Oklahoma Sooner vs. Iowa State Cyclones

Good morning, Sooner fans. Warmest of greeting and salutations to you on this fine Saturday. Today our Sooners travel to Ames, Iowa to take on the Cyclones in what will hopefully be a pretty entertaining game.

We last saw our Sooners two weeks ago against Kansas. The situation was bleak at best and dire at worst. The Sooners had to win it and a path forward was difficult to find. Well, the Sooners beat the spread and eked out a 52-42 victory over the Jayhawks. Thankfully, the home faithful did not storm the field, but it did feel like a massive relief mixed in with a little bit of hope for something positive the rest of the way.

The Sooners follow that up with a well-timed bye and now face the surprisingly hapless Cyclones.

CUE GUS JOHNSON VOICE

It's the Battle for the Bottom in Ames!  

OFFENSE

It turns out that competent quarterback play is important and, against the Jayhawks, Dillon Gabriel put on his best performance as a Sooner. The offense looked, dare I say, modern and more often than not had the Jayhawk D grasping for straws and trying shit that you just don't see football teams do like play a prevent defense in the red zone.

The Cyclones will be much better, in spite of their record. The Sooners have to keep Gabriel comfortable. The backfield combo of Eric Gray and Javontae Barnes is becoming pretty lethal and opening things up for Marvin Mims and Drake Stoops. Gray, in particular, has made a leap and the Sooners need to find six ways from Sunday to get him the ball. 

Eric Gray is my OPOG but the offensive line needs to play their best game of the season so far to really give the Sooners their best chance of winning. DG doesn't take many sacks and his TD:INT ratio is fire at 13:1. Good things happen when DG is not getting terrorized. 

DEFENSE

The bye week could not have come at a better time for this unit. They have been getting their asses kicked for the better part of almost two months both on the field and off. They looked better against Kansas and still allowed 42 points. 

Billy Bowman still appears to be out for the Sooners and he might be the piece that makes this unit go just as DG does so for the offense. In his stead, Key Lawrence has been the most competent but is inconsistent.

The other story thus far is the lack of pass rush. Maybe that changes today since quarterback play seems to be a weak point for ISU.

The key, though, is the Sooners selling out to stop the rush. They have to get back to basics against a quarterback that is prone to turning the ball over. There can't be any bailouts on obvious running downs or first downs on "white flag" long down running plays. 

I'm not going to pick a DPOG because they are playing like such shit but I have a feeling that the off week gave some younger guys a chance to get some reps in practice and the staff is really separating wheat from chaff. 

Why not spend the rest of this season working on cohesion amongst guys you see as future pieces? Today is the perfect opportunity to identify the pieces that give you the best chance the rest of the way.

THE SCORE

The Sooners are favored by 1.5 and ESPN gives Iowa State a 65% chance to win. That...doesn't seem good. It's predicated on the idea that the Cyclone D will give the Sooners fits and that the Sooner D can't contain a wet fart and also ISU has been close to beating the Sooners in recent years while coming up just short.

It's mostly about the Sooner D though and I am truly interested to see if this coaching staff can take advantage of the bye week and is able to solve any of the issues that have plagued it ever since the Nebraska game.

Obviously, I have faith they have and, as such, I like the Sooners today in a somewhat surprisingly dominant fashion.

I like the Sooners 34-17

Boomer to the motherfuckin Sooner

Oklahoma Sooners versus Iowa State Cyclones

 The Sooners luck ran out last week in Waco as the defense's inability to get off the field cost them dearly. I turned it off when the Bears rattled off a 15 yard run on a 3rd and 12. My crimson colored glasses had me believing that so many close games and comebacks portended a story book season where all the breaks go your way. All this time it was just dumb luck.

Anyway, speaking of disappointments, the Iowa State Cyclones come to Norman today. They no doubt saw the film last week and have some ideas on how to further ruin the Sooners hopes and dreams since they have nothing else to play for at this point. 

OFFENSE

Last week the Sooners just couldn't get into any rhythm. Caleb Williams kept looking to go deep and the running game was inconsistent.

This week there has to be some semblance of a plan to get easy throws to the middle of the field. There just have to be opportunities less than 15 yards down the field. There are too many good receivers for CW to have all day and only be looking for bombs. 

