. It obviously favors OU.
OU 24 Notre Dame 17
Boomer to the Motherfuckin' Sooner!
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Notre Dame
Huge game today down in Norman, enormous actually. The famous Fighting Irish of Notre Dame travel to Oklahoma to take on our beloved Sooners. Notre Dame comes in with a terrific defense that has kept them undefeated, and currently in the top 5 in the country. More importantly, they're legitimate National Title contenders thanks to that unblemished record, and who they will have beaten if they run the table (read: us).
The Sooners, as we all know, played what now looks like the best team in the conference at a time when we hadn't quite come together. That one loss might keep this game from establishing a clear national title front runner (for us anyway) but it hasn't slowed the hype machine of this massive (and nearly unheard of) tilt between two non-conference teams both ranked in the top 10. Incidentally, that loss may also be the only thing keeping Berry Tramel from exhuming Bud Wilkinson's corpse, making love to it, and then writing another nostalgia piece about nothing relevant to today's football, and by "today's" I mean the kind with non-leather helmets and face-masks. (Aside: a game I've made for myself is to go to The Oklahoma Daily's website on my phone and try to guess, by the title, which of the OU articles are by Berry Tramel. It's remarkably easy. I'd say I have about a 96% success rate. The only ones that are tough are that "gray" zone of overlap when Jenni Carlson writes one of her bullshit off-the-field-pieces. Though if it's written about a player currently on the roster then you can almost always rule out Tramel.)
GameDay is in town, tickets are tough which might mean a raucous crowd (please, please, please), and there is even a movement to set up one of those "let's all organize the color of our t-shirts" deals that is so camera-friendly. Though I have my doubts that the even/odd section coloring will actually be pulled off with any real success, still I'm hopeful. In a semi-related story the odds are strongly in favor of the back of my jockey's becoming a "brown out" prior to kick-off. In short, I'm excited.
This is going to be an extremely tough one for us to win I think. If anyone hasn't been watching, our Q doesn't do well with pressure or elite defenses (speaking of brown outs). However, he's teased us the last 3 Saturdays. Also, he's been historically better at home where the pressure of a crowd isn't on him as well. What makes me nervous is Notre Dame has been damn good against the run this season. I think our ability up to now to run the ball, more than anything else, is why Lonnie has had this string of good games. If that gets taken away tonight (a very real possibility), it's going to be up to him to carry us (cash your tickets, brown out achieved). If there is a weak area of Notre Dame's defense, it's the secondary. Let's hope we can exploit it enough. The picks...!
Offense
Man oh man, what to do here. What I'd love to say is Damien Williams. I'd love to have confidence that he will break off some big gainers, and go for about 25 carries and 175 yards with some scores mixed in there. I just don't think it's going to happen. Honestly, I'm not sure anyone is going to have huge numbers today. I do think if someone does though, it's going to be in the passing game, for reasons I mentioned before (don't think you can jump straight to the picks section, reader(s), these are complete journalistic works with foreshadowing and other crap I vaguely remember from college). I'd love for Lonnie to air it out on some deep balls to Justin Brown, and I think we'll try it a couple of times. But, it's a big game against a big time defense. I think Lonnie reverts to his old ways some today (how I hope I'm wrong) and looks to a security blanket. Since Broyles went down last season, the closest thing to that is Kenny Fuckin' Shitbag Stills. I think Stills gets a lot of looks today and does enough with them to be my player of the game.
Defense
Our defense matching up against their offense is what makes me feel hopeful today. We may have a hard time moving the ball on them, no doubt. But I think they're going to struggle doing the same. Notre Dame is unbeaten but it's not been because they're putting up 50+ a game. OK, once they scored 50, against Navy. Anyway, our D has quietly been building steam, and has been pretty damn solid all year and particularly since we lost to K State. I like Tony Motherfuckin' Jefferson to have a huge day today. He's this year's MFer. He's a total badass. Plus, it just feels like the kind of day where Mike Stoops has some crazy wrinkle he'll break out and do some cool things with Tony. I don't know why, but I've got a good feeling about Tony today. Let's pencil him in.
Score
I've left little doubt that I think this is going to be low scoring. Though my normal inclination, when everyone in the world expects a defensive struggle, is to go the other way and pick high scoring, I just don't see it today. I think it's close all the way and I think the score is low. However, I think our defense will do just enough to keep us in it for a late score and victory. I like the Sooners at home, 14-10.
Crack the PBR's, wear your lucky underwear, whatever it takes. Let's roll some heads on these fancy gingers.
Boomer to the Motherfuckin' Sooner.
The Sooners, as we all know, played what now looks like the best team in the conference at a time when we hadn't quite come together. That one loss might keep this game from establishing a clear national title front runner (for us anyway) but it hasn't slowed the hype machine of this massive (and nearly unheard of) tilt between two non-conference teams both ranked in the top 10. Incidentally, that loss may also be the only thing keeping Berry Tramel from exhuming Bud Wilkinson's corpse, making love to it, and then writing another nostalgia piece about nothing relevant to today's football, and by "today's" I mean the kind with non-leather helmets and face-masks. (Aside: a game I've made for myself is to go to The Oklahoma Daily's website on my phone and try to guess, by the title, which of the OU articles are by Berry Tramel. It's remarkably easy. I'd say I have about a 96% success rate. The only ones that are tough are that "gray" zone of overlap when Jenni Carlson writes one of her bullshit off-the-field-pieces. Though if it's written about a player currently on the roster then you can almost always rule out Tramel.)
