I'm going to give my two cents on the Florida A&M game as well. Keep in mind the fact that I saw not snap one of the contest, as it was on PPV and unavailable here.
Side note: if one is selling a product in today's age of information and data overload, wouldn't you think you'd try to make that product available to as wide of an audience as possible. As opposed to selling it exclusively in the one place where it is least marketable as the vast majority of those who would normally want to purchase it aren't need of it as they are going to see the game in person. That last rant was a shining example of the crisp, concise writing style I pride myself on.
However, from what I read it sounded like a pretty solid assbeat as I had expected/hoped for. From all accounts Damien Williams was an animal again, he certainly had the numbers to back it up. Let's talk quickly about the DD v Damien thing. Mitch, I know you love the DD. For whatever reason when I hear it I picture a stereotypical secretary circa 1983:
Boss-type: DeeDee? Can you bring me my dictaphone? Also, Xerox 3 copies of the Thompson file, and when you're finished have the Town Car gassed up and waxed.
Anyway, it seems that the folks at the Oklahoman keep calling him Damien (which might be enough reason for me to stop). I don't know what to do. I'm sticking with Damien for now while reserving the right to change my mind at any moment.
One disturbing trend I did see is that, predictably, Lonnie completed about 97.4% of his passes to Stills. This is his last year, he's been the starter for 4 years now. When can he figure out the fucking progression? In my lifetime I cannot remember a college QB so lauded who is so obviously destined to fail at the next level. Unbelievable.
Now I'd like to speak to the point of "worst pass ever". I do hate Lonnie, and certainly no one does it on a bigger stage, but I make a strong claim to title holder of worst pass ever. It happened about 6 years ago. My wife and I were on vacation with Mitch and his best gal down in Mexico. Now, we were at one of those all-inclusive beach resorts where the beer flowed like wine and the women instinctively flocked like the salmon of Capistrano. I had the foresight to bring a football along. As we had little to do to while the hours away apart from playing catch on the beach (you could do worse), we threw roughly 1,000,000 passes over the course of the week. As you might expect, we were in pretty good practice. So one afternoon late in the week we're at the pool when they announce a football tossing contest. Basically you stood on this sort of island in the middle of the pool and tried to toss a football threw a hula hoop about 10-15 yards away. Several contestants made their tosses, some respectable some not so much. When my turn came I uncorked my claim to "worst pass ever". It had the all of the tight spiral of a kick off, and was about 5 yards short and 10 yards wide right. I felt my face turn red and was soothed by the sounds of Mitch cackling uncontrollably at my hideously errant throw. I'm not sure how well that re-tells, but it's certain to get a laugh from my co-author at any mention (Co-Author's Note: He's right. I laugh every time I think of it. It was truly the worst). So with all due respect, I'll argue that it was the "worst pass ever".
Well, with that digression out of the way, I'm about done with this. Tony going down hurt, no doubt, I'm certainly glad we have the extra week for him to heal up. The D seemed solid apart from the mistake by the backup that Keith mentioned. All in all it was the drubbing we needed to soothe our worried minds after the UTEP debacle.
No games this week, but K-State the following weekend should provide a challenging opening to conference play.
Great photo essay Mitch, really captured the "mood" of game day in Norman. I, for one, am looking forward to more of that down the road.
Showing posts with label Lonnie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lonnie. Show all posts
Friday, September 14, 2012
Saturday, November 19, 2011
OU vs. Baylor
It's been a hell of a couple weeks. Since we last wrote in this space the following events occurred in college football: The Penn State Child Rape scandal, Mizzou's Gary Pinkel got a DWI, a Syracuse basketball coach got accused of being a pederast and a plane crash killed OSU women's basketball coach Kurt Budke.
"WTF"
On the football field, the Sooners lost their Offensive wunderkind, Ryan Broyles. Undefeated Stanford got smoked by Oregon. The Cowboys went ahead and looked like ass against Iowa State and got beat. In so doing, Brandon Weeden bequeathed his Heisman hopes (not too sad about it but I wish OU could have done this for him) and the Cowboys threw a serious wrench in OU's title game chances.
We are in the next to final act of the college football season. Act 1 was leading ourselves to believe there were so many good teams we might see 4 go undefeated and all the BCS speculation that goes along with it. Act 2 had some of those unbeatables losing and people believing that the shakeout was complete. There was anticipation in knowing that the remaining contenders would simply play out the string before meeting to decide it all. We're now in Act 3 which is the most fun. All the experts look like assholes because teams keep losing. It's the "Oh shit what's gonna happen" portion of our season where everyone has to win and everyone needs everyone else to lose and then we'll wait and see what the judges deem the best matchup. All of a sudden we've gone from possibly having 4 undefeated's to determining who's the best 1 loss team. It happens every year.
That's college football.
And now our 1 loss Sooners find themselves in Waco, Texas to face those wacky Baptists of Baylor. Prior to the season I was fairly nervous about this one. Last year I felt the Sooners really dodged a bullet when they played a Robert Griffin III-free Bears team. RGIII is a badass. His numbers this year are PlayStation esque. Through his first 6 games he had some ludicrous stat like more TD's than incompletions. Unheard of.
