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.
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.
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