Notre Dame

OK big game today. It's pretend vs. real Saturday. No pressure or anything but today could make or break the season. If we lose, we are who we thought we were. If we win... Can this team make a run at losing on the national stage at season's end?

A month ago Sooner Nation keyed on this game  and we hoped to have a pretty decent idea of what this team is made of. We still have no idea. We think we have a world class run game. We think we've found a quarterback. We think the D is improved.

But we find out today. Everyone is healthy. It's all hands on deck. Even the coaches are breaking rank and saying this game means more than others. This is a big damn deal.

Can the Sooners overcome this Notre Dame mystique? How are the Sooners 1-9 all time against ND?

OFFENSE

I don't know if Blake Bell will be even close to what he was last week. Notre Dame's D is a damn sight better than Tulsa. You can tell the Belldozer has a few brain cells to rub together. He doesn't seem to rattle or wilt like Lonnie. I've got a feeling we have a gamer in this guy. This all bodes well. The QB situation, for better or worse, seems solved.

Can we run the football? We can only hope Josher doesn't get locked in Chuck Long style into his game plan. In other words, let's hit them inside, let's hit them outside, let's run around them, let's run through them. Let's throw the kitchen sink at them. We have the personnel to adapt. Let's adapt.

Can the O-Line deal with a mean Notre Dame D Line. You know the boys up front want some revenge after getting man-handled last year. It's cliche but this is the whole deal. Can Blake have time to survey the field or will he have to win this game on his feet? Can we establish a run game and carry for 100 yards?

Not to be a front runner here but I'm going with the Belldozer. He's the key. If he can make good reads, manage the game, run as needed and not crap his pants we've got a real shot here. I like him.

DEFENSE

Unbelievable to think the return of Gabe Lynn will help this team. Also, the return of Aaron Motherfuckin Colvin will be huge. In other words, the Sooners finally have all hands on deck.

Our D has gotten a bit lucky. There have been a handful of long gains and/or touchdowns missed due to a case of the dropsies. Then there's occasional lapse in the run game. It all needs to come together today.

OU's defense is improved but how much? We've not seen Cortez Johnson and Colvin on the field at the same time. The D has to put their best foot forward today and, on paper, we'll have our best guys out there.

I can't believe I'm doing it but I'm going with Gabe Lynn today. I think he plays a nice center field and he comes away with a pick. The guy is actually a bit of a ball hawk.

THE SCORE

I've got some real anxiety about this game. All I can think of is being at the game in 1999 and watching that second half meltdown. Then I remember getting worked last year. History has not been kind to the Sooners in this series. How in the world are the Oklahoma Sooners 1-9 against anyone?

In recent years the Sooners have gotten up for about 3 games a year. Today is one of those games. This team is different. They have an edge and an urgency to them and I think they have the personnel to bring back some swagger. The return to the top can start today.

OU 27 Notre Dame 21

Boomer to the motherfuckin Sooner.