Baylor

Conference play for the Sooners opens up today down in Waco. Baylor comes into the game a paltry 0-3 and it appears the salad days are over. After Art Briles built Baylor into a perennial conference, if not national, title contender through some good coaching, recruiting and cultivation of a lawless, despicable culture his ouster seems to have brought the Bears back to earth. It isn't evident yet if Baylor will resume its role as a place to smear muddy boots for everyone else in the conference, but an 0-3 start doesn't portend an imminent upswing. On paper, today doesn't seem to be the launch-pad for a season turnaround either.

OU fell from #2 to #3 through no fault of their own last week. At this point, that fall is nothing to even bat an eye at. Frankly, I think it's deserving, Clemson went on the road against a pretty decent Louisville team (helmed by the reigning Heisman winner) and absolutely embarrassed them. That defense looks stout. Regardless, either #2 or #3 looks like a tough matchup for a Bears squad that lost at home to both Liberty University and The University of Texas...San Antonio, ouch. They do have Seth Russell still, who can definitely sling the ball, and although the next snap I see of Baylor this year will be the first, I feel confident that there isn't much of a supporting cast around him.

After a sluggish start last week that had 80,000 in Norman repeatedly saying "we're fine" amidst nervous laughs and non-sequiturs, the defense buckled down and Baker Mayfield did Baker Mayfield things and all was right with the world. I haven't seen enough of this team to know if that was this year's version of a "let-down", but if it is, then I'm going to have a 5-month chubby. To the picks!

Offense

CeeDee Lamb was on his way last week to creating the illusion that I knew what I was talking about for 2 straight weeks, before the referees observed him doing something along the lines of tackle football and kicked him out. Make no mistake, this sort of luck will not befall me again this season so sorry whomever I pick, the kiss of death may be back. Again, BD Mayfield is the easy choice, so naturally I'm not going to do that. Instead I'm going with a different weapon who stepped up last week and look really solid in Lamb's absence. I'm going with Marquise Brown, which a quick google search revealed he is from Hollywood, FL. You can't be from Hollywood, Anywhere and not be nicknamed Hollywood, so Hollywood Brown it is.

Defense

For the first time in a long time, the dart throw on this side of the ball is due to a plethora, rather than a dearth of options. That is one damn nice change of pace. I've gone DL, LB the first two weeks. I'm going to continue the progression to the secondary and resist the temptation no more by going with Parnell Motley. First of all, that's a fucking great name. Second of all, he has continued to live up to the billing each week and is on the verge of dusting off the Motherfucker moniker (stay tuned). Baylor will try to throw it all over the field, I think Parnell steps up and has fine game.

Score

The conference games are always tougher. There is history between the schools, familiarity with one another and the stakes of the conference championship to consider. In turn, the divide in talent is always lessened, particularly when the better team is on the road. But, I think the first quarter last week was a bit of a wake up call and I think the Sooners come out determined. Baylor will be fired up, three straight losses to open the year won't set well with them and the crowd will be fired up, no matter, the Sooners come out swinging a tire iron and beat some ass, 52-17.

Boomer to the Motherfuckin Sooner.

Tulane

I hate to discuss old business at the beginning of this every week, but that was a damn good time last Saturday. At the risk of disparaging Bobby Stoops, that was the type of performance that hasn't been seen at OU in a decade. I can't remember the last time the Sooners played on a stage that big (and no, a nationally meaningless sugar bowl does not count) and kicked a team's teeth in. Aside from a solid drive, following a big kickoff return to open the second half, Ohio State did nearly nothing. Which leads us to the crux of the situation and I can't believe I'm even saying it but, the defense looked fucking good. Granted Ohio State hasn't done one thing to prove it's a good offense at this point and the Sooners may have exposed JT Barrett as what he is, a running back playing quarterback, even still that was damn fun. Let's also not overlook the OU offense. Offensive question marks aside, I don't think many would argue that Ohio State has a bad defense, in fact their front seven is one of the best in the country. Last Saturday, the only team that stopped OU on offense was OU. Bask in that glow for as long as you like.




