Maine vs. Oklahoma Sooners

 Happy Saturday Sooner fans. We're at the point of the season and the Brent Venables era where what should be a bye week, essentially, for the Sooners is a possibly anxiety inducing game. Last week, the Sooners looked competent in the first half. They ran the ball well and had a great two minute drill. The offensive line couldn't compete in the second half and winning chances slipped away.

The Sooners, losers of 4 out of their last 5, need something cathartic to happen in this game. They are a 34 point favorite and find themselves in the odd position of feeling uncertain they can put up that many points total.

It's bad you guys.

OFFENSE

The Sooners looked better in the first half. They used motion, freed up Jackson Arnold to use his legs and complete some easy passes. They ran the ball really well. It was a damning indictment of Seth Littrell that Joe Jon Finley could make that much improvement in a week. 

Today the Sooners have to take another massive step forward to get their confidence up enough to compete with Missouri next week.

Javontae Barnes and Taylor Tatum have been a nice 1-2 punch. I see them getting into the action in a lot of ways. However, Jackson Arnold really needs to be the guy. Yes it's Maine. If he can have a field day, though, and build some confidence, maybe, just maybe there's something positive somewhere down the line.

Jackson Arnold is my OPOG

DEFENSE

The only way the Sooners beat the spread is if this unit score 2 touchdowns themselves, hold Maine to 0, and the offense "breaks" out. 

It could happen and should. 

I'll go Danny Stutsman in this one.

THE SCORE

Yeah I'm writing it in. The best case scenario for the Sooners is the offense looks crisp and strong. They execute and punish in the running game. They play 60 minutes and pour it on if they are actually able to.

The worst case is a crappy offense is still crappy no matter who they play. If they punt more than three times, the boo birds will be out.

I stupidly hold hope the offense looks the best they have since the middle of last season and they can have some confidence against Mizzou, which, really, should be a winnable game.

They don't call them crimson colored glasses for nothing..

Sooners 49, Maine 0

Boomer to the motherfuckin Sooner.

Ole Miss

 Wow, this Sooners team is not good. One week after getting destroyed by texas, the boys were lambasted by a SC team that is, um, above average. Michael Hawkins jr is not the answer. And in a desperate move, presumably to save his own job, Venables burned the redshirt on Jackson Arnold who wasn't much better. I frankly don't see a scenario where he keeps his job past this season. It would probably take winning out, and there is essentially a zero percent chance that happens. It's ugly. SEC play has not been kind to OU. Those close games that we eked out over the last few seasons just aren't close to happening against consistently better play. 

The Sooners travel to Oxford this fine Saturday to play an Ole Miss team that is ranked 18th. At the beginning of the season this looked like a winnable road game to me, but as it stands I think we get worked. Ole miss is -19 going in today and I would take that money. They score well and we do not. The OU defense is improved but not nearly to the level it would take to hang around in this one.

Offense

I truthfully like no one here. Not one player has stood out this season. Injuries have been a factor at WR, no question. But the OL is just dreadful and regardless of who is playing QB they are getting pasted. I will go with Taylor Tatum for no good reason today.

Defense

Gotta go Stutsman again. I have to think he's really regretting not going to the draft last year instead of hanging around for one more year with this shitheap of a team.

Score

Man, I really have zero confidence in OU. But I have to really hit rock bottom to pick them to lose. I think they find some motivation after getting throttled two straight weeks. OU finds a way 35-28. 

Boomer to the Motherfuckin Sooner 

Oklahoma Sooners vs Mississippi

Happy Saturday, Sooner fans. Is it still football season? Seth Littrel is out. It had to happen. Joe Jon Finley is in. If you think that's going to turn this ship around then, well.. I'm as optimistic as it gets but this is a train wreck.

Brent Venables is in real trouble, but OU may be in a worse spot. I think BV has a 40 million golden parachute if the they try to get rid of him. I think he gets 1 more season because of this. He shouldn't. This teams issues are so fundamental that the shit can only have run downhill. He's never been good at game management. You work your way back from there and you get an offensive coordinator and game plans that have no semblance of logic. Sooner football is an unmitigated disaster the like of which hasn't been on display since John Blake. It's impossible to overstate how damning that is.

OU is a 20 point underdog on the road this week at Ole Miss and Lane Kiffin is an asshole which means if he has a chance to score 110 points today he will. 

OFFENSE

I will consider it progress if the offense attempts to slow the game down and play keep away from the Ole Miss offense. A 3 and out should take two minutes off the clock, for instance. There should be zero hurry up, unless we can take advantage of 12 men on the field or something. That would require employing strategy which is not a forte. Sadly, I fear we are who we think we are.