GameDay is in town, tickets are tough which might mean a raucous crowd (please, please, please), and there is even a movement to set up one of those "let's all organize the color of our t-shirts" deals that is so camera-friendly. Though I have my doubts that the even/odd section coloring will actually be pulled off with any real success, still I'm hopeful. In a semi-related story the odds are strongly in favor of the back of my jockey's becoming a "brown out" prior to kick-off. In short, I'm excited.
This is going to be an extremely tough one for us to win I think. If anyone hasn't been watching, our Q doesn't do well with pressure or elite defenses (speaking of brown outs). However, he's teased us the last 3 Saturdays. Also, he's been historically better at home where the pressure of a crowd isn't on him as well. What makes me nervous is Notre Dame has been damn good against the run this season. I think our ability up to now to run the ball, more than anything else, is why Lonnie has had this string of good games. If that gets taken away tonight (a very real possibility), it's going to be up to him to carry us (cash your tickets, brown out achieved). If there is a weak area of Notre Dame's defense, it's the secondary. Let's hope we can exploit it enough. The picks...!
Offense
Man oh man, what to do here. What I'd love to say is Damien Williams. I'd love to have confidence that he will break off some big gainers, and go for about 25 carries and 175 yards with some scores mixed in there. I just don't think it's going to happen. Honestly, I'm not sure anyone is going to have huge numbers today. I do think if someone does though, it's going to be in the passing game, for reasons I mentioned before (don't think you can jump straight to the picks section, reader(s), these are complete journalistic works with foreshadowing and other crap I vaguely remember from college). I'd love for Lonnie to air it out on some deep balls to Justin Brown, and I think we'll try it a couple of times. But, it's a big game against a big time defense. I think Lonnie reverts to his old ways some today (how I hope I'm wrong) and looks to a security blanket. Since Broyles went down last season, the closest thing to that is Kenny Fuckin' Shitbag Stills. I think Stills gets a lot of looks today and does enough with them to be my player of the game.
Defense
Our defense matching up against their offense is what makes me feel hopeful today. We may have a hard time moving the ball on them, no doubt. But I think they're going to struggle doing the same. Notre Dame is unbeaten but it's not been because they're putting up 50+ a game. OK, once they scored 50, against Navy. Anyway, our D has quietly been building steam, and has been pretty damn solid all year and particularly since we lost to K State. I like Tony Motherfuckin' Jefferson to have a huge day today. He's this year's MFer. He's a total badass. Plus, it just feels like the kind of day where Mike Stoops has some crazy wrinkle he'll break out and do some cool things with Tony. I don't know why, but I've got a good feeling about Tony today. Let's pencil him in.
Score
I've left little doubt that I think this is going to be low scoring. Though my normal inclination, when everyone in the world expects a defensive struggle, is to go the other way and pick high scoring, I just don't see it today. I think it's close all the way and I think the score is low. However, I think our defense will do just enough to keep us in it for a late score and victory. I like the Sooners at home, 14-10.
Crack the PBR's, wear your lucky underwear, whatever it takes. Let's roll some heads on these fancy gingers.
Boomer to the Motherfuckin' Sooner.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Sooners Today
It's the midway point in the Sooners season. 6 games behind us, and 6 to go. I feel as though we've steadily progressed on both sides of the ball. Our running game is better than I think anyone expected, given the injuries to the offensive line and the question marks surrounding Dom Whaley's recovery from a broken ankle. As it turns out, Damien Williams has turned out to be an absolute monster, which is nice.
As for the passing game, we've got a really balanced set of WR's out there, and I think that's gone a long way toward making Lonnie really look at his progression as opposed to locking in a favorite every down. That said, he's looked solid 3 weeks in a row now, but still hasn't faced a decent defense in any of those games. Saturday will tell us a lot, as arguably the nation's most complete defense comes to town.
Historically, Mike Stoops guided defenses have taken a few games to get rolling and have gotten better as the season moves on. So far, this is looking to be the case this year as well. Though we've been putting up massive amounts of points the last few weeks, the D has been dominant also. The first unit hasn't given up a touchdown since the opening drive of the Texas Tech game...11 quarters ago.
The KState game is really starting to loom large. Not to get ahead of ourselves, we still play #5 Notre Dame this week, travel to a "tough out" on the road at Iowa State, go to a better-than-they've-looked the last few weeks WVU, and none of that even considers OSU (home) and TCU (road) which aren't gimme's, but that narrow loss that probably shouldn't have been is keeping us out of any championship talk for now. Plus, KState really only plays (a probably overrated) Texas Tech the rest of the year. They have a great shot of going undefeated.
With any luck our D will continue to play as well as they have. I don't envision pitching a shutout every week, but we can survive Lonnie and his inevitable melt-down's if the D continues to play well. I'm pretty excited to see how the season plays out, I feel like our D is the best it's been in years and I think if we can continue to protect the ball on offense (read: enormous "if" given our QB), we've got a chance to win out.
I'll be back later in the week, along with Mitch, to discuss an absolutely huge game this Saturday (for a number of reasons) against a suddenly relevant Notre Dame team that travels to Norman. Game Day is in town. It's "on", as the kids are saying.
Boomer to the Motherfuckin' Sooner
As for the passing game, we've got a really balanced set of WR's out there, and I think that's gone a long way toward making Lonnie really look at his progression as opposed to locking in a favorite every down. That said, he's looked solid 3 weeks in a row now, but still hasn't faced a decent defense in any of those games. Saturday will tell us a lot, as arguably the nation's most complete defense comes to town.
Historically, Mike Stoops guided defenses have taken a few games to get rolling and have gotten better as the season moves on. So far, this is looking to be the case this year as well. Though we've been putting up massive amounts of points the last few weeks, the D has been dominant also. The first unit hasn't given up a touchdown since the opening drive of the Texas Tech game...11 quarters ago.
