OU - KState Preview

Iconic Turtlenecks

This Saturday the season begins in earnest. It's Bob Vader v. Bill Kinobi. Give Bobby some truth serum and he wants this game as bad or worse than he wants texas or OSU. This bodes well as the Student is coming off two full weeks of preparation for the Master. Let's break it down.

DEFENSE

The Sooner defense is famous (in my mind) for shutting down Heisman hopefuls. Last year that reputation took a major hit when Robert Griffin III all but thanked "The Sharks" when he accepted his Heisman Trophy.

This week the boys have a chance to cleanse their sullied reputations. But they'll have to hustle. This Collin Klein (Or Kellen Klein or Collin Quinn as I'll inevitably start calling him by late Saturday) is built like a brick shithouse and he's starting to show up on Heisman short lists. He's no RGIII but he is the cornerstone of the K-State attack. For the first time in Steamroller history I had to check two sites (read: work overtime) to confirm a stat. This sumbuck rushed the ball 327 times last year (!) and scored 27 TD's on the ground.

He's also a soulless Ginger which makes him extra dangerous. ZING!

But fear not, for I do bring glad tidings this day. He doesn't value the football. Here's hoping an aggressive and opportunistic defense can capitalize on his carelessness. I've had visions this week of a defensive touchdown. Dear Jehovah let me be right!

I study lots of film so I believe the Linebackers are key to stopping this Klein attack. They must "mind their gaps" and "not break contain". So, my choice for Defensive Player of the Game (dba D-POG) must come from the duo of Tom Wort or Corey Nelson. I have more confidence in Tommy Wort not making me look like a bigger doofus than I already am so I pick him.

OFFENSE

Lonnie really loves playing K-State. He put up PlayStation numbers against the Wildcats last year. We don't need that to happen again to win (but I'll take it!). The offensive line simply needs to give him time to "look left" or "look right" (I think these are the two plays on his wristband play sheet) and get rid of the ball. Anything to get K-State defenders out of the box is what we're after.

Then the Sooners can hammer the run game. Again, the O-Line doesn't have to set the world on fire. We are learning all they have to do is give DD enough time to get to that 2nd level. Then it's "on". The K-State secondary is crap. Their defensive line is where it's at. It must be neutralized.

Some semblance of a balanced attack and this football game is over. Through two games (and especially against Florida A&M) the balance has been pleasantly awesome. Balance against K-State would mean something else entirely and would establish it as the Sooner offensive identity going forward. That would make me giddy as a schoolgirl.

For my Offensive Player of the Game (O-POG) I shall not disembark the DD Williams train until someone makes me. Another strong performance will have him moving up some Heisman watch lists in his own right. To paraphrase the incomparable Clark Griswold I couldn't be more surprised if I woke up tomorrow with my head sewn to the carpet.

SCORE

I have good feelings about this football game. I am looking through crimson-colored glasses this week and I received a text from Nate saying he had bad feelings.

All is right in Sooner Nation.

In addition, the Sooners are coming off a bye, Bobby wants to take the old man behind the woodshed again and it's another night home game. Let's do this.

Sooners 38 Wildcats 21

Boomer to the motherfuckin Sooner. Crack them PBR tallboys!

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 by Nostradamus 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?

Oklahoma Sooners 2012 Defensive Preview

For the better part of a decade the eyes of Sooner Nation have been focused on the offensive side of the football. Year after year the tempo rose, the weapons amassed and scoring was off the charts. It was always assumed the defense would be competent enough and close enough to the championship levels of 2000 to keep opponents under 30 points. The thinking went, and rightly so, that the Sooner offense could score 30 in its sleep.

For the first time in years the hopes of a Sooner championship rest squarely on the defense. For the first time in a long while, the defense offers the best reasons for hope and optimism heading into the season. And for the first time in nearly a decade, Mike Stoops is stalking the Sooner sidelines.

To reiterate: Mike Stoops is back coaching the defense.

Stoops wasted little time making changes. Things are going to be simpler. Tony MF Jefferson is moving to Free Safety where he can patrol the secondary. It's always a good idea to have your best player be in a position to wreak havoc.

