K State

I just sat down to write this and the first thing I did was google who the head coach of K State is. Buckle up for a deep dive into the subtle nuances of Kansas State football. In said google search, I did see that K State is currently 4-2, so presumably they're not a total joke. If this club is anything like past years (full disclosure, they absolutely might not be) they'll slow it down, play defense and try win ugly. Before I feed you any more horseshit speculation, let's just wrap it up and move on.

Offense

Last week was a demolition of a WVU team that was hoping for an OU let down. The offense clicked to the tune of 52 points and Hurts eliminated some of the dumb things he did against texas that nearly cost the Sooners a W. I think that same efficiency is on display in the little apple and the offense rolls again. I like CeeDee Lamb to continue his quest to jump into the first round of the NFL draft with at least 2 TD's and over 125 yards receiving.

Defense

This Sooner defense is beginning to border on fun. I truly don't remember the last time they had a decent defense but I feel like it couldn't be any more recently than 2009 or 2010, if that recently. They aren't dominant, but it's amazing what doing little things like tackling will do for you. Turns out (hope you're sitting down) that if you simply make opponents sustain drives and work for yards, they occasionally punt. Today I'm going with a wild card, I like Ronnie Perkins to have a big game and force at least one turnover (which is the one thing the Sooners haven't done much of, they're due).

Score

I think this game will be tougher than it seems on paper. K State isn't ranked, they have no star players to speak of, but they're at home with nothing to lose and you don't win 4 of 6 at their level by not being somewhat decent. I think the Sooners struggle a little bit in this one, but win in it in an uglier-than-it-sounds 44-20 margin.

Boomer to the Motherfuckin Sooner

Oklahoma Sooner versus Kansas State

The undefeated Sooners stroll into the Little Apple this Saturday to face a Wildcats team I know nothing about. It looks like they play a style of football hell bent on setting football back 25 years. I'm assuming they will look and act like a homeless version of Texas.

OFFENSE

If, in fact, this is a take 2 of a homeless man's Texas then the formula is pretty simple. Don't turn the ball over. If K-State's offense wants to hang on to the ball then the Sooners need to maximize their opportunities. Obviously this all depends on Jalen Hurts. Hurts boners against the Longhorns kept the game too close for comfort. K-State doesn't need to be led to believe they can hang.

I look for lots of running from the Sooners. There's been a lot of rumbling/grumbling about Trey Sermon's lack of carries but the simple fact is Kennedy Brooks is the best running back in the Sooners stable right now. The dude glides. Also, Hurts is more than eager to call his own number. Regrettably, what's left is table scraps.

Anywho, I'm going with Charlston Rambo this week because the Sooners will pass and K-State should probably try to make someone besides CeeDee Lamb beat them. We'll see how that goes.

DEFENSE

Supposedly K-State leans heavily on their running attack. This has country music super duo Kenneth Michael Murray and Ronnie Perkins licking their chops. The gang tackling continues this week with the same quality results.

Thus concludes my understanding of the K-State attack. They have a new coach and I have yet to watch them play.

For my DPOG I'll go with another wild card: Delarrin Turner-Yell. He's starting to fly all over the field. I think he helps the cause in a great way.

THE SCORE

Well, I think the Sooners keep from turning the ball over and the ball control offense that K-State hopes to deploy doesn't really work. In short, it's crimson-colored glasses all day, baby!

I like the Sooners 35-14

Boomer to the Motherfuckin Sooner!

Oklahoma Sooners versus West Virginny

Gooood morning, undefeated Sooner fans! Here's to hoping the Sooners, fresh off a signature victory down in Dallas, are less hungover than I am today.  Today, West Virginia comes to Norman with arguably their worst squad since joining the Big 12. The Sooners are in the driver's seat and need to stay there. They can do so by staying engaged in this one. I know it's a lot to ask to match the intensity of a rivalry game week in and week out but that should be the goal.

OFFENSE

Crucial red zone takeaways marred what was otherwise another dominant performance by the offense against texas. The offensive line performed admirably. CeeDee Lamb made the case he is the best wide receiver in college football. Jalen Hurts showed resiliency after the two turnovers.

Today there is nothing to work out or get back on track. The hammer just needs to come down on the Mountaineers and there will be no answer, at least from their defense.

It's clinical at this point to assume Jalen or CeeDee will be offensive players of the game so it's not real fun to pick them. I guess I'll go with Kennedy Brooks today. I love his running style and he can pile on yards in a hurry.

On another note, I was checking the box score from last week and was surprised to see only five players caught balls for the Sooners. I bet that's the fewest this century but I'm way too lazy to check.