I guess I'll go CW today for OPOG although for the first time in ages it's hard to know where a spark will come from on offense.

DEFENSE

Fuck these guys. I'm so tired of watching them be in a position to stop or slow down someone at the line of scrimmage only to whiff and give up chunks of yards. Seriously, at the point of attack all a defender has to do is slow down the ball carrier and wait for help to arrive. Just wait for the cavalry. But no. It's painful to watch.

THE SCORE

I mean I think the Sooners can win but it's going to be another butt clincher. I'm going Sooners 20, Cyclones 17.

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 Iowa State

Quick post today, my friends, because, like the Sooners against K-State, I too can bail on quality work before the game or season is over.

Why the hell is there a culture of ineptitude on defense? How can you roll over both player and coach personnel and still continue to have a culture that allows big plays at bad times and is always awful at tackling in space?

I'll give a pass to the offense because Spencer Rattler was making his second career meaningful start and is not accustomed to playing with his back against the wall. For him, it was a good learning experience. You look at the last three QB's and all were seasoned before they stepped foot on campus. But this defense, my God. They had an opportunity to take a step forward, to bail out the offense and to secure a game at home. Instead, they shit down their trouser leg and take three steps back. Maddening.

OFFENSE

Today the Sooners need to demonstrate a killer instinct and cannot under any circumstance take their foot off the gas. Spencer Rattler has to take a step forward and learn from last week's interceptions. He can't cram the ball into double coverage. There is no need. He doesn't need to play hero ball with his arm. For my OPOG I'm going Austin Stogner. He seems like a security blanket that Rattler can check down to instead of forcing something downfield. 

DEFENSE

Christ Almighty these guys. I guess the bar is so low here that I'd be satisfied if we can not allow a former walk on linebacker cum quarterback to turn in a Heisman worthy performance. Is that too much to ask? I fear it may be.

Look, I have to go to soonersports.com every week just to scroll through the roster to find someone to pick on this side of the ball and I've been doing that shit for about six years. I'm tired of it. I'm not picking a DPOG today and maybe not for a while until some one, any one, can start turning in a consistent enough quality performance such that I can remember their name from television from week to week. The whole defense can be DPOG by not stepping on their own dicks and maybe forcing a turnover. For real this is bullshit.

SCORE

You know Iowa State is going to play hard just like K-State and that they're well coached and that the Sooners have a preternatural knack for playing to the level of their opponent. So of course you should expect this to be closer than it ought to be. I'll say Sooners 35 and Iowa State 34.

Boomer to the motherfuckin Sooner.

Oklahoma Sooners versus Iowa State

Well blurg derp derp double farts. The Sooners had it all out there in front of them. Now it's back to familiar territory where every game is must win and you'll also need some help. In any case it's on to Iowa State.

OFFENSE

Lincoln Riley can say that he's not concerned that Kansas State showed the world the blueprint for slowing down the Sooners and I'll give him the benefit of the doubt that he himself can adjust. But Iowa State boasts a defensive guru head coach who I'm sure was happy for the help.

I hate to have the coolest of takes here but the Sooners are going to need to run the ball better and more. Six rushes last week makes no sense. If there's ever a knock on the offense it would be that sometimes the balance gets away from him in difficult situations.

So, today the Sooners need to stick with their game plan whatever it may be and just be cognizant of what they need to do to get first downs. Maybe work some swing passes into the mix. Those are effectively runs and can get Kennedy Brooks out into some space.

Today I'll pick Brooks for my OPOG.

DEFENSE

I only got to see one half of the game last week. So I'm not entirely sure how things looked. The Iowa State offense is more or less the same level of dynamism. Today we'll learn if last week was an aberration or not. If it is, the playoff is still an option. If today is rough with no turnovers it's eek city.

I've been shitting on Pat Fields all season so today I'll try to reverse jinx him.

THE SCORE

I like the Sooners here 38-21. The defense buttons it up and the offense stays on the field.

Boomer to the motherfuckin Sooner

OU vs. Iowa State

The Sooners head up to Ames, Iowa today. A place I treat like 7-Up; Never have, never will. But the Sooners should be much more interested in the trip as revenge is on all their minds. The Cyclones depantsed the Sooners in Norman last year and put Mike Stoops and the defense on their heels, a position they stayed in the rest of the year.

