Good Saturday to you Sooners fans. I am writing this post from Vietnam where the wife and I have been vacationing for the past two weeks. It's a beautiful place to visit with great food if you're interested. However, I've been calling everyone I meet Charlie and am repeatedly met with blank looks. I've paid little attention to the sporting world, but I'm pretty sure I have all of the evidence I need from the season to know what is going to happen in this one. A few weeks ago our beloved Sooners went on the road against an undefeated Baylor squad. We hung tough for a quarter and a half or so and then proceeded to get shat on in nearly every phase of the game. This same Baylor team recently got punished in embarrassing fashion by the very O-State Cowboys we stand to face. I'm not a huge believer in this who-beat-who transferring from week to week, so I'm hopeful here if not doubtful. It will take our best game of the season to avoid a repeat of 2011.
Offense
Once again I'm trying to think of what to do here and am not coming up with much. I did read that Keith Ford has a chance to see the field again this week. I like the strategy of burning a year of eligibility for 20 snaps on the season. I'm doubtful he'll do enough to garner an MVP worthy performance, at least not by this blog's lofty standards. I'm going to go out on a limb here and go with Trevor Knight. I realize this basically condemns him to a terrible game but if I'm right then I think we hang around in this one. He's going to have to create more with his legs and hit a few shots down field. Otherwise, it's going to be a long day for this soft turd of an offense.
Defense
Another crapshoot here. Though I did like Dominique Alexander's play last week when Mitch and I both picked him. I think our best hope defensively is getting good pressure up front. If Chelf has all day to throw, our DB's will be putting on a live action performance of the hit Broadway musical "Smeared Britches". So I'm going with Chaz Ass Tapper today. We need him to be a force and I feel that he will come through.
Score
I'll be on a plane when this one plays out, a quick 26 hour jaunt all told. So I'll be blissfully ignorant of the outcome for a while. But let's suffice it to say that this has me awfully nervous. Like having-terrible-diarrhea-and-doing-nude-jumping-jacks-on-white-carpet nervous. As much as I hate to say it, we are the inferior team in this one. That's hard to write down. But, as is always the case this game tends to play closer than it should when one team is clearly better. I think OU hangs around, gets some big plays on special teams with Roy and Jalen, and the defense plays a complete game. With those things in mind, a couple of turnovers going our way and if you squint and tilt your head just right, you can see an OU win. It's not much to hang your hat on but it's enough and that's what the Sooners have today, enough. OU pulls out a squeaker here and wins it 31-30.
Boomer to the Motherfuckin' Sooner.
Showing posts with label Roy Finch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Roy Finch. Show all posts
Friday, December 6, 2013
Thursday, November 7, 2013
OU vs. Baylor Or... Texas Tech Part the Deuce.. Maybe
Last game: The Sooners find themselves matched up against a team trying to make a statement and prove their lofty ranking was deserved. It was strength versus strength. Spread offense versus a defense designed to stop such a thing. The Nation found out the Red Raiders were overhyped.
This week: The Sooners find themselves matched up against a team trying to make a statement and prove their lofty ranking is deserved. It's strength versus strength. Spread offense versus a defense designed to stop such a thing. What will The Nation learn tonight?
The Baylor Bears, much like the Red Raiders, have played nobody leading up to this matchup. Buffalo has the best record of anyone the Bears have faced. The best Big 12 team they faced, K-State, is also the team that held them to a season low of 35 points. At the time of the Texas Tech matchup, the Red Raiders stiffest test had been TCU who held them to their lowest points of the season.
All of this to say that rankings and hype don't mean shit. This year's Oklahoma football team, while still a bit of a mystery and disappointment (oh, how spoiled are we?), have been tested. They've played in hostile territory and they've played against some ranked teams. You know at this point that there is a decent shot the Sooners are going to score 30. Maybe not much more than that but they can get there. You know they are going to hold someone under their scoring average (except texas damnit).
Baylor's numbers are off the charts. Their two leading receivers each have 30+ catches and average over 20 yards per. Their leading rushers each average over 8 yards per. It's PlayStation set on Rookie. But look at who they've played. It's real life set on Rookie. Wofford, Buffalo, Kansas, Iowa State.
Waco is probably the least intimidating place in the Big 12 to play. Besides the Cotton Bowl it's historically been the second best home away from home.
This need not be as scary as it is.
OFFENSE
No secret here it's all about controlling the clock, keeping Baylor off the field and making Baylor prove they can stop the run. Blake Bell just needs to be competent and Brennan Clay and Co. need to hang on to the football. Bell needs to take the easy passes when they are there but the offense needs to dictate the terms by shoving a potent ground game up Baylor's unproven ass.
For the love of all things holy I would like to put a good jinx on someone this week. I want, again for the love of all things holy, for Roy Damn Finch to step in and be Mr. Everything in Trey Millard's absence.
Speaking of Trey Millard can we pour a little out for our homey? WTF man? Godspeed in your rehab and thanks.
DEFENSE
Hoo boy. Everyone needs to double up on jock straps tonight. This is going to be a tester no doubt. It's nice having Frank Shannon back. That helps.
I can't find anywhere that says he isn't playing so I'm picking Eric Striker. He's the best blitzer by far and getting to the quarterback is the key to this Sooner squad getting off the field. This is my "Chess vs. Checkers" matchup to watch tonight and I like Ted Striker's chances.
THE SCORE
I am really counting on another paper tiger here. I am assuming that Baylor's defense is not only untested but also not up to the challenge. I am counting on the Sooners D being ready for the biggest test of their season. And I am counting on the Baylor offense to hershey squirt their britches a little bit when faced with a defense that is not made up of electric football figurines. Finally, I am counting on the Brothers Stoops and Josh Heupel to gameplan half as effectively as Art Briles.
A lot has to fall in place here. But it will and the Sooners make a statement of their own this week.
OU 42, Baylor 35
Boomer to the motherfuckin Sooner
This week: The Sooners find themselves matched up against a team trying to make a statement and prove their lofty ranking is deserved. It's strength versus strength. Spread offense versus a defense designed to stop such a thing. What will The Nation learn tonight?
The Baylor Bears, much like the Red Raiders, have played nobody leading up to this matchup. Buffalo has the best record of anyone the Bears have faced. The best Big 12 team they faced, K-State, is also the team that held them to a season low of 35 points. At the time of the Texas Tech matchup, the Red Raiders stiffest test had been TCU who held them to their lowest points of the season.
All of this to say that rankings and hype don't mean shit. This year's Oklahoma football team, while still a bit of a mystery and disappointment (oh, how spoiled are we?), have been tested. They've played in hostile territory and they've played against some ranked teams. You know at this point that there is a decent shot the Sooners are going to score 30. Maybe not much more than that but they can get there. You know they are going to hold someone under their scoring average (except texas damnit).
Baylor's numbers are off the charts. Their two leading receivers each have 30+ catches and average over 20 yards per. Their leading rushers each average over 8 yards per. It's PlayStation set on Rookie. But look at who they've played. It's real life set on Rookie. Wofford, Buffalo, Kansas, Iowa State.
Waco is probably the least intimidating place in the Big 12 to play. Besides the Cotton Bowl it's historically been the second best home away from home.
This need not be as scary as it is.
OFFENSE
No secret here it's all about controlling the clock, keeping Baylor off the field and making Baylor prove they can stop the run. Blake Bell just needs to be competent and Brennan Clay and Co. need to hang on to the football. Bell needs to take the easy passes when they are there but the offense needs to dictate the terms by shoving a potent ground game up Baylor's unproven ass.
For the love of all things holy I would like to put a good jinx on someone this week. I want, again for the love of all things holy, for Roy Damn Finch to step in and be Mr. Everything in Trey Millard's absence.
Speaking of Trey Millard can we pour a little out for our homey? WTF man? Godspeed in your rehab and thanks.
DEFENSE
Hoo boy. Everyone needs to double up on jock straps tonight. This is going to be a tester no doubt. It's nice having Frank Shannon back. That helps.
I can't find anywhere that says he isn't playing so I'm picking Eric Striker. He's the best blitzer by far and getting to the quarterback is the key to this Sooner squad getting off the field. This is my "Chess vs. Checkers" matchup to watch tonight and I like Ted Striker's chances.
THE SCORE
I am really counting on another paper tiger here. I am assuming that Baylor's defense is not only untested but also not up to the challenge. I am counting on the Sooners D being ready for the biggest test of their season. And I am counting on the Baylor offense to hershey squirt their britches a little bit when faced with a defense that is not made up of electric football figurines. Finally, I am counting on the Brothers Stoops and Josh Heupel to gameplan half as effectively as Art Briles.
A lot has to fall in place here. But it will and the Sooners make a statement of their own this week.
OU 42, Baylor 35
Boomer to the motherfuckin Sooner
Baylor
I come to you today, writing from my phone as the piece of shit Blogger wouldn't let me put up a post from the PC at my work for some reason. I'm happy about this. As a result, this may be shorter than normal (probably a good thing).
There was a time when seeing Baylor come up on the schedule was a welcomed respite from the grind of a brutal Big 12 schedule. Oh how times have changed. What was once seen as a brief "lottery win" with the RG3 era, has turned into a legit program under the guidance of Art Briles. The rumors of him going to Texas have Sooner nation collectively scraping melted kit-kats from the inner linings of their jockey's. As it stands, he's made the Bears into legit contenders. I have strong doubts about tonight's contest.
Mitch was (appropriately) worried that we'd be drubbed by Tech last week. Fortunately the Sooners were able to do enough to win that game. While solid, Tech is not going to be mistaken for Baylor, and we aren't in Norman. Make no mistake, this is the biggest game they've hosted in my lifetime, maybe ever. Big enough that they are taking the tarp off of the perpetually covered endzone seats to accommodate the ticket demand. This is bad. They are better than we are in nearly every facet, and I'm particularly worried that our decimated defense is going to be annihilated by their O. This is really bad.