The KState game is really starting to loom large. Not to get ahead of ourselves, we still play #5 Notre Dame this week, travel to a "tough out" on the road at Iowa State, go to a better-than-they've-looked the last few weeks WVU, and none of that even considers OSU (home) and TCU (road) which aren't gimme's, but that narrow loss that probably shouldn't have been is keeping us out of any championship talk for now. Plus, KState really only plays (a probably overrated) Texas Tech the rest of the year. They have a great shot of going undefeated.
With any luck our D will continue to play as well as they have. I don't envision pitching a shutout every week, but we can survive Lonnie and his inevitable melt-down's if the D continues to play well. I'm pretty excited to see how the season plays out, I feel like our D is the best it's been in years and I think if we can continue to protect the ball on offense (read: enormous "if" given our QB), we've got a chance to win out.
I'll be back later in the week, along with Mitch, to discuss an absolutely huge game this Saturday (for a number of reasons) against a suddenly relevant Notre Dame team that travels to Norman. Game Day is in town. It's "on", as the kids are saying.
Boomer to the Motherfuckin' Sooner
Saturday, October 20, 2012
OU - Kansas Homecoming
Confidence at Steamroller HQ is sky high after the PlayStation Beginner Level-esque de-pantsing of the Longhorns. Last week the defense looked baby eating fierce and the offense, without having to resort to razzle dazzle, broke the spirit of a hapless Lonhorn defense.
There is officially an embarassment of wealth on offense. The offensive line is improving week to week. The first team D has given up 5 touchdowns. The Sooners are back in this thing officially.
The key this week is to take the confidence accrued from near flawless execution and use the hapless Kansas Jayhawks as a tool upon which to improve. Because, I don't know if you've heard or not, but a highly regarded Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team comes to Norman next week.
First things first though. Let's keep it simple and smack the Jayhawks.
OFFENSE
Last week was one of the finest offensive performances Sooner fans will ever see. The Sooners pounded and punished and outmanned Texas. They dominated individual matchups and unleashed their biggest multi-threat weapon in Trey Millard.
I cannot say enough about Millard. Something good almost always happens when he touches the ball. It was nice to see him get featured. I don't think anyone expected him to go off like he did but he clearly is capable of being more than just an occasional safety valve. He needs to be a focal point.
This week the offense just needs to keep refining what they do and stay healthy. The rapidly improving O-Line needs to continue to take steps forward. They've been awesome the last few weeks.
For my OPOG I'm going DD Williams. I'd love to go ride Millard's hot hand but maybe by not picking him I'll reverse-jinx the Sooners into using him as much as they did last week. In short, I hope I'm wrong with my pick.
DEFENSE
I have to pat my own back for hopping on the Aaron Colvin bandwagon pretty early. He's starting to stand out on a defense that's starting to come together, "in a great way".
For my DPOG I'm going to take a page out of Nathan's playbook and go with Casey Walker. The dude has been on a mission lately and is a big reason the D has become so menacing lately.
THE SCORE
After last week's trouncing I'm content like a fatty who's eaten his weight at Thanksgiving. I hope the same cannot be said for the Sooners. This week is the closest thing to a bye they'll have all year. They have to use it for improvement, not rest. They also can't afford to be like fans and look forward to next week.
A letdown seems unlikely. It's a homecoming night game and they're returning after two absolute trouncings. The Sooners will rise to the occasion and satisfy everyone's bloodlust. Then get ready for an epic tilt next week.
Sooners 63, Jayhawks 10
Boomer to the Mothrfuckin Sooner
There is officially an embarassment of wealth on offense. The offensive line is improving week to week. The first team D has given up 5 touchdowns. The Sooners are back in this thing officially.
The key this week is to take the confidence accrued from near flawless execution and use the hapless Kansas Jayhawks as a tool upon which to improve. Because, I don't know if you've heard or not, but a highly regarded Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team comes to Norman next week.
First things first though. Let's keep it simple and smack the Jayhawks.
OFFENSE
Last week was one of the finest offensive performances Sooner fans will ever see. The Sooners pounded and punished and outmanned Texas. They dominated individual matchups and unleashed their biggest multi-threat weapon in Trey Millard.
I cannot say enough about Millard. Something good almost always happens when he touches the ball. It was nice to see him get featured. I don't think anyone expected him to go off like he did but he clearly is capable of being more than just an occasional safety valve. He needs to be a focal point.
This week the offense just needs to keep refining what they do and stay healthy. The rapidly improving O-Line needs to continue to take steps forward. They've been awesome the last few weeks.
For my OPOG I'm going DD Williams. I'd love to go ride Millard's hot hand but maybe by not picking him I'll reverse-jinx the Sooners into using him as much as they did last week. In short, I hope I'm wrong with my pick.
DEFENSE
I have to pat my own back for hopping on the Aaron Colvin bandwagon pretty early. He's starting to stand out on a defense that's starting to come together, "in a great way".
For my DPOG I'm going to take a page out of Nathan's playbook and go with Casey Walker. The dude has been on a mission lately and is a big reason the D has become so menacing lately.
THE SCORE
After last week's trouncing I'm content like a fatty who's eaten his weight at Thanksgiving. I hope the same cannot be said for the Sooners. This week is the closest thing to a bye they'll have all year. They have to use it for improvement, not rest. They also can't afford to be like fans and look forward to next week.
A letdown seems unlikely. It's a homecoming night game and they're returning after two absolute trouncings. The Sooners will rise to the occasion and satisfy everyone's bloodlust. Then get ready for an epic tilt next week.
