Oklahoma Sooners vs. Tennessee Volunteers

 Happy Saturday, Sooner fans. Today, the Sooners are in Knoxville, TN for a Black Out night game against the Vols. The Sooners, fresh off a hard fought loss at home last week, are now truly fighting for their season. 

The Sooners have to put it all together tonight to have any chance.

OFFENSE

Last week the Sooners found something in the running game in the second half with Xavier Robinson before panicking late and abandoning it completely. John Mateer was serviceable, but the fact is he's not a great decision maker and his touch is a C at best. 

Also, the Sooners have dynamic playmaking ability with Deion Burks, Isaiah Sategna and Jaren Kanek, who are often open and, as a group, are not getting enough good opportunities in the open field. 

Finally, the offensive line is absolutely the weakest unit on this football team. Ole Miss got pressure with a 3 man rush at times. Think about that.

Today, the Sooners need to figure out the run game early and give Mateer some simple reads. Get the ball out quick, get one of the three dynamos out in space, commit to the running game. It's a simple game.

For my OPOG, I like Isaiah Sategna to bounce back from a brutal fumble that irreversibly turned the tide in favor of Ole Miss last week. 

DEFENSE

If the Sooners hope to win any of their remaining games the Sooner defense simply has to be more opportunistic. At this point, they are still one of the better groups in the country. They are capable of getting pressure and they are good tacklers.

And yet there is almost a conservative aspect to this unit that is either coached or just part of who they are. The Sooners just don't take chances jumping routes or are not in a position to do so. 

I worry it's coached. If that's the case, we're sunk. You cannot win close games by being on the wrong side of turnover margin and the Sooner offense is good for two turnovers a game, easy. 

I'm not hating here. They are undoubtedly good enough to keep us in every game. They need to take chances in the secondary and not just chances trying to rush the QB.

I'll take Marvin Jones, Jr. for my DPOG

THE SCORE

I think the Sooners can come out of Knoxville with a win. I love that Seth Litrell might be tying boat anchors around the proverbial neck of Josh Heupel's offense. To win though, the Sooners have to win the turnover battle. They haven't done it all season, but they must do it today.

If they do, I'll take the Sooners 31, Volunteers 20

Boomer to the motherfuckin Sooner

Tennessee Volunteers vs. Oklahoma Sooners

 Good afternoon, Sooner fans. It's a hot day and big weekend in Norman. The Sooners kick off their SEC era again Josh Heupel and this town is hyped. Tennessee fans are everywhere. This is big time.

It's so big I have to be brief here. This one feels like when Texas Tech came in thinking they would make a national statement in Norman, at night. The Sooners smoked them. I'm not saying the Sooners smoke the Vols today, but they are not going to run over, around and through the Sooners.

If we know nothing else, it's that being the underdog is when we play our best.

OFFENSE

Obviously, it's the O-line. That's the story for every game from here on out. The Sooners will have Nic Anderson back today. Taylor Tatum is emerging as a stud in the backfield. Jackson Arnold can get you out of a jam. But without that O-Line, we're toast.

Today for my OPOG I'm going Taylor Tatum. If OU can run and win the time of possession battle, we have a chance.

DEFENSE

I saw a stat that said the Vols average more rushing yards per game than OU's entire offense per game. Erego, vis a vis, suffice it to say, the Sooners have to stop the run. 

The Tennessee QB has never played a true road game. The crowd and the D need to frazzle him. 

My DPOG is R Mason Thomas. Dude is a beast.

THE SCORE

I really don't think the Sooners can match the offense of the Vols. But if they do, they will win by of score of, say, 31-28.

Boomer to the motherfuckin Sooner

Oklahoma Sooners vs. Tennessee Volunteers

The Sooners couldn’t have hoped for a better start to the 2015 campaign. The offense, after a slow start, became unstoppable in the 3rd quarter. Baker Mayfield broke a record set by no less a personage than Sam Bradford. Joe Mixon looked worthy of the hype. Play calls were in early and decisive. There was a lot of play action and misdirection.

The defense yielded only 225 yards and forced a fumble. Hatari Byrd made an early entry for Hit of the Year when he stopped a scrambling Tra’Von Chapman in his tracks.

Austin Siebert is a weapon in the kicking game. He turned the field over on several occasions and he’s a good field goal kicker.  I can’t remember a kicker “putting out the vibe” like this guy.

There were positives in all phases of the game. I wear crimson blinders but there were no glaring weaknesses that are going to result in Week 2 coaching demotions a la the texas Longhorns. Yet, there are things that I’m sure showed up on game tape that the coaching staff can use for teaching points.

Now on to Rocky Top for a great early season test.  

OFFENSE

One of my favorite moments last week was a 3rd quarter 4th and 1 on the Zips 49 yard line. Lincoln Riley sent in some kind of jumbo package with Perine in the backfield. There was no hesitation on the call. Once the Sooners set at the line there was no looking over to the sideline. No timeout was called. Everyone in the stadium knew where the ball was going. Perine carried for 15. The Sooners went on to score three plays later on passes. It was consistent with the way the play calling went all night. It was easy and confident. There was no waiting around for the next play call to come in. There was occasionally some checking in to the sideline but the answer was ready when the question was asked. Nothing, a la the run game, was forced. It was nice to see.

The bubble may burst but I get the sense that the confidence of Riley and Mayfield is going to carry over to the rest of the offense and the stage of Neyland Stadium, in SEC country, in front of 105,000 is not going to be too big for these guys.

Plus, this quote from Bowling Green head coach Dino Babers makes me feel pretty good. "I promise you that someone's not going to sleep over there based off of their defense either."

I’d love to pick Mayfield to go bonkers again here. And it’s highly likely he will. He has a high comfort level with Jarvis Baxter so that would be a reasonable pick too. Needless to say, Berry Tramel put together a mid-week puff piece on Baxter’s Cinderella story. But I’m going with Joe Mixon. I imagine Tennessee is going to be quite aware of where he’s lined up and they will still have a tough time handling him. I think this will be Joe’s introduction to the country.

DEFENSE

This will be a big test for the Sooner D. Tennessee appears ready, willing and able to run rough shod over the Sooners. Can the defensive line help the linebackers out? Matt Dimon, Charles “Chaz” Walker and Matthew Romar need to play big. I feel good that your ‘Nique Alexanders, Jordan Evans, Frank Shannon’s and Devonte Bonds can clean up if the D-Line does its thing.

On that note, from the “Straight Outta LEFT FIELD” department I’m going to with Zack Sanchez. I just have that old tingly feeling that he’s going to do something big to alter the course of the game.

Akron was just too discombobulated on offense to know whether the Sooners made them that way or if they were just terrible. Probably a little of both. I'm not yet sold on their improvement over last year. I'll be happy with baby steps and another good showing this weekend.

THE SCORE

Tennessee wound up putting up a big number on Bowling Green but the Sooners D, questions and all, are better than anything the Vols have seen in practice or in week 1. That’s going to be the difference.

The Sooners offense is also going to prove superior and I have doubts that the Vols offense is built to come from behind.

I’m going Sooners 38, Tennessee 21

Boomer to the Motherfuckin Sooner

Sooners vs. Tennessee

Well Nate and I had so much fun making the podcast last week we tried it again. Here you go.



https://www.dropbox.com/sh/re5hrbf9cew80jv/AAAQZUzCPYBZqQZz8pBB3Tega?dl=0