Offense
I'm feeling like our best chance in this one is to go with what we do best, run the football. Obviously because we are mush better at this than passing, it will (hopefully) keep their offense--and our defense off of the field, and if Baylor has a weak point it's stopping the run. Which sets it up perfectly for Heupel to get really fucking cute (see: OU v texas, 2013) and try to win a shoot out. That said, I'm hoping that common sense prevails and we hand it off early and often. It's our only chance really. I'm going with a hopeful pick. In light of his recent strong play vs Tech, I like Roy Damn Finch to be a spark that ignites our offense.
Defense
I'm scared here, I don't really know how we're going to stop them. They do everything well on this side of the ball. We don't do much well. I know they pass and spread the field and score at breakneck speed. My vision though is that Seastrunk goes for about 200 and 5 scores. I hope I'm very wrong. I'm going to go with our best guy here. Big games call on your stars to step up and I think Aaron Motherfuckin Colvin does just that. I think he takes away half of the field, and makes some big tackles coming up in run support.
Score
I'm nervous this could be 70-17 in favor of them. We've shat ourselves on the big stage for, oh, the last decade or so. None of this bodes well. I'm keeping the faith however (no reason to stop now), and taking the Sooners tonight. We play a grind it out game, get some lucky bounces and a win the turnover battle, Sooners "Miracle" this one with some old Sooner Magic: 31-30.
Lets roll these punk bitches.
Boomer to the Motherfuckin Sooner.
Thursday, October 10, 2013
The Red River Rivalry
Not to be overconfident because, "You can throw out the records in this one" and yada yada but is this the last RRR for Mack Brown? I mean, I don't think they'll can him mid-season. But if the Longhorns lose, however badly, is this the death knell for ol' Mack? If the horns win, does it save his job? Does it provide enough of a glimmer of hope for Longhorn Nation to see if ol' Mack can bring back the bygone magic of the Vince Young days with [Insert name of freshman QB wunderkind here] ?
I wouldn't care a whit except I like whipping Mack Brown's ass. I love his nasally, over-protective post game pressers. I am also scared shitless of an Art Briles Texas Longhorn offensive juggernaut. Don't want no part of it. I like the status quo here.
Now I don't like it enough to stomach a loss to the horns this week though, you understand. No sir. I want to absolutely pistol whip these sonsabucks. But I just wonder if I had my way and the Sooners go PlayStation on the Horns, have we seen the last of Mack? It's sad to think about really. I'm not sure I want to live in a world where Mack Brown is patrolling the Georgia Tech sidelines.
OFFENSE
My favorite aspect of this game is the Cinderalla Story who comes out of nowhere and ensures himself, at worst, a future at an autograph table at Joe Cooper Ford some Saturday during Ford Truck Month. Last year Trey Millard played the role. So far this season, Josher seems happy making sure those RRR highlights are the only memories of Trey we'll have.
So who will it be this year? I couldn't tell you if the Sooners have had a tight end on the field this year or not. So that would be the longest shot. I can't even name a TE and I won't bother looking it up. Somebody like LaColtan Bester would be a good choice. He seems to be solid if forgotten after that fumble against West Virginia. I think the best choice though is someone like Roy Finch. He's the perfect candidate because he's the kind of player you can move around (a la Millard) and get involved in a lot of different ways. Most importantly, Josher can do this with a lot of NEW formations and plays. They could even go back to that little shuttle pass that worked so well with Q back in the early aughts. Who else can make that kind of play?
So my choice is Roy Damn Finch. Related: Notice I didn't mention the texas D? That's because they're terrible and if that one guy hadn't done some shithead hit on an Iowa State guy last week there'd be nothing at all with the D to talk about.
DEFENSE
Boy, the loss of Corey Nelson hurts. Speaking of Cinderella stories. Until now, Co. Nelson's career has been more balleyhooed and underwhelming versus coming from nowhere but finally this year he was starting to make believers. In fact, he was a total beast. And now, season over.
No time to cry though. Fuckin-A we got a game to play here. I really like the idea of a Mikey Stoops defense causing Case McCoy's eyes to go all Marty Feldman.
I'd love to pick Dominique Alexander here just out of solidarity for his fallen bro but I can't. But I'm such a firm believer in the Sooners rattling Case that I do think one Chaz Tapper is going to "go off". You want to talk about pleasant surprises? You want to talk about Beast Mode? Let's talk Chaz Tapper.
THE SCORE
Well I like the Sooners big here but all cliche aside I'll be pleased with a 1 point win. Me and the lady are going to the game for the first time (for me) since 1996. I need a Sooner victory. I've earned a Sooner victory.
Realistically, the texas D is pathetic. Our O will be fine. Our D will be "turnt up". We will, in fact, dominate.
I like the Sooners here in a great way. OU 35, texas 14.
Boomer to the Motherfuckin Sooner!
I wouldn't care a whit except I like whipping Mack Brown's ass. I love his nasally, over-protective post game pressers. I am also scared shitless of an Art Briles Texas Longhorn offensive juggernaut. Don't want no part of it. I like the status quo here.
Now I don't like it enough to stomach a loss to the horns this week though, you understand. No sir. I want to absolutely pistol whip these sonsabucks. But I just wonder if I had my way and the Sooners go PlayStation on the Horns, have we seen the last of Mack? It's sad to think about really. I'm not sure I want to live in a world where Mack Brown is patrolling the Georgia Tech sidelines.
OFFENSE
My favorite aspect of this game is the Cinderalla Story who comes out of nowhere and ensures himself, at worst, a future at an autograph table at Joe Cooper Ford some Saturday during Ford Truck Month. Last year Trey Millard played the role. So far this season, Josher seems happy making sure those RRR highlights are the only memories of Trey we'll have.
So who will it be this year? I couldn't tell you if the Sooners have had a tight end on the field this year or not. So that would be the longest shot. I can't even name a TE and I won't bother looking it up. Somebody like LaColtan Bester would be a good choice. He seems to be solid if forgotten after that fumble against West Virginia. I think the best choice though is someone like Roy Finch. He's the perfect candidate because he's the kind of player you can move around (a la Millard) and get involved in a lot of different ways. Most importantly, Josher can do this with a lot of NEW formations and plays. They could even go back to that little shuttle pass that worked so well with Q back in the early aughts. Who else can make that kind of play?
So my choice is Roy Damn Finch. Related: Notice I didn't mention the texas D? That's because they're terrible and if that one guy hadn't done some shithead hit on an Iowa State guy last week there'd be nothing at all with the D to talk about.
DEFENSE
Boy, the loss of Corey Nelson hurts. Speaking of Cinderella stories. Until now, Co. Nelson's career has been more balleyhooed and underwhelming versus coming from nowhere but finally this year he was starting to make believers. In fact, he was a total beast. And now, season over.
No time to cry though. Fuckin-A we got a game to play here. I really like the idea of a Mikey Stoops defense causing Case McCoy's eyes to go all Marty Feldman.
I'd love to pick Dominique Alexander here just out of solidarity for his fallen bro but I can't. But I'm such a firm believer in the Sooners rattling Case that I do think one Chaz Tapper is going to "go off". You want to talk about pleasant surprises? You want to talk about Beast Mode? Let's talk Chaz Tapper.
THE SCORE
Well I like the Sooners big here but all cliche aside I'll be pleased with a 1 point win. Me and the lady are going to the game for the first time (for me) since 1996. I need a Sooner victory. I've earned a Sooner victory.
Realistically, the texas D is pathetic. Our O will be fine. Our D will be "turnt up". We will, in fact, dominate.
I like the Sooners here in a great way. OU 35, texas 14.
Boomer to the Motherfuckin Sooner!
Saturday, September 7, 2013
WVU
As the first light of dawn reached into my bedroom, I awoke. My buckskin pants already on, I turned my legs toward the floor and my feet delved into my fur lined, high-top moccasins. As I stood I simultaneously stretched, and reached for the tassled, tanned leather jacket hanging on a deer antler next to my bed. I pulled its soft, animal embrace over my skeletal frame. Sleep still in my eyes, and morning still on my breath, I placed my time-worn coonskin cap on and threw my musket over my shoulder. My arm pushed open the weathered, wooden door to my bunk and my gaze met the morning sun with a squint. As I took my first breath of the crisp morning air, I felt the familiar deluge of carnal excitement as I went into the next bunkhouse to fornicate with both of my sisters. And it was golden.
--from, "The Mountaineer: My Year of Torrid Incest as an Adult Male Cheerleader", HarperCollins; 2003
There's a less than 3% chance I made that up, which is roughly on par with the chance I give WVU of winning today in Norman. Everyone knows the details of last season's track meet in Morgantown. The Sooners emerged victorious but not before allowing Smith, Austin et al to literally run at will all over our embarrassing, wait-it's-not-two-hand-touch?-defense. It's the worst performance defensively of the Bob Stoops era. It was the least satisfying win I can remember, but a win nonetheless.
All of the key pieces of that onslaught, and of Dana Holgerson's (semi) relevant Mountaineer team of last season, are gone. New QB, new skill position guys and it all showed up (or didn't, depending on..) last week. WVU had to rally, RALLY, in the second half against The Tribe of William and Mary. Granted, I'm sure they were overlooking them a bit, but still. They certainly won't be looking past OU on the road today. However, I'm sure we're eager to shut them down and prove that last year was the exception, not the rule. My suspicion is Mike Stoops has not failed to remind the defense of how fucking terrible they looked last season against these guys. My hope is he's got a game-plan together to show them "what's what".
Last week marked the debut of Trevor Adophilous Knight (probably/certainly not his real middle name, but it sounds damn fine and "right" to me). He showed Sooner Nation his ability to scramble. He also showed he can be woefully inaccurate in the passing game. While I didn't get to watch the game ($49.95 to stream ULM on SoonerSports?? Not a fucking chance), reports indicate he settled down as the game went on. I hope that he's more poised today and starts making the good throws that are there. Of course, it's nice to have our running game as a fallback. I was pleased to see from the box score that Roy Finch had a nice day, and Mitch seems pretty high on Keith Ford. That said I was disappointed that Heupel found enough touches leftover to give Trey Millard one (ONE!?) carry. I hope that changes, though I have strong doubts.