....and we're back. Tulane rolls into Norman today for a tilt with the, now number 2 in the country, Oklahoma Sooners. Tulane resides in the heart of a rabid college football town, alas the town is rabid for LSU. While the Green Wave is never much more than a blip on the national spectrum, this is no run of the mill doormat. Should OU roll? Yes. Should this game be a formality? Yes. But, Tulane generally has a handful of NFL caliber players on the roster, and this is a prototypical let-down game. Am I worried? For the first time in years, I actually feel confident. Did I mention I'm excited for the Lincoln Riley era?

Tulane evidently runs some old school option type offense. I'm sure this is a jazzed up (New Orleans joke) version with some odd formations that get them in that game, but it boils down to disciplined assignment football. Ohio State game aside, this is not the type of offense that the Sooners under Mike Stoops have struggled with. The reason that option football has all but disappeared is because defenders have gotten so fast and athletic that teams who don't stay disciplined, or that miss assignments can recover. Fortunately for Sooner nation, the OU defense is both fast AND athletic. Basically, OU needs to get out of this one healthy and tuned up for conference play.

Offense

Cutting and pasting Baker Damn Mayfield here would be a short and accurate way of nailing this each week, but that would deprive you loyal reader(s) of me making an absurd and stupid pick each week (Trey Sermon last week not withstanding). I read earlier this week that coaches expected Mark Andrews to play this week, but predictably the Oklahoman neglected to revisit the subject as practices commenced. Why would anyone be interested in the health of the Sooners second best offensive weapon? (Regardless of his health, it seems like a good week to rest him in that I think this is winnable without him.) I went RB last week and I think (for now) Sermon has solidified himself as the first option. That said I think I'm going to go with CeeDee Lamb, he looks like the real deal and as fun as Badet is to watch, I think Lamb has the makings of a star WR.

Defense

Wow, what a show last Saturday, several guys looked the part not the least of which is Parnell Motley who really has the makings of being a stud. He was tested several times and answered. I don't however, envision Tulane passing a lot (though the may be forced to eventually if the score dictates it) so I'm going with Caleb Kelly. He's been somewhat quiet the first couple of weeks and with his speed I think he's going to make a bunch of tackles against the Green Wave's run-first offense

Score

I do think there might be some letdown after last week's emotional win. It has to be hard to get up for a second tier team after beating the number 2 team on the road. I do think the Sooners roll, however, just maybe not as dominating as could be. Sooners tighten up in this one, 49-21. This is getting fun again.

Boomer to the Motherfuckin' Sooner

Oklahoma Sooner vs. Tulane Green Wave

We got us a football team. The boys looked sharp and composed in their thumping of the bygod Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus last week. The defense played bigly and you can't say enough about Baker Mayfield. Without a doubt he is the heart and soul of this team. I can't recall the last Sooners team that had this kind of attitude.

Now the Sooners find themselves at number two in the polls, receiving first place votes and in control of their own destiny. This is where Sooner teams should expect to be. The challenge will be in keeping the edge week to week and taking everyone's best shot. I feel good about it but it's easier said than done. Lincoln Riley and Co.'s work is really just beginning.

Up next, the Tulane Green Wave.

OFFENSE

The Sooners need three things to happen today on offense. First, bring the same TCB attitude to this game that they've had in the first two games. With Mayfield leading the way, coming out flat seems impossible. Dude bro probably plants a flag in his apartment after a bowel movement.

Second, continue to develop receiver options. This shouldn't be too hard either as Mark Andrews is out for today and that's a bummer. The silver lining is everyone else has to step up. Baker can't have too many options.

Third, stay healthy. It would be great to see a bunch of "2's and 3's" getting some early playing time. How validating was it when last week BD Mayfield got "dinged" and Kyler Murray had to fill in. Sure it was one play but in year's past it might well have been his first play as a Sooner let alone of the season. No bueno in that situation.