He's come down to earth since. The Bears have gone on to lose 3 but RGIII is still on many Heisman watch lists. He is, without a doubt, the heart and soul of the Bears. The Baylor offense is prodigious and the Sooners will have their hands full.
On the other hand (or, OTOH in text speak) the Sooners offense find themselves in the unenviable position of having to redefine themselves mid-season. Gone is the safety blanket of Broyles and the ho-hum reliability of his 14 catch, 170 yard performances. This loss is huge and cannot be understated. Lonnie Jones's world just got shaken and that's bad. Me no rikey nervous Lonnie. Kenny Fuckin Shitbag Stills is a Number 1 receiver on most any other team but Sooner fans are fooling themselves if they think the loss of Broyles will be completely made up for.
There is good news. It looks like the Baylor defense is pretty shitty so praise Jehovah the Sooners have what appears to be a fine opportunity to work out the kinks of this newish offense before Bedlam.
OFFENSE
Obviously the key is how does Lonnie play without his bosom chum and safety blanket? Which Wide Receiver(s) step up? To what degree does the offense change?
I think Lonnie will be fine the next two weeks. Kenny Fuckin Shitbag is a badass as we all know. Jaz Hands Reynolds has come on "in a great way" this year. It looks like DeJuan Miller will get the first crack at being the new 3rd wheel. If DeJuan doesn't work out there's always Trey Franks and Kameel Jackson.
My head tells me to pick a RB because I think the Sooners will come to rely on the ground game a bit more. But my head doesn't know what the hell it's talking about. The pick here is Kenny Fuckin Shitbag. He's clutch and has the swagger of a number 1 guy. Now there's no deferring to one of the all-time Sooner greats. The moment is his, the time is now.
The real wise pick might be the Belldozer. Dude brah is a force of nature.
DEFENSE
It's pretty simple. Stop Robert Griffin III. The hard part is stopping Robert Griffin III. It will take a total team effort.
Since I really have nothing else to add (This article is free. You get what you pay for) I'm going all heart here. I'm taking a page out of Navin's playbook and picking Big Frank Alexander. Blood flows to my groin region when Big Frank wreaks havoc on the football field. And he's wreaked a lot of havoc this football season. But I haven't picked him too much. So here it is.
THE SCORE
In my perfect scenario (read: Crimson Colored Glasses) I see the Sooners offense as a wounded and cornered animal. They lost their best running back. Now they've lost their best player. What's left is a group that must throw the kitchen sink at the opposing defense to be successful. Implementing the Bulldozer is evidence of this mentality. Now it's taken a step forward. So, it's conceivable we could see a pretty dynamic offense with no page of the playback left un-turned. That's my hope. In reality I think the Sooners look good these next two weeks in a false confident sort of way. By that I mean their opponents just aren't up to snuff. The offense looks like it hasn't missed a beat but they won't have really been tested. Who cares though. It's all about winning football games right now.
Defensively all I care about it making RGIII look human. Do that and we hold them under 30 points and we win.
OU 35, Baylor 17
Boomer to the motherfuckin Sooner
"WTF"
On the football field, the Sooners lost their Offensive wunderkind, Ryan Broyles. Undefeated Stanford got smoked by Oregon. The Cowboys went ahead and looked like ass against Iowa State and got beat. In so doing, Brandon Weeden bequeathed his Heisman hopes (not too sad about it but I wish OU could have done this for him) and the Cowboys threw a serious wrench in OU's title game chances.
We are in the next to final act of the college football season. Act 1 was leading ourselves to believe there were so many good teams we might see 4 go undefeated and all the BCS speculation that goes along with it. Act 2 had some of those unbeatables losing and people believing that the shakeout was complete. There was anticipation in knowing that the remaining contenders would simply play out the string before meeting to decide it all. We're now in Act 3 which is the most fun. All the experts look like assholes because teams keep losing. It's the "Oh shit what's gonna happen" portion of our season where everyone has to win and everyone needs everyone else to lose and then we'll wait and see what the judges deem the best matchup. All of a sudden we've gone from possibly having 4 undefeated's to determining who's the best 1 loss team. It happens every year.
That's college football.
And now our 1 loss Sooners find themselves in Waco, Texas to face those wacky Baptists of Baylor. Prior to the season I was fairly nervous about this one. Last year I felt the Sooners really dodged a bullet when they played a Robert Griffin III-free Bears team. RGIII is a badass. His numbers this year are PlayStation esque. Through his first 6 games he had some ludicrous stat like more TD's than incompletions. Unheard of.
He's come down to earth since. The Bears have gone on to lose 3 but RGIII is still on many Heisman watch lists. He is, without a doubt, the heart and soul of the Bears. The Baylor offense is prodigious and the Sooners will have their hands full.