Offense
I liked going with Knight in his debut, and I think a case can be made that he was OPG. Early returns look as though Jalen Saunders may be a favorite target as he had a nice game last week (nice call, Mitchy). I was pleased to see Trey Metoyer find the endzone last Saturday as well. This week, I'm feeling as though Knight picks up the passing game even more, and puts up better numbers. Though I'd love to go with Knight or a receiver, I feel like it's going to be someone on the ground today. The running game is such a tough pick with so many options (underutilized or not) to give the ball to. I'm going to go with Roy Finch. I'm excited that he's becoming a part of the offense (again) because, let's face it, when he is out there he almost always does something awesome. I think 100+ yards is unrealistic with all of our options, but I feel as though an all around balanced day of running and receiving with one score is coming.
Defense
I really wish I could have seen last week's game. It's been so long since we've shut down anyone, regardless of what kind of team it is, to that degree. Only two trips past the 50! I must say it feels good. We're clearly not going to keep putting up those kinds of games in the Big 12, but it's a nice start. Though Aaron Motherfuckin' Colvin played well last week, it felt even better to tip a cap toward Frank Shannon and Charles Tapper who both ended up having really nice games. With that in mind, I'm going to pick Frank Shannon as my DPG (Defensive Player of the Game, not Disrespectful Pounding of the Gash). I think he makes a lot of big tackles today, and leads us to another solid defensive performance.
Score
I like what the D showed last week, and I like that WVU struggled to score against William AND Mary (I mean, both of them??) last week. I also think the offense gets rolling even more this week with Knight settling in earlier. Sooners win this one 41-17. Solid performance out of the gate, and we keep the pressure on throughout.
This is my first game of the season to watch, and I couldn't be more excited about the prospect of it. It's payback for last year and we'll do it in a big way. Let's roll heads.
Boomer to the Motherfuckin' Sooner
--from, "The Mountaineer: My Year of Torrid Incest as an Adult Male Cheerleader", HarperCollins; 2003
There's a less than 3% chance I made that up, which is roughly on par with the chance I give WVU of winning today in Norman. Everyone knows the details of last season's track meet in Morgantown. The Sooners emerged victorious but not before allowing Smith, Austin et al to literally run at will all over our embarrassing, wait-it's-not-two-hand-touch?-defense. It's the worst performance defensively of the Bob Stoops era. It was the least satisfying win I can remember, but a win nonetheless.
All of the key pieces of that onslaught, and of Dana Holgerson's (semi) relevant Mountaineer team of last season, are gone. New QB, new skill position guys and it all showed up (or didn't, depending on..) last week. WVU had to rally, RALLY, in the second half against The Tribe of William and Mary. Granted, I'm sure they were overlooking them a bit, but still. They certainly won't be looking past OU on the road today. However, I'm sure we're eager to shut them down and prove that last year was the exception, not the rule. My suspicion is Mike Stoops has not failed to remind the defense of how fucking terrible they looked last season against these guys. My hope is he's got a game-plan together to show them "what's what".
Last week marked the debut of Trevor Adophilous Knight (probably/certainly not his real middle name, but it sounds damn fine and "right" to me). He showed Sooner Nation his ability to scramble. He also showed he can be woefully inaccurate in the passing game. While I didn't get to watch the game ($49.95 to stream ULM on SoonerSports?? Not a fucking chance), reports indicate he settled down as the game went on. I hope that he's more poised today and starts making the good throws that are there. Of course, it's nice to have our running game as a fallback. I was pleased to see from the box score that Roy Finch had a nice day, and Mitch seems pretty high on Keith Ford. That said I was disappointed that Heupel found enough touches leftover to give Trey Millard one (ONE!?) carry. I hope that changes, though I have strong doubts.
Offense
I liked going with Knight in his debut, and I think a case can be made that he was OPG. Early returns look as though Jalen Saunders may be a favorite target as he had a nice game last week (nice call, Mitchy). I was pleased to see Trey Metoyer find the endzone last Saturday as well. This week, I'm feeling as though Knight picks up the passing game even more, and puts up better numbers. Though I'd love to go with Knight or a receiver, I feel like it's going to be someone on the ground today. The running game is such a tough pick with so many options (underutilized or not) to give the ball to. I'm going to go with Roy Finch. I'm excited that he's becoming a part of the offense (again) because, let's face it, when he is out there he almost always does something awesome. I think 100+ yards is unrealistic with all of our options, but I feel as though an all around balanced day of running and receiving with one score is coming.
Defense
I really wish I could have seen last week's game. It's been so long since we've shut down anyone, regardless of what kind of team it is, to that degree. Only two trips past the 50! I must say it feels good. We're clearly not going to keep putting up those kinds of games in the Big 12, but it's a nice start. Though Aaron Motherfuckin' Colvin played well last week, it felt even better to tip a cap toward Frank Shannon and Charles Tapper who both ended up having really nice games. With that in mind, I'm going to pick Frank Shannon as my DPG (Defensive Player of the Game, not Disrespectful Pounding of the Gash). I think he makes a lot of big tackles today, and leads us to another solid defensive performance.
Score
I like what the D showed last week, and I like that WVU struggled to score against William AND Mary (I mean, both of them??) last week. I also think the offense gets rolling even more this week with Knight settling in earlier. Sooners win this one 41-17. Solid performance out of the gate, and we keep the pressure on throughout.
This is my first game of the season to watch, and I couldn't be more excited about the prospect of it. It's payback for last year and we'll do it in a big way. Let's roll heads.
Boomer to the Motherfuckin' Sooner
Friday, September 6, 2013
OU vs. West Virginia
Judging future performance on the recent past is a tricky business. It's borderline dumb in sports. Any given Sunday and all that jazz. But last week, West Virginia had to throw the kitchen sink at William and Mary to eek out a win at home. I pegged William and Mary for a women's field hockey powerhouse. Nevertheless, a game that was, on paper, the best of the 2013 Sooner home slate now looks a little less appealing.
That's dangerous thinking that the Sooners would be advised not to buy into.
I watched a little bit of the WVU game and the Mountaineers trotted out some half wit at quarterback name Greg Millard. I am delighted to call him Greg Marmalard. I hope he plays early and often. He seemed ineffective.
OFFENSE
Anyone who wasn't pleased with last week's performance is a jerk. Trevor Knight was shaky early in his first meaningful action since high school. That's understandable. Some of his passes should have been caught. He managed the game, his lone turnover was awarded via replay and was a long pass on 3rd down anyway (effectively a punt). He got rid of the ball quickly, didn't take a sack and didn't fool the o-line with snap counts and such.
The running game was damn good too. It might not happen this year but Keith Ford is going to be a star. On one play it took three defenders to bring him down and they all got up slowly. The dude runs hard.
I would expect more of the same this week. I expect the passing to be marginally improved by virtue of the distribution of the ball being a bit better.
For my OPOG I'll go with Roy Damn Finch. He saw more action than I expected and I think he'll break some longer ones this week. The good news is there are options here week in and week out.
Before we move on to defense I'd like to highlight that both Navin and I made awesome picks last week. Both Knight and Jalen Saunders were impressive.
DEFENSE
Sooner fans should be pleased with what they saw on this side of the ball last week as well. Shutouts are hard to get. There is clearly an athletic upgrade across the board from this year to last. They seemed to play with a sense of urgency. I was really impressed by Jordan Phillips and Charles (Chaz) Tapper on the line. Frank Shannon and Corey Nelson both played well. Eric Striker is a linebacker in a Safety's body. Zack Sanchez was solid at DB. Quentin Hayes and (gulp!) Gabe Lynn were both flying around.
I'm cautiously optimistic that the attitude and snarl missing from year's past has finally made its return.
For my DPOG I'm going with Cory Nelson. I'm hopeful that the Sooners might have an answer to all the underneath stuff these widespread offenses are using. The LB's really seemed like they were covering some ground last week. Maybe some of these plays can get funneled to these guys and that they have the athleticism to make the plays.
Seems crazy picking an LB but what the heck.
SCORE
It's too hard to believe that WVU can be as bad as they appeared last week. I chalk it up to new personnel and looking ahead a bit. Also, Dana Holgerson seems like a putz so he probably just didn't have the boys ready to play. So, I think they look a little better this week and score some points.
I do not, on the other hand, believe that the WVU defense can hold a wet fart. This will not be the shootout of last year but there will be lots of scoring.
OU 42 WVU 24
Boomer to the motherfuckin Sooner
That's dangerous thinking that the Sooners would be advised not to buy into.
I watched a little bit of the WVU game and the Mountaineers trotted out some half wit at quarterback name Greg Millard. I am delighted to call him Greg Marmalard. I hope he plays early and often. He seemed ineffective.
OFFENSE
Anyone who wasn't pleased with last week's performance is a jerk. Trevor Knight was shaky early in his first meaningful action since high school. That's understandable. Some of his passes should have been caught. He managed the game, his lone turnover was awarded via replay and was a long pass on 3rd down anyway (effectively a punt). He got rid of the ball quickly, didn't take a sack and didn't fool the o-line with snap counts and such.
The running game was damn good too. It might not happen this year but Keith Ford is going to be a star. On one play it took three defenders to bring him down and they all got up slowly. The dude runs hard.
I would expect more of the same this week. I expect the passing to be marginally improved by virtue of the distribution of the ball being a bit better.
For my OPOG I'll go with Roy Damn Finch. He saw more action than I expected and I think he'll break some longer ones this week. The good news is there are options here week in and week out.
Before we move on to defense I'd like to highlight that both Navin and I made awesome picks last week. Both Knight and Jalen Saunders were impressive.
