The Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic - Oklahoma Sooners vs. Florida Gators

Goodyear Cotton Bowl? More like Badyear Coughing Bowl because of Covid, amirite? Enough jokes. We have a quality matchup of blueblood programs today in Dallas. The Sooners, as has become their stock in trade, have shrugged off inexplicable in-season losses and back doored their way into a New Years Day Six Bowl. The Gators are looking to re-establish their place amongst college football's elite. The Sooners can make a major statement with their defense, effectively putting the college football world on notice for next year. The Gators can make a statement by, well, beating the Sooners. Each team has much to prove. 

OFFENSE

I don't know shit about Florida football and I have zero interest in learning more than I have to. Here's what I do know. In general, the SEC takes pride in its big, fast, physical defenses. From what little I know of Dan Mullen, he seems to fit that mold. He kind of reminds me of Tom Herman for some reason. Anyway, I'm spinning this yarn to say I would think the Gators would like to bully and push around Spencer Rattler and his wide receivers. The Sooners offense, with the notable exception of Rhamondre Stevenson, seem to be finesse type players.

For instance, you won't see Rattler lowering his shoulder on his way out of bounds and then hopping up and woofing like Baker Damn Mayfield would. But I can damn sure see Florida woofing and trying to bully Rattler. They'd probably be happy with an early late hit on SR.

So can the Sooners take the punch, keep their poise and deliver some haymakers of their own? Yes of course through my crimson colored glasses I can see the way.  

Quick aside: Do we think Rhamondre was okay physically against Iowa State? I mean, some runs he seemed very slow in attacking the line. Was he trying to be Le'Veon Bell or was he unable to accelerate? it's important because he's key. He did have almost 100 yards and averaged 5.4 per so I'm inclined to think he's ok. 

Beyond, Rhamondre, it is crucial for the O-Line to have their best game of the year. If Spencer has time to throw it's game over. You know he can make All The Throws and if he meets with some early success it's swagger time. I'm taking SR for my OPOG. 

DEFENSE

It is reported that Florida is very heavily tilted towards the passing game. Well, whoopty friggin do is what any self-respecting defense in the Big 12 should say. But the Sooners are only becoming self respecting so they best not slip. 

I feel comfortable that they will have a good game plan. I see nothing that would indicate that they won't play hard. They are who they are at this point. 

Is Kyle Trask the best qb this defense will see all year? Is he better than Sam Ehlinger or Brock Purdy? The answer to both would seem to be yes. (Editors note: He's a Heisman finalist, stupid) That said, can the Sooners force him to make some mistakes and how will they do that without Trey Brown?

It is helpful that the Gators are without Trask's favorite receiver. That will somewhat offset the loss of Brown. The Sooners need to make Trask uncomfortable and hopefully he can't run. His career rushing average of .4 ypc would indicate he is not much of a dual threat. 

That seems like a big advantage. For my DPOG I'm going Perrion Winfrey. He's missed on a lot of backfield tackles lately but has been absolutely hounding QB's. I feel like he gets them today and generally makes life miserable for Trask.

THE SCORE

I think this will be another grinder. Good news is the Sooners are accustomed to it. I'm taking the Sooners here in their home away from home 35-28.

Boomer to the motherfuckin Sooner.  

Big 12 Championship

 Nothing like getting this up after kickoff. It will be appropriately short/bad as a result. 

Offense

Rhamondre Stevenson. He controls the ground game in full truck horn mode. 

Defense

Still not picking anyone here. 

Score

Sooners favored by 5.5, they win but don’t cover. Sooners take it 37-32. 

Boomer to the motherfuckin Sooner. 

Big 12 Championship - Iowa State

Welcome Sooner Nation. I'm feeling like we may be set up for one of the best games of the year. The Sooners are playing their best football at the right time. This is probably the biggest game in the history of Iowa State football, at least in my lifetime and we've got a revenge factor and trophies on the line at a neutral site. Let's do this. 

OFFENSE

Matt Campbell's defense is the only one that consistently gets under the skin of a Lincoln Riley offense. The Cyclones can frustrate and create scoring lulls. Spencer Rattler et al cannot get flustered. Rhamondre Stevenson can help with this. The boys up front need to establish dominance of the line of scrimmage early so Stevenson can be in Lincoln's back pocket any time he needs it. 