This year is different. Through two games the defense is clearly ahead of where they were a year ago at any point in the season. Whereas last years group hoped to just hang on, this years group has demonstrated an ability to hold down the fort while the offense gets its rhythm. This could come in handy today as the Cyclones are well coached and the Sooners are without Rodney Anderson. The day could require a complete team game.

OFFENSE

Losing Rod hurts badly. The offense struggled for quite a while after he left against UCLA. Credit the Sooners scheme and depth for being able to adjust in game. It doesn't hurt to have big time athletes all over the field either.

Today the key is who fills Rod's shoes. Trey Sermon has been mediocre. Marcelias Sutton can hit a hole hard but seems to have trouble getting to the second and third levels. This duo, or even T.J. Pledger getting in the mix, needs to provide more than a wrinkle.

Meanwhile, how do the Cyclones (or anyone) stop the Sooners passing attack? If they blitz, Kyler Murray will abuse you. If you hang back, Hollywood Brown or CeeDee Lamb will punish you. It's lethal and fun to watch.

Today for OPOG I'm going CeeDee Lamb. Not so much because of what I expect him to do today but as recognition for how badass he was last week. Good Lord is he good. That said, why can't he do it again today?

DEFENSE

I'm dying to be on this bandwagon. I'm like a guy hopping a train who is hanging on and getting dragged down the tracks while trying to pull myself aboard.

The team speed and collective discipline they've shown so far has been awesome. The front 7 is by far the best it's been in, what, six years or so?

I actually have players I want to pick and since I don't know anything about the ISU offense, save the fact they have a good downhill running back, I'm going to get on with it. I'm going Kenneth Michael Murray who, like CeeDee, got in the groove last week. He can build on that this week and start being Curtis Bolton's top sidekick.

THE SCORE

Make no mistake this is going to be a great test for the Sooners. It's their first road game. It should be a hostile environment. The Sooners have played against good coaches already but this is the first game against a team this settled and experienced. And there's some question in my mind about the Sooners running game.

I'm sure that last one will be resoundingly answered. If the D can maintain its discipline then I think the Sooners will just be too much and will punish the Cyclones.

If you can believe it I like the Sooners here.

Sooners 35, Cyclones 17

Boomer to the motherfuckin Sooner

Oklahoma Sooners versus Iowa State

It's football time in Oklahoma. Before we get to X's and O's let's address some distraction. It was reported yesterday that Sooners Offensive Coordinator Lincoln Riley had interviewed for the North Texas Mean Green head coaching position. I was gobsmacked. Why? Why in the middle of the season? What's going on inside the locker room at OU?

Seriously, why would Riley be remotely interested enough to even take the phone call? This is one of the worst jobs in college football. Lincoln Riley is a "hot name" and a "rising star" in the coaching ranks. There are no less than a half dozen open or presumably open jobs already which include names like South Carolina, Virginia Tech and Miami. Riley may or may not be a candidate for them this year but likely would for similarly statured vacancies next year. Whoever takes these jobs could well be leaving an opening that would be better than UNT. Justin Fuente, for example, will be leaving Memphis for the best opening available. The Memphis job is way better than UNT and Memphis is a shit job.

Second, isn't there some protocol or boy's club agreement that you don't interview in the middle of a season? Don't you have to get permission from the head coach? If yes and yes then what the hell is going on in the coaches room at OU? It seems like the situation would need to be pretty dire for Bob Stoops to say yeah, Lincoln, you should probably take ANY phone call IN THE MIDDLE OF YOUR FIRST SEASON (which, by the way, is going historically well). There are certainly no outward signs of a bad fit. There have been no rumblings though that's no surprise. Journos who wish to keep their press pass would be wise to keep their mouths shut around Norman.

I'm not sold on the idea of something being off because of the list of other names the article mentions. A&M's offensive coordinator. Either (or I suppose both) of TCU's offensive coordinators. It seems these coaching staffs would be at similar levels of disarray for these coaches to be taking calls also. Hard to believe that's the case.