The loss of last year's most consistent defender, Jameer Nelson, stings but the Corner combo of Demontre Hurst and Aaron Colvin will still be the league's best. Colvin is poised for a breakout year. Demontre also speaks highly of Sophomore "Mayor" Julian Wilson. Stay tuned there.

Javon Harris and Gabe Lynn spent much of 2011 locked in a duel to claim the memorial Matt "Gas Rag" McCoy trophy. Lynn's contributions in the Texas Tech game were especially unwelcome.

Up front there has been some upheaval. Stacy McGee (Senior, 14 starts) has been suspended. David King will now spend more time inside rushing from the 3 Technique (football term). King was underrated in 2011 and could wind up anchoring the D-Line. RJ Washington has never lived up to the hype and he seems a bit pissed about it. Hopefully this translates to improved play on the field.

To quote the Longshoremen from Major League, "Who are these fuckin guys" sums up the rest of the D-Line. Mitch Tate, Charles Tapper and Chaz Nelson sound more like an Ivy League Coxed Pair Rowing team than Defensive Ends. Chuka Ndulue and Mike Onouha are battling for spots on the all-name team as well as for playing time at Defensive End.

Usually there are guys who feel like 8th year seniors (See: Jamarkus "Booger" McFarland) but Linebacker Jayden Bird breaks the mold. I figured he was a Junior at best but he's a Senior. Who knew? Tom Wort' s son is already being recruited but he could wreak havoc this year if he can keep from tearing a knee ligament. (Aside: How is Tom Wort a Junior and Jayden Bird a Senior? Doesn't seem right) Corey Nelson needs to live up to his potential.

And really you guys, potential is what we have to go on with the defense to start this campaign. It's all hope and optimism, raibows and unicorns. There is some quality talent and memories of crushing defenses from the early 2000's but there are some real questions on the defensive line.

My feel is that a positive attitude adjustment will by itself shave a touchdown off opponents scoring average and in the grand scheme that could be enough to make a run. If the attitude results in a bunch of baby-eaters running around with their hair on fire then so much the better. I welcome the opportunity to yell at my television in a good, nee great way.

Boomer to the motherfuckin Sooner!

Bedlam

Bedlam. It sucks that this one isn't "the most important football game in Oklahoma history". Though, for OSU, it still is. As I've snarkily pointed out to every Poke fan I know this week, all the hopes and dreams of Cowboys fans and players are right there in front of them. Manifest Destiny and all that.

A Cowboy win would mean the first Big 12 Championship in school history (and the first outright conference championship since prohibition). The first BCS bid in school history. An outside shot at the first title game in school history.

Noooooo pressure.

That sound you just heard was the collective puckering of Poke buttholes.

All season long OSU had the mental advantage in this one. If there is one silver lining to the Sooners losing two games and being out of contention for the title it's that they now have, hopefully, a mental edge.

OU is now the underdog with nothing to lose. Everyone has written them off. They seem destined for a craptacular bowl game. But with one more spectacular effort they can rip the guts out of Little Brother on their own field.

No Big 12 Championship. No BCS. No title shot.

Sooner fans have to hope that the same Sooner team that showed up at Florida State, Texas and Kansas State will show up in Stillwater. Regrettably, this years Sooner squad has played to the level of its competition. Please God let them rise to the occasion today.

OFFENSE

It's Landry Jones. I hope he leaves for the NFL. He is the penultimate system QB. He leaves 120 yards on the table every week with his terrible screen passes. But we need him today. We really need him to not shit his pants and to not make inexplicably awful decisions. Make smart decisions, easy throws and let the run game do the heavy lifting. All he has to do is manage the game because the unit under the gun in this one is the defense.

DEFENSE

Great Oden's Beard these bastards need to show up today. OSU wants to turn the ball over. They love it. Brandon Weeden is not averse to making terrible decisions. Justin Blackmon made one of the dumbest football plays I've ever seen against Texas A&M and is not immune to fumbling. Joseph Randle really likes being careless with the football.

The Sooner D needs to embrace these tendencies. What they don't need to do is let the Pokes run roughshod or let receivers get behind the safeties. In general they should not give up the "Big Play". Unfortunately, they've done just that in spades all year long.

The Sooners will sorely miss Ronnel "The Hammer" Lewis. Now I'm hearing Big Frank Alexander might be out. Um, that sucks.