On the other hand (or, OTOH in text speak) the Sooners offense find themselves in the unenviable position of having to redefine themselves mid-season. Gone is the safety blanket of Broyles and the ho-hum reliability of his 14 catch, 170 yard performances. This loss is huge and cannot be understated. Lonnie Jones's world just got shaken and that's bad. Me no rikey nervous Lonnie. Kenny Fuckin Shitbag Stills is a Number 1 receiver on most any other team but Sooner fans are fooling themselves if they think the loss of Broyles will be completely made up for.
There is good news. It looks like the Baylor defense is pretty shitty so praise Jehovah the Sooners have what appears to be a fine opportunity to work out the kinks of this newish offense before Bedlam.
OFFENSE
Obviously the key is how does Lonnie play without his bosom chum and safety blanket? Which Wide Receiver(s) step up? To what degree does the offense change?
I think Lonnie will be fine the next two weeks. Kenny Fuckin Shitbag is a badass as we all know. Jaz Hands Reynolds has come on "in a great way" this year. It looks like DeJuan Miller will get the first crack at being the new 3rd wheel. If DeJuan doesn't work out there's always Trey Franks and Kameel Jackson.
My head tells me to pick a RB because I think the Sooners will come to rely on the ground game a bit more. But my head doesn't know what the hell it's talking about. The pick here is Kenny Fuckin Shitbag. He's clutch and has the swagger of a number 1 guy. Now there's no deferring to one of the all-time Sooner greats. The moment is his, the time is now.
The real wise pick might be the Belldozer. Dude brah is a force of nature.
DEFENSE
It's pretty simple. Stop Robert Griffin III. The hard part is stopping Robert Griffin III. It will take a total team effort.
Since I really have nothing else to add (This article is free. You get what you pay for) I'm going all heart here. I'm taking a page out of Navin's playbook and picking Big Frank Alexander. Blood flows to my groin region when Big Frank wreaks havoc on the football field. And he's wreaked a lot of havoc this football season. But I haven't picked him too much. So here it is.
THE SCORE
In my perfect scenario (read: Crimson Colored Glasses) I see the Sooners offense as a wounded and cornered animal. They lost their best running back. Now they've lost their best player. What's left is a group that must throw the kitchen sink at the opposing defense to be successful. Implementing the Bulldozer is evidence of this mentality. Now it's taken a step forward. So, it's conceivable we could see a pretty dynamic offense with no page of the playback left un-turned. That's my hope. In reality I think the Sooners look good these next two weeks in a false confident sort of way. By that I mean their opponents just aren't up to snuff. The offense looks like it hasn't missed a beat but they won't have really been tested. Who cares though. It's all about winning football games right now.
Defensively all I care about it making RGIII look human. Do that and we hold them under 30 points and we win.
OU 35, Baylor 17
Boomer to the motherfuckin Sooner
Thursday, September 8, 2011
OU vs. Tulsa Highlights
Stellar highlight package and, in keeping with the theme of "all homer", only the good stuff from OU
There's a lot of nice action here but I enjoyed two plays in particular.
At the 1:57 mark Dominique Whaley breaks tackles, takes some punishment and carries the pile. He'll be facing a lot more contact against FSU and I hope it looks like this.
At 7:49 Lonnie throws a frozen rope to James Hanna. This Lonnie/Hanna connection looks like Mitch/Navin in the park last fall.
There's a lot of nice action here but I enjoyed two plays in particular.
At the 1:57 mark Dominique Whaley breaks tackles, takes some punishment and carries the pile. He'll be facing a lot more contact against FSU and I hope it looks like this.
At 7:49 Lonnie throws a frozen rope to James Hanna. This Lonnie/Hanna connection looks like Mitch/Navin in the park last fall.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
The Oklahoma Sooners vs. the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes
Welcome to the 2011 season everyone. It's the last year of the Big 12 as we know it. Collegiate Armageddon is unfolding. It feels like the perfect time for the Sooners to win Number 8.
On the heels of Navin's pointed discussion I'd like to propose a slogan for the Steamroller; "All of the Homer, none of the Homework". It really seems to fit.
I know nothing about this Tulsa team and couldn't give two craps less. I know that when I was a yute in Edmond, Oklahoma,Bill Blankenship was at the helm a then juggernaut Edmond Memorial Bulldog squad. He is now coaching the Golden Hurricane and this represents his first game coaching at the FBS (that moniker makes me want to puke) level. This bodes well for our Sooners.
Here are some other things that I like. We don't lose at home. It's the opening day of the pomp and pageantry of college football. Clear blue skies. BBQ smoke wafting through campus. Everyone in the state has been counting the days to today.
I also like the Sooner offense's potential. You start with a now veteran offensive line, mix in not one but two Heisman candidates, badass wide recievers and a stable of running backs who each bring a different style. Now give Josh Heupel the headset and it all adds up to long days for opposing defenses.
I'm really pumped about honoring Austin "Soggy" Box's memory by choosing a defensive player to sport Box's number 12. This week it's Tom Wort's turn which is a brilliant choice. Not only does Wort play Box's position but last year's "Gas Rag McGee" award winner needs to step up his play. If wearing Box's number 12 inspires Wort to do so, no better time than right out of the gate.