For my OPOG today I'm going with Trey Sermon. He gets his first start today and a chance to stake his claim as the feature back. Something tells me he's, "gonna go for it honey".

DEFENSE

I guess it's time to start believing in these guys. The athleticism of this unit is clearly a step above last year. They really need to stay healthy as depth is already becoming an issue in the secondary.

Steamroller homepiece RPP texted during the game last week that Parnell Motley should be the MFer for this year. Navin correctly pumped the brakes. This is a developing situation but it's encouraging that there is at least one candidate. One could also make a case for Ogbonnia as well. I was skeptical but he is playing real well.

Today I think I'll take the freshman Kenneth Murray as my DPOG. It seems like in this gimmicky run-oriented offense that he could really pile up the tackles.

THE GAME

The Sooners need to TCB on offense, don't "break contain" on defense and get out of this one healthy. An apparently one dimensional run offense is going to have a difficult time keeping up with the Sooners offense, to say the least. The Sooners cruise in this one. Mayfield sits the second half. The D looks sharp again.

Sooners 52, Tulane 10

Boomer to the motherfuckin Sooner.

Oklahoma Sooners versus Ohio State Buckeyes

In victory last week the Sooners managed to not only avoid calamity, as the Longhorns of Texas and Bears of Baylor could not, they looked damn good in what was a very businesslike and near flawless ass whoop of UTEP.

Regrettably, the UTEP Miners are not on the slate this week. It's The Ohio State Buckeyes and revenge is on the minds of the Sooners.

I am cautiously optimistic about the Sooners chances but I think it's certainly fair that the Sooners are more than touchdown underdogs (as of press time).

OFFENSE

The most interesting factoid I read this week was that more Sooners caught balls against UTEP (14) than did across all games last year. So.. I don't know if that means there is more depth or if it's a natural evolution of a Lincoln Riley/Baker Mayfield offense. The concept of spreading the ball around seems positive to me but it's more likely just scrubs getting to play more than usual in a route.

The second most interesting thing I noticed was the Sooners O-Line seemed to do a lot of pulling of the guards. I asked at the time if anyone could remember seeing us do that because I couldn't. Mark Schlegel, good dude and loyal reader, agreed. My father-in-law waived me away and said we do it all the time. It looked great.

I think the key here this week is in the five headed run game (Since they remembered Dimitri Flowers is also very good) being at least moderately effective. No matter the score and win or lose the Sooners will have balance in the play calling. They will run the ball a lot. If you do nothing else but check the box score tomorrow for yards per carry you'll be able to tell if the Sooners won or not. If it's below 2.5 yards per carry they lost.

In that vein I am going to go a little off script here and take Abdul Adams for my Offensive Player of the Game. It's foolish to take someone besides Mayfield but what's the fun in that? I also really want to pick Dimitri Flowers because of his versatility and the apparent willingness to, Gasp!, take advantage of it.

Other things I really liked last week before we move on. Abdul Adams, the liberal sprinkling of Dimitri Flowers, Mark Andrews now a wide receiver in a tight ends body. Lincoln Riley sitting Mayfield the whole second half.

DEFENSE

When I watched OSU get a little scare from Indiana last week I came away unimpressed with JT Barrett's passing ability. On the flip side, OSU continues to churn out high quality running backs.

In watching the new look Sooner D it appears the secondary should be a strength and the linebackers have some work to do.

It was Emmanuel Beal who looked a little lost to me. Kenneth Murray disappeared a little but give him a pass for it being his first collegiate game. I'm picking knits because overall the D was PlayStation level after the first UTEP drive.

The point is the defensive line and the linebackers (dba the 4-3) need to play huge for the Sooners to have a shot. The OSU run game cannot be allowed to turn Barrett into even a moderately effective passer. They also can't let short plays turn into long gains.