DEFENSE
Sooner fans should be pleased with what they saw on this side of the ball last week as well. Shutouts are hard to get. There is clearly an athletic upgrade across the board from this year to last. They seemed to play with a sense of urgency. I was really impressed by Jordan Phillips and Charles (Chaz) Tapper on the line. Frank Shannon and Corey Nelson both played well. Eric Striker is a linebacker in a Safety's body. Zack Sanchez was solid at DB. Quentin Hayes and (gulp!) Gabe Lynn were both flying around.
I'm cautiously optimistic that the attitude and snarl missing from year's past has finally made its return.
For my DPOG I'm going with Cory Nelson. I'm hopeful that the Sooners might have an answer to all the underneath stuff these widespread offenses are using. The LB's really seemed like they were covering some ground last week. Maybe some of these plays can get funneled to these guys and that they have the athleticism to make the plays.
Seems crazy picking an LB but what the heck.
SCORE
It's too hard to believe that WVU can be as bad as they appeared last week. I chalk it up to new personnel and looking ahead a bit. Also, Dana Holgerson seems like a putz so he probably just didn't have the boys ready to play. So, I think they look a little better this week and score some points.
I do not, on the other hand, believe that the WVU defense can hold a wet fart. This will not be the shootout of last year but there will be lots of scoring.
OU 42 WVU 24
Boomer to the motherfuckin Sooner
Saturday, August 31, 2013
ULM
For the first time since being totally destroyed on the biggest stage (again) last January, the Sooners take the field with a clean slate this evening. As I mentioned in my post on Wednesday, I have an odd mix of resignation and optimism on the season. But as I wiped my eyes this morning and rolled out of bed, optimism sprung up. While I'm not sure what to expect during the course of the season, today I'm expecting an ass beat be put on the poor saps from ULM.
Yes, the pundits say that ULM is not to be taken lightly. They started their season by beating a respectable Arkansas team on the road and played (a shitty) Auburn close last year. They also had tough losses to such powerhouses as Arkansas State and Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns. With that in mind I'll chalk the Arkansas upset to being overlooked and the others to not being a great team. Listen, they are who we think they are and if you want to crown their asses then go ahead and crown them. Denny Green aside, they're a decent mid-major capable of beating us. However, I don't think it's likely.
The biggest story of our day, and what has me brimming with curiosity and excitement is the debut of Trevor Knight, aka not lonnie jones. I'm pumped to see what this supposed wunderkind can do. I'm also pumped that for the first time in 3+ seasons I'm not going into a game absolutely certain that I'm going to hate at least 10 things our QB does.
Defensively, well, who the hell knows what can happen? In my exhaustive (read: less than 7 minutes of...) research, it seems that ULM did put up quite a few points most weeks in 2012. So it appears that they know (knew?) how to score. This fact gives me more pause than anything else, given that last season we welcomed opponents into the endzone like so many penises into a chubby drunk sorority girl longing for acceptance. I didn't do any defensive newcomer selections, mostly because I didn't think of it (hat tip: Mitch), but the guys I'm excited to see, and think may have big years, are Frank Shannon and Charles Tapper (in addition to, of course, Aaron Motherfuckin' Colvin). Let's hope we set the tone early this year by shutting someone down.
Offense
I feel like there are a lot of options here given the amount of talent we have returning to the skill positions. However, given Heupel's play-calling resume, it's a goddamned crapshoot figuring out who will get the ball (read: not Millard, Trey and Finch, Roy). However, there is at least one player guaranteed to get touches. Maybe it's the 3rd cup of coffee ("Jim never has a second cup of coffee at home..."), but I'm doing something I haven't done in those aforementioned 3+ seasons, I'm picking our QB, Trevor Knight, as my offensive player of the game. I think (hope?) that the young buck rambles, scrambles and throws all over the field today and lends me one of those corn-dogs Mitch observed in Mike Stoops' shorts (front, not back). I'm thinking 250+ passing yards, 50+ rushing yards, 3 TD's and 1 int (he'll have hiccups).
Defense
Here I really only have one option at this stage of the season given the number of question marks on D. So no bullshitting around, my pick is Aaron Motherfuckin' Colvin. I don't foresee any int's due to the fact that they'll likely avoid going his direction much in the passing game. That said I think he makes multiple big tackles and forces a fumble in the run game (he can hit).
Score
My hunch is they can score. I'm hopeful we can too. Provided we don't run shotgun draws every play and turn into The Chuck Long Project (the offense, not the progressive rock trio I can only assume exists somewhere) again, I think we'll put up some points ourselves. It might not be flawlessly pretty but I think we win convincingly today 41-24. No I don't like that it's that close but they get a garbage TD in there at the end.
Let's roll heads, it's Sooner football season again.
Boomer to the Motherfuckin' Sooner!
Yes, the pundits say that ULM is not to be taken lightly. They started their season by beating a respectable Arkansas team on the road and played (a shitty) Auburn close last year. They also had tough losses to such powerhouses as Arkansas State and Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns. With that in mind I'll chalk the Arkansas upset to being overlooked and the others to not being a great team. Listen, they are who we think they are and if you want to crown their asses then go ahead and crown them. Denny Green aside, they're a decent mid-major capable of beating us. However, I don't think it's likely.
The biggest story of our day, and what has me brimming with curiosity and excitement is the debut of Trevor Knight, aka not lonnie jones. I'm pumped to see what this supposed wunderkind can do. I'm also pumped that for the first time in 3+ seasons I'm not going into a game absolutely certain that I'm going to hate at least 10 things our QB does.
Defensively, well, who the hell knows what can happen? In my exhaustive (read: less than 7 minutes of...) research, it seems that ULM did put up quite a few points most weeks in 2012. So it appears that they know (knew?) how to score. This fact gives me more pause than anything else, given that last season we welcomed opponents into the endzone like so many penises into a chubby drunk sorority girl longing for acceptance. I didn't do any defensive newcomer selections, mostly because I didn't think of it (hat tip: Mitch), but the guys I'm excited to see, and think may have big years, are Frank Shannon and Charles Tapper (in addition to, of course, Aaron Motherfuckin' Colvin). Let's hope we set the tone early this year by shutting someone down.
Offense
I feel like there are a lot of options here given the amount of talent we have returning to the skill positions. However, given Heupel's play-calling resume, it's a goddamned crapshoot figuring out who will get the ball (read: not Millard, Trey and Finch, Roy). However, there is at least one player guaranteed to get touches. Maybe it's the 3rd cup of coffee ("Jim never has a second cup of coffee at home..."), but I'm doing something I haven't done in those aforementioned 3+ seasons, I'm picking our QB, Trevor Knight, as my offensive player of the game. I think (hope?) that the young buck rambles, scrambles and throws all over the field today and lends me one of those corn-dogs Mitch observed in Mike Stoops' shorts (front, not back). I'm thinking 250+ passing yards, 50+ rushing yards, 3 TD's and 1 int (he'll have hiccups).
Defense
Here I really only have one option at this stage of the season given the number of question marks on D. So no bullshitting around, my pick is Aaron Motherfuckin' Colvin. I don't foresee any int's due to the fact that they'll likely avoid going his direction much in the passing game. That said I think he makes multiple big tackles and forces a fumble in the run game (he can hit).
Score
My hunch is they can score. I'm hopeful we can too. Provided we don't run shotgun draws every play and turn into The Chuck Long Project (the offense, not the progressive rock trio I can only assume exists somewhere) again, I think we'll put up some points ourselves. It might not be flawlessly pretty but I think we win convincingly today 41-24. No I don't like that it's that close but they get a garbage TD in there at the end.
Let's roll heads, it's Sooner football season again.
Boomer to the Motherfuckin' Sooner!
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
The 2012 Steamers
Or some official awards name TBD.
With an eye towards kickoff let's do some prognosticating on all things Sooner football 2012.
The 2012 MFer
Let's start big here. This award has been around for years and now of course t-shirts are even made. This is the granddaddy of them all. No joke, the MFer has our utmost respect. The MFer is a leader on the football field, he's the lynchpin of the defense, he hits hard, he makes opponents gameplan around him. He is, above all else, the guy who makes plays that make you say, "Did you see [Blank] Mother Fuckin [Blank]?!"
For the first time in Mitch-Navin MFer history we have our first 2-time MFer recipient in Tony MF Jefferson (alluded to here byNostradamus Navin). Other award winners surely were deserving of two or possibly three-time status. But Tony separated himself from a fairly tight field last year and this year there simply is nobody worthy (on paper) of taking his place. This does not mean he wins by default. It says something about his play that nobody is close enough to make a case.
So congratulations Tony!
The 2012 Old Steady
Here's where things get shaky. In fact, Navin and I have deliberated and we're going to puss out. Not entirely but we can't reach a consensus on this one so we are deferring to week 3 or 4 to make our decision. Hey, it's our blog and our awards so it's our rules. As far as I'm concerned there are only two awards that need a consensus. MFer and Old Steady. So until we have them they are unannounced.
I will attempt to sate our readerships appetite for a selection by guessing that Old Steady will ultimately come from the group of Dom Whaley, Kenny Fuckin Shitbag Stills, David King, Tom Wort, Corey Nelson, Demontre Hurst or Aaron Colvin. Happy?
Here are some awards that are completely open to our whims.
The Memorial Matt "Gas Rag" McCoy Award for the defensive player who gets torched a little too readily.
The award goes to... Tom Wort
We're humans. We hate giving this award out. But inevitably somebody on the defense is going to stick out like a sore thumb in a bad way. Last year Gabe Lynn snatched it from Javon Harris in one of the most hotly contested races in Gas Rag Award history.
Both Harris and Lynn will see plenty of action this year as well so they are by no means out of the picture. But Tom Wort sometimes looks like he's seeing a forward pass for the first time. If Jayden Bird sees significant action he instantly steals the award.
Perhaps it isn't fair to select a Linebacker. But to that I say quit telling me how awesome they are in pass coverage, or better yet, quit making them cover slot receivers running skinny posts in obvious passing situations.