DEFENSE

The kudos, first trickling and now flooding in, are much deserved. This defense can win games and that is so massive and refreshing. Alex Grinch would very much like to create more turnovers but, **flicks on crimson colored glasses CSI Miami style**, that's what punts are.

However, if turnovers are the next evolution towards true saltiness then today presents an opportunity. Former Sooner QB Austin Kendall leads the Mountaineers and he's thrown seven INT's in five games and is sporting an abysmal 45.7 QBR (Jalen Hurts 95).

I think Alex Grinch keeps this group engaged today by keeping the aggressive play calling ratcheted up in an effort to start getting some of those turnovers.

Speaking of refreshing, how about being able to reliably pick a DPOG for the first time in years? Kenneth (dare I saw MF?) Murray is in full on beast mode. So, I've got to stretch the brain cells a smidge (not easy) and ID someone besides him.

I'll go Parnell Motley today in an effort to try to show some faith and support in homepiece. He's close to playing at a high level again. He could make a big step today.

THE SCORE

This one should be over by half time. I'm most interested in seeing what the attitude is like following a huge win and now being in the driver's seat. It's all out there in front of them. This is the time to shore everything up so that control is never taken away.

The Sooners win this one big, 56-14

Boomer to the motherfuckin Sooner

West Virginia

What a game down in Dallas last week. The Sooners took care of business against a texas squad giving all they had. Some mistakes in the redzone by the Sooners masked what was, generally, a dominant performance. The defense, though they gave up some points and quick drives, mostly played well. They'll need to shore up some of the pass defense on the back end, and eliminate poor redone decision from Hurts to continue to improve and TCB again vs West Virginia.

In past years, this week's game would have made me pretty nervous. Coming off of a huge rivalry win with national title implications, I would have pegged the Sooners for a let down. While I still think this is likely, WVU is not nearly as good as they've been in recent season and it would take an utter meltdown for OU to lose this game. That said, the Mountaineers do have talent and I read today that Austin Kendall will be starting for them. After being, more or less, jerked around for a few seasons at OU, he finally ran out of patience when Hurts transferred in. He's a talented player and certainly wants to prove that not keeping him as the starter at OU was a mistake by Lincoln Riley. I expect a career performance from him.

Offense

CeeDee Lamb finally announced his presence on a national stage last week. And true to form, the first week I gave in and went with Hurts was arguably the first week he didn't run away with OPG. Lamb was a force, and even with texas' terrible tackling, he still ripped off some runs after catch that were very impressive. I expect WVU to spend a lot of time trying to take him away (best of luck). While I think Hurts will put up stupid numbers again, the ground game has never really gotten rolling from the RB position. OU has crazy run game numbers, but they are definitely amplified by Hurts ripping off huge gains with regularity. I think that changes this week, I like Kennedy Brooks to have a huge game and to break off at least one home run play for a TD.

Defense

At this point I think I'm ready to admit that the defense has certainly improved. By no means are they elite but, as I mentioned last week, they don't have to be. With simply an average to slightly above average defense, the Sooners should be all set with point they put up. I have to do a little back pat for last week, Mitch and I nailed the Kenneth Michael Murray pick, he was everywhere against UT. Another guy who was everywhere is my pick this week, I like a little slice of Canadian Bacon, Neville Gallimore to wreak havoc all Saturday long.

Score

Can the OU defense step up against a hungry team with nothing to lose? Can the offense eliminate redzone mistakes and pick up 7 down there? This week starts the conference games that require the most mental toughness; no big rivalries to get hyped for, no highly ranked opponents, just week after week of everyone's best shot. This is the first step in continuing the Sooner chase for another playoff, Sooners win (but don't cover...33.5!), 48-24.

Boomer to the Motherfuckin' Sooner

texas

The Sooners travel south for the annual rivalry tilt with texas today. Insert interesting: driving distance from each campus, split stadium fanbases, and corndog/fried item story here. Now, let’s get down to football.  Last year, texas won this matchup by playing stout defense and ball control offense, i.e. the perfect game plan. And with the rusty screen door defense OU had, the latter was fairly simple. This season, OU has seemingly improved its defense and texas is missing some key parts of its secondary. This appears to bode well for the Sooners but as we all know, this game is fairly unpredictable. 

What worries me most is the inexperience on the Sooner Offensive Line. It’s been easy to hide against lesser opponents that have athletically inferior defensive fronts. Texas is not that front. They’ll bring speed, size, power and athleticism and they’ll be creative in doing it. If the younger guys get crossed up it could be trouble. Nothing hides a weak secondary better than a pass rush. 