It is possible Lincoln Riley could be incredibly stupid. Talking new jobs in the middle of season one of your new gig is poor form. Taking a look at the first thing that offers a little more money (relatively speaking) would mean he hasn't done much homework. Oklahoma coaches get at least a 100k raise every season. This would put Riley at the current UNT HC coaches salary level. He really should just know better.

It appears UNT is hoping to become the next Baylor and they are waiving a bunch of money around and someone is trying to make a story. There's a lot of smoke here though. Riley, for his part, has come out and denied that he is a candidate. That's no lie. He isn't a candidate for that job. He's a future candidate for a much better job and an offensive coordinator position at OU is a better career launch pad than the UNT HC gig (or it should be). Honestly, he's the kind of guy you'd put a "Head Coach in waiting" tag on if Stoops wanted to retire gracefully one of these days.

On to football.

The Sooners took care of bidny last week against a pathetic Kansas squad. The Sooners had a good intensity level and they avoided major injury. They need to do both those things this week but Iowa State will be a much better test before the backloaded gauntlet begins.

As Sooner fans are no doubt aware, Iowa State shutout Texas last week. Texas beat OU. Vis a vis Iowa State needs to be taken seriously.

OFFENSE

From what poison vile shall Iowa State drink? Stop the run or the pass? I think they load up on the run and the Sooners make them pay with rollouts and play action. Baker Mayfield will have a field day making easy throws to Joe Mixon, Dede Westbrook and Jarvis Baxter. What the hell, throw in some Sterling Shepard and Mark Andrews if you like. I'll take any of it. My pick for player of the game is Baker Mayfield. He gets to sit out the 4th quarter again.

DEFENSE

Interesting tidbit. Kansas State is the only team to run the OU, OSU, TCU and Baylor gauntlet. Scores: 0-55, 34-36, 45-52, 24-31. Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves here but there is reason for optimism.

Today, the boys need to stay disciplined and don't let their guards down. ISU plays hard all game long and you have to respect it. The cyclones are overmatched but if you go around patting you're own back the result is that ole' bullshit we all love so much.

I've been real pleased with Steven Parker of late so I'm picking him for my defensive player. The move to Safety has been great for him.He does something special today.

SCORE

Welp, I think this one will be mildly interesting but the Sooners, at home, will be too overwhelming. I like the boys 42-17 today.

Boomer to the motherfuckin Sooner.

Iowa State

The Sooners return home this week after doing yeoman's work in dismantling a KU team who can succinctly be described as chilled urine. OU did everything that was expected of them, and in light of recent times, let's not discount that. This week the Cyclones of Iowa State come in to town, fresh off a win against texas. Fortunately, I don't expect the whole "they beat them and we didn't" thing to be much of a factor.

Since embarrassing themselves on their biggest stage (so far), against their biggest rival, the Sooners have proceeded to put up 160+ points over the last 3 games. The offense looks as oiled as a twink in a steam-room, and the D has been steady. Granted, this wasn't against a murderers row of opponents, but KState has given both Baylor and TCU all they wanted this year and OU made them look like Rockford Peaches.

Iowa State comes into this one with a freshman QB poised to start. They do have talent at the skill positions, yet I don't expect a dismantling like we've seen in recent weeks. Let's not forget ISU played a good Iowa team very tough, and their 3-5 record belies their overall talent level. They have enough athleticism to give OU some problems on both sides of the ball. That said, I can't get past the frosh running the show for them, and I think the Sooner offense keeps rolling at home. Speaking of...(Segue, The Magazine!, is doing a feature piece on this last sentence next month, check your news-stands)

Offense

After hitting a home-run with a Sterling Shepard pick last week, I look to make 1 in a row, 2. To be fair, it would've been more of a challenge to pick a bust last week, but if anyone could accomplish that, it's me. This week I'm going to go with another receiver. The guy that is most likely to get a rub & tug from Mitch, Mark Andrews. Honestly, he's a mismatch for anyone with his size and speed. I hope that Lincoln Riley starts to utilize this more. I think today he goes for a touchdown and at least one other big play.

Defense

Last week would've been the one to go with Charles "Ass" Tapper. He had a monster game. With the freshman QB going for Iowa State, I like a D-Lineman to step up again and have a big game. I like Charles Walker to "bring it" today. I think he gets good push up the middle and has at least 1 sack.