I'm nervous about our defense though. As Navin said, we like to give up big plays and do ill-timed, "dumb things" early in the season. This will be a good test but no way can Tulsa keep up. If Tulsa kicks field goals you can start breathing a sigh of relief.
Know what else I want to see? The Sooner kickoff coverage being worth half a shit. That would make me real happy.
OFFENSE
On offense I've got a Semi to watch Lonnie Jones fire lazerbeamz all over the football field to a slew of talented wide receivers. It's truly an embarassment of riches. Ryan Broyles is a man among boys. Kenny "Fuckin Shitbag" Stills is poised to improve on what was a stellar Freshman campaign. And a defense can't afford to sleep on DeJuan Miller, Jaz Reynolds, Trey Franks or Tight End James Hanna.
I'm even more intrigued to see how the Running Back situation plays out. Brennan Clay bears all the marks of being the next Old Steady. Roy Finch is my personal favorite. You can feel the collective breath of 85,000 fans get held every time Finch touches the ball. Roy is also a receiving threat which means lost jocks and soiled britches for defensive backs in the open field.
For my player of the game I'm going with Lonnie. He's the leader of this offense. I think he's finally ready to be the steady force this squad needs. I wouldn't be surprised to see him complete in the neighborhood of 70% of his passes today. It will be surgical domination.
DEFENSE
For all the veterans returning to this unit there are still a lot of areas that need proving. For instance, the interior defensive line. Also, how will the LB's, much less the entire D, play without their leader, Travis "Old Steady" Lewis?
The good news for Brent Vanables is that the talent on this side of the football is prodigious. To hear Venables tell it he's had a difficult task finding room for all his exceptional playmakers.
The choice for Defensive Player of the Game has to come from Ronnell "The Hammer" Lewis, Corey Nelson, Tony "Motherfuckin" Jefferson, Demontre Hurst or Jamel Fleming. I can't in good conscience stray from Tony M.F. Jefferson in the opener. Navin and I picked him for a reason and I'm eager to see how much bigger, faster and better he is this year.
THE PICK
Tulsa's offense could be God's gift to football and they still won't be able to match the Sooner offense on this day. The Sooner D will have its' unfortunate share of foibles. In the end the faithful go home early and happy.
OU 55, Tulsa 24
Don't forgot to drink your PBR Tallboys
Boomer to the Motherfuckin' Sooner
On the heels of Navin's pointed discussion I'd like to propose a slogan for the Steamroller; "All of the Homer, none of the Homework". It really seems to fit.
I know nothing about this Tulsa team and couldn't give two craps less. I know that when I was a yute in Edmond, Oklahoma,Bill Blankenship was at the helm a then juggernaut Edmond Memorial Bulldog squad. He is now coaching the Golden Hurricane and this represents his first game coaching at the FBS (that moniker makes me want to puke) level. This bodes well for our Sooners.
Here are some other things that I like. We don't lose at home. It's the opening day of the pomp and pageantry of college football. Clear blue skies. BBQ smoke wafting through campus. Everyone in the state has been counting the days to today.
I also like the Sooner offense's potential. You start with a now veteran offensive line, mix in not one but two Heisman candidates, badass wide recievers and a stable of running backs who each bring a different style. Now give Josh Heupel the headset and it all adds up to long days for opposing defenses.
I'm really pumped about honoring Austin "Soggy" Box's memory by choosing a defensive player to sport Box's number 12. This week it's Tom Wort's turn which is a brilliant choice. Not only does Wort play Box's position but last year's "Gas Rag McGee" award winner needs to step up his play. If wearing Box's number 12 inspires Wort to do so, no better time than right out of the gate.
I'm nervous about our defense though. As Navin said, we like to give up big plays and do ill-timed, "dumb things" early in the season. This will be a good test but no way can Tulsa keep up. If Tulsa kicks field goals you can start breathing a sigh of relief.
Know what else I want to see? The Sooner kickoff coverage being worth half a shit. That would make me real happy.
OFFENSE
On offense I've got a Semi to watch Lonnie Jones fire lazerbeamz all over the football field to a slew of talented wide receivers. It's truly an embarassment of riches. Ryan Broyles is a man among boys. Kenny "Fuckin Shitbag" Stills is poised to improve on what was a stellar Freshman campaign. And a defense can't afford to sleep on DeJuan Miller, Jaz Reynolds, Trey Franks or Tight End James Hanna.
I'm even more intrigued to see how the Running Back situation plays out. Brennan Clay bears all the marks of being the next Old Steady. Roy Finch is my personal favorite. You can feel the collective breath of 85,000 fans get held every time Finch touches the ball. Roy is also a receiving threat which means lost jocks and soiled britches for defensive backs in the open field.
For my player of the game I'm going with Lonnie. He's the leader of this offense. I think he's finally ready to be the steady force this squad needs. I wouldn't be surprised to see him complete in the neighborhood of 70% of his passes today. It will be surgical domination.