Offense

This is clearly the toughest test for the offense up to now. In fact, it is likely the toughest they’ll face all season. I expect OU will put up points, but I also expect they’ll be stopped far more than they have so far. But, with Hurts ability to run, throw, and improvise I think OU will still score quite a bit. That’s why I’m not trying to get cute this week and overthink it. I like hurts today to extend plays, make some big throws and carry the offense. 

Defense

We finally get to see what the defense is made of. The numbers look much better this year but against pretty weak competition. That said, in past years they couldn’t even limit weak competition, so there  is reason for optimism.  I like big Kenneth Murray in this one today. I think he gets after ehlinger on the blitz and limits him when ehlinger tries to scramble. These games are made for a big player stepping up right in the middle of things and it’s Kenneth Murray’s time. 

Score

After splitting last year, with OU losing on this stage, both teams have “something to prove”. Texas is eager to get back atop the big 12 and to their national contender status. OU is looking to step on their biggest rival and conference challenger and maintain their place in the national title conversation. I’m nervous, this is going to be a tough one. The spread is 10.5 favoring OU, I’d take texas on that wager, but I think OU takes the game. Sooners play enough defense and get out of Dallas with an unblemished record, 37-34. 

Boomer to the Motherfuckin Sooner

Oklahoma Sooners versus Texas Longhorns

Good morning Sooner fans and welcome to the biggest day, so far, of the college football season. It's the Red River Rivalry and, thankfully, there is a lot on the line in this one. Let's dive right in.

The Sooners can remain undefeated this far into the season for the first time since 2011 and are looking to prove that the defense is worthy of some ballyhoo. A win places the Sooners firmly in the drivers seat.

This is must-win for the Longhorns. A loss might not cost them a shot at the Big 12 title but it eliminates them from any CFP consideration. A win and they are very much in the hunt and the national media will be more than happy to push that narrative. The prospect is nauseating.

OFFENSE

The Sooners have to negate the physicality of the Longhorn defense and take advantage of the apparent injuries in their secondary. I would normally think time would be well spent pounding the ball on the ground to negate blitzes and keep defenders honest. More likely the Sooners stick with what's been working and utilize some play action (RPO in the parlance of our times). If the secondary is the weakness and you have the likes of CeeDee Lamb and Charlston Rambo then, by all means, drop bombs early often.

In any case it depends on the offensive line. They are penalty prone, particularly Eric Swenson. This unit has to step up today. Play time is over. There are some dirty players on that Texas D and they cannot be allowed to push people around. The line has to set the tone and be able to match that physicality.

I believe in Jalen Hurts and he'll be cool as ice but he can't do it alone today. It will be interesting to see what his running game looks like today. I think it will be fairly limited. For my OPOG I'm going Rhamondre Stevenson even though I just talked about passing. He fits the mold of a "didn't see that coming" breakout which happens a lot in this game and he's a big play threat any time he touches the ball.

DEFENSE

Alex Grinch and his defense have to be licking their chops. Here they are, showing steady improvement this season, and now with an opportunity to make a legit statement. The Longhorns are more offensive than offensive juggernaut but Sam Ehlinger is a googly eyed media darling and the Sooners have been letting mediocre teams look good for years. The narrative can change today.

I anticipate an uptick in pre-snap movement from the D. I don't think Ehlinger can adapt and make quality reads. I also don't think he'll be able to get away from outside blitzes when they come. The key for the Sooners, surprise surprise, will be the front four. Texas will try to pound the ball and play keep away. This is the exact area that the Sooners have shown the most improvement this year. Texas would be dumb not to test it but even dumber not to have a Plan B.

You know I'd love to go with Neville Gallimore for my DPOG but I shall not. Instead, I'll go with Kenneth Michael Murray. As I sit here typing I am envisioning Alex Grinch finding new ways to use him. He can be a lethal X Factor if an offense doesn't know where he's going to be from play to play. Nobody besides Bookie Radley Hiles in this defense is able to do this like KMM and I'd rather see KMM do it than Bookie.

THE SCORE

I am very concerned about the Sooners offensive line and the physicality of the Longhorn D. The Sooner D has proven thus far that they can force some punts and get the offense back on the field. I like the Sooners getting out to an early lead. The key will be keeping the hammer down because Texas will not quit.

In the end I like the Sooners going away (can you believe it?) and sending a big statement to talking heads. OU has an opportunity, as mentioned, to be undefeated deeper into the season than they have been since 2011. I like the odds of a Heisman front-runner against a depleted defense and revamped Sooner D with everything to prove.

Sooners 34, Longhorns 17

Boomer to the Motherfuckin Sooner!