Score

As I mentioned before, I just don't foresee a complete fisting (partial fisting? very weird) again this week. Iowa State has talent, this is the last "tune up" before the heart of the conference slate and the Sooners could be looking ahead accordingly. But, I don't think Iowa State has enough on the road to take this one. The Sooners struggle early but cruise late, 45-24.

Boomer to the Motherfuckin' Sooner



PS: I'd be remiss not to mention the Kansas City Royals. I'm a lifelong fan, and a diehard through decades of the leanest of times. They completed an improbable (and looking just a few years back, seemingly impossible) run of dominance over the last couple of seasons with their first World Series title since Reagan started his second term. It's an odd feeling, and one made all the more satisfying because of the years of complete ineptitude on and off the field. It's probably the sweetest victory of my adult fandom, and one I won't soon forget. Now, back to your regularly schedule football bullshit...

Sooners vs. Iowa State

The Sooners had an extra week to stew on the juices of the devastating K-State loss. They not only wasted the best called game of the season by Jabba the Heupel (that final goal line opportunity excepted) and the best game by far for Trevor Knight, our boys also completely shit on any and all chance to get in the four team playoff.

Having now come to this realization will the Sooners respond by whipping the shit out of the below average Cyclones? Or will they sulk around with their bottom lips stuck out feeling sorry for themselves. It had damn sure better be the former.

OFFENSE

As mentioned, the Sooners are coming off their most "dynamic" performance of the season. They racked up 500 yards, Trevor Knight hit about 80% of his passes and, at times, they were able to move quickly and easily down the field.

This group is still deeply flawed.

For instance, the no huddle does more harm than good when you have no clue what you are running when you get to the line of scrimmage. The only thing that meets the definition of  hurry up is the last 6 seconds of the play clock. Nobody outside of Sterling Sheperd and Blake Bell seem capable of catching a forward pass on the reg.

Still, they should be able to overcome these flaws against Iowa State. I look for Trevor Knight to have another good game. I think the staff feels comfortable again in cutting him loose a little. Cody Thomas showed he can step in and command the offense if need be. And, lest we forget, no title shot this year means you can throw caution to the wind with Knight's health. The real exciting news for me is the presumed return of Keith Ford.

I'm going to throw a little audible here with my OPOG prediction and go Blake Bell. If the Sooners needed to learn anything from K-State it's that you have to score TD's in the red zone. Hopefully they spent the last two weeks figuring out how to do that without handing the ball off and running straight up the middle. That's why I'm taking Bell. I want to see that play action bootleg action with Bell running to the boundary. It works in the NFL about 95% of the time and it, gasp, plays to the strength of your players.

DEFENSE

Lost in the unbelievable Honeycut pant-shitting was the fact that had he made his chip shot field goal the Wildcats still would have had four minutes to try to score and win. And if you need evidence to believe they would have done it just look at how they spent their time killing the clock stomping on the collective dicks of Sooner Nation. They ran seven plays, went 22 yards and killed the whole fricking clock.

They toyed with the defense. It was a cat playing with a yarn ball. Oh the 'Cats need 6 yards on 3rd? They get seven and make it look easy. The Sooners are playing the option read? OK. How about faking that then stepping back into a drop back pass and hitting someone wide open down the middle for 60?

And it was like that all day. This defense has serious problems. Notably, they don't seem to have much idea what's coming at them and their best option, blitzing, is backfiring so badly they are now apparently afraid to try it. However, they are not afraid at all to burn a timeout. Two on the same play if need be. If it's the first drive of the third quarter, so be it. That's the cost of doing business.

Yikes. The Sooners need to get something resembling MOJO back today. Again, I'll pick someone off the standard play sheet. I'm going Jordan Evans here. He occasionally shows flashes. Maybe he forces and/or scoops a fumble and takes it to the house.

SCORE

Well, in spite of my doom and gloom I think the Sooners do come out and make a statement today and start mopping up their soilings from two weeks ago. I think they kick the shit out of the Cyclones and win this one going away, 42-14.

Boomer to the motherfuckin Sooner.

