Texas A&M

My original title for this post was "Johnny Footbal...er Texas A&M", but Mitch beat me to the punch on that one, so-to-speak. This is always a bitter-sweet post for the season. It's the last until a long summer, football void. Yet, it's generally preceding the most important game of the year. Although this isn't a BCS bowl (NIU more than proved their worth by kinda hanging with an underwhelming FSU team for nearly 3 quarters), it's certainly the cream of "the rest" if you will. In fact, apart from the National Championship and last night's (in hindsight) less-than-competitive Fiesta Bowl, I don't think it's reach to say this is the most interesting matchup of this bowl season. That fact alone has me pumped for this one.

This is the end of an era of OU football. It's the last game for an icon, the hero to all who've ever done less with more, the master of hurrying under center then standing up and looking to the sideline to see what he should do, JC's favorite son, Lonnie Jones. Needless to say, my mention of this post, and the game it pertains to, being bitter-sweet certainly alluded to Lonnie regarding the "sweet" part of it. I'm not sad to see him go, not even a little. When he inevitably throws a terrible pick this evening, I'll get some small bit of satisfaction knowing it's the last game I'll have to endure it.

However, this might also be our last year of real contention for a bit. We stand to lose quite a bit in terms of personnel. Too much to even begin to highlight really. This doesn't even include the underclassman who may leave early. I know we probably have some pretty decent young guys who will step up next season, but I think there are going to be some rough times next year. I digress however, tonight is a huge challenge and I am not sure if I've had this much doubt going into a game in a long time.

We all know about Manziere (Can I say that this nickname is number one on my list of disappointments as it pertains to conference realignment? It's too perfect, we could even alternate in "The Bro" from time-to-time. Such a bummer), he's an absolute animal. Not to mention, if you were to have Japanese scientists design a cyborg QB tailor-made to shred every OU defense of the last decade it would be this guy. This alone is terrifying, but throw in an all-world offensive line (including a possible #1 overall NFL draft pick/4 year starting LT) facing a subpar and now depleted DL and things look very grim indeed.

Our best chance in this one is to hope that we can keep pace with their scoring, we get a couple of more turnovers than them, and that Mike Stoops is able to work some of his old magic (read: don't count on it). This is getting depressing, on to the picks!

Offense

Last game of the year and I haven't given this too much thought really. I've thought about the game, but not who I think will step up. There are several people who I'd like to see step up, in fact I hope they all do. I'd love to say Justin Brown in his last collegiate start, or Fuckin' Shitbag who may also be suiting up as a Sooner for the last time, but I'm not. I'm going to go with Damien Williams. I think tonight is his coming out party on the national stage. It's high time everyone else got a look at the guy we've known was hard all year. I like him to break off at least one long one and show that extra gear. It will be awfully fun if he does.

Defense

I have about as much confidence here as I have any other game this year, that is to say none. I really wish David King or one of the guys up front really put on a clinic tonight and keep the Manziere in check. Sadly, I don't see it. For no other reason than I'm going with my heart here, I'm picking Tony Motherfuckin' Jefferson. He's gotten to the point, I think, where he's so consistent that it's hard to notice how much he does. Tonight, I think we get a taste of how dominant he can be. I've got a bad feeling this is his last game as a Sooner. I think he knows it, and I think he steps up accordingly.

Score

As I said, I've got an awful feeling here, I really do. But, I also have faith and I think if we play as well as we're capable of that we can win. They're good, but they've got the same number of losses that we do. I think the offense does it's thing, and the defense does just barely enough. It's a close one, and it comes down to the fourth quarter. Sooners pull it out (tee hee) 31-30.

Now, for the last time this season, let's roll some motherfucking heads and show these rotten bastards that they're lucky to have left the Big 12.

Boomer to the Motherfuckin' Sooner.