Meanwhile, if Austin Stogner returns all bets are off. The Sooners have established a lethal supporting cast around Rattler with Marvin Mims, Stogner, Mikey Henderson and Theo Wease. But if Stogner is available as a security blanket and Rhamondre can be consistent then Lincoln can be ultra-creative.

I imagine the Sooners will have some challenges and I wouldn't be surprised if Rattler throws a pick or possibly two. He could easily start pressing. Lincoln will try to get him in a rhythm so he doesn't have to put it all on his shoulders. What Rattler cannot do is take sacks. The Cyclones will be dialing up pressure more often than not so Rattler will have to make quick decisions.

I'm picking Rhamondre for my OPOG because he can match the toughness of the Cyclones and be the kind of guy who can impose his personality on his teammates. They'll need that toughness today.

DEFENSE

I imagine this group can't wait to get on the field for some revenge today. Three time tractor pull champion Ronnie Perkins wasn't available last time and needless to say the Cyclones didn't catch the Sooners at their best. Today they will. 

Like the Sooners offense, Iowa State will try to impose their will through the running game. Hot take alert: Breece Hall is one hell of a running back.  I imagine the Cyclones will try to use a lot of play action and misdirection to get the Sooners on their heels and/or overrunning plays to find space for Hall.

The Sooner D, for their part, just need to keep doing what they've done for the last month. Play fast and get after the quarterback. This unit is so much better than they were in the first matchup it may make the Cyclones head spin. Fingers crossed.

For my DPOG I'm picking Bookie. Naw, blood, I'm kidding. Fuck that guy. I'll take Isaiah Thomas. He's been set to beast mode all season. 

THE SCORE

This will be the game of the year in the Big 12. It's going to be hard fought and low scoring but lots of haymakers and back and forth. 

Of course I like the Sooners to win their 6th 'ship in a row but it'll be close. I like the Sooners 27, Cyclones 21

Boomer to the motherfuckin Sooner

Oklahoma Sooners versus Baylor Bears

 Welcome welcome Sooner fans. The Sooners presumably made the most of the 'Rona bye week and are poised to dismantle the hapless Baylor Bears in Norman this lovely Saturday night. Let's get right into it you guys.

OFFENSE

I'm all aboard the Rhamondre train and if he's playing (apparently an if on account of Covid-19) he's my OPOG. Baylor has no answer and he'll go for 150. 

If you are looking for a sleeper pick and, let's face it, who isn't, then keep an eye out for this Mikey Henderson fella. He's listed as an H-Back but looks like a WR/TE and can run or catch with speed to burn. He's a menace waiting to be unleashed.

DEFENSE

Uh oh someone found a defense. I will not pick a DPOG today. However, I want to see Bookie not act like a dumbfuck. That would be a major step forward. Dude brah single handedly ruined momentum against the Cowboys and gave the Pokes life they never deserved to live. 

THE SCORE

The folks at the Oklahoman seem to think this one will be close but I'm not buying. Sooners roll big time. 42-14. Boomer to the motherfuckin Sooner.

Baylor

 After a Covid related postponement, the Sooners will take on the Baylor Bears today at home. After having a very solid season last year under Matt Rhule, the Bears have taken a pretty big step back after his departure to the NFL. The Bears sit at just 2-5,  with OU getting an extra week of rest, things could shape up nicely for the Sooners this week. Coaches were evidently in short supply as Bob Stoops was back helping Riley in practice. There was even talk of him being on the sideline, but I think that has been nixed with enough coaches getting healthy/out of quarantine in time for the game. Let's hope Bob brings a little good gris-gris back to the Sooner sideline this week and the Sooners look strong. 

Offense

Since returning from his suspension, Rhamondre Stevenson has been an absolute beast. Picking up chunks on nearly every run and punishing defenders as well. He's definitely got the big rig truck horn on speed dial. So, picking him would be the smart play and will likely play out as a prudent choice, but I'm of course going to try and make a "savvy" (read: wildly inaccurate) pick. I'm going with the ever emerging Marvin Mims today. Now I can only assume he is out with Covid or for some other reason.