Kansas

Fresh off of a country ass-beat of Texas Tech, the Sooners travel to Lawrence today for a tilt with the lowly Jayhawks. Les Miles has been brought in to right a Kansas ship that apart from a couple of seasons roughly a decade ago, has never been right. So far, the results have not been terribly encouraging. Granted, this was a monumental task from the beginning, but Calzone-Kid Mangino did it, so it is possible.

At one point, Miles was the hottest coach in the land. Taking a previously bad OSU team in to national relevance and beating the Sooners a couple of times when they had no business doing so. But his star has fallen as LSU fell out of love with his 3 yards and a cloud of dust brand of offense that just never got it done down in Baton Rouge. The Sooners roll in today hoping to stomp KU in a tune-up for their biggest game of the regular season next Saturday. Lets hope they aren't looking ahead as much as I am.

Offense

I keep trying to be smart and pick someone other than Jalen Hurts, but lets be honest, he's basically an automatic each week. CeeDee Lamb would've been a good choice last saturday as he blew up as well. I keep trying to pick a running back, and maybe it's not a good sign that so far they've made me a liar. But Hurts generally leads in rushing as well. In short, he's a beast. But, where is the fun in picking the obvious? And moreover, when has getting it wrong ever stopped me? I am going to go with Charleston Rambo today. The young buck has really been a nice complement to Lamb on the WR side of things, and is starting to really break out. I like him today for 2 scores and at least one really completion.

Defense

I cast some doubt, or at least had a measured amount of skepticism regarding the defense last week. And while they didn't pitch a shutout, they actually played well against a Tech team that historically has their way with us offensively. I don't think these guys will ever strike fear in the hearts of a halfway decent offense, but just getting several three and outs a game is huge and, frankly, enough. The Sooners will need to stop the KU run attack. Last season in Norman (cursory research alert!), Pooka Williams rushed for 252 yards on 15 carries. That is fucking atrocious. OU will have to get that "cleaned up" lest one of my eyes be half full of blood for the next month. I think Neville Gallimore is the man to get it done today. I think he clogs the middle and sets the tone for a solid day defensively for OU.

Score

This could be a bit of a trap game. I don't think KU has enough to pull of the upset, but I do think the Sooners might be peeking just a bit toward next weekend and the score will reflect that. KU hangs around a little bit early before OU pulls away. Sooners win it in Lawrence, 49-17.

Boomer to the Motherfuckin Sooner

Oklahoma vs. Kansas

Sorry for the stinkfest 3000 last weekend, fans and loyal readers. In all the hundreds of posts here I've never lost my work until last week. Trust me, I nailed it. My best work and all for naught. I now try to make it up to you.

The Sooners (4-0, 1-0) head to Lawrence to take on the (checks notes) hapless Kansas Jayhawks. Les Miles is back and I'm glad for him and his inability to correctly size a hat.

OFFENSE

Here's something I came up with last week but it got lost in the ether. How lethal would it be if the Sooners ran some old school triple option with Jalen Hurts, Trey Sermon, Kennedy Brooks and even some Jeremiah Hall mixed in? Deadly. You won't see it this week for sure, and possible not at all, but the idea of unleashing it against Texas has me giddy.

First things first and this week it's more of same because Kansas is a turd. I'm picking Jalen because he's playing out of his gourd. Any one is poised for a breakout in a given week and you could throw darts (in a great way) with picking an OPOG but it starts with him.

On that note, this feels like a Trey Sermon bust out. So mark that down.

DEFENSE

We've found Gasrag McGee and his name is Patrick Fields. Alex Grinch said in the preseason that there was a lack of competition at Safety and that Fields and Delarrin Turner-Yell had locked down the spots. In a crimson colored universe this was taken by me to mean they were so clearly ahead that the position was in good hands. Fast forward and Grinch has recruited 5 star wide receiver Trejan Bridges to move over to safety to try and shore up what is proving to be the weak link on D.

Fields sticks out on tape like a sore thumb in this revamped defense. Every time look up he's somewhere trailing the play and taking a bad angle. The good news is that he's the only one who I notice consistently.

Please don't confuse this rant with displeasure for the defense overall. It is night and day so far from the previous three plus years.

Today depends on stopping the run game. Last year the Pookah Williams ran for 250 yards. It's stops today with my DPOG Neville Gallimore wreaking havoc up front. Gallimore has been awesome so far this season.

THE SCORE

This one lacks a lot of intrigue. I'm not buying the Les Miles knows how to shock the Sooners narrative. The spread is 32 and that seems low.

Sooners 63 Jayhawks 14

Boomer to the motherfuckin Sooner