West Virginia

This Sooners team is about as disheartening as a one-loss team can be at this stage of the season. They embarrassingly lived up to my prediction last week in giving up 40 points to a putrid Kansas team at home. I saw a stat this past week that they are the first team since the AP poll was started (some time in the 30s) to give up 40 points in 3 consecutive weeks and win all 3 games. To summarize, this is unsustainable. WVU scores in buckets vs anyone, let alone this crepe-paper panty-rag that OU calls a defense. Would anyone be surprised if this game is 64-63 at the end? The only question is, who wins?

OU miraculously still has everything in front of them, however they do need help. Alas it will all be moot if they shit the bed in Morgantown, which is so plausible that I'm almost glad I will be on a plane and missing it.

Offense

I tried to go "next level" last week with a Lee Morris pick. And while I think the running game will be paramount to the Sooners' success today, I still think the offense will put up huge numbers in the pass game. I hope that they play as close to a ball-control offense as they possibly can in this system, otherwise it just means more time for the defense to be embarrassed. But, with the now dearth of RB's, I think a lot of the running will fall on the shoulders of Kyler Murray. Couple that with the passing numbers, and I'm staying squarely inside the box this week and picking Murray for my OPG.

Defense

Our buddy and friend of the Steamroller, Travis Frye texted us last week and declared this the worst defense since we've been rooting for OU (read: damn near 20 years), and I really can't argue with him. I would say that statement is both accurate and nearly unbelievable given the number of shitty defenses over the years. I really don't have a good pick as their are none, but for the sake of doing it I'll say Amani Bedsore, err Bledsoe.

Score

I opened with a half joking 64-63 final, I'll reel that in slightly. Truthfully, I don't think OU will win this game. After last week's loss this will be, by a good measure, WVU's biggest game of the season, it's in their house and their biggest strength matches up with OU's biggest weakness. But, I will hop aboard the optimism train and pick OU today, 55-52.

Boomer to the Motherfuckin' Sooner

Texas Tech

Welcome back to another week of the Steamroller. The Sooners go down to Lubbock for a tilt with Kliff Kingsbury and the Red Raiders. The Sooners D looked halfway decent last week. I'm not sure if this due to the new system paying dividends or a really putrid K State offense, but I'm inclined (read: negatively conditioned) to think the latter. Regardless, it was nice to see the defense get stops and keep the OU offense on the field. Let's remember, with the OU offense, the '85 Bears aren't needed, just something other than paper cutouts of football men. 

This week will certainly provide a tougher test. I read an article on Thursday talking about the 2016 matchup. At the time I was incredibly irritated (hope you were sitting down) by the horrid defense, but it was pretty amazing to watch the offensive exhibition by both teams. I'm grossly paraphrasing but, the article quoted Bob Stoops as telling Riley to keep his foot on the gas because, essentially, he had zero faith that the defense could stop Tech. I think that says a lot about his faith in brother,Mikey's D.

The Tech offense is going to be tough. It's going to score fast against the D and it's going to score more than any Sooner fan would like. Fortunately, I believe the OU offense will score a good bit too. The atmosphere will be intense; Tech is solid and a Saturday night home tilt against a top 10 team will bring out the crowd. There are a slew of huge games this Saturday, OU can't get caught scoreboard watching (as I will be doing), just beat Tech and keep the train rolling.

Offense

Another week, another surprise at RB. After writing off Trey Sermon last week, he came out and put both of his cleats squarely up the collective Wildcat ass. Which is tough because kicking with both feet is physically impossible, but humor me. I temper my excitement again because it was a dreadful K State team, but it looked like the running game may finally be rolling again after a long adjustment of missing Rod Anderson. Kyler Murray is so fun to watch too and CeeDee Lamb is breaking out as a dominant receiver. With all of those weapons, it makes zero sense that I'm picking Kennedy Brooks this week. He runs so hard, and I have visions of him catching a screen or short dump off and taking it all the way to the house.

Defense

I think the defense gets exposed again this week for the first time since that godawful texas game. My hope is that it isn't that bad again. The OU secondary hasn't been good, which does not bode well for this matchup. And while the lack of pressure sans blitz has been demoralizing, I think that's the difference today in that Amani Bledsoe come up with at least one huge sack/forced fumble that turns the momentum to OU for good.

Score

OU was -13.5 last I looked and the O/U is 78, so the pros agree that this will be high scoring. I like the offense to move the ball well and I think the defense does enough in a tough road test. I'm taking the over (barely) and OU to cover (barely), Sooners take it 48-31. 

Boomer to the Motherfuckin' Sooner. 

TCU

Over the years the Sooners have lost to texas far more than I would like (read: more than once), but of all of the losses that one had the sweetest after taste, the Mike Stoops firing. I (halfway) joked to Mitch a few weeks ago that my phone had wear spots on the screen over the letters I use to type Fire Mike Stoops, now that dream has become a reality. I don't know how he maintained employment for this long, and as of almost two weeks ago, I no longer care. I do not think that the defense will magically be dominant now, but I will be happy if they do basic things like tackle and adjust to what offenses are doing during the game.

Now on to more pressing business. TCU started out this season ranked in the top 25 (I'm 60% sure of that, and 100% sure I don't really care either way) and played themselves impressively far out of it. Some bad losses and generally poor play is the fast track to doing that. However, as any Sooner fan knows, Gary Patterson has always been a thorn in the side of OU. I do carry some optimism though because most of the time they've beaten or at least made a close game of it, it's been 59-58 type of affair. Hopefully, those days are coming to a close (no pressure Ruffin McNeil, Sooner nation only demands a miracle).

Offense

That texas game was the most frustrating affair on offense of the season by a good stretch. Until that late barrage of points at the end, the vaunted Lincoln Riley's were largely held in check. Credit Tom Herman, he's done that repeatedly so far. But, in spite of the good plan by texas, Kyler Murray still had a tremendous game and I think he does it again today against TCU. It's a pretty thick limb I'm on going with the Heisman candidate for OPG. That's the kind of insight one comes to the Steamroller for.


Defense

While watching the game with Mitch and our friend Mark a couple of weeks ago, Mitch threw the term Gas Rag on Parnell Motley. It's been a couple of seasons since that award (?) has been used. But I think he's right, the Matt McCoy Memorial Gas Rag award goes to Parnell Motley. What a fall from grace after the Ohio State game last year where some other friends of ours were saying he should be MFer.... um no. Enough rambling diatribe on the shortcomings of Parnell Motley. I'm going with Amani Bledsoe today, Bledsoe is receiving his first official kiss of death from me.

Score

This is the biggest crapshoot of the season, I have no idea what to expect on the defensive side of the ball. I'm hopeful, but doubtful (naturally). Still, I think the Sooners keep their eye on the prize and with two weeks to prepare the Sooners do enough today to win it 44-31.


Boomer to the Motherfuckin Sooner