I'm going for Tom Wort. He's been playing well. Maybe he can get some pressure on Weeden. I think that's the key. Maybe Venables blitzes with Tommy. I actually feel pretty good about this.

THE SCORE

I'm really, really hoping for a defensive score for the Sooners. I think Landry can get a couple TD throws. Jaz Hands Reynolds will be back so that will be a huge help. The run game has been pretty stellar at times recently. I think the Sooners can get 35. That should be enough to win. But....

The D has given up big plays all season long. It's unfortunately their stock and trade. So, count on the Cowboys getting a few. Likewise, Landry could do something dumb and hand the Pokes a score on a platter. I think they take advantage.

Also, Bobby is 6-0 versus Mike "I'm a Man!" Gundy in season ending games. This fact is not lost on the Poke faithful. They are legitimately afraid of Bobby.

OU 35, OSU 24

Oh boy, this one's big. Boomer to the Motherfuckin Sooner.

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:

• 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:

Tony Motherfuckin Jefferson and Kenny Fuckin Shitbag Still as Caped Crusaders

Boomer to the Motherfuckin Sooner

OU - FSU Gameplan/Strategy/Hope/Prayer

You'd be hard pressed to find a 1-0 team whose stock dropped more precipitously than the Sooners did this past week. A poor showing at home to the inferior Aggies of Utard State (a clever name courtesy of the father-in-law) and a Florida State asswhoopin' of Samford will do that.

So it's Week 2 and already Sooner Nation finds itself at a fork in the road. The Sooners can live up to the anti-hype or take it as the proverbial "warning shot across the bow" and get their shit together. I've spent all week talking myself out of the former and into the latter. I've been successful. I'm now convinced that this narrow loss was the perfect splash in the face of cold water that this Sooner team needs heading into their biggest non-conference game of the season. I'm convinced the defensive miscues of last week are correctable as opposed to brain farts to be endured all season.

FSU is also at a crossroads. Are they as good as everyone currently fellating them says? Or are they poised now for some come-uppance because OU is no Samford?

I guess what I'm saying is I have questions and, come Saturday evening, there will be some answers.

This will be a hell of a game if OU comes out playing like their hair is on fire and FSU does the same due to the fact they inexplicably believe in themselves like no other time since 2001. There is much talk of superior athleticism on the FSU sidelines.

In addition, two Stoops brothers will be facing off for the first time. I can't imagine how badly these two would love to beat each other. I can imagine that both defensive units are aware of the situation and frothing at the mouth to win for their respective coach.

I'm expecting a close game with some special teams fireworks.

On Offense
At the risk of getting into a rut (by alternating all season between DeMarco and Ryan Broyles) I'm going to say DeMarco Murray. He's clearly the bell cow and he's going to be pivotal in keeping Lonnie from smearing his britches all day. He looked like an elite runner last week. He had the glide. I've got a real good feeling he's going to take a kickoff to the house.

Tangentially, if DeMarco is healthy all season, where does he rank in OU history? I have a feeling his legacy will be somewhat diminished because of how smoothly he runs. He's not a freight-train like AD. He doesn't have the novelty of size or the pinball action of Q Griffin. But he's better than pretty much everyone else in the Stoops era wouldn't you say?


On Defense
I like Tom Wort here. I have quickly become a believer. The guy was all over the place against Utah State and he just looks like a mean motherfucker. I am perfectly content with him manning the middle. 

My question is does he speak with a British accent? I didn't know he spent a good portion of his childhood in England as this article says. If so, that's badass.

The important question for the Sooner defense is can they get pressure on the QB? Last week Jeremy Beal set up a tent in the backfield but coralling the QB was difficult. In spite of that we got three INT's. Can OU force FSU into more turnovers than FSU can get from Lonnie?

The Verdict
I really think this is going to be an awesome game. FSU has a brilliant special teams player in Greg Reid. OU has brilliant return men in Broyles and Murray. I think this could be the key. Also, will Lonnie look like a true Freshman or like a guy who's started a dozen games at this level? Will the line give him some time just in case he wants to go through a progression?

I think so and the defense will be eager to put in the past last week's transgressions. Also, Sooner Nation is going to be ready to cheer long and loud. 

I of course like the Sooners.