Offensive Newcomer of the Year
To Trey Metoyer. The Wide Receiving unit needs a hero to replace Ryan Broyles and nobody has enjoyed the offseason ballyhoo more than Metoyer.
Defensive Newcomer of the Year
It's Chuka Ndulue by default. He's the only starter who didn't take significant snaps last year. The only other starting option is RJ Washington who is a Senior. As mentioned in previous posts, Julian Wilson or Gary Simon could also emerge here.
Most Head Scratching Depth Chart Move (View Depth Chart Here)
The omission of Roy Finch everywhere except kickoff returns. I honestly don't know how this guy starts every season in the doghouse. First I read a report the other day that he's moved to slot receiver. I thought it was a joke even though he has been used there. But he's not listed in the top 2 at any WR position. At Running Back he's not listed in the top three.
He was the second leading rusher last year and he only played six games. He was honorable mention all Big 12. When he touches the ball everyone in the stadium holds their breath. It's inexplicable.
Update: Supposedly Finch doesn't play because due to subpar QB protection blocking. Flimsy at best.
Most Likely to have Mike Stoops Living in His Earhole
So many choices here. I'm going with Gabe Lynn. He's starting at the Nickel and is going to be heavily relied on it seems. It really could be anyone in the secondary and they may wind up taking turns like everyone did last year with Soggy Box's number 12.
Most Divisive
Easy: Landry. No one will divide any fanbase quite like this guy. Each side feeds off each other too so it will only get worse. Look, he's a solid Quarterback. He's a lock to give you 60+% completion and 4,500 yards passing. He's competent OK? But if the Sooners are down with one last chance with the ball. Is he going to put the team on his back and win the thing?
Most Likely to Have Kickers Tits
You know. They guy whose moobs poke out below his shoulderpads. This year it's this guy. Eric Hosek (It would be a lock if he spelled his name Erik though).
Most Likely to Get My Father-In-Law Hot and Bothered During Pre-Game Stretch
My father in law likes to get to his seat early to watch the boys stretch. I'm half kidding and I'm cheating a little because I know him too well but my father-in-law goes ape-shit over the "length" and athleticism of Jordan Phillips.
What other categories should we have?
With an eye towards kickoff let's do some prognosticating on all things Sooner football 2012.
The 2012 MFer
Let's start big here. This award has been around for years and now of course t-shirts are even made. This is the granddaddy of them all. No joke, the MFer has our utmost respect. The MFer is a leader on the football field, he's the lynchpin of the defense, he hits hard, he makes opponents gameplan around him. He is, above all else, the guy who makes plays that make you say, "Did you see [Blank] Mother Fuckin [Blank]?!"
For the first time in Mitch-Navin MFer history we have our first 2-time MFer recipient in Tony MF Jefferson (alluded to here by
So congratulations Tony!
The 2012 Old Steady
Here's where things get shaky. In fact, Navin and I have deliberated and we're going to puss out. Not entirely but we can't reach a consensus on this one so we are deferring to week 3 or 4 to make our decision. Hey, it's our blog and our awards so it's our rules. As far as I'm concerned there are only two awards that need a consensus. MFer and Old Steady. So until we have them they are unannounced.
I will attempt to sate our readerships appetite for a selection by guessing that Old Steady will ultimately come from the group of Dom Whaley, Kenny Fuckin Shitbag Stills, David King, Tom Wort, Corey Nelson, Demontre Hurst or Aaron Colvin. Happy?
Here are some awards that are completely open to our whims.
The Memorial Matt "Gas Rag" McCoy Award for the defensive player who gets torched a little too readily.
The award goes to... Tom Wort
We're humans. We hate giving this award out. But inevitably somebody on the defense is going to stick out like a sore thumb in a bad way. Last year Gabe Lynn snatched it from Javon Harris in one of the most hotly contested races in Gas Rag Award history.
Both Harris and Lynn will see plenty of action this year as well so they are by no means out of the picture. But Tom Wort sometimes looks like he's seeing a forward pass for the first time. If Jayden Bird sees significant action he instantly steals the award.
Perhaps it isn't fair to select a Linebacker. But to that I say quit telling me how awesome they are in pass coverage, or better yet, quit making them cover slot receivers running skinny posts in obvious passing situations.
Offensive Newcomer of the Year
To Trey Metoyer. The Wide Receiving unit needs a hero to replace Ryan Broyles and nobody has enjoyed the offseason ballyhoo more than Metoyer.
Defensive Newcomer of the Year
It's Chuka Ndulue by default. He's the only starter who didn't take significant snaps last year. The only other starting option is RJ Washington who is a Senior. As mentioned in previous posts, Julian Wilson or Gary Simon could also emerge here.
Most Head Scratching Depth Chart Move (View Depth Chart Here)
The omission of Roy Finch everywhere except kickoff returns. I honestly don't know how this guy starts every season in the doghouse. First I read a report the other day that he's moved to slot receiver. I thought it was a joke even though he has been used there. But he's not listed in the top 2 at any WR position. At Running Back he's not listed in the top three.
He was the second leading rusher last year and he only played six games. He was honorable mention all Big 12. When he touches the ball everyone in the stadium holds their breath. It's inexplicable.
Update: Supposedly Finch doesn't play because due to subpar QB protection blocking. Flimsy at best.
Most Likely to have Mike Stoops Living in His Earhole
So many choices here. I'm going with Gabe Lynn. He's starting at the Nickel and is going to be heavily relied on it seems. It really could be anyone in the secondary and they may wind up taking turns like everyone did last year with Soggy Box's number 12.
Most Divisive
Easy: Landry. No one will divide any fanbase quite like this guy. Each side feeds off each other too so it will only get worse. Look, he's a solid Quarterback. He's a lock to give you 60+% completion and 4,500 yards passing. He's competent OK? But if the Sooners are down with one last chance with the ball. Is he going to put the team on his back and win the thing?
Most Likely to Have Kickers Tits
You know. They guy whose moobs poke out below his shoulderpads. This year it's this guy. Eric Hosek (It would be a lock if he spelled his name Erik though).
Most Likely to Get My Father-In-Law Hot and Bothered During Pre-Game Stretch
My father in law likes to get to his seat early to watch the boys stretch. I'm half kidding and I'm cheating a little because I know him too well but my father-in-law goes ape-shit over the "length" and athleticism of Jordan Phillips.
What other categories should we have?
Friday, August 17, 2012
2012 Oklahoma Sooners Offensive Preview
Not to put too blunt a point on it but this 2012 iteration of the Sooners offense has a lot of issues. In fact, there are so many problems here that it's inexplicable that this team could be ranked in the preseason top 5 of the coaches poll (a fact that also shows how ridiculous preseason polls are).
The Cliff's notes version is that Dom Whaley, the Sooners leading rusher, is coming back from a snapped ankle, leading receiver and safety blanket extraordinnaire Ryan Broyles is in the NFL, a former Quarterback is starting at Left Tackle, a two-year starter at Guard is gone along with a two-year starting Center. Oh, and no Tight End on the roster has ever started a collegiate game.
The Good
If you believe experience is the end-all-be-all then might I offer you a helping of Landry Jones? Lonnie brought the lost to Christ during the offseason and even got married. Now he and his beloved can have sex "walk of shame" free. I don't know how but he managed to find time to work on his game as well. According to my father-n-law, whose crimson-colored glasses make mine look like cheap trinkets, Lonnie went to a QB Guru to fine tune his skill set. The Guru said Lonnie had the best skills he'd ever seen.
That's all well and good but foot work and arm motion in skeleton drills does not make a dynamic Quarterback. Lonnie's three year problem is that if he's calling Red-Green Zulu Go and the defense doesn't give him Red-Green Zulu Go a thick fetid stew leaks out of the seat of his football pants.I am unconvinced the Guru fixed this in a weekend summer camp.
But, he has started 37 career games and that's 37 more than all the other QB's on the roster combined. He should be able to complete 60% of his passes and he should have a good running game to back him up.
Ah, the running game. This unit could have been a five-headed monster if not for the transfer of Brandon Williams. The Sooners return Dom Whaley (Cinderella story. Outta nowhere), one helluva beast-man before getting injured against K-State last year. Roy Finch proved capable of carrying the load (when given the chance), Trey Millard might be the best of the bunch if Josh Heupel can flip past page 3 of the playbook and Brennan Clay makes Chris Brown look electric.
Now bear with me here but what the Sooners have is four distinct running styles, each effective (Whaley - Over, Under, Around and Through; Finch - Jitterbug with power; Millard - Beast Mode with speed to match; Clay - 3 feet and a cloud of dust). Successful offenses keep opposing defenses guessing. The Sooners have the pieces in the backfield to keep defenses guessing. But can they keep from hiding good players on the bench (Finch) or "going to the well one too many times" (a la running 90 straight times against Texas)? In short, they'll have to.
There's also the Belldozer whose QB draw went from desperate shtick to inexplicably unstoppable. I hope the Sooners don't have to rely on this maneuver to near the extent they did in 2011, but, in keeping with the "keep-em-on-their-toes" theme, whatever it takes is what you do.
I will also make obligatory mention of Tress Way and Michael Hunnicut who bring pretty strong legs to the kicking game.
Interesting fact: As of this writing the Sooners have 6 Fullbacks and 5 Quarterbacks on the roster. Millard has all the fullback carries over the last two years with 48 total carries. This makesperfect no sense
The Bad
The Sooners have one unsuspended player who has caught a pass in a game from Lonnie. That's Kenny Fuckin Shitbag Stills. He was supposed to be the bell cow after the devastating Ryan Broyles injury. Instead, he went from Kenny Fuckin Shitbag (fist pump, high five) to Kenny Fuckin Shitbag (clinched teeth, disappointing head shake).