Iowa State

As many of us suspected, last week's game was a drubbing. OU was outmatched in nearly every phase. Most notably our offense failed to do much of anything at all. Later I read some ridiculousness about how Baylor was slanting on the defensive line and that was why they couldn't get anything going. The one late drive where OU marched down and scored was the only one where Baylor didn't "slant" up front. So this shit is what completely baffled us. No one at all on the coaching staff was able to see this and adjust? My suspicion is Briles et al were equally baffled that this one wrinkle was 1) so devastatingly effective and 2)  no adjustments were made throughout the entire game. If this is all true, then that is really embarrassing for the OU staff. Let's not even get into the fact that we were unable to score from the 1 yard line. Our defense played quite well, that is until they were asked to stay on the field for 90% of the game. Alas, the natives appear to be restless as Heupel is nearly certainly going to be ridden out of town on a rail, and the sooner the better I say.

I, predictably, know almost nothing about Iowa State. I tried hard (not really) to come up with something creative and entertaining to open with about their team. I'm just not feeling terribly inspired with the Sooner football program of late. I hate to say it's wearing me down because I don't think that's exactly true, but it gets tough to draw inspiration from the uninspired I guess. This is in Norman today, so it should be a W for our boys in Crimson. I've learned, though, that nothing is to be taken for granted anymore, so hopefully we can play solid D and do enough on offense to win this one.

Offense

I've officially crossed over into the realm of disliking the Belldozer era, and I'm really not sure it's even his fault. He seems to know his limitations, yet he's consistently asked to do things outside of them. Sadly, that's just one of many problems with our offense (albeit a large one). All of that said, I'm saying fuck you to any sort of logic. After all, it's gotten me nowhere this year in terms of coming close to picking one of these right. I'm going with Sterling Shepard. He's the closest thing to a favorite target of Bell's. He's also damn fun to watch after the catch. I like him to do something great today. That great thing might be hooking up with two girls at the same time after the game tonight, but whatever, I'll take it.

Defense

I think the defense has been showing some promise. They're often asked to do too much insomuch as they are on the field waaaaay too long. However, they often start really well. I'm hopeful that Mike has the guys pointed in the right direction and our D is slowly returning to it's past dominance. Yes, I'm aware how fucking stupid I sound on the heels of giving up 42 or whatever to Baylor. I still think there is a lot of promise on that side of the ball, and we seem to not be doing as much of the dumb shit we had been in recent years. Today I like Eric "Ted" Striker (well played Mitch, it's official now). I think Ted is in the backfield a lot, as he is wont to do. He's a great blitzer and the OT's we see generally can't match his speed on the edge. I like some big stops from him today. Side note: I'm tired of Gabe Lynn acting like he's Ronnie Fucking Lott back there. Dear Gabe, you still fucking suck. You miss far too many tackles and you still get burned deep. Yes, you're embarrassing skills are better hidden at Safety than they were at Corner, but make no mistake, you are shit. You are Gas Rag for a reason. Please graduate or expire your eligibility soon. Thanks, --the guys at Steamroller.

Score

I don't know much about Iowa State, but I know we've embarrassed them enough in past seasons that they are "up" for this chance to beat a down Sooner club. So we'll get their best shot. I'm glad this is at home. I think we'll be able to handle them for the most part. I like the Sooners today, I really do. OU 27 Iowa State 17.

Boomer to the Motherfuckin Sooner.

OU - Iowa State

I still can't believe that, of all things, the Sooner D showed up against Baylor only to get completely let down by the offense. This is a train run off the rails. Two years ago was the start of wholesale changes to the defense. This offseason it's the start of wholesale changes to the offense. Book it.

Josh Heupel is not fighting for his job at OU. He's auditioning for a QB coaching gig at Appalachian State at best. The Oklahoman trotted out Jenni Carlson for a piece asking if it's time for a change in play caller only to have Berry Trammel write an article about how Bobby prefers "Stability" versus "Experimentation".

Let's talk about that. Stability implies consistency, vision, continuity. In this sense, experimentation implies sweeping changes including but not limited to a change in playcaller and personnel. But that's all a red herring. It's really stubborness and predicability at OU these days.