DEFENSE
For all the veterans returning to this unit there are still a lot of areas that need proving. For instance, the interior defensive line. Also, how will the LB's, much less the entire D, play without their leader, Travis "Old Steady" Lewis?
The good news for Brent Vanables is that the talent on this side of the football is prodigious. To hear Venables tell it he's had a difficult task finding room for all his exceptional playmakers.
The choice for Defensive Player of the Game has to come from Ronnell "The Hammer" Lewis, Corey Nelson, Tony "Motherfuckin" Jefferson, Demontre Hurst or Jamel Fleming. I can't in good conscience stray from Tony M.F. Jefferson in the opener. Navin and I picked him for a reason and I'm eager to see how much bigger, faster and better he is this year.
THE PICK
Tulsa's offense could be God's gift to football and they still won't be able to match the Sooner offense on this day. The Sooner D will have its' unfortunate share of foibles. In the end the faithful go home early and happy.
OU 55, Tulsa 24
Don't forgot to drink your PBR Tallboys
Boomer to the Motherfuckin' Sooner
Saturday, October 30, 2010
No Longer on Suicide Watch, Ready for Colorado
I don't have what it takes to revisit what happened in Columbia last week. Two reasons for this. First, I drank myself to bolivian and details are mercifully sketchy. Two, I don't watch game tape of losses. Let's just forget it and move on to what might be the most poorly attended home game in the Bob Stoops era (It's trick-or-treat night and the game won't be over until midnight). I'm hoping that at the very least some sluttily dressed co-eds decide to show for some pregame revelry.
I don't care if there are only 10 people there though, the Sooners better have a fire lit under their collective asses. Redemption is the only cure for yet another mistake-riddled offensive effort and an adjustmentless (pretty sure I just made this up) defensive gameplan on national television. Why do we use the national stage to play like assholes (Big 12 Championship games excepted)?
I'm scared nonetheless. Colorado is like a cornered and wounded dog. Perhaps more lapdog than Pit Bull but still. You never know what a team with a coach on the hotseat and nothing to lose is capable of. The good news is, of course, the game is in Norman. Also, Coach Dan Hawkins's son Cody is at QB. He sucks (even if he led the Buffs to victory in Boulder a few years back). These are advantages that cannot be overstated.
The Picks
Offense
I don't necessarily like a Lonnie pick here but I'm going to do it anyway. He needs to get back on track and fast. As we said at the beginning of the season, he's the key to the whole thing. Lots of things can happen around the country and the Sooners need a Lonnie that's right in the head the rest of the way. If I had to pick somewhere other than Lonnie I'd say Roy Finch only because I'm fully plugged in to that hype machine.
Defense
I was going to say I hope it's someone from the secondary but I think it's more important for someone from the line to, you know, maybe touch the quarterback this week. I'll say Jeremy Beal then because he's the only real choice here. He needs to set the tone and be the leader of that unit.
The Score
I'm just not real confident about this one. Still, I don't see how Colorado can hold our offense down at home (of course I didn't think we could shit ourselves to the extent we did last week either). Who knows what kind of defensive effort there will be. These guys should be so much better than the 80th ranked defense in the country. It makes no sense to me. Still, that's what they are. I imagine the coaching staff hung out in the shoulder pads of that whole group this week though and maybe they'll be eager to prove they aren't terrible. Of course I'm the biggest homer ever so I'm assuming the best in all cases.
OU 35 Colorado 17
I don't care if there are only 10 people there though, the Sooners better have a fire lit under their collective asses. Redemption is the only cure for yet another mistake-riddled offensive effort and an adjustmentless (pretty sure I just made this up) defensive gameplan on national television. Why do we use the national stage to play like assholes (Big 12 Championship games excepted)?
I'm scared nonetheless. Colorado is like a cornered and wounded dog. Perhaps more lapdog than Pit Bull but still. You never know what a team with a coach on the hotseat and nothing to lose is capable of. The good news is, of course, the game is in Norman. Also, Coach Dan Hawkins's son Cody is at QB. He sucks (even if he led the Buffs to victory in Boulder a few years back). These are advantages that cannot be overstated.
The Picks
Offense
I don't necessarily like a Lonnie pick here but I'm going to do it anyway. He needs to get back on track and fast. As we said at the beginning of the season, he's the key to the whole thing. Lots of things can happen around the country and the Sooners need a Lonnie that's right in the head the rest of the way. If I had to pick somewhere other than Lonnie I'd say Roy Finch only because I'm fully plugged in to that hype machine.
Defense
I was going to say I hope it's someone from the secondary but I think it's more important for someone from the line to, you know, maybe touch the quarterback this week. I'll say Jeremy Beal then because he's the only real choice here. He needs to set the tone and be the leader of that unit.
The Score
I'm just not real confident about this one. Still, I don't see how Colorado can hold our offense down at home (of course I didn't think we could shit ourselves to the extent we did last week either). Who knows what kind of defensive effort there will be. These guys should be so much better than the 80th ranked defense in the country. It makes no sense to me. Still, that's what they are. I imagine the coaching staff hung out in the shoulder pads of that whole group this week though and maybe they'll be eager to prove they aren't terrible. Of course I'm the biggest homer ever so I'm assuming the best in all cases.