I would also consider it a step forward if we commit to the run game as part of this slow the game strategy. We do it halfway decent the five times we try it. The Sooners, to have any chance to look competitive, have to commit to the run. They have to attack the Ole Miss defense and they have to take time off the clock keeping it running with simple throws inbounds.

My OPOG is Javontae Barnes.

DEFENSE

These poor guys. I'll go Gracen Halton today for shits and grins. Hopefully they are given a chance to win this game or keep it close. 

SCORE

Ole Miss might win this game 49-3. If Joe Jon does bring someting resembling competence to the table, maybe the Sooners could get 24? It's unbelievable how bad they are and to expect a huge turnaround is a fools errand.

I'm calling Sooners 10, Ole Miss 42

Boomer to the motherfuckin Sooner

South Carolina

 Good morning Sooners fan(s). Did you hear that sound? It was the click of the burner being turned on under Brent Venables coaching seat. OU fans do not have a lot of tolerance for losing. But getting your ass absolutely handed to you by your nemesis/rival on the biggest of stages is mortal lock for getting you fired. To his credit Venables has improved the defense in his time as head coach. But at the same, the defense was absolutely terrible when he took over so improvement is not such an amazing compliment. What Venables has also done is turn our offense into a complete shit show. For the first time since John Blake walked the sideline (almost 30 years ago!) we cannot move the ball or score. Nothing about the offense says "we're close". Consequently, OU are home dogs against an unranked South Carolina team that I fully expect to beat us. They've played much better teams than us very closely and, hate to break it to you Sooners, our home field advantage simply isn't that great. My personal opinion is that Venables gets fired after the season. Admittedly there is a long way to go, so there is some time to get back on the right track. But, this far into the season I see no signs of improvement and thus I see it as a matter of time. Optimism!

Offense

This is such a joke. Hawkins has been 10% "I see potential" and 90% this guy sucks. Which says a ton about Jackson "I'm entering the portal as soon as this season ends" Arnold. Yes, the offensive line is wet crepe paper, but even still there is zero individual playmaking exhibited under center. I'll just go with Taylor Tatum for no good reason.

Defense

While I let the moment get the best of me last week, I'm back to all Stutsman all the time today. 

Score

Truthfully, I don't really see OU winning this game. But I am not yet at the level of disgust where I will pick them to lose (though I'm pretty close). OU manages to play enough defense to win today, Sooners 20-17. 

Boomer to the Motherfuckin' Sooner

South Carolina Gamecocks vs. Oklahoma Sooners

 Happy Saturday, Sooner fans. How we feeling this week? I'm non-plussed at best. Last week, we got torched on national tv by the Longhorns. We demonstrated we have zero offensive skills. Seth Littrel almost certainly is the problem, but everything is still so bad it's hard to tell.

Onwards and upwards, though, as a a game South Carolina comes to town. The Cocks gave Alabama all they wanted last week and they boast a terrific defensive line. This might not go well.

OFFENSE

I know adjusting is hard, and I never played a lick of football, but I would love to see this offense just build from the ground up. It starts with the running game. Get Michael Hawkins or whoever under center, put two running backs in the backfield and run some play action or misdirection of that. Go straight at the defense and learn to pound the ball. If you can't do that moderately well, you don't deserve to win anyway.

If you can figure that out, it opens up the passing. I have little faith it happens today. I'll Javontae Barnes for my OPOG.

DEFENSE

I just hope these guys don't give up and keep playing at a high level. It's a shame this defense is getting wasted by this offense. 

Today I'll go Danny Stutsman. The heart and soul needs to bounce back and show out.

THE SCORE

Apologies that my effort matches last weeks offense. Early starts and adulthood are a bear.

Sooner 24, Gamecocks 21 if we're very fortunate.

Boomer to the motherfuckin Sooner

The 120th Red River Rivalry

Happy college football Saturday, Sooner fans. It's a big one today, you guys, as our beloved Oklahoma Sooners take on the deservedly reviled texas longhorns in the 120th edition of the Red River Rivalry at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. It marks the first time meeting as SEC foes, and it's already one of the top games in a conference where, "It just means more". Hopefully, it lives up to the hype.

The Sooners are 4-1 and happy to be there after an amazing come from behind win at Auburn two weeks ago. It was Michael Hawkins Jr's first start and it was memorable. MHJ was 10-15 for 161 with a dazzling two point conversion to cap the comeback after a Kip Lewis interception return for a touchdown.

Today, the longhorns come in ranked number one, a two touchdown favorite, with an 85% chance to win according to ESPN's matchup predictor. This one is going to be tough. 

