Georgia

Holy smokes, this is a big one. If you would have talked to me a few weeks ago, specifically right after the Big 12 championship, I would have been pretty confident for this one. But as time has passed, my confidence level has gone down notably and Georgia increasingly looks like a really tough draw. Don't get me wrong, I'd prefer to play them over Clemson or Alabama, but their defense is really, really good. Historically, it seems (to me anyway) that when a high powered offense meets a dominant defense, the defense typically has the edge. I certainly hope that doesn't hold true tomorrow afternoon.

Georgia relies on defense and ball control offense. This certainly matches up well for them as it has a two-fold effect of stopping the OU offense and keeping them off of the field with a very strong running attack. What they don't necessarily excel at is the passing game. This is probably a best case scenario for the leaky OU secondary. With any luck, Mike Stoops will have a solid plan to contain the Bulldog backfield. Otherwise, it could be a long afternoon for the Sooners.

Offense

Much hand wringing and angst has been happening over Mayfield and his illness. Rightfully so, as he goes so do the Sooners playoff hopes. Basically, it's the same story as it has been all year, Mayfield will need to carry the team in this one. With that in mind, it seems obvious he should be player of the game pick. True to form however, I am going to outsmart myself yet again with a "savvy" pick. It goes without saying that everyone is going to have to play lights out for OU to have a shot. I'm going to say Mark Andrews is the key to them winning. I think he has to have a big game softening up the secondary and opening up the run game with some big plays underneath.

Defense

If OU has a chance, it will be because the stop the run and make the Georgia freshman QB beat them. The D Line will have be stout and the LB's will be the key to them winning this one. I like Emmanuel  Beal to have a big game bottling up the Georgia Chubby. I think he makes a shitload of tackles and forces at least one turnover in a key performance.

Score

I'm shitting bricks on this one. OU has won all year by scoring early and often. I just don't see that happening against a stout Georgia defense. For the first time all year, the Sooners will need long methodical drives and they will have to play a ball control offense where points are at a premium. Though the Sooner D has been pretty terrible all season, I think Georgia's offensive style is a decent matchup for them. I think Mayfield does enough, and the defense does too in a butt clincher. OU 24, Georgia 20. Let's beat these guys.

Boomer to the Motherfuckin' Sooner

CFP - The Rose Bowl

Happy New Year loyal readers and welcome to the College Football Playoff. You're either Biff Tannen or looking through the rosiest of rose-colored glasses if you thought, prior to the season and as recently as November, that OU would be here. I myself have learned, gladly, not to bet against Baker Mayfield.

The Sooners take on the Georgia Bulldogs in the Rose Bowl. It's the first meeting between these two teams. The Sooners feature the Heisman Trophy winner, an historically great offense and a defense that plays well enough to win. The Bulldogs feature a dynamic running game and a "vaunted SEC defense". 

I'm feeling really good about this game.

OFFENSE

The other day I watched a 2017 season recap show. Granted, it's nothing but highlights. Holy smokes there are weapons all over the place for this team. Tell me how a defense is going to shut down Rod Anderson, Dmitri Flowers, Mark Andrews, CeeDee Lamb, Hollywood Brown and then keep Baker Mayfield contained while also dealing with the best offensive line in football.

Talking heads say that someone needs to shadow Mayfield every play. That's fine and dandy but teams have been "containing" him all year. He can run but it isn't always his first choice. He'll kill you with the pass. If you keep that LB in place to shadow him, he'll throw to the running back instead. Or vice versa. It's a real pick your poison situation.

I think the Sooners are going to spend a fair amount of time trying to beat the Dogs at their own game. That is, running right at them and then working that play action. It will be devastating. It will be beautiful.

Obvious OPOG is Baker. There's no mincing around at this point. The Sooners live and die with him.

DEFENSE

All my hopes and dreams rely on the idea that this D 1) plays to the level of its competition 2) gets jacked in big games 3) has made plays when it absolutely had to all season. They've also listened for the last month about how average they are so they'll have a massive chip on their shoulder. That's always a good situation for them.

Another positive is Georgia doesn't have a running quarterback. All the talk is about the two headed running monster of Nick Chubb and Sonny Michel. If you give Mikey Stoops one thing to focus on he's pretty good at shutting it down. And by the way, their numbers aren't all that much greater than Rod Anderson and Trey Sermon combined. Good numbers, yes, but not gaudy.

For my DPOG I'm going with Obo. I really want to go Caleb Kelly here too but I'll stick with this pick. Obo wants to be the leader. Let him lead.

THE GAME

This one could easily go either way. Could the Georgia D shut the offense down and then could the Georgia offense wear tracks down the Sooner D's backs? Or, will it prove true that the Georgia D has yet to see anything like what's about to hit them and the Sooner D can bow up when it matters most? We've seen both over the years.

It's the latter, friends. It's a new era. The offense is going to put up points. They are going to battle. They are going to make key plays. The Sooner D will step up.

The Sooners win 35-24.

Boomer to the motherfuckin Sooner.

The Big 12 Championship

The Sooners have played their way into the Big 12 championship yet again and have a chance to start putting a pretty bow on a season for the ages. To recap,  Bob Stoops resigned and the Lincoln Riley era began. Baker Mayfield returns to "finish what he started". Then, in spite of losing their top wide receiver and top two running backs from a year ago, Baker manages to run an offense that's arguably improved over last year. Aaand, he's running away with the Heisman Trophy.