Sooners 63, Jayhawks 10
Boomer to the Mothrfuckin Sooner
Kansas
I'll be truthful here. Last week was a lot of fun. On the same note, I never saw it coming. Yes, our offense looked dominant, but at this point I think they may be a hat tip to the shitty texas defense as much as it our offense. However, what we did to their offense reminds me of what made me so hard for the return of Mike Stoops. Suddenly the dismantling of Tech two weeks ago seems more impressive as well. Time will tell if that's a mirage or not.
This week we play a traditionally poor Kansas squad who is doing nothing this season to change that perception. It's being viewed by some as a trap game. Possible considering the bookends on it. But, I just can't picture it.
Charlie Weis has made the KU defense somewhat respectable, kind of like a stripper who insists on always wearing pasties is respectable. I'm sure Lonnie will do something dumb but he really played pretty well last week and that makes two consecutive weeks he's done so. My hope is we'll get the run game going and make things easier on everyone.
Defensively, it's going to be a real let down if we don't dismantle them. I really think we will though. I'm not sure if it's simply coincidence but the rise of Frank Shannon has mirrored our defensive ascent. The secondary has looked awesome and Aaron Colvin in particular has looked like a badass. I'm very excited, I hope they continue to "gel" as the kids are saying. We'll need everything they've got in the next couple of weeks.
Offense
Lonnie described his receiving corps as the deepest in his time at OU. It's hard to argue as there are 6 really good options at least. But in my mind it's been the running game that has made the biggest difference. It just opens everything else up. Today I like the guy who was the MVP of last week in my opinion, Trey Millard. He really took over and sounded the truck horn a few times. I hope this opens Huepel's eyes to what a serious weapon he has there. Millard springs Williams a few times and gets in himself for at least one touch.
Defense
There is a lot to like here. Especially because it's been a total group effort so far. I'm sold enough at this point that I'm going with Frank Shannon. He's really played well and seems to elevate everyone else. I like him for a big sack today and multiple tackles.
Score
I think we'll probably come out a little sluggish. As a result I'll probably have blood seeping out of my eye by halftime from overreacting to the fact that we don't have a fifty point lead after two quarters. Fear not, I think we'll get it together and win this one going away. Sooners roll today 45-10.
Let's TCB today.
Boomer to the Motherfuckin' Sooner.
This week we play a traditionally poor Kansas squad who is doing nothing this season to change that perception. It's being viewed by some as a trap game. Possible considering the bookends on it. But, I just can't picture it.
Charlie Weis has made the KU defense somewhat respectable, kind of like a stripper who insists on always wearing pasties is respectable. I'm sure Lonnie will do something dumb but he really played pretty well last week and that makes two consecutive weeks he's done so. My hope is we'll get the run game going and make things easier on everyone.
Defensively, it's going to be a real let down if we don't dismantle them. I really think we will though. I'm not sure if it's simply coincidence but the rise of Frank Shannon has mirrored our defensive ascent. The secondary has looked awesome and Aaron Colvin in particular has looked like a badass. I'm very excited, I hope they continue to "gel" as the kids are saying. We'll need everything they've got in the next couple of weeks.
Offense
Lonnie described his receiving corps as the deepest in his time at OU. It's hard to argue as there are 6 really good options at least. But in my mind it's been the running game that has made the biggest difference. It just opens everything else up. Today I like the guy who was the MVP of last week in my opinion, Trey Millard. He really took over and sounded the truck horn a few times. I hope this opens Huepel's eyes to what a serious weapon he has there. Millard springs Williams a few times and gets in himself for at least one touch.
Defense
There is a lot to like here. Especially because it's been a total group effort so far. I'm sold enough at this point that I'm going with Frank Shannon. He's really played well and seems to elevate everyone else. I like him for a big sack today and multiple tackles.
Score
I think we'll probably come out a little sluggish. As a result I'll probably have blood seeping out of my eye by halftime from overreacting to the fact that we don't have a fifty point lead after two quarters. Fear not, I think we'll get it together and win this one going away. Sooners roll today 45-10.
Let's TCB today.
Boomer to the Motherfuckin' Sooner.
Friday, October 12, 2012
texas
The Red River Game is on us again. This is going to be an epic showdown. There's no love lost between these two. You can throw out the records on this one. It's going to come down to who can protect the football. These two are going to leave everything on the field. It's going to be a street fight.
And so it goes with these types of games. I'll admit I've got a railroad spike between my legs for this one. I do hate texas. One of those pure hates where it's nearly impossible to imagine a scenario where I'd root for them to win. (You have to root for Texas or go down on Rosy O'Donnell with a nasty yeast infection fresh after a marathon. Me: how hot is it during the run?) Even if you take all of the rivalry out of the picture (impossible) this game is enormous in both the conference and national landscapes. Oddly though this is the first year in a while where the conference championship didn't rest on this game. Both teams come in with conference losses. Nonetheless if the Sooners can win it they still have most of (if not all of) their goals within reach.
Now that I've ran the importance of the game into the ground, let's look at the game itself. I have visions of 2001 in this one. A tight defensive (or maybe inept offensive) game where it comes down to the end. Also like 2001 this game features a QB wont to shit all over the field in the face of pressure. Unlike 2001, that QB is a Sooner. I have a terrible fear that the texas D-Line will (easily) coax Lonnie in to multiple turnovers. Let's hope I'm as off the mark with that prediction as I normally am.