OFFENSE

Michael Hawkins is the guy. The line play has been better since he took over, probably because he can read a defense and communicate what he sees. For the Sooners to win today, MHJ will need to take another big leap, so to speak, and sustain some drives. We know he can do it with his legs, and against Auburn he threw some dimes when he had to. I think to win, he's really going to have to demonstrate he can throw the ball to different levels of the defense and move it around so the Sooners can have some semblance of a running game. They have to be able to sustain drives, win the time of possession and essentially play keep away.

Also, to have any chance, it would be nice if the Sooners could get some or all of their banged up receivers and running backs. Some combination of Nic Anderson, Deion Burks and Taylor Tatum would be huge.

I'm going MHJ for my OPOG today. He's the first true freshman quarterback to start this game for OU in the entire history of this rivalry. Can he meet the moment?

DEFENSE

These boys are elite and they'll need to be today. Quin Ewers is back in the saddle for the longhorns and he obviously is the reason the horns are such prohibitive favorites. I like the Sooners chances of getting to him. Steve Sarkisian is a bit of a mastermind, I have to admit, so this one could be an epic chess match.

For my DPOG, I'll go with R Mason Thomas. This guy has that dawg in him when it's on the line. Today, it's on the line.

SCORE

Quite literally, everything has to go right for the Sooners to have a chance today. MHJ has to take another step forward. The Sooners need some key personnel on offense to be available and effective and the defense has to be their best version of who we now know they are. The Sooners need to win time of possession, keep Ewers off the field and get at least two turnovers.

Put it all together in a rivalry game and you can chuck that line out the window. If the Sooners win, it'll be a score of about 27-21

Boomer to the motherfuckin Sooner

If it all works out, the Sooners can win 

texas

 After a week off to enjoy the Auburn win, it's back to business in the biggest of ways. The Red River Rivalry is once again renewed as the Sooners make the drive down to Dallas to meet texas once again. While I am a fan of tradition and historical matchups between teams, when OU left for the SEC I wasn't particularly heartbroken that we won't play KState every year. That game was just another team on the schedule. Even OSU, though I really hate Mike Gundy for innumerable reasons and loved beating him, doesn't really matter to me that much. But texas? That's a big one. John Blake survived two full seasons on the back of beating texas his first year in one of the rivalries bigger upsets. So all the to say, I'm thankful that the rivalry is continued even with the conference shift. 

Now, while I'm glad to be playing texas, I'm not terribly optimistic about this year's matchup. texas comes in as the #1 team in the country. I read that this is the 10th such meeting in the historic rivalry where one of the two teams is #1. Of those, the top team has prevailed 7 times, and one tie. The most recent upset of said #1 was our Sooners losing (what a shock) in 2008, 45-35. Now would be a wonderful time to update that most recent #1 loss. It will be an enormous test. I'm hopeful our Defense (who would've thought??) will be able to keep us in it. Quinn Ewers is back and texas can score with the best of them. While they don't run the ball extremely well, their passing game is borderline unstoppable. Our offense is banged up, and the offensive line is just, well, shitty. Points will be hard to come by. But, we've had two weeks to get ready, hopefully heal up a little and put together a gameplan to slow them down and hopefully score some points ourselves. 

Offense

Michael Hawkins has been solid. He mostly takes care of the ball which is huge. He does however struggle to move the chains. Auburn ate him up but he still managed to put enough together late to salvage a win. But, I think that game was a good one to get under his belt in terms of playing a big game on the road against a tough crowd. But, I think if OU is to hang around today, ball control will be essential and as such I think the offense will attempt to lean on the run game. I'm going with Gavin Sawchuck today. He's not been great so far, I think he breaks out today and has a James Allen-esque (I'm old) performance on the biggest rivalry stage.

Defense

I'm a staunch Danny Stutsman believer. Dude is great, and when our defense was struggling I refused to move away from him. I don't think I've picked a different defender in the past two seasons. But I finally see other guys stepping up. And in the interest of shaking up the mojo today I'm going with R Mason Thomas. He's been a wrecking ball and we will need him to plant Ewers, Manning or whomever is back there and force some turnovers with pressure and sacks. 

Score

texas is favored by 14.5 or 15 depending on your timing. Either way, more than two touchdowns. That's the vegas oddsmakers laughing at OU's prospects. A rivalry game of this nature with that large of spread should be lighting a fire under our guys. texas has all of the pressure, we have nothing to lose and the "nobody-is-giving-us-a-chance" gris-gris (look it up) on our side. OU stuns texas in one of the rivalries biggest upsets, 31-30.

Boomer to the Motherfuckin' Sooner