OU - FSU Gameplan/Strategy/Hope/Prayer

You'd be hard pressed to find a 1-0 team whose stock dropped more precipitously than the Sooners did this past week. A poor showing at home to the inferior Aggies of Utard State (a clever name courtesy of the father-in-law) and a Florida State asswhoopin' of Samford will do that.

So it's Week 2 and already Sooner Nation finds itself at a fork in the road. The Sooners can live up to the anti-hype or take it as the proverbial "warning shot across the bow" and get their shit together. I've spent all week talking myself out of the former and into the latter. I've been successful. I'm now convinced that this narrow loss was the perfect splash in the face of cold water that this Sooner team needs heading into their biggest non-conference game of the season. I'm convinced the defensive miscues of last week are correctable as opposed to brain farts to be endured all season.

FSU is also at a crossroads. Are they as good as everyone currently fellating them says? Or are they poised now for some come-uppance because OU is no Samford?

I guess what I'm saying is I have questions and, come Saturday evening, there will be some answers.

This will be a hell of a game if OU comes out playing like their hair is on fire and FSU does the same due to the fact they inexplicably believe in themselves like no other time since 2001. There is much talk of superior athleticism on the FSU sidelines.

In addition, two Stoops brothers will be facing off for the first time. I can't imagine how badly these two would love to beat each other. I can imagine that both defensive units are aware of the situation and frothing at the mouth to win for their respective coach.

I'm expecting a close game with some special teams fireworks.

On Offense
At the risk of getting into a rut (by alternating all season between DeMarco and Ryan Broyles) I'm going to say DeMarco Murray. He's clearly the bell cow and he's going to be pivotal in keeping Lonnie from smearing his britches all day. He looked like an elite runner last week. He had the glide. I've got a real good feeling he's going to take a kickoff to the house.

Tangentially, if DeMarco is healthy all season, where does he rank in OU history? I have a feeling his legacy will be somewhat diminished because of how smoothly he runs. He's not a freight-train like AD. He doesn't have the novelty of size or the pinball action of Q Griffin. But he's better than pretty much everyone else in the Stoops era wouldn't you say?


On Defense
I like Tom Wort here. I have quickly become a believer. The guy was all over the place against Utah State and he just looks like a mean motherfucker. I am perfectly content with him manning the middle. 

My question is does he speak with a British accent? I didn't know he spent a good portion of his childhood in England as this article says. If so, that's badass.

The important question for the Sooner defense is can they get pressure on the QB? Last week Jeremy Beal set up a tent in the backfield but coralling the QB was difficult. In spite of that we got three INT's. Can OU force FSU into more turnovers than FSU can get from Lonnie?

The Verdict
I really think this is going to be an awesome game. FSU has a brilliant special teams player in Greg Reid. OU has brilliant return men in Broyles and Murray. I think this could be the key. Also, will Lonnie look like a true Freshman or like a guy who's started a dozen games at this level? Will the line give him some time just in case he wants to go through a progression?

I think so and the defense will be eager to put in the past last week's transgressions. Also, Sooner Nation is going to be ready to cheer long and loud. 

I of course like the Sooners.

OU 35, FSU 17

PS- Is it a good sign when, in Week 2, there's a poll in the paper asking if you'd rather have your starting QB or a guy who isn't even on campus? Note: Berry Tramel is a dick so leave it to him to start asking inane questions.

PPS- In this article on August 25th I wrote:

Will some Mouth-Breathing Knuckle-Dragging Clod on the O-Line Quit the Team Come September 2nd?

I don't know what it is about O-Linemen but it seems like a right of Autumn that one of these jackoffs has had enough of windsprints and Oklahoma Drills and quits the team. I'm always one who says if they're not tough enough to handle it we don't need them anyways. Which is true. But just this once can these jackholes keep it together long enough to develop some chemistry before Cincinnatti? Pretty please?

I'll be damned if Guard Tavaris Jeffries didn't go and get his self arrested. He's not on the two-deep but he's trying to screw things up.

My Photo Essay from Week 1

Or, the 3 pictures I took:

The scene at the tailgate:

My Mother-In-Law Preparing to Sneak Some Merlot into the Stadium via Her Sunglass Case:

The View from the Seats:

Well, We're 1-0

My pregame analysis pretty much took a giant shit on itself. Our players of the game were pretty spot-on though. This game was weird.

On one hand, there were some things that were very encouraging. On Offense, DeMarco and Broyles were workhorses. The WR's as a unit were pretty solid. There were not a lot of drops (none that I can recall). Cameron Kenney seems more comfortable and DeJuan Miller caught a couple of key passes. There were no fumbles.