OSU just overpowered this group last year. We will learn a ton about them today. For my Defensive Player of the Game I'll go with Jordan Thomas. I like his game and desperately hope he gets one, maybe two picks.

THE GAME

I am clinging to the belief that there is greater depth across the board for the Sooners to stay fresh enough to keep up with the strength of the Buckeyes. If the Sooners can run the ball, control the clock and, in a perfect world, jump out to an early lead, JT Barrett might be pressed just enough to do something dumb.

The Sooner D doesn't have to be perfect but they need to keep the running game in check and get off the field on third down.

Barring an absolute whipping, nobody is going to get too bent out of shape with a loss. Or they shouldn't. That's the benefit of being a new coach. The Sooners can do this though. A smart, confident, total team concept can get this done.

Sooners 28, Buckeyes 21

Boomer to the motherfuckin Sooner

Ohio State

As debuts go, you'd be hard pressed to find one better than Lincoln Riley's debut as head coach of our beloved Oklahoma Sooner football team. Most key starters on offense were sipping chilled drinks and planning their celebratory evening from the bench after half time, not bad at all. Riley's squad met the ridiculous expectations of only one outcome would be viewed as a success, a drubbing. Of course the caveat is they were playing an obscenely overmatched UTEP squad. Still, we've endured some games over the years that everyone expected to turn out that way and they didn't, so let's not undersell meeting those ridiculous expectations. That said, it wasn't much of a measuring stick but as it turns out a rather sturdy measuring stick happens to be up next.

Last year's Ohio State game was a methodical assbeat. A steady, consistent, thorough jamming of the proverbial bone up the ass. OU had a cupboard full of weapons and none of it mattered. The offense was contained and the defense was the brand-x paper towel on an 80s Bounty commercial. Last week UTEP opened the game with an easy march down the field for a TD, sparking disgust and a Goodfellas level profane tirade from me. But, credit where due, they didn't give up a point or even a reasonable drive, really, after that. This will be the fulcrum of this game. I don't think Baker and co. will put up an easy 56 again, but I'll be surprised if they don't score enough to win...provided the defense plays well. A huge provision to be sure. On to the picks!

Offense

It's no secret that Baker Mayfield is the key to this whole thing. I suppose that is true of the QB on any team, ever. But, for this team, it's especially true. There is no second fiddle really at this point. Mark Andrews raised his hand last week, but suffice it so say if BD isn't great tonight, the Sooners don't stand a chance. Which (finally) leads us to my point, that someone else is going to have to be great tonight too. Mayfield can't do it all against a team of this caliber on the road. I guess that makes my pick more of a hope rather than a prediction, but someone at RB needs to play well. I'm going with Trey Sermon. He wasn't even the best RB last week, but I'm "high" on his "upside". I think he establishes himself as the main RB tonight, and goes Old Steady on the Buckeyes when OU needs him most.

Defense

I'm not sure who I took away from last game as a real standout. Several guys looked really good, surprisingly enough. I'm a big fan of Steven Parker and I also really like Neville Gallimore (great name). Honestly, all of the defense is going to have to play much better than anything we've seen the last few seasons. Ohio State starts a true freshman at RB who only set the school record for rush yards in an opener, go ahead and marinate on that for a minute. JT Barrett is precisely the type of QB that has given OU fits since I was in school there (read: forever ago). Someone is going to have to be great today, and I think that person is Kenneth Murray. The true frosh looked very solid last week and OU has almost always spit-out great college LBs. I think he blows up today and has a very good game, even forcing a fumble.

Score

Whew, I don't feel remotely good about this game. Lincoln Riley gives me some naive optimism that OU will surprise everyone with a win on the road. But, after my disgust squashed the tradition of always picking an OU win last year, I'm trying to be more realistic. I think (hope) the game will be tight, it sucks gearing up for a huge game only to have it be decided (for the opposition) by half-time. OU will want to save face from the beating last season, and will be appropriately fired up for this one. I think Riley will take some chances and go for broke in this one, he doesn't have anything to lose really. But, all of that won't be enough and I see the Sooners losing this one 38-28 to a better Ohio State team. Of course, being wrong would be oh so sweet.

