Nebraska

This week our beloved Sooners travel to Lincoln to rekindle what was once one of the great rivalries in all of college football. Conference realignment and the ever-changing college football landscape ended that era and as it stands, it's doubtful that anyone playing in today's game has any first-hand memory of that time. Nevertheless, the fans certainly do and it will be a raucous atmosphere today in Huskerland. No doubt you have seen that Scott Frost, one-time wunderkind QB of the very same Huskers, was fired after successfully driving his alma mater program firmly into the ground. Nebraska has probably never been worse in my lifetime as they are right now. Where have you gone Frank Solich? That said, I have some trepidation regarding today's game. First, OU did not look particularly good offensively last week against Kent State. They narrowly held a halftime lead after not being able to score during the first half until the final minutes. They erupted in a dominant third quarter, and then went back to napping to close out the game. I'm confident that it will take more than one quarter of scoring to beat an energized Nebraska program on the road, which brings me to my second fear. 

Nothing ignites a team like a coaching change; particularly a team that has talented players and has been underachieving. In essence, they are now playing with nothing to lose. They have a new, interim coach, they'll get the rah rah "show them what you're capable of" type speech, the fans will be amped to have regained something akin to hope, and as it stands their season is already in the toilet so what's the worst that can happen? In short, it's going to be a tough place to win today. There are reasons for optimism however. Unlike the last few seasons, the OU defense appears to be capable of making a stop or two on occasion this season. It's way too early to say they are an asset. But, who else thinks that the Kent State game, if played last year, would've been close in the first half, and then traded TDs the rest of the way to win on a failed onside kick attempt with 50 seconds left? There are reasons for optimism on both sides of the ball, today is almost an ideal next step to getting ready for conference play. Let's hope they can seize the opportunity and put together four quarters of good football on both sides of the ball.

Offense

I rarely get anything remotely right with these half-assed predictions. It's not uncommon that I pick a player who isn't even dressing. So when I say I got Marvin Mims right last week, I will likely sprain my elbow patting my own back. Let's see if I can make it two in a row. This week, I'm going to go with Braden Willis. I think the opener was a taste of what Lebby plans to do with his 27-year-old TE this year. That is to say, get him involved early and often and particularly in the red zone. I like Willis to catch 6-8 balls today and get at least one score. 

Defense

The defense, as I mentioned, seems to be improved. So much so, that there are actually a few options that could plausibly be considered for a defensive MVP of the game. But, unlike offense, I'm not going to go out on a limb here. I'm taking Danny Stutsman. This guy has been everywhere the first two games, and I only think this is going to continue as he gets more and more comfortable in the defense. Nevermind that he seems like he'd be the guy that eats the goldfish at Old Tex in Johnny B. Goode, "Texas sushi, Boy!" (serious deep cut there, if you have any idea what I'm talking about you should be equal parts proud and ashamed), if he makes plays, I'm in. 

Score 

OU is favored by 11 in this one. I think that is generous for the Sooners. As I mentioned, this will be a tough game on the road against a team with nothing to lose. Charles Thompson has faced the Sooners before so he knows what to expect. I think this game is won or lost in the fourth quarter and is tight the whole way. I think the Sooners TCB however, and this game is a 24-20 dogfight. Sooners win.

Boomer to the Motherfuckin' Sooner