Unfortunately for the Offense, Lonnie was inconsistent at best and showed little, if any, improvement that I could tell. He seemed to lock in on receivers (only 5 players caught balls), was eager to move out of the pocket (read: happy feet), threw some awful balls and generally seemed out of sorts a lot of the time. This was just one game, of course, but the notion that we may have seen Lonnie's career ceiling already is disheartening. It's hard for me to watch the O-Line in person and I don't know a lot about that unit anyways (as far as nuances of the position) but I'm going to presume they were average/below average given that Lonnie was sacked 3 times and threw the ball away more times than that. Whether that's on the Line or Lonnie or WR's I don't know.

On defense there were also some positives if you can believe it. Jeremy Beal looked very good and was spending a great deal of time in the backfield. The LB's looked good as well. Ronnell came in for 3-4 situations and Tom Wort was all over the place. What a great name for a LB by the way, Tom Wort. Travis Lewis had a predictably quiet steady game. In the secondary Tony Jefferson caught my eye and Quinton M.F. Carter looked like the leader he should be.

However, virtually everyone in the secondary staked their claim to be the next "Gasrag McCoy", even Quinton and DeMontre Hurst (who they almost never threw to). At some point, somebody made an egregious error in coverage that cost the Sooners. At this point I'd say Jamelle Fleming or Jonathan Nelson are the leaders in the clubhouse though. What was odd but mildly encouraging was that on some of these mistakes, the defender was in good position, he just didn't turn to find the ball. It wasn't always a completely blown coverage.

For every positive there was a negative. Utah State played well, no doubt, but there is no reason in the world that game should have been close. Hopefully this performance got the attention of the right people. Even as close as this game wound up being, I still think this team can be really good. The mistakes seem fixable.

At the end of the day we're 1-0 and still in control of our own destiny. And, unlike teams of the past, this one on this day made plays when they had to and persevered. Yes, I am trying to be as positive as possible because now next week looks very, very scary.

Other Notes

• I can believe that OU would try to charge people to listen to games on the Internet. Such is the state of big time sports. I cannot believe anyone would be willing to pay. That's a crock. The good news is I believe every other game will be televised.
• I cannot say enough about DeMarco. 35 carries is a ton. He hit holes hard, hung on to the ball, showed some patience and had that breakaway speed in the open field. Very, very encouraging. Kudos to you on the call.
• Shouldn't Jamarkus McFarland be called "Booger" from now on? Sure, it's technically taken but anytime you have the chance to call someone Booger I feel it's my obligation as an American to do so.
• You know how football is such a copycat sport (Wildcat). Well, at Coach Camp this offseason I guess the big new thing was to run traditional running formations out of the shotgun. For instance, DeMarco lined up a lot behind Lonnie in the Shotgun. Or, there would be an off-balance I-Formation behind Lonnie in Shotgun. Utah State was doing this also. I can't remember seeing it before.
• This game had a terrible vibe. The crowd was shit.

OU - Utah State THE BREAKDOWN

Here's the way it should go; The Sooners embark on a new voyage towards another national title. The sun is shining, the air is crisp, grill smoke is wafting through campus and a lame duck opening opponent takes the pistol-whipping they are paid to take. 90,000 spoiled fans see the bloodbath they crave. Everyone totters home drunk and happy.

It had damn well better go this way.

Navin has done a fine job identifying the "strengths" of this Utah State team. I'm too lazy to confirm his research by doing my own and thus am unable to refute or add to his assertions. Which is fine and dandy anyways because whilst Navin tends to be more pragmatic I, on the other hand, wear "Crimson Colored Glasses" and think every game should be won handily, PlayStation style, like the game was set on Beginner. I'm too old to change who I am.

So if, as Navin suggests, the Utah State attack is predicated on running the football, then they are fucked. The calling card of a Brent Venables defense is stopping the run. This makes me giddy because there is nothing I enjoy more than watching the Line Backers get a dozen tackles per man. It will also force Utah State into long third downs at which point I'll enjoy watching the Sooner D-Linemen pin their ears back, forcing the Utah State QB to both shit his pants and throw ill-conceived passes into tight coverage. Hopefully this means several turnovers, maybe even a defensive touchdown. See above the note on bloodbaths.

