Well three weeks ago I had a real cavalier attitude and would have been brimming with confidence that the Longhorns would get worked by the Sooners and stay relegated to middle of the pack in the Big 12 for the remainder of the season. But I'm now reeling after what might be the worst Sooners loss of All Times. The Sooners were 31 point favorites at home.
I am specifically very concerned about Jordan "Gas Rag" Thomas and the Defense and the fragility of the offense, particularly with regards to the wide receivers.
Let's scrap this doom and gloom though. We need some positivity because this is a big one. Both coaches need this. Both schools needs this. This is huge from a balance of power perspective.
OFFENSE
I am very concerned about what the loss of CeeDee Lamb meant to the Sooners offense last week. That a freshman wideout is apparently the only person who can reliably get open is alarming. I am confident and hopeful that the game plan will be better this week. I expect more Mark Andrews and Grant Calcaterra on crossing routes. And some other wideout needs to emerge and be useful. The lanky guys like Jordan Smallwood and AD Miller are wasting their careers being mediocre and unreliable.
I'd like to see some sparkle from the running game today too. The Sooners need to use the line and get yards in chunks via the run game. It is unclear if Abdul Adams will play. I assume no. So someone needs to be third banana behind Trey Sermon and Dimitri Flowers. I think it will be Baker Mayfield.
In big games you stick with big players and OU has the best player on the field in Baker Damn Mayfield. I can pick no one else for OPOG. I envision more designed runs on first or second down with the goal being to open up some short easy throws. The scramble and go deep method seems problematic.
Basically, all phases of the offense need to fire on all cylinders. But it starts and ends with BD Mayfield.
DEFENSE
Here is a question I've been floating around all week. Why does OU play their cornerbacks based on the hash mark (boundary vs. wide or whatever they call it) instead of based on matchup? Is this common? Is one method easier to learn or teach than another?
I would be inclined to put my best corner on the oppositions best player, take my chances and make the other team figure out another way to beat me. That's just me. But I read in the Oklahoman just this morning that Mike Stoops is reluctant to change his Scheme. It's been working too well, I guess. So the freshman Texas QB should have little to no issue identifying where on the field Parnell Motley is. Typing this makes me angry. Isn't the goal to make life for the opposition more difficult?
The front four, and namely the middle two, need to get some damn push too. This freshman QB could be a nightmare. He can run which is the only dimension you need to give a Mike Stoops defense fits.
For my DPOG I'll pick Ogbonnia Okoronkwo. He's a senior, he's hopefully pissed about last week and, frankly, I'm not sure who else to pick. I'd say Parnell Motley but for reason's already stated I imagine his name gets called infrequently today.
THE GAME
The defense has to hold texas to less than 24 points. They just have to. I really think Mike Stoops job is on the line here. He was a holdover for the sake of cosistency but he is threatening to ruin hopes and dreams if he doesn't get the defense's shit together.
On offense the wide receivers have to step up. Mayfield could have smoked cigarettes in the backfield last week waiting for someone to get open and it wasn't happening. Piss poor. Can't have it today.
I think the Sooners bounce back but I fear texas has a bigger chip on its shoulder at the moment.
Sooners 35, Texas 31
Boomer to the motherfuckin Sooner
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