Trey Franks and Jaz "Hands" Reynolds are of course back in the fold. This is huge and cannot be underestimated because newcomer Trey Metoyer was going to be the unproven great hope to give Lonnie someone legitimate to throw to. Elsewhere in the Wide Receiver corp is Freshman Sterling Shepard. Recruiting fanboys will tell you Shepard is better than Ryan Broyles. Anyone who says this to you should be kicked in the groin repeatedly. But he could be quite helpful, particularly at the start of the season. Justin Brown also comes over from Penn State. He's started 30 games and is described as a possession guy which is the dating equivalent of being described as having a fun personality.
The Ugly
Let's get the more palatable item out of the way first. No Tight End on the roster has caught a football in a D1 college football game. Geneo Grissom is the only one who's name I've ever heard. He played in six games last year at Defensive End.
Why is this a somewhat palatable, ugly problem for the Offense? Two reasons. First, since Jermaine Gresham left, Tight End has been an often overlooked offensive weapon (I'm looking at James Hanna, now turning heads for the Dallas freaking Cowboys). If you don't actually use the position anyways, who cares? Second, the Offensive Line is in flux and this trumps all.
Ben Habern (Two-year starting Center) had to quit the game of football. Senior Tyler Evans tore his ACL on the first day of practice. Lane Johnson, a Quarterback turned Tight End turned Defensive End, turned O-Lineman (Right Tackle last year) is the Left Tackle. Gabe Ikard moved from Guard to Center. Adam Shead, Daryl Williams and Bronson Irwin have played.
Experience and depth on the O-Line are now major issues. If you're reading one of the most obscure football blogs on the Internet (thank you), I don't have to tell you how important the Offensive Line is to the success of a football team. If this unit has issues the Sooners are fucked on offense.
So to recap...
Offensively, the Sooners have a shaky at best offensive line to run block for a quality group of Running Backs who will ostensibly set up a four year SI poster boy Quarterback who hopefully has enough time to throw to a handful of talented receivers (who may or may not be suspended).
Boomer to the motherfuckin' Sooner!
The Cliff's notes version is that Dom Whaley, the Sooners leading rusher, is coming back from a snapped ankle, leading receiver and safety blanket extraordinnaire Ryan Broyles is in the NFL, a former Quarterback is starting at Left Tackle, a two-year starter at Guard is gone along with a two-year starting Center. Oh, and no Tight End on the roster has ever started a collegiate game.
The Good
If you believe experience is the end-all-be-all then might I offer you a helping of Landry Jones? Lonnie brought the lost to Christ during the offseason and even got married. Now he and his beloved can have sex "walk of shame" free. I don't know how but he managed to find time to work on his game as well. According to my father-n-law, whose crimson-colored glasses make mine look like cheap trinkets, Lonnie went to a QB Guru to fine tune his skill set. The Guru said Lonnie had the best skills he'd ever seen.
That's all well and good but foot work and arm motion in skeleton drills does not make a dynamic Quarterback. Lonnie's three year problem is that if he's calling Red-Green Zulu Go and the defense doesn't give him Red-Green Zulu Go a thick fetid stew leaks out of the seat of his football pants.I am unconvinced the Guru fixed this in a weekend summer camp.
But, he has started 37 career games and that's 37 more than all the other QB's on the roster combined. He should be able to complete 60% of his passes and he should have a good running game to back him up.
Ah, the running game. This unit could have been a five-headed monster if not for the transfer of Brandon Williams. The Sooners return Dom Whaley (Cinderella story. Outta nowhere), one helluva beast-man before getting injured against K-State last year. Roy Finch proved capable of carrying the load (when given the chance), Trey Millard might be the best of the bunch if Josh Heupel can flip past page 3 of the playbook and Brennan Clay makes Chris Brown look electric.
Now bear with me here but what the Sooners have is four distinct running styles, each effective (Whaley - Over, Under, Around and Through; Finch - Jitterbug with power; Millard - Beast Mode with speed to match; Clay - 3 feet and a cloud of dust). Successful offenses keep opposing defenses guessing. The Sooners have the pieces in the backfield to keep defenses guessing. But can they keep from hiding good players on the bench (Finch) or "going to the well one too many times" (a la running 90 straight times against Texas)? In short, they'll have to.
There's also the Belldozer whose QB draw went from desperate shtick to inexplicably unstoppable. I hope the Sooners don't have to rely on this maneuver to near the extent they did in 2011, but, in keeping with the "keep-em-on-their-toes" theme, whatever it takes is what you do.
I will also make obligatory mention of Tress Way and Michael Hunnicut who bring pretty strong legs to the kicking game.
Interesting fact: As of this writing the Sooners have 6 Fullbacks and 5 Quarterbacks on the roster. Millard has all the fullback carries over the last two years with 48 total carries. This makes
The Bad
The Sooners have one unsuspended player who has caught a pass in a game from Lonnie. That's Kenny Fuckin Shitbag Stills. He was supposed to be the bell cow after the devastating Ryan Broyles injury. Instead, he went from Kenny Fuckin Shitbag (fist pump, high five) to Kenny Fuckin Shitbag (clinched teeth, disappointing head shake).
Trey Franks and Jaz "Hands" Reynolds are of course back in the fold. This is huge and cannot be underestimated because newcomer Trey Metoyer was going to be the unproven great hope to give Lonnie someone legitimate to throw to. Elsewhere in the Wide Receiver corp is Freshman Sterling Shepard. Recruiting fanboys will tell you Shepard is better than Ryan Broyles. Anyone who says this to you should be kicked in the groin repeatedly. But he could be quite helpful, particularly at the start of the season. Justin Brown also comes over from Penn State. He's started 30 games and is described as a possession guy which is the dating equivalent of being described as having a fun personality.
The Ugly
Let's get the more palatable item out of the way first. No Tight End on the roster has caught a football in a D1 college football game. Geneo Grissom is the only one who's name I've ever heard. He played in six games last year at Defensive End.
Why is this a somewhat palatable, ugly problem for the Offense? Two reasons. First, since Jermaine Gresham left, Tight End has been an often overlooked offensive weapon (I'm looking at James Hanna, now turning heads for the Dallas freaking Cowboys). If you don't actually use the position anyways, who cares? Second, the Offensive Line is in flux and this trumps all.
Ben Habern (Two-year starting Center) had to quit the game of football. Senior Tyler Evans tore his ACL on the first day of practice. Lane Johnson, a Quarterback turned Tight End turned Defensive End, turned O-Lineman (Right Tackle last year) is the Left Tackle. Gabe Ikard moved from Guard to Center. Adam Shead, Daryl Williams and Bronson Irwin have played.
Experience and depth on the O-Line are now major issues. If you're reading one of the most obscure football blogs on the Internet (thank you), I don't have to tell you how important the Offensive Line is to the success of a football team. If this unit has issues the Sooners are fucked on offense.
So to recap...
Offensively, the Sooners have a shaky at best offensive line to run block for a quality group of Running Backs who will ostensibly set up a four year SI poster boy Quarterback who hopefully has enough time to throw to a handful of talented receivers (who may or may not be suspended).
Boomer to the motherfuckin' Sooner!
Friday, November 4, 2011
I See Your Bullets and Raise Ye Bullets
I seen that Navin put together some bullets mid-week. That's the kind of hard hitting journalistic gim-gam that will take this blog places. Well played.
Not to be outdone here's some thoughts of my own:
Boomer to the Motherfuckin Sooner
Not to be outdone here's some thoughts of my own:
- This is a big week for the Steamroller. This blog's co-authors are going to be together, in person, in Norman for the A&M tilt. There's gonna be a party y'all. If you'd like to meet up, get autographs, touch our sleeves, etc. hit us up. We'll be hanging out in Norman long after the ballgame to watch the LSU-Bama national championship semifinal. After that Navin will be hosting a writer's workshop on drunk blogging. It's "can't miss".
- I have an idea for filling the void left by Dom Whaley. Trey Millard and Roy Finch doing their best Thunder/Lightning impersonation. They can be on the field together in multiple formations. They both can line up virtually anywhere, and both are dependable. I'm not opposed to sprinkling in some Brennan Clay and Brandon Williams but I think the combo of Millard and Finch deserves about 25 carries. Finch obviously is picking up a lot of the load but Millard has more than earned some touches. Dude is a beast. My father-in-law seems to think Millard will move to Tight End next year.
- Didn't think I'd be saying it but it sure was nice to have Tom Wort on the field again. He tied for the team lead in tackles and had two sacks. If the Sooners can get Jamelle Fleming back they'll be in business.
- Navin already mentioned the defense but it seems their effort has gone underappreciated. They held a top 10 team, in a hostile road environment to one first down in the second half. Kansas had about 10 yards in the second half against them. When this defense is on I'd put them up against anyone in the country.
- Jaz Reynolds is a bad motherfucker. He continues to improve and has become the 3rd receiver everyone thought the Sooners needed to make things easier for Ryan Broyles and Kenny Fuckin Shitbag Stills.
- Speaking of Broyles, is there a craftier carrier of the football than him? They way he uses the sideline is incredible. You think there's no way he stays in bounds and next he's gone 20 yards for a score. The Sooners are going to miss him.
This:
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| Tony Motherfuckin Jefferson and Kenny Fuckin Shitbag Still as Caped Crusaders |
Boomer to the Motherfuckin Sooner
Saturday, October 1, 2011
OU vs. Ball State
One pair of OU football season tickets costs no less than $800.00. Your $800 gets you six games. In Oklahoma, the year is measured by the first game of the football season and the BCS Championship game. We'd just as soon not have January through July. So, to me, the idea of not going to a home game is ludicrous. But Oklahoma football fans are pretty spoiled and, believe it or not, this incoming Ball State football team has not captured the imaginations of the Sooner faithful. The result is the easiest, cheapest ticket you can imagine for a top-5 football team. I swear I saw Sooner fans giving tickets instead of coin to local panhandlers this week.
It doesn't help that last week's performance against Mizzou was marked by a pretty heartless effort by the Sooners. For whatever reason no one in Sooner nation seemed real fired up.
This Ball State ball game should serve as a perfect opportunity to correct last week's mistakes and get sharp in some areas because next week is a damn big one.
