Houston Cougars vs. Oklahoma Sooners

Welcome Sooner fans to a gorgeous late summer Saturday where today the boys take on the Houston Cougars in Norman. Last week the Sooners took care of business against an overmatched Temple team and, while there was a lot to like, it wasn't perfect.

The Sooners offense was poor on third down. Like, almost historically bad, going just 1-12. The offensive line was every bit the cobble together work in progress it was billed to be. But a win is a win and today they play for 2-0.

OFFENSE

Not only was the offensive line cobbled together, Center Branson Hickman went down with injury on the first series of the game. The Sooners have three weeks to get ready for Tennessee and Bill Bedenbaugh is going to have to earn his check.

The Sooners need to find a serviceable combo up front and they need to figure out a way to get to third and manageable. Then they need to run the ball. 

Today I'm picking Gavin Sawchuck. 

DEFENSE

Temple is not good, but the Sooner defense looked pretty darn good. They forced four turnovers in the first half and held the Temple offense to just 197 total yards. About 77 players had a tackle. 

They need to build on this and make it their identity. I'll go Kendall Dolby for my DPOG.

THE SCORE

I expect there to be some unexpected murmurs in the crowd stemming from poor offensive play. In the end, the Sooners figure it out. The defense is a welcome safety blanket. This will be a process working towards Tennessee and the heart of the schedule.

Sooners win going away, 45, 10.

Boomer to the motherfuckin Sooner

Oklahoma Sooner vs. BYU Cougars

 Stop me if this sounds familiar. The Sooners ride high all season, beat Texas and are fully in control of their own destiny. They lose games they shouldn't and are no longer in control of their own destiny. They then win out, someone else helps them out, the Sooners make it to the Big 12 championship, win that and then go on to lose spectacularly on national television.

That's where we're headed.

OFFENSE

The Sooners rolled up 600 yards and Dillon Gabriel accounted for 8 touchdowns. Drake Stoops played the best game of his life. But Gavin Sawchuk was the secret sauce. He's my OPOG for today. If he meets with success, everyone else's life is easier.

DEFENSE

It says a lot about both Danny Stutsman and Kip Lewis that when Stutsman came back from his injury he changed positions to keep Kip Lewis on the field. That move has worked better than could be hoped. I'm picking Kip Lewis today.

THE SCORE

The line started at 20 and has moved to 25 which seems high. I like the Sooners to cover, however because BYU is inept in all phases apparently. Only an act of God in the heart of Mormon country can help the Cougars today.

I like the Sooners bigly, 42-14.

Boomer to the motherfuckin Sooner

Oklahoma Sooners vs. Kansas Jayhawks

 Good morning, Sooner fans. Our 7-0 Sooners had themselves a good ole fashioned wake-up call last week against UCF at home, but they bowed up when it mattered and hopefully it was a good learning experience because this week it's a real trap game. The Sooners head up to Lawrence to face the Jayhawks, a team with a legit rushing attack and a desire to show the country they the program is trending in the positive.

OFFENSE

The Sooner offense is obviously good enough to win any game. Dillon Gabriel has taken a step up this year, to say the least. They have receivers who can do some damage. But, at some point, the Sooners need to figure out how to get the run game going from the jump. Last week DG took the reigns, and that's fine. But the running-back-by-committee is still clunky and weird. In defense of last week, Tawee Walker didn't play because of reasons and supposedly he's back today. Gavin Sawchuk looked good in the 2nd half. 

Last week I picked Walker and look what happened. Today I'm picking Sawchuk and hopefully I don't fuck up his day.

DEFENSE

Don't be surprised if Danny Stutsman gets 15 tackles today. The Jayhawks are going to try to rush the ball. They have a running back that averages 7+ yards per carry. Ridiculous. The Sooners need to shut that down double quick and avoid stupid penalties while doing it. 

If they can avoid stomping on their own dicks for a minute, the Jayhawks shouldn't score more than 17-24. If they let the Jayhawks stay on the field, it'll be hard to keep them under 30.

I think the D might have learned more from last week than the O. In that vein, I think they respond and put on a clinic. Stutsman is the MVP, but Kansas native Jaren Kanek, chief offender of boneheaded penalties last week, is my DPOG.