OU 35 Colorado 17
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
OU - ISU Hangover/Recap
Well, well, well, if it isn't our old friend Doomsday McGoo. I couldn't be more happy to see you. All is right in the universe.
The battle with Mizzou is going to be a huge test, no doubt. The Tigers bandwagon will be taking on new riders all week and this is a service to OU. I love how this is shaping up. The Sooners are healthy, confidence is sky high and everyone knows what is at stake. We'll hear nothing other than glowing reports of high energy, competitive practices and that the boys are ready to compete in a great way.
But before we set our sights on Saturday let's briefly recap the clinic that left Iowa State suckling hind teat.
Congrats to DeMarco Murray for passing Steve Owens for the all-time touchdown record. That is amazing. Murray is in rarefied air and, maybe it's just me, it seems like he's done all this fairly quietly. You'll get no argument from me that he's a badass. He broke a 40 year old record, overcame an injury plagued career and still has half a season left to add to his legacy. But if you polled Sooner fans would DeMarco make the list of top 5 OU running backs? Would people put him ahead of Billy Sims, Steve Owens, Joe Washington, AD, Greg Pruitt, BillyVessels, etc? He belongs somewhere in that group.
What of the gaudy numbers put up by Lonnie and Ryan Broyles? Lonnie 30-34 for 334 and half of those balls going Broyles's way for 182. Good grief. Iowa State sucks okay. But any Sooner fan should be quite pleased with anything that might give Lonnie as much confidence as possible. And what can you say about Broyles save that he's a badass.The ball he caught in traffic and the diving touchdown reception were both world class.
Roy Finch has something special. It's hard to compare him to anyone after a handful of carries but if I had to say anyone it would be Noel Devine. Finch is short and built like a brick shithouse. Lean more than a bowling ball. He has jets and gets to the second layer quickly. Then he's shifty and can finish with power. Considering he's been out 8 weeks with a foot injury he performed quite ably. Needless to say the future is bright.
Now on to Mizzou.
The battle with Mizzou is going to be a huge test, no doubt. The Tigers bandwagon will be taking on new riders all week and this is a service to OU. I love how this is shaping up. The Sooners are healthy, confidence is sky high and everyone knows what is at stake. We'll hear nothing other than glowing reports of high energy, competitive practices and that the boys are ready to compete in a great way.
But before we set our sights on Saturday let's briefly recap the clinic that left Iowa State suckling hind teat.
Congrats to DeMarco Murray for passing Steve Owens for the all-time touchdown record. That is amazing. Murray is in rarefied air and, maybe it's just me, it seems like he's done all this fairly quietly. You'll get no argument from me that he's a badass. He broke a 40 year old record, overcame an injury plagued career and still has half a season left to add to his legacy. But if you polled Sooner fans would DeMarco make the list of top 5 OU running backs? Would people put him ahead of Billy Sims, Steve Owens, Joe Washington, AD, Greg Pruitt, BillyVessels, etc? He belongs somewhere in that group.
What of the gaudy numbers put up by Lonnie and Ryan Broyles? Lonnie 30-34 for 334 and half of those balls going Broyles's way for 182. Good grief. Iowa State sucks okay. But any Sooner fan should be quite pleased with anything that might give Lonnie as much confidence as possible. And what can you say about Broyles save that he's a badass.The ball he caught in traffic and the diving touchdown reception were both world class.
Roy Finch has something special. It's hard to compare him to anyone after a handful of carries but if I had to say anyone it would be Noel Devine. Finch is short and built like a brick shithouse. Lean more than a bowling ball. He has jets and gets to the second layer quickly. Then he's shifty and can finish with power. Considering he's been out 8 weeks with a foot injury he performed quite ably. Needless to say the future is bright.
Now on to Mizzou.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Semirolled
Hey Navin see what I did there? I combined Seminoles and Rolled (as in, the Sooners Rolled over the Seminoles). We didn't even discuss this beforehand. Our title-writing is without peer.
I have to give you serious "props" for nailing two out of two Offensive POGs. I thought it was the best game of Lonnie's career. Hopefully this portends good things and not that Sooner Nation is in line for a season long roller coaster ride. "Stache - The Ride" doesn't sound fun even for a Tuesday night at Buddy's in KC.
Also, the O-Line was phenomenal. Lonnie had all day and they opened up some nice holes. It was an awesome showing by that whole group.
On Defense what can you say other than everything that the Sooners did poorly last week they did well this week. The tackling was solid (again), the seconday got their hands on a lot of balls and Navin is right, the Christian Ponder for Heisman campaign got derailed, "In a great way". It's still early but I think this defense could be something special. As a unit they seem to be smarter than team's past. They are in position, fundamentally sound and even the young guys seem to have a veteran presence. I'm definitely excited for the 2010 Sooner Defense.