I think our defense is improving and will be able to do a decent job with their offense. Javon Harris, in spite of his pick 6 last week,consistently misses tackles and is obviously out of position. He is the worst piece of an otherwise solid secondary. Frank Shannon gave us hope last week that the flailing cockney tackler-Tom Wort's days may be numbered. I don't hate Wort but he's been a pretty average (at best) player. Though coaches are saying Wort will start, my guess is his lease will be pretty short. Regardless I think Shannon will get significant meaningful minutes. Let's hope last week wasn't an aberration.
Offense
To his credit, Lonnie has played relatively well against texas. That said, this is his first go at them without Broyles. While he did play well last week, he's been historically hot and cold week-to-week. As I texted Mitch last week, I guess we're getting Mr. Hyde this week. Here's hoping I'm wrong. I'm not going to get too out of the box on this one. I'm going with Kenny Fuckin' Shitbag Stills. I like him for 2 (that's right 2!) scores today.
Defense
Oh how I want to pick Frank Shannon, everyone's newest darling. But I'm not ready to, ahem, crown his ass just yet. I'm going slightly off the beaten path here and going with Casey Walker. He had a big game in Dallas last season and I think today he gets back in the groove again.
Score
As I said, I think this is going to be a low scoring affair. I've really had a bad feeling all week but I awoke today with renewed enthusiasm (read: morning wood). I think our D keeps us in it and we do enough to eek this one out. Sooners win, 17-13.
Now let's go out and roll these rotten motherfuckers.
Boomer to the Motherfuckin' Sooner!!
And so it goes with these types of games. I'll admit I've got a railroad spike between my legs for this one. I do hate texas. One of those pure hates where it's nearly impossible to imagine a scenario where I'd root for them to win. (You have to root for Texas or go down on Rosy O'Donnell with a nasty yeast infection fresh after a marathon. Me: how hot is it during the run?) Even if you take all of the rivalry out of the picture (impossible) this game is enormous in both the conference and national landscapes. Oddly though this is the first year in a while where the conference championship didn't rest on this game. Both teams come in with conference losses. Nonetheless if the Sooners can win it they still have most of (if not all of) their goals within reach.
Now that I've ran the importance of the game into the ground, let's look at the game itself. I have visions of 2001 in this one. A tight defensive (or maybe inept offensive) game where it comes down to the end. Also like 2001 this game features a QB wont to shit all over the field in the face of pressure. Unlike 2001, that QB is a Sooner. I have a terrible fear that the texas D-Line will (easily) coax Lonnie in to multiple turnovers. Let's hope I'm as off the mark with that prediction as I normally am.
I think our defense is improving and will be able to do a decent job with their offense. Javon Harris, in spite of his pick 6 last week,consistently misses tackles and is obviously out of position. He is the worst piece of an otherwise solid secondary. Frank Shannon gave us hope last week that the flailing cockney tackler-Tom Wort's days may be numbered. I don't hate Wort but he's been a pretty average (at best) player. Though coaches are saying Wort will start, my guess is his lease will be pretty short. Regardless I think Shannon will get significant meaningful minutes. Let's hope last week wasn't an aberration.
Offense
To his credit, Lonnie has played relatively well against texas. That said, this is his first go at them without Broyles. While he did play well last week, he's been historically hot and cold week-to-week. As I texted Mitch last week, I guess we're getting Mr. Hyde this week. Here's hoping I'm wrong. I'm not going to get too out of the box on this one. I'm going with Kenny Fuckin' Shitbag Stills. I like him for 2 (that's right 2!) scores today.
Defense
Oh how I want to pick Frank Shannon, everyone's newest darling. But I'm not ready to, ahem, crown his ass just yet. I'm going slightly off the beaten path here and going with Casey Walker. He had a big game in Dallas last season and I think today he gets back in the groove again.
Score
As I said, I think this is going to be a low scoring affair. I've really had a bad feeling all week but I awoke today with renewed enthusiasm (read: morning wood). I think our D keeps us in it and we do enough to eek this one out. Sooners win, 17-13.
Now let's go out and roll these rotten motherfuckers.
Boomer to the Motherfuckin' Sooner!!
OU - Texas
National implications aside, nothing feels better than beating these scumbags. I'd love to hate these guys even more but this year they are too generic. They're Texas corn-fed football 'bots. Of course their fanbase is laughably smug. But the 2012 version of the Horns isn't despicable because they're so good the way Alabama is. Nor are they universally loathed for being actual assholes the way USC is. No one stands out enough athletically to hate them out of jealousy. I'm just happy that for 100 years before and after this Saturday the Horns suck and they're fun to beat in anything.
Let's get down to brass tacks.
OFFENSE
Last week's spanking talked Sooner Nation off the cliff. There's a lot of Bro's who deserve game balls but I have to single out Landry. He threw some really nice balls and made some great plays. I hope his performance stemmed more from his gaining trust in the O-Line and receivers more than Tech's D being terrible. And, obviously, I hope we see the Lonnie from last week show up this week.
Dammit, Good Lonnie will show up this week so let's assume the much ballyhooed Texas D is above average at best. The Sooners, if the O-Line can keep their pads on somebody, should be able to score some points. Each week a new weapon is revealed by the Sooners (Durron Neal as a for instance last week) making it harder for defenses to take away options.
This week the Sooners add to the war chest. This Jalen Saunders fellow makes me giddy. It's unreasonable to expect anything from him. Nonetheless, it's nice to have his skills available and this is the type of game where bit players can have huge impacts.
For my OPOG I'm going with Kenny Fuckin Shitbag. I'm climbing aboard the bandwagon of believers. He lives the RRR, he loves the RRR, he's bigtime in the RRR.
DEFENSE
It seems like for the umpteenth year in a row I ain't skeered about anyone on the Longhorns Offensive depth chart. Likewise, for the umpteenth year they have a Shipley and McCoy on the roster.