OU 35, FSU 17

PS- Is it a good sign when, in Week 2, there's a poll in the paper asking if you'd rather have your starting QB or a guy who isn't even on campus? Note: Berry Tramel is a dick so leave it to him to start asking inane questions.

PPS- In this article on August 25th I wrote:

Will some Mouth-Breathing Knuckle-Dragging Clod on the O-Line Quit the Team Come September 2nd?

I don't know what it is about O-Linemen but it seems like a right of Autumn that one of these jackoffs has had enough of windsprints and Oklahoma Drills and quits the team. I'm always one who says if they're not tough enough to handle it we don't need them anyways. Which is true. But just this once can these jackholes keep it together long enough to develop some chemistry before Cincinnatti? Pretty please?

I'll be damned if Guard Tavaris Jeffries didn't go and get his self arrested. He's not on the two-deep but he's trying to screw things up.

Well, We're 1-0

My pregame analysis pretty much took a giant shit on itself. Our players of the game were pretty spot-on though. This game was weird.

On one hand, there were some things that were very encouraging. On Offense, DeMarco and Broyles were workhorses. The WR's as a unit were pretty solid. There were not a lot of drops (none that I can recall). Cameron Kenney seems more comfortable and DeJuan Miller caught a couple of key passes. There were no fumbles.

Unfortunately for the Offense, Lonnie was inconsistent at best and showed little, if any, improvement that I could tell. He seemed to lock in on receivers (only 5 players caught balls), was eager to move out of the pocket (read: happy feet), threw some awful balls and generally seemed out of sorts a lot of the time. This was just one game, of course, but the notion that we may have seen Lonnie's career ceiling already is disheartening. It's hard for me to watch the O-Line in person and I don't know a lot about that unit anyways (as far as nuances of the position) but I'm going to presume they were average/below average given that Lonnie was sacked 3 times and threw the ball away more times than that. Whether that's on the Line or Lonnie or WR's I don't know.

On defense there were also some positives if you can believe it. Jeremy Beal looked very good and was spending a great deal of time in the backfield. The LB's looked good as well. Ronnell came in for 3-4 situations and Tom Wort was all over the place. What a great name for a LB by the way, Tom Wort. Travis Lewis had a predictably quiet steady game. In the secondary Tony Jefferson caught my eye and Quinton M.F. Carter looked like the leader he should be.

However, virtually everyone in the secondary staked their claim to be the next "Gasrag McCoy", even Quinton and DeMontre Hurst (who they almost never threw to). At some point, somebody made an egregious error in coverage that cost the Sooners. At this point I'd say Jamelle Fleming or Jonathan Nelson are the leaders in the clubhouse though. What was odd but mildly encouraging was that on some of these mistakes, the defender was in good position, he just didn't turn to find the ball. It wasn't always a completely blown coverage.

For every positive there was a negative. Utah State played well, no doubt, but there is no reason in the world that game should have been close. Hopefully this performance got the attention of the right people. Even as close as this game wound up being, I still think this team can be really good. The mistakes seem fixable.

At the end of the day we're 1-0 and still in control of our own destiny. And, unlike teams of the past, this one on this day made plays when they had to and persevered. Yes, I am trying to be as positive as possible because now next week looks very, very scary.

Other Notes

• I can believe that OU would try to charge people to listen to games on the Internet. Such is the state of big time sports. I cannot believe anyone would be willing to pay. That's a crock. The good news is I believe every other game will be televised.
• I cannot say enough about DeMarco. 35 carries is a ton. He hit holes hard, hung on to the ball, showed some patience and had that breakaway speed in the open field. Very, very encouraging. Kudos to you on the call.
• Shouldn't Jamarkus McFarland be called "Booger" from now on? Sure, it's technically taken but anytime you have the chance to call someone Booger I feel it's my obligation as an American to do so.
• You know how football is such a copycat sport (Wildcat). Well, at Coach Camp this offseason I guess the big new thing was to run traditional running formations out of the shotgun. For instance, DeMarco lined up a lot behind Lonnie in the Shotgun. Or, there would be an off-balance I-Formation behind Lonnie in Shotgun. Utah State was doing this also. I can't remember seeing it before.
• This game had a terrible vibe. The crowd was shit.