As far as Ronnell Lewis as 2010 M.F.er we were spot on. We (rightly) rationalized that an M.F.er cannot be named on hype. This isn't a preseason Watch List. The award is based on known commodities and thus far, Quinton M.F. Carter is proving himself worthy. He's Steady Eddy in the Secondary.
Speaking of, my Quinton M.F. Carter t-shirt is finally being delivered today. Our long national nightmare is over.
I told you I was going to try to do better than last week's Photo Essay. Well, I shot some video because you were asking about the crowd. I was hoping to get some of the pregame crowd stuff but copious beers at the tailgate made us late to our seats.
This will probably get chosen for Sundance or something:
I have to give you serious "props" for nailing two out of two Offensive POGs. I thought it was the best game of Lonnie's career. Hopefully this portends good things and not that Sooner Nation is in line for a season long roller coaster ride. "Stache - The Ride" doesn't sound fun even for a Tuesday night at Buddy's in KC.
Also, the O-Line was phenomenal. Lonnie had all day and they opened up some nice holes. It was an awesome showing by that whole group.
On Defense what can you say other than everything that the Sooners did poorly last week they did well this week. The tackling was solid (again), the seconday got their hands on a lot of balls and Navin is right, the Christian Ponder for Heisman campaign got derailed, "In a great way". It's still early but I think this defense could be something special. As a unit they seem to be smarter than team's past. They are in position, fundamentally sound and even the young guys seem to have a veteran presence. I'm definitely excited for the 2010 Sooner Defense.
As far as Ronnell Lewis as 2010 M.F.er we were spot on. We (rightly) rationalized that an M.F.er cannot be named on hype. This isn't a preseason Watch List. The award is based on known commodities and thus far, Quinton M.F. Carter is proving himself worthy. He's Steady Eddy in the Secondary.
Speaking of, my Quinton M.F. Carter t-shirt is finally being delivered today. Our long national nightmare is over.
I told you I was going to try to do better than last week's Photo Essay. Well, I shot some video because you were asking about the crowd. I was hoping to get some of the pregame crowd stuff but copious beers at the tailgate made us late to our seats.
This will probably get chosen for Sundance or something:
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Questions on Offense
Now that my esteemed colleague Navin has so completely broken down the Sooner offense I'd like to ask and answer some offensive questions weighing heavily on my mind as we approach the 2010 campaign.
1A. Whither the Stache?
Indeed all of Sooner Nation waits with bated breath to see if Landry "Lonnie" Jones brings his perfectly groomed, Camaro-inspired flavor-savor to the huddle. He says he will but, according to this article, both his mother and girlfriend prefer him clean shaven. Uh Oh. In what may be the quote from fall camp, from Lonnie himself no less, "Sooner Nation needs the stache". Amen brother (In Sam Elliot voice).
1B. Stache Aside, What Can We Expect from Lonnie?
The biggest leap a player makes is from year one to year two. This is true in all sports. Now, given the fact that Lonnie got more than garbage-time reps, (he got a full season's worth of priceless meaningful game reps) he should be more improved than anyone on the team. Period. He entered the offseason as The Man and it has been his job to lose. And by lose I mean he would have had to fall out of a truck (twice), get caught stealing pot or get an illicit job at a car dealer. I expect him to be vastly improved.
So where does that put us? Would you be willing to say at least equal to Sam Bradford's first season (2007)? That would mean a nearly 70% completion percentage and a TD/INT ratio of 36 to 8. Gaudy numbers. Last year Lonnie went 58% with 26 TD's and 14 INT's. ~65% with 30+TD's and 8 INT's suddenly doesn't seem so far fetched and good things will happen with numbers like that.
2A. Will there be Some Semblance of Stability on the O-Line?
As Navin pointed out this unit is the biggest question mark on Offense. Last year these guys changed positions more than Sasha Gray in Face Invaders 4(Link Safe for work). Of course injury can be blamed for much of this. Hell, when a First Round Left Tackle is playing Center because of a lack of depth you have problems.
That said, I'm of the opinion that last years weakness is this year's strength. That's the beauty of college football. Because of injury and player movement, a lot of these guys got some meaningful reps across the line. This can only make this unit better, right? Can they stay healthy? Can they gel as a unit? I sure hope so because there are some fine players on this unit.
But it begs the question...
2B. Will some Mouth-Breathing Knuckle-Dragging Clod on the O-Line Quit the Team Come September 2nd?
I don't know what it is about O-Linemen but it seems like a right of Autumn that one of these jackoffs has had enough of windsprints and Oklahoma Drills and quits the team. I'm always one who says if they're not tough enough to handle it we don't need them anyways. Which is true. But just this once can these jackholes keep it together long enough to develop some chemistry before Cincinnatti? Pretty please?
3. What Body Part will Keep DeMarco Murray Off the Field at the Worst Possible Moment?
Frankly, we're running out of options here. The good news is he spent the offseason honing his MMA skills with 2010 M.F.er Quinton Carter. This bodes well. Also, this is the first offseason Murray has spent completely healthy. If you don't think I'm banging on wood right now like a hooker at a handjob contest you don't know me very well. We need this guy healthy. He changes absolutely everything we do. And whilst he's not the only home run threat the Sooners have on Offense he is still the most electrifying.