The key to me on defense is going to be slowing down this David Ash rascal. He's been firing laserbeams with a nearly 80% completion rate. It's been like skeleton drills for him. So the Sooners have to find ways to make him uncomfortable.
Last week the Sooners were hellbent on getting to Seth Doege. The same strategy applies here. Ash can't be allowed to sit back and pick the D apart. The D-Line probably won't be able to get enough pressure by itself (although Casey Walker played really well last week). So blitz blitz blitz. In fact, this should be the Sooners calling card going forward.
In keeping with the them of bit players standing out I'm going out on a very thin limb for my DPOG pick. R.J. Washington. Here's a young man, a Senior, who's never really lived up to expectations and is now playing in his final RRR. So I think he makes it a memorable one.
Before moving on to the game pick can I just throw out there how excited I am for the Frank Shannon era? He's earned more "reps" and here's hoping he gets them.
THE SCORE
These teams are pretty evenly matched actually so it could be a
In the end OU's D is the difference. Texas hasn't faced a competent one yet. I'm less nervous about this one than Tech. The Sooners will pack their hard hats and lunch pails and Mack will be making excuses for someone.
OU 28, Texas 24
Boomer to the Motherfuckin Sooner.
Click here for some more hard hitting game info from Berry Tramel, a man who clearly has unlimited access into the Sooner football team. Pulitzer stuff here.
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Texas Tech
Honestly, I don't where to begin this morning. I'm still thinking about the KState game, or more accurately, I've nearly quit thinking about this season as a result. I've had on my list to get something up about the KState game for two weeks. I just really haven't had the heart to do it. It's nothing about KState in particular that I especially hate, it's the type of loss that punches my stomach like Ali. I've thought of tons of things about my OU fandom in the last week, but suffice it to say this is the nadir of my tenure as a diehard Sooner football fan.
I don't want anyone getting the idea that I'm fair-weather, band-waggoner, front-runner or any other cheap-fan adjective. Those that know me know that isn't true, but if there are doubters just know that I spend time every morning of the year following the Kansas City Royals (and enjoy the hell out of it). So maybe it's expectations that are killing me here in Sooner land. I have none in baseball, but I certainly do in the college football landscape. That's part of what comes with winning a national championship in your second year, returning three more times, and resurrecting a storied program out of rubble. Those things, along with the 10 wins that Mitch mentioned, buy Stoops the longest leash available. But if you haven't noticed a trend of playing "entitled" football over the last 6 or 7 years, you haven't been watching the same team I have.
It's no secret what my thoughts on Lonnie are. How I long for the days of Sammy B. How I long for the days of nearly any quarterback of the Stoops era (honestly, I can't think of anyone I'd choose Lonnie over, that's sad given the likes of Paul Thompson and Nate Hybl) other than Lonnie. It's hard to disassociate Lonnie from Stoops. Losing is losing. Maybe whoever takes over next season at QB (or if we hit the lottery, this year) will be stellar and Bobby will again look like a premier coach. But for now, we're stuck with ineptitude and failure at the most critical position on the field. If our coaches can't get the other 21 guys ready to roll heads, then that's on Stoops. I'm tired of looking like we don't care. I'm tired of looking unprepared for teams. I fondly remember the days (nearly a decade ago!) when we came up biggest when the spotlight was brightest. Now, I just feel defeated, constantly waiting for the river of shit to come flowing from under the covers.
Fear not, I will persevere. I will continue to watch. I will continue to scream at the TV. I will continue to have genuine disbelief when even the most predictable calamities occur. This team is my team, and though disgust I may have, I will never quit watching, caring, or following them religiously. There is a game today. In spite of my previous rambling diatribe on the disappointment that this team embodies, I feel good. I'm pumped to watch the boys play. I'm pumped to see some football on this Saturday afternoon. I'm pumped to watch OU kick the bloody shit out of Tech down in Lubbock.
Offense
This gets harder to pick every week. I really agree with Mitch that Heupel just doesn't have any ability to game-plan or prepare his players. Much of the blame, admittedly falls on Lonnie, but still. Every time I pick someone they seem to vanish that week, so I'm trying to decide who I should eliminate from the possibility of touching the football and making forward progress. I think I'm going to go with Damien Williams. Not that I want him to disappear, I just think all of this talk about how many carries he should get means we'll force feed him the ball all day. If success follows I've got no problem with this move. He's really been our only consistent weapon on offense to date. I think he breaks at least one long run and cracks 100 yards today.
Defense
The picks don't get any easier over here. I don't know what Tech does well, nor do I care. However, I'm sure that by 6:30 EST I'll know full well. Up to now the ballyhooed (by me, I admit) return of Mike Stoops has been, ahem, underwhelming. I still feel we'll improve with him calling the shots. Today I'm getting back to square one. I'm not going to over-think it, which really means I'm going to be predictable and go with the best player we've got on the field, Tony Motherfuckin' Jefferson. I think Tony has a big day today. I'm not necessarily saying he forces a bunch of turnovers, but I think he'll be noticeably involved and light a couple of poor saps up.
Score
I'm not foreseeing a rout of any sort. I don't think we're good enough to blow anyone out. We are however, good enough to beat anyone we play. Doing so is a different matter entirely. For whatever ever reason we tend to struggle in Lubbock. That's a bad thing for this team. But, I'm optimistic we can get it done today. I think the Sooners do enough, and Lonnie is passable (get it?). OU wins 24-20. It's ugly, but at this point I'm not looking for style points.
Tip the PBR's. Boomer to the Motherfuckin' Sooner.