Here's stability at OU against Baylor:

4 conventional run plays in the first 3 drives against Baylor (OU's strength)
Reverses left and right, QB runs around the end, nothing testing the middle
Every "hurry up" play is a HB dive off right tackle
Sub Trevor Knight for The Belldozer to run The Belldozer. Then bring The Belldozer back in to run The Belldozer.

Instead of wholesale changes (dba Experimentation) how about this:

Huddle up. You don't run a hurry up in any sense of the word so just huddle.
If you hurry up, run off tackle left or, gasp, do play action
Don't confine great players and future stars to the bench for 1 fuckup (Keith Ford)
If everyone knows you need to keep the other team off the field then don't pass on every fucking down with a 50% passer.
Knock off the delay of games. Fucking Christ.

Am I picking on the offense and Josh Heupel? Fuck yes. This offense is historically bad. That tubby fuck is so disappointing because he knows better. This year's middle school female Punt Pass and Kick winner will have a stronger arm than he had. But he won because the defense didn't know what was going to happen next. Instead of stepping on someone's throat  and keeping teams on their toes he thinks a three point lead is a gold bar. He calls games like a pussy. Fuck him he knows better.

OFFENSE

Christ almighty I don't give a shit. By God it should be Roy Damn Finch, Lacoltan Bester, Sterling Sheperd or Keith Ford. Those are the best players left on offense. Roy will get six touches, Bester will get two, Keith Ford will get none. I guess that leaves Sheperd. He's good for about five catches and 80 yards.

DEFENSE

Even though they gave up 40 points they played their balls off against Baylor. If the offense had been semi-competent they would have given up 30 at most and against that offense that's a hell of a day. As my old high school classmate cum ESPN Producer Brad Buchannen pointed out it's hard to believe our offense scored 60 points in 6 straight games in 2008.

But back to the defense. I really like this defense. I like Charles Ass Tapper and I would have his babies if he could line up onsides. I like everything about the linebackers. I love Aaron Motherfuckin Colvin. I like how Zach Sanchez is getting baptized by fire and mostly doing well. I like Quentin Hayes and Julian Wilson and, hell, even Gabe Lynn. These guys all deserve help.

I like Frank Shannon the most this week. I haven't scouted Iowa State (two in the pink one in the stink shocker) but I think they do just enough things lousy that Franky Baby has about 15 stops.

THE OUTCOME

Well, this one won't be close. Here's the eye opener. We have an 11am start, a team that's out of not only the National Title picture but also the Big 12, an opponent that's shitty and the potential for rain. The OU Athletic Department is going to have to adjust the budget the crowd will be so bad for this one. The consecutive sellout streak will be laughably fibbed. My we are a fickle bunch.

OU 42, Iowa State 13

Boomer to the Motherfuckin Sooner

OU vs. Iowa State

Sooner nation was ready to jump off a cliff following the Kansas State game. Now we see the cliff, shrug our shoulders, and back away. The Sooners didn't embarass themselves last week, Notre Dame is just better unfortunately. It's been proven on the football field that the Sooners just aren't an elite team this year. It sucks.

Notre Dame has a hell of a defense but everybody knew Lonnie wasn't going to lead a comeback. Notre Dame has an excellent football team and if the Sooners and Irish played five times, Notre Dame probably wins three.

In other news the tailgating scene was pretty awesome. To a party, every effort was made to make things "just so". Avid Steamroller reader Robert Powell had some fine smoked ribs at his Legal Eagle tailgate where I also enjoyed smoked bacon-wrapped quail and jalapeno. It was divine. The tortin' and cavortin' tailgate also had an open bar which may or may not have impacted my disposition for the remainder of the evening.

Oh well. The Sooners have a lot to play for. Namely, the Holiday Bowl or some such other mid-upper tier bowl game. They also face a stiff test in Ames against a scrappy Cyclone team. If the Sooners can't untuck their bottom lips this season will go from bad to worse.

OFFENSE

Things should return to form. Iowa State, whilst scrappy, is not the fierce unit Notre Dame is. However, it does not appear DD Williams will play much, if any. The law firm of Millard, Whaley and Clay should be fine in DD's absence.

Say, what about this Jalen Saunders? He's yet another reason why there is no good excuse for this offense to not have defenses on their heels early and often. 