Defense

I'm not about to break precedent after the OSU game. Nobody gets the call here.

Score

Baylor's record is bad. OU has been slowly, but steadily improving since their abysmal start. The current spread is OU by 22. I, for no good reason, think Baylor is going to keep this a little closer than that. I like OU to win today 36-21. 

Boomer to the Motherfuckin Sooner

Bedlam

 Big game on the docket today in the form of the rivalry matchup known as Bedlam. OU takes on the Oklahoma State Cowboys in Norman today and it is a significant contest in the conference standings. Atypically, OU is looking up at OSU (18 and 14 respectively) and is the team looking for the upset. The Sooners have looked much better of late but this is easily their biggest test of the season.

Offense

Spencer Rattler got banged up a bit his last time out, but as far as I can tell he's a full go for this one. Which, most probably means he's out for the game. That's what I bring to the table. I think OU will once again needs its offense to be its best defense against an OSU team that I see little chance of stopping. With that in mind I'm doubling down on Rhamondre Stevenson in this one. The man has been a menace to opposing defenses since his return from his little wrist slap for crumblin' herb, so to speak. I think he beats up a solid OSU defense as the Sooners play a little ball control offense and keep their own worst enemy off of the field.

Defense

As you may have ascertained from OPG paragraph, I still don't have a ton of faith in this defense. I will admit they have looked improved the last couple of games. And, they've plenty of time to get ready for this one. That said, I'm not picking a DPG again this week. If they surprise me by looking competent tonight, we'll talk next week.

Score

In spite of the rankings, OU is giving 7 in this one (last I saw). I think it will be a tough game for sure and probably lower scoring than the experts think. I'm taking the under here and OU fails to cover in a  27-24 win. 

Boomer to the Motherfuckin' Sooner

Bedlam

2020 has decided to throw a bone to Sooner (and, begrudgingly, Cowboy) Nation with today's Bedlam matchup being meaningful, at night and on national television. Little Brother thinks this is their year so the prospect of the Sooners breaking their spirits while also getting back into Big 12 championship game contention is a cherry on the cake.

OFFENSE

The Cowboys believe they have a respectable defense for once and are eager put it on display. I do not wish them the best and am having difficulty imagining a scenario where they hold the Sooners under 35. The Sooners, and particularly Spencer Rattler, will need to make some poor decisions in the passing game to not make the magic number. 

Rattler's decision making continues to improve, however, and I think their plan today is to wear out the Cowboy defense with a bludgeoning mix of Rhamondre Stevenson and quick throws to the sidelines. It will pay off in the last 20 minutes with the Sooners going over the top and stocking the highlight reel. It's gonna be a party.

I'll go with Spencer today for my OPOG in what I can see being his best game as a Sooner. He's much more prepared for the spotlight here in late November than he was as the much ballyhooed wunderkind of early September.  

DEFENSE

There is no doubt the Sooner D is rounding into something resembling form but they need to be careful today. It's a knifes edge between playing fast and having that speed exploited and the Cowboys do have pieces around the field to turn strength to weakness. 

The key will be how Alex Grinch handles the second level. For instance, I would much rather see Brian Asamoah, DaShaun White, Nik Bonitto and David Ogwoegbu at the point of attack than having Bookie or, God forbid, Pat Fields trying to contain or shadow Spencer Sanders. 

You obviously have to stop Chuba Hubbard while also keeping Spencer Sanders from running the ball. Here is where the D-Line has to be aggressive like they've been all year without being too fast and running themselves upfield so quickly they get exploited. 

I may be prematurely prognosticating here but I'm going to pick a DPOG. Ronnie Perkins. He looks like a baby eater and will put on a show tonight.

THE SCORE

A lot of people think this will be low scoring by Sooner standards but I think the Sooners will get to that magic number of 35. The Cowboys will have to work hard for what they get and will get lucky a little too because it's Bedlam and shit gets wild. 

But I like the Sooners easy at home 35 Cowboys 20.

Boomer to the motherfuckin Sooner