I don't want anyone getting the idea that I'm fair-weather, band-waggoner, front-runner or any other cheap-fan adjective. Those that know me know that isn't true, but if there are doubters just know that I spend time every morning of the year following the Kansas City Royals (and enjoy the hell out of it). So maybe it's expectations that are killing me here in Sooner land. I have none in baseball, but I certainly do in the college football landscape. That's part of what comes with winning a national championship in your second year, returning three more times, and resurrecting a storied program out of rubble. Those things, along with the 10 wins that Mitch mentioned, buy Stoops the longest leash available. But if you haven't noticed a trend of playing "entitled" football over the last 6 or 7 years, you haven't been watching the same team I have.
It's no secret what my thoughts on Lonnie are. How I long for the days of Sammy B. How I long for the days of nearly any quarterback of the Stoops era (honestly, I can't think of anyone I'd choose Lonnie over, that's sad given the likes of Paul Thompson and Nate Hybl) other than Lonnie. It's hard to disassociate Lonnie from Stoops. Losing is losing. Maybe whoever takes over next season at QB (or if we hit the lottery, this year) will be stellar and Bobby will again look like a premier coach. But for now, we're stuck with ineptitude and failure at the most critical position on the field. If our coaches can't get the other 21 guys ready to roll heads, then that's on Stoops. I'm tired of looking like we don't care. I'm tired of looking unprepared for teams. I fondly remember the days (nearly a decade ago!) when we came up biggest when the spotlight was brightest. Now, I just feel defeated, constantly waiting for the river of shit to come flowing from under the covers.
Fear not, I will persevere. I will continue to watch. I will continue to scream at the TV. I will continue to have genuine disbelief when even the most predictable calamities occur. This team is my team, and though disgust I may have, I will never quit watching, caring, or following them religiously. There is a game today. In spite of my previous rambling diatribe on the disappointment that this team embodies, I feel good. I'm pumped to watch the boys play. I'm pumped to see some football on this Saturday afternoon. I'm pumped to watch OU kick the bloody shit out of Tech down in Lubbock.
Offense
This gets harder to pick every week. I really agree with Mitch that Heupel just doesn't have any ability to game-plan or prepare his players. Much of the blame, admittedly falls on Lonnie, but still. Every time I pick someone they seem to vanish that week, so I'm trying to decide who I should eliminate from the possibility of touching the football and making forward progress. I think I'm going to go with Damien Williams. Not that I want him to disappear, I just think all of this talk about how many carries he should get means we'll force feed him the ball all day. If success follows I've got no problem with this move. He's really been our only consistent weapon on offense to date. I think he breaks at least one long run and cracks 100 yards today.
Defense
The picks don't get any easier over here. I don't know what Tech does well, nor do I care. However, I'm sure that by 6:30 EST I'll know full well. Up to now the ballyhooed (by me, I admit) return of Mike Stoops has been, ahem, underwhelming. I still feel we'll improve with him calling the shots. Today I'm getting back to square one. I'm not going to over-think it, which really means I'm going to be predictable and go with the best player we've got on the field, Tony Motherfuckin' Jefferson. I think Tony has a big day today. I'm not necessarily saying he forces a bunch of turnovers, but I think he'll be noticeably involved and light a couple of poor saps up.
Score
I'm not foreseeing a rout of any sort. I don't think we're good enough to blow anyone out. We are however, good enough to beat anyone we play. Doing so is a different matter entirely. For whatever ever reason we tend to struggle in Lubbock. That's a bad thing for this team. But, I'm optimistic we can get it done today. I think the Sooners do enough, and Lonnie is passable (get it?). OU wins 24-20. It's ugly, but at this point I'm not looking for style points.
Tip the PBR's. Boomer to the Motherfuckin' Sooner.
OU vs. Texas Tech
I'm skeered. I am Chicken Little to my rotten core this week. The Sooners are pretty much terrible in Lubbock. The Red Raiders went to work in Norman last year. Obviously the Sooners got exposed last week. So on and so forth.
(Mumbling to myself: I will believe that nothing carries over week to week. Years past do not matter. Revenge has nothing to do with anything and Saturday is a new day.)
There truly is very little on paper to lead a Sooner fan to believe that victory is in sight. The Red Raiders are one of a handful of teams in the country who rank in the top 10 both offensively and defensively. Tech has had success through the air and on the ground as well. I predict the Sooners call a defensive timeout during the first series.
The Sooners, on the other hand, were their own worst nightmare against K-State. One can only hope they value the football on the road. With any luck Landry's obilgatory INT will come early, be on a deep toss on 3rd down (essentially making it a punt) and Tech goes three and out.
OFFENSE
This offense isn't exactly anemic. Take away the turnovers and there were some positives against K-State. Sterling Shepard "arrived" for instance. So let's put all that crap behind us and choose an Offensive POG from one of the following athletes. Dom Whaley (solid but underwhelming so far - due for a breakout?), DD Williams (possible home run with any touch), Kenny Fuckin Shitbag (Gets his hands on a lot of balls), Justin Brown (Just been delightfully good) and Sterling Shepard (See: "Arrived").
I'll mention Roy Finch for fun just once, the same number of times Toby Rowland probably will. He averages 10 yards per carry if you're keeping score at home.
I'm going with Justin Brown. I've just been real impressed by this youth thus far and I think he's ready to go beyond solid to making some game changing plays.
DEFENSE
According to my crack statistician, Gene Morgan, the Sooners have force one turnover so far. Not exactly the ball hawks we all looked forward to. This unexpected turn also makes selecting a Defensive POG something akin to throwing darts.