Things to work on:
OFFENSE
I'm stepping out on a precarious limb here but I'm going to go with Roy Finch today. In a perfect scenario Dominique Whaley's day is done after the first or second series of the 3rd Quarter. Finch or possibly even Freshman wunderkind Brandon Williams should see a good number of touches. If Finch is to have any kind of meaningful impact for the Sooners this year he needs to make the most of his chances today. So I believe (stupidly) in the good of humanity and I enjoy seeing the triumph of the human spirit so I believe Finch will rise to whatever occasion might be presented. However, I wouldn't be surprised to see him try too hard and fumble which would be devastating for him from a future PT (now that's Playing Time - Football Lingo) perspective.
DEFENSE
If I had to select a defensive MVP for the Sooners so far this season it would have to be Frank Alexander. He is a one man wrecking crew. Any Sooner opponent watching film has to be making plans to avoid this man whenever possible. I would even hope an opponent as hapless as Ball State is aware of this. That means, like a pack of lions working the hunt in tandem, Ronnell Lewis is going to have a lot of opportunities to make plays. If all goes according to my plans, he might break someone in half today. I'd be all for it. So The Hammer is my defensive pick.
THE PICK
Ball State are 40 point underdogs. The only real question is can the Sooners cover it. I know they can but I don't think they will. Josh Heupel seems pretty content to run whatever kind of offense he needs to keep the opponent at arms length. He'll have the Sooners going on long, boring methodical drives and it will be as vanilla as possible given the Red River Rivalry is coming up.
Maybe I should try to give away my tickets after all. Nah.
Sooners 42, Ball State 7
Edited to add: Boomer to the Motherfuckin Sooner! Tip them PBR's
It doesn't help that last week's performance against Mizzou was marked by a pretty heartless effort by the Sooners. For whatever reason no one in Sooner nation seemed real fired up.
This Ball State ball game should serve as a perfect opportunity to correct last week's mistakes and get sharp in some areas because next week is a damn big one.
Things to work on:
- Pass Defense. The Sooner D was gashed last week and so far this season this unit either gets tackles for losses or gives up yards in massive chunks.
- Sustained aggressiveness on the Offensive Line. The Sooners can score fast and look like a machine when the O-Line is nasty. This unit needs to prove they can keep their heads out of their asses and keep their focus for a full game. It will be hard for them to do today.
- The Backup QB situation. Lonnie's jersey has been kept pretty clean this year but all it takes is one play for your whole season to ride on someone untested. The Stoops era has been marked by a stubborn unwillingness to give backup QB's any meaningful game reps. It's never made sense to me but maybe Bobby learned something from Sam Bradford's Senior season. There's no better time to strengthen the depth chart than today.
- The 3rd and 4th Wide Receivers. See the Backup QB Situation. Besides the emergence of Dom Whaley the most intriguing story on the Sooners Offense, to me, is who ultimately wins that 3rd spot out of Trey Franks (who won't play today), Dejuan Miller, Jaz Reynolds and Kameel Jackson. Franks, Miller and Reynolds have all made cases while Jackson is the darkhorse but is being given every chance.
- Spreading the ball around. I really don't see this happening because Texas is next week but Lonnie could benefit by practicing checking down his receivers, working on reading progressions and distributing the ball to as many people as possible.
OFFENSE
I'm stepping out on a precarious limb here but I'm going to go with Roy Finch today. In a perfect scenario Dominique Whaley's day is done after the first or second series of the 3rd Quarter. Finch or possibly even Freshman wunderkind Brandon Williams should see a good number of touches. If Finch is to have any kind of meaningful impact for the Sooners this year he needs to make the most of his chances today. So I believe (stupidly) in the good of humanity and I enjoy seeing the triumph of the human spirit so I believe Finch will rise to whatever occasion might be presented. However, I wouldn't be surprised to see him try too hard and fumble which would be devastating for him from a future PT (now that's Playing Time - Football Lingo) perspective.
DEFENSE
If I had to select a defensive MVP for the Sooners so far this season it would have to be Frank Alexander. He is a one man wrecking crew. Any Sooner opponent watching film has to be making plans to avoid this man whenever possible. I would even hope an opponent as hapless as Ball State is aware of this. That means, like a pack of lions working the hunt in tandem, Ronnell Lewis is going to have a lot of opportunities to make plays. If all goes according to my plans, he might break someone in half today. I'd be all for it. So The Hammer is my defensive pick.
THE PICK
Ball State are 40 point underdogs. The only real question is can the Sooners cover it. I know they can but I don't think they will. Josh Heupel seems pretty content to run whatever kind of offense he needs to keep the opponent at arms length. He'll have the Sooners going on long, boring methodical drives and it will be as vanilla as possible given the Red River Rivalry is coming up.
Maybe I should try to give away my tickets after all. Nah.
Sooners 42, Ball State 7
Edited to add: Boomer to the Motherfuckin Sooner! Tip them PBR's
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
OU vs. Tech Post-Mortem and OU vs. Baylor
I'm about to write the easiest "piece" in the history of football. The only thing making it difficult is that I'm so drunk every sentence takes me about 10 minutes to hammer out.
I failed to write a column leading up to this Texas Tech game. If you co-write this blog you already know this. If you don't, then I'm just taking up 0's and 1's on the "Interwebs" and wasting my e-breath.
Had I written an OU-Tech pregame it would have said something about how Landry Jones (no nicknames; Solidarity) was certain to throw for 400+ yards and who knows how many touchdowns. Well, he had 5. Big fucking deal. I would have said DeMarco would be steady as a rock and how the defense would get some sacks and get some turnovers. Well, they did. Of course they did. It's a fucking joke how this team is all-world at home and first class pant-shitters on the road. I couldn't even enjoy this game because every time something positive happened I couldn't help but say to myself (or, because I may or may not have been inebriated, to every one in my purview), "OF COURSE THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE WE ARE AT HOME, NOT ON THE FUCKING ROAD!"
It's so easy to predict it's sickening. The Sooners can beat anyone by two touchdowns at home. I'd love to make it a challenge and look forward to the road games coming up (Baylor, OSU) but it's not so much an anticipatory adventure as much as a fucking crapshoot.
Oh well, on to bigger and better things.
Baylor should be as close to a home game on the road as Texas is at the Cotton Bowl. I mean, all bets are off if the Sooners don't show up for this one. But Robert Griffin III is quite capable and to call us shaky on the road is like calling Tony Parker foolish for cheating on Eva Longoria.
But who gives a shit because you know why? I'm going to New York City to watch this one with my buddy and fellow co-blogger Navin. I could not be more pumped. I COULD NOT BE MORE PUMPED!
We'll be enjoying some adult beverages at a hole-in-the-wall, Sooner-themed bar in Manhattan where we'll, together, get to witness an OU road-game bed-wetting. Innocent bystanders might not be ready for the scene, even New Yorkers.
I'd like to say we'll have the wherewithall and inclination to do something maxo-zune-dweebie like co-blog or live blog the game and our experiences. But we are not assholes so unless something really strange happens (probably won't because we'll be so sober) don't count on it.
Quick picks before I hit the road.
Offense
It can only be one of four players. DeMarco, Ryan Broyles, Kenny Fuckin Shitbag Stills or Roy Finch. I feel like I pick DeMarco every week so he's out. Ryan Broyles only sets records at home because Landry gets confused when he isn't wearing a red jersey. So he's out. Ditto Kenny Fucking Shitbag. Roy Finch might not get on the field. Coaches Stoops and Wilson will explain it away like the Baylor scheme wasn't right for him or something nonsensical. Nonetheless, I'm stealing a page out of Navin's playbook and picking Roy.
Defense
Another crapshoot. Obviously someone is going to have to shadow Robert Griffin III. So whoever that is makes for a good candidate. But that person is probably a LB. That means Tom Wort (fuck no) and Travis Lewis (becoming the pick du jour a la DeMarco on offense). Shit. Well, I guess I'll go with Jamelle Fleming. Demontre Hurst never gets opportunities and Griffin III will throw to someone so it's Fleming by default.
The Score
Well, let's see if the Defense can defend the middle of the field. Let's see if they can keep Griffin III from running roughshod all day long. Let's see if the offense can keep from stepping on their own dicks. Of course I'm hopeful. But then of course I'm delusional.
OU 35 Baylor 21
I failed to write a column leading up to this Texas Tech game. If you co-write this blog you already know this. If you don't, then I'm just taking up 0's and 1's on the "Interwebs" and wasting my e-breath.
Had I written an OU-Tech pregame it would have said something about how Landry Jones (no nicknames; Solidarity) was certain to throw for 400+ yards and who knows how many touchdowns. Well, he had 5. Big fucking deal. I would have said DeMarco would be steady as a rock and how the defense would get some sacks and get some turnovers. Well, they did. Of course they did. It's a fucking joke how this team is all-world at home and first class pant-shitters on the road. I couldn't even enjoy this game because every time something positive happened I couldn't help but say to myself (or, because I may or may not have been inebriated, to every one in my purview), "OF COURSE THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE WE ARE AT HOME, NOT ON THE FUCKING ROAD!"
It's so easy to predict it's sickening. The Sooners can beat anyone by two touchdowns at home. I'd love to make it a challenge and look forward to the road games coming up (Baylor, OSU) but it's not so much an anticipatory adventure as much as a fucking crapshoot.
Oh well, on to bigger and better things.
Baylor should be as close to a home game on the road as Texas is at the Cotton Bowl. I mean, all bets are off if the Sooners don't show up for this one. But Robert Griffin III is quite capable and to call us shaky on the road is like calling Tony Parker foolish for cheating on Eva Longoria.
But who gives a shit because you know why? I'm going to New York City to watch this one with my buddy and fellow co-blogger Navin. I could not be more pumped. I COULD NOT BE MORE PUMPED!
We'll be enjoying some adult beverages at a hole-in-the-wall, Sooner-themed bar in Manhattan where we'll, together, get to witness an OU road-game bed-wetting. Innocent bystanders might not be ready for the scene, even New Yorkers.