So here's who I like in this one on both sides of the ball:

On Offense

I'm really feeling Ryan Broyles here. He's getting a lot of love nationally. A lot of pub, if you will. In week 1 he exceeds the hype. The reason being that Offensive Coordinator Kevin Wilson loves to get his QB's settled down and into the game by calling easy little passes. Broyles is going to be Lonnie's security blanket in this game and probably all season. This means short throws to Broyles in the open field where Lonnie gets in a rhythm and Broyles does what he does best; Running like his hair is on fire.  I'm calling at least 150 yards and the Heisman Hype engine firing up on the first turn of the key.

On Defense


I've already mentioned how I envision the Linebacking corps amassing roughly 50 tackles as a unit. In spite of that, I cannot go with anyone other than Quinton M.F. Carter as my Defensive Player of the Game. We made a t-shirt for him for God's sake. I think an INT would be a bonus but I'm more excited to see some bone-crunching hits and maybe a sack or two from Quinton. Carter and Ronnell Lewis could be the biggest bonecrunching duo since Roy M.F. Williams and Brandon Everage. This is legitimately exciting.

The Score


This one isn't as close as the score would indicate.

OU 63, Utah State 6

It's Game Week

It's hard to believe that it's finally here. I spend from Mid-January on thinking about going to 6 games. Utah State gametime is set for 6:30. We'll probably head down about 2:00PM.

Our typical gameday looks like this. We'll park North of Campus Corner (Norman's bar scene situated North of the stadium). We'll walk through Campus Corner and have some beers, do some people watching, chat up friends and so forth. Then we'll head South and make our way to the East side of the stadium to meet up with my father-in-law and his tailgating buddies.

They go all out. Picnic tables, tablecloth, usually two grills, beer, liquor, wine, satellite TV to watch the day's action and plenty of people moving in and out. It's a great spot to hang out up to gametime and even better postgame. Once the traffic has dissipated we'll head back North, again through Campus Corner before heading home. It'll be a full day.

I'm going to snap some photos of the gameday scene. The pomp, the pageantry, the tailgating, the beer. I'll also show you the view from my Uecker Seats.

Check out Navin's recap below. I'll have mine up Thursday or Friday.

Questions on Offense

Now that my esteemed colleague Navin has so completely broken down the Sooner offense I'd like to ask and answer some offensive questions weighing heavily on my mind as we approach the 2010 campaign.

1A. Whither the Stache?
Indeed all of Sooner Nation waits with bated breath to see if Landry "Lonnie" Jones brings his perfectly groomed, Camaro-inspired flavor-savor to the huddle. He says he will but, according to this article, both his mother and girlfriend prefer him clean shaven. Uh Oh. In what may be the quote from fall camp, from Lonnie himself no less, "Sooner Nation needs the stache". Amen brother (In Sam Elliot voice).

1B. Stache Aside, What Can We Expect from Lonnie?
The biggest leap a player makes is from year one to year two. This is true in all sports. Now, given the fact that Lonnie got more than garbage-time reps, (he got a full season's worth of priceless meaningful game reps) he should be more improved than anyone on the team. Period. He entered the offseason as The Man and it has been his job to lose. And by lose I mean he would have had to fall out of a truck (twice), get caught stealing pot or get an illicit job at a car dealer. I expect him to be vastly improved.

So where does that put us? Would you be willing to say at least equal to Sam Bradford's first season (2007)? That would mean a nearly 70% completion percentage and a TD/INT ratio of 36 to 8. Gaudy numbers. Last year Lonnie went 58% with 26 TD's and 14 INT's. ~65% with 30+TD's and 8 INT's suddenly doesn't seem so far fetched and good things will happen with numbers like that.

2A. Will there be Some Semblance of Stability on the O-Line?
As Navin pointed out this unit is the biggest question mark on Offense. Last year these guys changed positions more than Sasha Gray in Face Invaders 4(Link Safe for work). Of course injury can be blamed for much of this. Hell, when a First Round Left Tackle is playing Center because of a lack of depth you have problems.

That said, I'm of the opinion that last years weakness is this year's strength. That's the beauty of college football. Because of injury and player movement, a lot of these guys got some meaningful reps across the line. This can only make this unit better, right? Can they stay healthy? Can they gel as a unit? I sure hope so because there are some fine players on this unit.

But it begs the question...

2B. Will some Mouth-Breathing Knuckle-Dragging Clod on the O-Line Quit the Team Come September 2nd?
I don't know what it is about O-Linemen but it seems like a right of Autumn that one of these jackoffs has had enough of windsprints and Oklahoma Drills and quits the team. I'm always one who says if they're not tough enough to handle it we don't need them anyways. Which is true. But just this once can these jackholes keep it together long enough to develop some chemistry before Cincinnatti? Pretty please?