In that vein I can only choose by process of elimination. I probably can't pick an interior lineman. Tom Wort made me look like an asshole when I picked him for K-State. Nobody has exactly looked like a man amongst boys.
I guess I'll say Aaron Colvin just for grins. I mean, what the hell?
THE SCORE
In spite of my fear and doom and gloom I do realize that someone needs to knock the smirk of Tommy Tuberville's face. He's so smug. I think he feels like he's playing chess vs. checkers having come from the SEC. Screw him.
If anyone should do it it should be our Sooners, damnit. And they will do it. The defense plays just well enough and the offense exposes a defense that's played nobody.
Sooners 31, Texas Tech 27
Boomer to the Motherfuckin Sooner
(Mumbling to myself: I will believe that nothing carries over week to week. Years past do not matter. Revenge has nothing to do with anything and Saturday is a new day.)
There truly is very little on paper to lead a Sooner fan to believe that victory is in sight. The Red Raiders are one of a handful of teams in the country who rank in the top 10 both offensively and defensively. Tech has had success through the air and on the ground as well. I predict the Sooners call a defensive timeout during the first series.
The Sooners, on the other hand, were their own worst nightmare against K-State. One can only hope they value the football on the road. With any luck Landry's obilgatory INT will come early, be on a deep toss on 3rd down (essentially making it a punt) and Tech goes three and out.
OFFENSE
This offense isn't exactly anemic. Take away the turnovers and there were some positives against K-State. Sterling Shepard "arrived" for instance. So let's put all that crap behind us and choose an Offensive POG from one of the following athletes. Dom Whaley (solid but underwhelming so far - due for a breakout?), DD Williams (possible home run with any touch), Kenny Fuckin Shitbag (Gets his hands on a lot of balls), Justin Brown (Just been delightfully good) and Sterling Shepard (See: "Arrived").
I'll mention Roy Finch for fun just once, the same number of times Toby Rowland probably will. He averages 10 yards per carry if you're keeping score at home.
I'm going with Justin Brown. I've just been real impressed by this youth thus far and I think he's ready to go beyond solid to making some game changing plays.
DEFENSE
According to my crack statistician, Gene Morgan, the Sooners have force one turnover so far. Not exactly the ball hawks we all looked forward to. This unexpected turn also makes selecting a Defensive POG something akin to throwing darts.
In that vein I can only choose by process of elimination. I probably can't pick an interior lineman. Tom Wort made me look like an asshole when I picked him for K-State. Nobody has exactly looked like a man amongst boys.
I guess I'll say Aaron Colvin just for grins. I mean, what the hell?
THE SCORE
In spite of my fear and doom and gloom I do realize that someone needs to knock the smirk of Tommy Tuberville's face. He's so smug. I think he feels like he's playing chess vs. checkers having come from the SEC. Screw him.
If anyone should do it it should be our Sooners, damnit. And they will do it. The defense plays just well enough and the offense exposes a defense that's played nobody.
Sooners 31, Texas Tech 27
Boomer to the Motherfuckin Sooner
Thursday, October 4, 2012
OU - KState Post Mortem
Since 2000, every opponent treats a game against the Sooners as if it's the biggest game in program history. And for 90% of opponents that is the case. Even if they've played the Sooners 50 times, if they win, it's the biggest victory in progam history.
Why in the fuck, then, do the Sooners never realize, much less match or exceed, an opponent's level of intensity/urgency? K-State was business like. They acted like they were 3-0 and 4-0 would be a big fucking deal. This game was a big deal.
I like to imagine this Disney movie scene where K-State had to ride down to Norman on a bus with no AC. Someone insulted someone's mother and it turned into a shitshow on that thing. Then Old Man Snyder wouldn't let the boys off the bus until they came together (take that how you like). The squad gels and proceeds to put on a clinic.
Can you imagine that happening with this OU team? No. Frickin. Way. Who is to blame? Is it the coaches? It's their job to get players ready, right? Or, should the players be responsible for understanding the gravity of the situation and it's their fault they aren't ready to play?
I think it's the coaches.
That said, Bobby Stoops can stay as long as he wants. 10 wins a year let's you do as you please. But there is a very serious issue with his team's sense of the moment. It's been a problem for years and it starts and ends with him.
OU played like they could coast until Texas or Notre Dame.
Then there's Landry doing obligatory Landry things. Some of his throws are the worst pieces of shit of all time. It's some of the most god-awful decision making you'll see at this level. It's textbook Pant Shitting. There's always one play where there is no pressure, he has time and he fires a laserbeam that's literally into an opponent's numbers. It's so awful it's impossible to defend and it's so predictable I feel like I write it every week. Against K-State it cost dearly.
He's a system QB with an overmatched offensive coordinator. Shit rolls downhill. Nate will put a blunter point on it and say something to the effect of, "He's a fucking piece of shit". Thank Jesus for Nate.
Other offensive miscues, of course, included the Belldozer fumble and the Lonnie fumble for touchdown. You just can't do that and win. The fact that Lonnie is still doing this crap though is real cause for concern.
You can't give the defense a free walk either. They had every opportunity to shut K-State down and get them off the field but they rarely did. They didn't force a single turnover. They couldn't get a stop when they had to. K-State converted a 3rd and 15 in the 4th quarter. K-State valued the football and OU could not get them off the field.
A couple other lines from my notepad:
- Roy Finch had 1 carry for 11 yards. This in and of itself did not cost the Sooners the football game. But for real, why doesn't he play?
- Tom Wort seemed overmatched.
I'd love to talk about what K-State did well. I don't give a shit though. They were handed at minimum 17 points. They deserved to win but fuckem all the same.
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