I'd like to say we'll have the wherewithall and inclination to do something maxo-zune-dweebie like co-blog or live blog the game and our experiences. But we are not assholes so unless something really strange happens (probably won't because we'll be so sober) don't count on it.
Quick picks before I hit the road.
Offense
It can only be one of four players. DeMarco, Ryan Broyles, Kenny Fuckin Shitbag Stills or Roy Finch. I feel like I pick DeMarco every week so he's out. Ryan Broyles only sets records at home because Landry gets confused when he isn't wearing a red jersey. So he's out. Ditto Kenny Fucking Shitbag. Roy Finch might not get on the field. Coaches Stoops and Wilson will explain it away like the Baylor scheme wasn't right for him or something nonsensical. Nonetheless, I'm stealing a page out of Navin's playbook and picking Roy.
Defense
Another crapshoot. Obviously someone is going to have to shadow Robert Griffin III. So whoever that is makes for a good candidate. But that person is probably a LB. That means Tom Wort (fuck no) and Travis Lewis (becoming the pick du jour a la DeMarco on offense). Shit. Well, I guess I'll go with Jamelle Fleming. Demontre Hurst never gets opportunities and Griffin III will throw to someone so it's Fleming by default.
The Score
Well, let's see if the Defense can defend the middle of the field. Let's see if they can keep Griffin III from running roughshod all day long. Let's see if the offense can keep from stepping on their own dicks. Of course I'm hopeful. But then of course I'm delusional.
OU 35 Baylor 21
Saturday, November 6, 2010
OU vs. A&M
Last Saturday the Sooners, predictably and thankfully, took care of bidness. At home (as usual) Lonnie looked all-world and the defense looked like it ate babies for breakfast. Of course they did. It was a home game.
Well today the big question is, "Can the Sooners put together a complete game on the road or will they look like assholes again?" On paper, this one presents a tremendous opportunity to do the former. A&M sucks but they are a more notable name than, say, Texas Tech, Baylor, K-State et al. A&M of course is the home of the 12th man even though that means less than ever. So, while A&M sucks, their cache' would make a victory look bigger than it is.
The worry is that A&M put in some guy named Tannehill last week, replacing the worst QB in the Big 12, Jerrod Johnson, and the Aggie offense showed signs of life. Of course the revived offense was playing a beleaguered Tech defense but still. Do they have newfound confidence? Will they play hard for Mike Sherman, the worst coaching hire in the last 5 years of the Big 12?
I'm scared shitless of early A&M offensive success combined with "Road Shaky" Lonnie. This is the worst case scenario. The best case scenario is seeing the Four-Headed Monster of DeMarco (now on a first name basis with Sooner Nation), Ryan Broyles, Kenny "Fuckin Shitbag" Stills and Roy Finch wreak havoc whilst the Sooner defense beats up on an unimaginative and stagnant Aggie offense.
I would love to favor the latter option and be able to say with no reservations that the Sooners will beat that ass today but I can't. The Sooners have shown that they are nothing less than shaky and completely untrustworthy away from Owen Field. So it goes.
On with the picks.
Offense
DeMarco is the leader of this team. He's the face of the franchise, the captain, Everybody's All American, etc. This Sooner team needs a statement win on the road, not for the national rankings so much as for their own psyche. DeMarco is the man who can put the team on his shoulders and deliver the goods. I can't even consider anyone else here.
Defense
Texas is the only game I've felt confident in my pick. Every other week it's like throwing darts. Navin nailed it last week when he said the Quinton M.F. Carter pick might be the worst of the M.F. era. But who should it have been? Nobody stands out on a weekly basis. We might need to come to grips with the fact that this Sooners defense could be the worst of the Bobby Stoops era. I need to go back and look to see when I predicted I would start calling for Brent Venables job. It happens every year about this time. Be on the lookout for inspired performances by the D from now through the Big 12 Championship. Then prepare yourself for the inevitable pant-shitting on national television that will define what ever bowl the Sooners land in. All that said I guess I'll pick Quinton M.F. Carter here. I mean, I haven't watched much tape of A&M but they seem to be more run-heavy than any other team in the conference. That means Q can help in the box and lay the lumber. Possibly. Hell I don't know. Quinton M.F. Carter is my defensive player of the game dammit.
The Score
I'm going to say the Sooners struggle to score points but they do halfway decent and A&M hits on some big plays early. I of course like the Sooners.
OU 28, A&M 14
Well today the big question is, "Can the Sooners put together a complete game on the road or will they look like assholes again?" On paper, this one presents a tremendous opportunity to do the former. A&M sucks but they are a more notable name than, say, Texas Tech, Baylor, K-State et al. A&M of course is the home of the 12th man even though that means less than ever. So, while A&M sucks, their cache' would make a victory look bigger than it is.
The worry is that A&M put in some guy named Tannehill last week, replacing the worst QB in the Big 12, Jerrod Johnson, and the Aggie offense showed signs of life. Of course the revived offense was playing a beleaguered Tech defense but still. Do they have newfound confidence? Will they play hard for Mike Sherman, the worst coaching hire in the last 5 years of the Big 12?
I'm scared shitless of early A&M offensive success combined with "Road Shaky" Lonnie. This is the worst case scenario. The best case scenario is seeing the Four-Headed Monster of DeMarco (now on a first name basis with Sooner Nation), Ryan Broyles, Kenny "Fuckin Shitbag" Stills and Roy Finch wreak havoc whilst the Sooner defense beats up on an unimaginative and stagnant Aggie offense.
I would love to favor the latter option and be able to say with no reservations that the Sooners will beat that ass today but I can't. The Sooners have shown that they are nothing less than shaky and completely untrustworthy away from Owen Field. So it goes.
On with the picks.
Offense
DeMarco is the leader of this team. He's the face of the franchise, the captain, Everybody's All American, etc. This Sooner team needs a statement win on the road, not for the national rankings so much as for their own psyche. DeMarco is the man who can put the team on his shoulders and deliver the goods. I can't even consider anyone else here.
Defense
Texas is the only game I've felt confident in my pick. Every other week it's like throwing darts. Navin nailed it last week when he said the Quinton M.F. Carter pick might be the worst of the M.F. era. But who should it have been? Nobody stands out on a weekly basis. We might need to come to grips with the fact that this Sooners defense could be the worst of the Bobby Stoops era. I need to go back and look to see when I predicted I would start calling for Brent Venables job. It happens every year about this time. Be on the lookout for inspired performances by the D from now through the Big 12 Championship. Then prepare yourself for the inevitable pant-shitting on national television that will define what ever bowl the Sooners land in. All that said I guess I'll pick Quinton M.F. Carter here. I mean, I haven't watched much tape of A&M but they seem to be more run-heavy than any other team in the conference. That means Q can help in the box and lay the lumber. Possibly. Hell I don't know. Quinton M.F. Carter is my defensive player of the game dammit.
The Score
I'm going to say the Sooners struggle to score points but they do halfway decent and A&M hits on some big plays early. I of course like the Sooners.
OU 28, A&M 14
Saturday, October 16, 2010
OU - Iowa State
I couldn't give two craps about this game. Iowa State blows. Ames is probably the least attractive destination in the Big 12. I would never travel to see a game there.
I suppose there are a couple intriguing story lines. Much ballyhooed RB Roy Finch will be playing today. Someone on the team (too lazy to try to find it) said that his moves are Reggie Bush-esque. That sound you heard was the button flying off the front of my pants. A new weapon for the offense? Yes please.
The other thing we need to see is some attitude. The boys are fresh off a bye and huge win. They are in control of their own destiny. There is no excuse for not being "up" for this game. Even if it is Iowa State.
One last note on the Cyclones. When I went to the Big 12 basketball tournament a couple of years ago I had the misfortune of seeing the ISU cheer squad up close. Holy smokes was that a roster of fug. I couldn't believe a Division 1 program from a premier conference could have so little "talent".
On with the picks.
Offense
I'm riding the DeMarco train. I am a believer. He's got to be feeling confident after the texas game and now with the young pup Finch pushing him, I see him going off again today. I certainly am enamored with the idea anyways. I'm kind of feeling a kick return also.
Defense
I don't have a strong feeling on anyone here. I'll go with Travis "Old Steady" Lewis. He'll get his usual tackle numbers but perhaps he gets an INT or a fumble recovery.
Conclusion
The Sooners need to play with some fire and show they understand where they are on the college football landscape (contending for the GD title). They need to throttle these losers. And I believe they will. It's TCB Saturday for the Sooners.
OU 52, ISU 17
I suppose there are a couple intriguing story lines. Much ballyhooed RB Roy Finch will be playing today. Someone on the team (too lazy to try to find it) said that his moves are Reggie Bush-esque. That sound you heard was the button flying off the front of my pants. A new weapon for the offense? Yes please.
The other thing we need to see is some attitude. The boys are fresh off a bye and huge win. They are in control of their own destiny. There is no excuse for not being "up" for this game. Even if it is Iowa State.
One last note on the Cyclones. When I went to the Big 12 basketball tournament a couple of years ago I had the misfortune of seeing the ISU cheer squad up close. Holy smokes was that a roster of fug. I couldn't believe a Division 1 program from a premier conference could have so little "talent".
On with the picks.
Offense
I'm riding the DeMarco train. I am a believer. He's got to be feeling confident after the texas game and now with the young pup Finch pushing him, I see him going off again today. I certainly am enamored with the idea anyways. I'm kind of feeling a kick return also.
Defense
I don't have a strong feeling on anyone here. I'll go with Travis "Old Steady" Lewis. He'll get his usual tackle numbers but perhaps he gets an INT or a fumble recovery.
Conclusion
The Sooners need to play with some fire and show they understand where they are on the college football landscape (contending for the GD title). They need to throttle these losers. And I believe they will. It's TCB Saturday for the Sooners.
OU 52, ISU 17
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