3. What Body Part will Keep DeMarco Murray Off the Field at the Worst Possible Moment?
Frankly, we're running out of options here. The good news is he spent the offseason honing his MMA skills with 2010 M.F.er Quinton Carter. This bodes well. Also, this is the first offseason Murray has spent completely healthy. If you don't think I'm banging on wood right now like a hooker at a handjob contest you don't know me very well. We need this guy healthy. He changes absolutely everything we do. And whilst he's not the only home run threat the Sooners have on Offense he is still the most electrifying.

4. Uh, Does Anyone Want to Step Up at WR Besides Ryan Broyles?
As Navin said there is a Conglomerate of Mediocrity with Brandon Caleb, DeJuan Miller, Jaz Reynolds, Adron Tennel and Cameron Kenney. Each have had their opportunity and each has done some good, some bad with it. Evidently the smart money is on Freshman Kenny Stills. As Navin pointed out he's been penciled in as the starter since he arrived on campus. Personally, I try to avoid the recruiting hoopla and thus haven't paid much mind to this guy. But his high school numbers are ridiculous. Take it with a grain of salt of course but in three years the guy caught over 130 balls for 3000 yards for an average of 22 yards per catch. He could be the answer if he can simply complement Broyles and DeMarco and keep opposing defenses honest.

Great, now I feel like I just flushed a handful of Viagra with some Crown Royal. An improved Lonnie at QB with cohesion on the O-Line coupled with three home run hitters in DeMarco, Broyles and Kenny.

Your 2010 Sooner Football M.F.'er

Every year there's a player on the Sooner defense who is such a baby-eater that he must be addressed as (First Name) Motherfuckin' (Last Name). Identifying an M.F.'er has become tradition for Navin and I, a tradition which began with Roy Motherfuckin Williams and has included such luminaries as Tommie M.F. Harris and, most recently, Gerald M.F. McCoy. A tradition which now includes T-Shirts (Order yours here).

To be M.F.'er you must be well established in the Sooner program (No Freshmen). You must be ferocious. You must embody the spirit and tradition of Sooner Defense badassery. Your name cannot sound cheesedick with M.F. sandwiched betwixt your first and last name (See how Patrick M.F. O'Hara does not work?). Finally, being a "Can't miss" pro prospect is not required to earn the coveted title of M.F.'er though it makes the decision a little easier.

Based on this criteria there are only four candidates for the 2010 Sooner football season. Those candidates are Quinton Carter, Travis Lewis, Ronnell Lewis and Jeremy Beal. Let's look at them individually.

Jeremy Beal - He is well established and a beast at the DE spot. Opposing offenses will need to know where he is lined up on each play. However, he just isn't the kind of player I could discuss with Navin and have a conversation like this:

Me: Did you see Jeremy Beal out there today?
Navin: Oh goddamn! Jeremy Motherfuckin Beal!
Me and Navin, in unison and clanking beer steins: Jeremy Motherfuckin Beal!

Beal is a key to the defense but he's not the M.F.'er of this defense.

Ronnell Lewis - Ronnell Lewis will be an M.F.'er before his career is over. He is the next great Sooner Linebacker and he's cut from the same cloth as Torrance Marshall, Rocky Calmus and Curtis Lofton. Hell, he could be better than all of them.

But hype and promise are precisely why he can't be the 2010 M.F.'er. As Navin pointed out recently, you can't, "crown his ass" (invoking the voice of Dennis Green) when he's started one game in his career. This is a tough decision (and one that could be regretted) but Ronnell needs a season to marinate. This is my father-in-law's pick and if you took a poll of Sooner fans, he probably would be the leader in the clubhouse.

Travis Lewis - On paper he seems an obvious choice. He'll be a Captain. He's been in the system for a long time. He could lead the country in tackles. By all accounts he's a great teammate, human being and a sensitive lover.

But he's just not a sexy enough pick. He does everything well and none of it with flash. Perfect for any team but not M.F. material. You have to have swagger if we're going to make a T-Shirt with your name on it.

Quinton Carter - He is the headhunter of the 2010 Sooner Secondary. He's been in the system. He practices MMA in the offseason. Recently I had the opportunity to play golf with Sooner legend Joe Washington and I asked him who the badass of the Sooner D would be this year and he said Quinton Carter. Finally, Quinton Motherfuckin Carter sounds awesome. In short, the honor is his. The calling is great but the reward is T-Shirt immortality.

Enjoy these video's from M.F.'ers past:

Roy M.F. Williams


Tommie M.F. Harris


Gerald M.F. McCoy