Boomer to the Motherfuckin' Sooner.

Oklahoma Sooner vs. UTEP Miners

Hello Steamroller fans! It's football time in Oklahoma and I'm glad you're here because this sports blog writer promises this will be the least informed, crimson colored season yet.

That's right folks I read tea leaves not Athlon. I attempt to parse tidbits from Oklahoman puff pieces. I'm excited for the season though because much like a music festival with a lineup of unfamiliar names, this Sooners team has lots of surprises in store and most of them should turn out well.

To wit: Lincoln Riley, The RB Situation, who replaces Secretary Dede Westbrook, is a 4-3 defense going to be less sieve-like, is true freshman Kenneth Murray a baby-eater for a new generation?

For the record I am excited for the Lincoln Riley era. Bobby Stoops earned the opportunity to stay as long as he wanted and if he truly did go out on his terms then good for him. Thank you Coach Stoops for turning around a program (and really a university) and putting Oklahoma football back in the conversation, making visors kind of cool for minute and showing me a new way to clap.  Lincoln Riley is going to be a great football coach though. If nothing else he'll recruit well (80% of the job) and his team will score 50 points a game.

OFFENSE

We do know that Baker Damn Mayfield is back and he has, at minimum, the best offensive line in the Big 12. That's 8-10 wins right there. Mayfield also has Mark "I Catch Touchdowns" Andrews which is super.

It looks like, at least for a few weeks, it will be a quartet of running backs behind him led by Rodney Anderson. I'm sorry but it's not the star power I have become accustomed to. But in a Lincoln Riley offense I would imagine there will be schemes to take advantage of the strengths of each. That could be cool but after Abdul Adams I'm like those construction workers in Major League, "Who are these fuckin guys"? Maybe Dimitri Flowers gets some love too. I'd be "down".

The same lack of recognition goes for the wide receivers after Andrews and Jeffrey Meade. But there are High Hopes for true freshman CeeDee Lamb. If he plays half as great as his name he could be a star.

Today I look for the line to give BD Mayfield enough to time to start finding some receivers he can trust and it would be foolish in my mind to pick anyone besides Baker for Offensive Player of the Game.

DEFENSE

If you trust the Oklahoman (and I don't) this defense is the Ogbonnia Okoronkwo show. He looked great at times last year but I'm afraid he's just the best quote and most accessible player to those lazy writers. There are plenty of other good players who could make or break this unit.

Neville Gallimore, for instance, could have a breakout year along with Caleb Kelly. Steven Parker and Jordan Thomas are great already and the emergence of Parnell Motley at the other corner back spot is the key thing to watch for all season. Two legit corners changes the whole dynamic.

"They" also seem to be raving about middle linebacker Kenneth Murray. Every time I hear the name I want to think of a country musician named Kenneth Michael Murray but I don't know if such a thing exists. I'm not sure if it's a lack of depth or if he's the next great one but I'm hoping for the latter obvs (trying to connect with Millenials).

I am cautiously optimistic that this group will be vastly improved (not greatly!) but I'm going to sit back with my arms crossed, second guess everything and reserve judgment until I feel these guys can be trusted to contain a wet fart.

In the grand tradition of throwing darts on this side of the field I am going to go horse racing style and pick Neville Gallimore for Defensive Player of the Game because I like his name.

THE GAME

I know nothing about UTEP except where it exists on a map (roughly) and I don't care to learn more until I watch the game. The Sooners will come out jacked to get a win under Lincoln Riley's belt. There's no looking ahead to next week either. I expect the boys to look sharp.

Sooners 56, UTEP 20

Boomer to the Motherfuckin Sooner