OU vs. Johnny Football dba Texas A&M

Even though the Sooners were hosed by the BCS, the AT&T Cotton Bowl does present a more attractive matchup than all the other BCS games save the Championship. Our beloved Sooners take on Heisman Trophy™ winner  Johnny "Football" Manziel and the Aggies  down at Jerry World where, according to sources, people are paying $200 for standing room only seats. These folks, with something between "Too Much" and "Not Enough" discretionary income, are eager to see if the Sooners can avoid going 0-3 against Heisman Trophy™ finalists this season.

Elsewhere, in storylines, you have former Sooner Co-Offensive Coordinator Kevin Sumlin going up against Josh Heupel (advantage Sumlin), Landry's last stand, and the Sooner Defense with one last chance to prove it can stop anything in the middle of the football field.

OFFENSE

The 2012 Sooner offense has never really looked like the juggernaut of years past that keeps defenses on their heels with a relentless attack. But it has been able to go toe-to-toe with some of the top offenses in the country. They've struggled against the best defenses but the Aggies are not elite. In fact, I think they're ripe for exploitation.

Of course it starts with Landry. Our relationship might be love-hate but it's never boring. I will toast his obligatory INT. I will seek pleasure in knowing there's three passing TD's following it, that this game means nothing and it's the last I'll ever see of him in a Sooners uniform.

He has everything he needs to go out on a high note. The rest of the offense is all systems go thanks to Jalen Saunders not getting left in Norman after getting busted with marijuana (a deadly gateway drug kids dabble in).

I think the offense will have a field day and I really hope Trey Millard gets a lot of chances. I like him for my Offensive POG. I would like nothing more than for him to show how badass he is to a national audience. As much as I would hate to see him leave, he should take NFL money.

One last note on Landry. I hope that in the NFL he gets to study under a Master thereby improving his chances of success. Say, somebody like the Denver Broncos. That would be an awesome fit. I'm certain Navin feels the same way.

DEFENSE

The last time the Sooner D took the field they looked like they had buttoned some things up. But, they weren't playing a dynamic QB or offense like they'll face Friday night. The Sooners have been abused for a lot of the season. Most of it is their own doing in the form of missed tackles and poor D-Line play more than being lost or out game planned. Can they get it straightened out against a truly top-flight offense?

Don't you think the Sooners have to have one person shadowing Johnny Manziel on every play? Who is that going to be? Not Tommy Wort. Could be Corey Nelson, Frank Shannon, Javon Harris, Gabe Lynn, Julian Wilson or Tony Motherfuckin Jefferson. Maybe they take turns. Hell, I don't know what the answer is here. But Johnny Football is the way, the truth and the light of this offense so the Sooners must break him (in Ivan Drago voice). It would stand to reason that the DPOG should come from this group. But, alas, no.

It seems like in bowl games the best player on defense that year is the defensive POG. This year it's hard to argue for a clear cut best player so I'll go with my favorite, Aaron Colvin. My runner-up choices (for DPOG, not player of the year) would be Javon Harris for the second straight game or Frank Shannon. Neither would surprise me with a good game, particularly Shannon. But Colvin is the choice here.

SCORE

Obviously, this one has shootout written all over it. The advantage for the Sooners is that they call a matchup against this type of offense, "Next".  A&M hasn't faced a Sooner level offense outside of Lousiana Tech (whom they could not stop). I'm also not mentally prepared to put A&M into the elite class of the SEC. If they aren't elite then they're average, contrary to what any SEC fellating scribe  (read: all scribes) might like you to believe. The SEC is overrated this year. Book it.

I like the Sooners here 42-38.

Boomer to the Motherfuckin Sooner! Tip them PBR's and enjoy it.

OU vs. A&M

Last Saturday the Sooners, predictably and thankfully, took care of bidness. At home (as usual) Lonnie looked all-world and the defense looked like it ate babies for breakfast. Of course they did. It was a home game.

Well today the big question is, "Can the Sooners put together a complete game on the road or will they look like assholes again?" On paper, this one presents a tremendous opportunity to do the former. A&M sucks but they are a more notable name than, say, Texas Tech, Baylor, K-State et al. A&M of course is the home of the 12th man even though that means less than ever. So, while A&M sucks, their cache' would make a victory look bigger than it is.

The worry is that A&M put in some guy named Tannehill last week, replacing the worst QB in the Big 12, Jerrod Johnson, and the Aggie offense showed signs of life. Of course the revived offense was playing a beleaguered Tech defense but still. Do they have newfound confidence? Will they play hard for Mike Sherman, the worst coaching hire in the last 5 years of the Big 12?

I'm scared shitless of early A&M offensive success combined with "Road Shaky" Lonnie. This is the worst case scenario. The best case scenario is seeing the Four-Headed Monster of DeMarco (now on a first name basis with Sooner Nation), Ryan Broyles, Kenny "Fuckin Shitbag" Stills and Roy Finch wreak havoc whilst the Sooner defense beats up on an unimaginative and stagnant Aggie offense.

I would love to favor the latter option and be able to say with no reservations that the Sooners will beat that ass today but I can't. The Sooners have shown that they are nothing less than shaky and completely untrustworthy away from Owen Field. So it goes.

On with the picks.

Offense
DeMarco is the leader of this team. He's the face of the franchise, the captain, Everybody's All American, etc. This Sooner team needs a statement win on the road, not for the national rankings so much as for their own psyche. DeMarco is the man who can put the team on his shoulders and deliver the goods. I can't even consider anyone else here.


Defense
Texas is the only game I've felt confident in my pick. Every other week it's like throwing darts. Navin nailed it last week when he said the Quinton M.F. Carter pick might be the worst of the M.F. era. But who should it have been? Nobody stands out on a weekly basis. We might need to come to grips with the fact that this Sooners defense could be the worst of the Bobby Stoops era. I need to go back and look to see when I predicted I would start calling for Brent Venables job. It happens every year about this time. Be on the lookout for inspired performances by the D from now through the Big 12 Championship. Then prepare yourself for the inevitable pant-shitting on national television that will define what ever bowl the Sooners land in. All that said I guess I'll pick Quinton M.F. Carter here. I mean, I haven't watched much tape of A&M but they seem to be more run-heavy than any other team in the conference. That means Q can help in the box and lay the lumber. Possibly. Hell I don't know. Quinton M.F. Carter is my defensive player of the game dammit.

The Score
I'm going to say the Sooners struggle to score points but they do halfway decent and A&M hits on some big plays early. I of course like the Sooners.

OU 28, A&M 14