Choosing an OPOG this week is throwing darts. With DD out, I'm going with Brennan Clay. He's been able to get to that second level on multiple occasions and so I like him to set a career mark for yards today.  Makes perfect sense.

DEFENSE

This group should be fired up. They clearly have room to improve and a short time to get there. The Cyclone offense is hard to figure. They seem to do poorly against half way decent defenses and they also seem to be pretty opportunistic. In short, the Sooners cannot take them lightly and the Javon Harris's of the world need to be alert.

For my DPOG I'm inexplicably going with David King. His is a name that hasn't been called that much lately so maybe it's time for that to change.

THE SCORE

I hope the Sooners don't mail in their performance like I just mailed in this piece. They need to take Iowa State very seriously. They need to get back on track. Big games are still ahead.

I think the Cyclones can get a couple of scores but I think they can't keep the Sooner offense contained.

OU 37, ISU 17

Boomer to the motherfuckin Sooner

OU vs. Iowa State

It wasn't that long ago when this OU - Iowa State tilt was a mere formality. A final tune-up for Bedlam and the biggest game of all time. A winner take all trip to the national title game.

Oh, those were the days! We were young and fancy free. We were sheltered from the cruel realities of a harsh and unjust college football landscape. We were naive in thinking these Sooners were worthy of a title shot.

Hardy-fucking-har.

It's hilarious to look back and think this Sooner defense might be some kind of juggernaut. "The best of the Stoops era" some thought. Shit that's rich. You know who has played consistently well on this defense? Ronnell "The Hammer" Lewis (now injured), Big Frank Alexander and Jamel Fleming. That's it. Last week it just happened to be Javon Harris's turn to look the shittiest.Everyone has played a part in this debacle though.

Last week I mentioned the different phases of the season. I forgot one. It's the one where Sooner Nation starts calling for Brent Venables job. That call is getting loud and if things don't go well the next two weeks it will reach full throat. Our boy Travis texted during the game last week that he wasn't renewing his tickets next year if Venables is on the sideline and he was serious.

Venables's bend but don't break defense is, on rare occasions, awesome. But when it's off my God it's terrible and the lack of adjustment is infuriating. Last week the Sooners got beat deep no less than five times. The Sooners never even saw it coming and never seemed inclined to do anything about it. I didn't read any interviews or watch the coach's show but I'm sure there was lots of talk about just being out of position, not knowing assignments and that sort of blame on the players. Whatever. At times this defense hasn't looked ready to play and it's the job of the coaches to have them ready.

Enough.

Sooner Nation needs to wipe the collective snot off its face and get ready for the ballgame this week. Iowa State boasts brings a Quarterback who has three starts under his belt. He can occassionally complete a forward pass (always gives us fits) and they have the biggest rah-rah coach in the conference. If the Sooners have a woe-is-me attitude who knows what'll happen.

I'm worried about Iowa State. That's how far we've come!

OFFENSE

Lost in the rubble of a bombed out 2011 Sooner campaign is the heart and guts the offense has shown pretty much all year. At times they've been ineffective but they've never given up. They've never looked totally lost. Last week they should have run the ball more. But they make plays and they scrap and they put up enough points that they should win every game if they had a defense that was worth a shit.

Get ready for a steady dose of running the football. The wind is howling today. That makes Stoops nervous. That said, I'm going with Brandon Williams. He looked good last week and he has to have a breakout game at some point this year. Today is the day.


Before I forget, how about the Belldozer? Dude is an animal. Like last week I probably should pick him. The Sooners would have scored on that two-point conversion as well. Book it.

DEFENSE

Oh, c'mon Maw, do I have to pick someone? Can't I boycott? I'm going to go with a Senior since it's Senior day. That means it's Big Frank, Travis Old Steady Lewis or Jamel Fleming. I'll go with Old Steady. The Iowa State passing attack really should be useless so Old Steady should have a chance to make a number of plays. Will he? I don't know! That's why they play the games.

THE SCORE

I just don't know. This jekyl and hyde defense has me doubting things I thought were infallible. True to my nature I will turn a blind eye to reality and cling to the hope that our best team shows up. The defense will play decent enough to win. The offense will not get too spooked by the wind and the Sooners will win just like they are supposed to.

OU 42, Iowa State 24

Boomer to the Motherfuckin Sooner