SCORE

This one scares me more than just about any other on the schedule for some reason. I was worried about Jalon Daniels at QB, but it doesn't look like he'll be playing. However, the Jayhawks will have a chip on their shoulder. The Sooners will get their best game. It's time for the Sooners to show they can match that level of energy and preparedness. History has shown that this is tough for OU. It doesn't have to be today. This one is an opportunity to take another step towards being a bona fide contender.

I like the Sooners to win but I'm not sure they'll cover the spread (-9). I like the Sooners 31-24.

Boomer to the motherfuckin Sooner

Oklahoma Sooner vs. Tulsa Golden Hurricane

 Greetings, Sooner fans. Our boys are 2-0 after a "little close for comfort" but spread beating win over SMU last week. SMU proved to be a worthy foe and it was nice test for the crimson and cream. This week, it's a "road game" for the Sooners as they travel up I-44 to face Tulsa. This is a road game in name only as the Sooner following in Tulsa is quite large and I'm sure many in OKC are happy to make a short little trip for this one. 

Tulsa is led by for Sooner coach Kevin Wilson and he, by all accounts, inherits a Tulsa football team whose cupboard is as bare as a Venezuelan super market. Wilson also led one of the least potent offenses of the Bob Stoops era. This one should be a blowout.

OFFENSE

Frankly, I'm a bit flummoxed by Jeff Lebby's offensive philosophy. He LOVES to run the ball and will do so, apparently, until someone wiggles the wires plugged into the back of his neck. Hey, I love running the football. It's a nice flex to be able to do it at will. But it also exists to open up the passing game. In Jeff Lebby's world this often means play action with a check down to some short slant.

Now, what I'm confused about is if this is Jeff Lebby's world view or is it what peak Dillon Gabriel looks like? It is flabbergasting how few shots down the field the Sooners try. I'm inclined to blame Dillon Gabriel but then you think back to last year and how the Sooners used Gavin Freeman. Every time he was on the field they ran a jet sweep with him and rarely, if ever, deviated from it or used it to set up something else. 

Last week, the Sooners brought in Jackson Arnold on 3rd or 4th and short. Every single time they ran Jackson Arnold. Fine, but why not use it to do something different? It never happened. It's predictable and that makes me think this is all Jeff Lebby.

Anyway, today I'd like to see some kind of evolution beyond running 19 times in a row and/or taking some shots off of play action. It would be blissful to see Dillon Gabriel go through some progression and take some chances. 

Or, here's my pet theory, continue to use Jackson Arnold but keep him in as the "hot hand" and let him run the offense for a series at a time. Maybe he'll keep Gabriel on the sidelines without straight benching him.

My OPOG today is Gavin Sawchuk. He hasn't had much of a chance to get on the field much since he's been working his way back from injury but I think today he gets some touches and makes the most of it. 

DEFENSE

These guys are playing well enough to get the job done. 11 total points through two games is stingy. Anything under 24 should be enough to win any game. This week they need to continue to find their playmakers and quit being their own worst nightmares.

SMU's best drives last week relied on the Sooners committing dumb penalties, including a sideline infraction in the middle of the damn play. You never see that and it's unconscionable. They have to clean it up today.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention how excited I am for the future of this defense. They are markedly improved across the board from last year. And they are very young. The linebackers are looking great.

Keep in mind last week that the Sooners were without Dasan McCullough (So) and they lost their starting CB Gentry Williams on the first drive. They might Penalties aside, they didn't miss a beat.

Today my DPOG is Kip Lewis. He's one of those young linebackers that is looking really good. He's super fast and had 9 tackles last week, second only to Danny Stutsman who had 17 fucking tackles. He's a machine.

SCORE

OU is a 28 point favorite and that seems about right. I don't have confidence the Sooners will cover. See above my doubts about Jeff Lebby's football intellect. He seems like he's happy to run the ball so long as the Sooners have the lead. I hope I'm wrong. I hate that kind of football. No amount of points can ever be enough if you're a Sooner fan. We just don't trust the D enough yet.

The Sooners will win comfortably, however, something like 42-17.

Boomer to the motherfuckin Sooner