Following the inexpicable Iowa State loss, the offense has rolled on and the D has done enough to not ruin hopes and dreams. They've run the Big 12 gauntlet. Everything is out if front of them.

I am, dare I say, optimistic. It's all out there for the taking. A win and they're in the playoff. Standing in the way is a pesky Gary Patterson TCU squad. He will be pulling out all the stops.

OFFENSE

At this point there are no surprises. The presumptive Heisman trophy winner, the best O-line in college football and play makers all around. The Sooners need to take care of the football and not take sacks to win this one. TCU has to play otherworldly and still the Sooners will score points.

Round 1 of this matchup was the Rodney Anderson show. He dominated rushing and receiving. This may have been born more out of necessity than game plan as TCU has a salty pass defense. It's going to take a more complete collective effort from the wide receivers to build up enough scores to get comfy. Distributions to a variety of wide receivers and a bruising run game should soften things up nicely.

Baker is OPOG 1A (and spoiler: he will be for every remaining game) but for 1B I'll go Marquise Brown. Just a gut feeling. Visions of him catching the ball in stride in open space get me fired up.

DEFENSE

The oft maligned defense has managed to do just enough over the course of the season to win but, to their credit, they've battled, made plays when they absolutely had to, and made more adjustments both in game and in season than I can ever recall.

The good and frustrating thing about this D is they tend to play with an edge in big games. So they should be good to go. Why they can't do it all the time is beyond me but I'm moving on from it. All I care about is good effort and good tackling.

Much like the last time these teams met I'm not scared of Kenny Hill. He is average at best. This offense is a pretty good matchup for this defense. I'm sure there will be some frustration with awful tackling including some missed chances in the backfield and a run or two up the middle that go for big yards. It's just what you get with these guys. All you can ask is to keep it to a minimum.

I don't think there's a individual you can pick in this group. It'd be a stretch to say that's a good thing because the collective is untrustworthy. If forced I'll take Caleb Kelly. He has the potential to make an impact blitzing Hill, stopping the run or defending the pass.

SCORE

I'm feeling pretty good about this one. I ain't skeered of the TCU offense. I think the Sooner D will step up but they are going to take some big shots from the Frogs. Again, TCU has nothing to lose and will relish playing the spoiler role. The Sooners offense is going to do what it do. I'd like to see the Sooners keep the hammer down. No points are too many. No lead is safe. Hopefully they don't have to play from behind.

The D really just needs to be it's average best. If TCU punts more than five or six times I think that's enough cushion for the Sooners to build up a solid lead. Then it's on to the next round.

I'll take the Sooners 42-28

Boomer to the motherfuckin Sooner.

Big 12 Championship

It is now the first weekend in December and all that stands between OU and the college football playoff is the Conference Championship game. I'll admit that although I was ready to move on from Bob Stoops (whose "salad days" were shrinking in the rearview), I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from Lincoln Riley and the new-look Sooners. I was certainly brim full of optimism, but also a dread feeling in the recesses of "careful-what-you-wish-for." Well, my complaints are minimal at this point, and almost all of them are still directed at a Stoops. Tomorrow provides another opportunity for the Sooners to keep it going with the conference title and a playoff berth at stake.

It's somewhat appropriate that TCU will be the opponent tomorrow as the color of my butthole will likely alternate between purple and white as the game dictates. In spite of the moderately dominant performance against this same squad but a few weeks ago, I do not rest easy in this one. Gary Patterson has proven time and again that he can game plan and that he does not walk into a gunfight with a knife. If you don't think that he and his staff haven't poured over the tape of the first meeting, you're insane. If you don't think he hasn't taken that tape and formulated a plan for each weakness that OU exploited, and a plan to attack the Sooner defense, then you sit in a diaper and smear mayonnaise on your nipples.

The bottom line in this one is that it's going to be an extremely tough matchup. It's never easy to beat the same team twice in one season, particularly when that team has a good coach, nothing to lose, and no pressure whatsoever. I just leaked in the back of my jockey's.

Offense

TCU has easily the best defense in the Big 12. They boast the best pass rusher in the conference (who missed the vast majority of the first meeting due to being a prig), and the have the best run defense by a good measure. I would love to jot down DimitRod Serdams, I just don't think any one of the four-headed monster will be the dominant force in this one. And yes, I think Mayfield will come to play but I think the WR corps will be the difference with guys breaking deep. The guy I think blows up in the passing game is CeeDee Lamb. He's been great, he continues that with a huge game.

Defense

While improving in terms of points allowed, this defense still looks like a tire fire, albeit one that has gone from blaze to smoldering. There simply isn't anyone who routinely stands out as great. The lack of consistency and great playmakers makes this really tough to pick. But my heart  is winning this week and I'm going with Steven Parker, I've always thought he was salty and I think he makes a huge play in this one.

Score

It's going to be a nut-buster. TCU is coming in with everything to prove against "big, bad" OU. Shit, they're a top 12 team so this isn't a cake walk regardless of the stakes, but with them playing the spoiler, they will come out hard and OU will face a very dangerous opponent. This has a lot of the makings of a letdown, but I'm hoping fresh-faced Lincoln Riley has them ready and Baker Mayfield continues his hit parade. Sooners win this in a white-knuckle ride, 31-30.

Boomer to the Motherfuckin' Sooner.