4. Uh, Does Anyone Want to Step Up at WR Besides Ryan Broyles?
As Navin said there is a Conglomerate of Mediocrity with Brandon Caleb, DeJuan Miller, Jaz Reynolds, Adron Tennel and Cameron Kenney. Each have had their opportunity and each has done some good, some bad with it. Evidently the smart money is on Freshman Kenny Stills. As Navin pointed out he's been penciled in as the starter since he arrived on campus. Personally, I try to avoid the recruiting hoopla and thus haven't paid much mind to this guy. But his high school numbers are ridiculous. Take it with a grain of salt of course but in three years the guy caught over 130 balls for 3000 yards for an average of 22 yards per catch. He could be the answer if he can simply complement Broyles and DeMarco and keep opposing defenses honest.
Great, now I feel like I just flushed a handful of Viagra with some Crown Royal. An improved Lonnie at QB with cohesion on the O-Line coupled with three home run hitters in DeMarco, Broyles and Kenny.
1A. Whither the Stache?
Indeed all of Sooner Nation waits with bated breath to see if Landry "Lonnie" Jones brings his perfectly groomed, Camaro-inspired flavor-savor to the huddle. He says he will but, according to this article, both his mother and girlfriend prefer him clean shaven. Uh Oh. In what may be the quote from fall camp, from Lonnie himself no less, "Sooner Nation needs the stache". Amen brother (In Sam Elliot voice).
1B. Stache Aside, What Can We Expect from Lonnie?
The biggest leap a player makes is from year one to year two. This is true in all sports. Now, given the fact that Lonnie got more than garbage-time reps, (he got a full season's worth of priceless meaningful game reps) he should be more improved than anyone on the team. Period. He entered the offseason as The Man and it has been his job to lose. And by lose I mean he would have had to fall out of a truck (twice), get caught stealing pot or get an illicit job at a car dealer. I expect him to be vastly improved.
So where does that put us? Would you be willing to say at least equal to Sam Bradford's first season (2007)? That would mean a nearly 70% completion percentage and a TD/INT ratio of 36 to 8. Gaudy numbers. Last year Lonnie went 58% with 26 TD's and 14 INT's. ~65% with 30+TD's and 8 INT's suddenly doesn't seem so far fetched and good things will happen with numbers like that.
2A. Will there be Some Semblance of Stability on the O-Line?
As Navin pointed out this unit is the biggest question mark on Offense. Last year these guys changed positions more than Sasha Gray in Face Invaders 4(Link Safe for work). Of course injury can be blamed for much of this. Hell, when a First Round Left Tackle is playing Center because of a lack of depth you have problems.
That said, I'm of the opinion that last years weakness is this year's strength. That's the beauty of college football. Because of injury and player movement, a lot of these guys got some meaningful reps across the line. This can only make this unit better, right? Can they stay healthy? Can they gel as a unit? I sure hope so because there are some fine players on this unit.
But it begs the question...
2B. Will some Mouth-Breathing Knuckle-Dragging Clod on the O-Line Quit the Team Come September 2nd?
I don't know what it is about O-Linemen but it seems like a right of Autumn that one of these jackoffs has had enough of windsprints and Oklahoma Drills and quits the team. I'm always one who says if they're not tough enough to handle it we don't need them anyways. Which is true. But just this once can these jackholes keep it together long enough to develop some chemistry before Cincinnatti? Pretty please?
3. What Body Part will Keep DeMarco Murray Off the Field at the Worst Possible Moment?
Frankly, we're running out of options here. The good news is he spent the offseason honing his MMA skills with 2010 M.F.er Quinton Carter. This bodes well. Also, this is the first offseason Murray has spent completely healthy. If you don't think I'm banging on wood right now like a hooker at a handjob contest you don't know me very well. We need this guy healthy. He changes absolutely everything we do. And whilst he's not the only home run threat the Sooners have on Offense he is still the most electrifying.
4. Uh, Does Anyone Want to Step Up at WR Besides Ryan Broyles?
As Navin said there is a Conglomerate of Mediocrity with Brandon Caleb, DeJuan Miller, Jaz Reynolds, Adron Tennel and Cameron Kenney. Each have had their opportunity and each has done some good, some bad with it. Evidently the smart money is on Freshman Kenny Stills. As Navin pointed out he's been penciled in as the starter since he arrived on campus. Personally, I try to avoid the recruiting hoopla and thus haven't paid much mind to this guy. But his high school numbers are ridiculous. Take it with a grain of salt of course but in three years the guy caught over 130 balls for 3000 yards for an average of 22 yards per catch. He could be the answer if he can simply complement Broyles and DeMarco and keep opposing defenses honest.
Great, now I feel like I just flushed a handful of Viagra with some Crown Royal. An improved Lonnie at QB with cohesion on the O-Line coupled with three home run hitters in DeMarco, Broyles and Kenny.
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