Nebraska

This week our beloved Sooners travel to Lincoln to rekindle what was once one of the great rivalries in all of college football. Conference realignment and the ever-changing college football landscape ended that era and as it stands, it's doubtful that anyone playing in today's game has any first-hand memory of that time. Nevertheless, the fans certainly do and it will be a raucous atmosphere today in Huskerland. No doubt you have seen that Scott Frost, one-time wunderkind QB of the very same Huskers, was fired after successfully driving his alma mater program firmly into the ground. Nebraska has probably never been worse in my lifetime as they are right now. Where have you gone Frank Solich? That said, I have some trepidation regarding today's game. First, OU did not look particularly good offensively last week against Kent State. They narrowly held a halftime lead after not being able to score during the first half until the final minutes. They erupted in a dominant third quarter, and then went back to napping to close out the game. I'm confident that it will take more than one quarter of scoring to beat an energized Nebraska program on the road, which brings me to my second fear. 

Nothing ignites a team like a coaching change; particularly a team that has talented players and has been underachieving. In essence, they are now playing with nothing to lose. They have a new, interim coach, they'll get the rah rah "show them what you're capable of" type speech, the fans will be amped to have regained something akin to hope, and as it stands their season is already in the toilet so what's the worst that can happen? In short, it's going to be a tough place to win today. There are reasons for optimism however. Unlike the last few seasons, the OU defense appears to be capable of making a stop or two on occasion this season. It's way too early to say they are an asset. But, who else thinks that the Kent State game, if played last year, would've been close in the first half, and then traded TDs the rest of the way to win on a failed onside kick attempt with 50 seconds left? There are reasons for optimism on both sides of the ball, today is almost an ideal next step to getting ready for conference play. Let's hope they can seize the opportunity and put together four quarters of good football on both sides of the ball.

Offense

I rarely get anything remotely right with these half-assed predictions. It's not uncommon that I pick a player who isn't even dressing. So when I say I got Marvin Mims right last week, I will likely sprain my elbow patting my own back. Let's see if I can make it two in a row. This week, I'm going to go with Braden Willis. I think the opener was a taste of what Lebby plans to do with his 27-year-old TE this year. That is to say, get him involved early and often and particularly in the red zone. I like Willis to catch 6-8 balls today and get at least one score. 

Defense

The defense, as I mentioned, seems to be improved. So much so, that there are actually a few options that could plausibly be considered for a defensive MVP of the game. But, unlike offense, I'm not going to go out on a limb here. I'm taking Danny Stutsman. This guy has been everywhere the first two games, and I only think this is going to continue as he gets more and more comfortable in the defense. Nevermind that he seems like he'd be the guy that eats the goldfish at Old Tex in Johnny B. Goode, "Texas sushi, Boy!" (serious deep cut there, if you have any idea what I'm talking about you should be equal parts proud and ashamed), if he makes plays, I'm in. 

Score 

OU is favored by 11 in this one. I think that is generous for the Sooners. As I mentioned, this will be a tough game on the road against a team with nothing to lose. Charles Thompson has faced the Sooners before so he knows what to expect. I think this game is won or lost in the fourth quarter and is tight the whole way. I think the Sooners TCB however, and this game is a 24-20 dogfight. Sooners win.

Boomer to the Motherfuckin' Sooner

Oklahoma Sooners vs. Kent State Golden Flashes

 Greetings, Sooner fans, on this absolutely beautiful Saturday in Oklahpma. It's week two for our 1-0 Sooners. The Sooners looked pretty sharp in game one of the Brent Venables era. Most notably, the defense was gang tackling. Dillon Gabriel was efficient in his first start. Today they welcome the 0-1 Kent State Golden Knights. The Sooners find themselves a 33 point favorite which seems pretty aggressive but, were I a betting man, would be tempted to take. 

Today I want to see the Sooners build off last week and stay healthy before hitting the road next week for a big one against Nebraska in Lincoln. 

OFFENSE

I didn't get to watch most of the UTEP game and had to settle for listening on the radio. It seems to me, though, that the Jeff Lebby offense was fast as advertised. They move the ball around pretty well and were able to get key weapons like Marvin Mims and Eric Gray involved early and often. Brayden Willis was a nice surprise for me also. He's a big target who moves well and he has the added advantage of being able to be positioned anywhere to exploit mismatches. Maybe he's making the leap.

Today the Sooners need to continue to establish their identity and then identify some home run hitters. Eric Gray looked great and Marcus Major looked powerful. I mentioned Willis and Mims but it'd be nice to get a few more players involved just to see what the offense has at its disposal. 

Today I'll take a chance on Theo Wease for my OPOG. I am thinking he's just getting back to a comfort level on the field after missing last year and he should be due to make a leap of his own. Maybe he busts one open today.

DEFENSE

The Sooners played A LOT of players on this side of the ball last week and I love it. Ted Roof and co. are trying to find out what they have and who's a gamer. I want to see more of the same today. I love the idea of having real depth on that side of the ball for the first time in a long time. Today's the perfect opportunity to continue to establish it. 

I'm going to ride the hot hand (or at least my impression of it) and go with Reggie Grimes for my DPOG. He seemed to be living in the backfield last week and should just build off that this week.

THE SCORE

The theme for today is build and Kent State is the perfect opponent for it. This one should be an intense cake walk. The Sooners continue to establish that toughness on D, find playmakers on offense and keep the injury sheet clean going into next week.

I like the Sooners bigly, 42-10.

Boomer to the motherfuckin Sooner. 

Kent State

 Hello Sooners fans, on the heels of an encouraging start to the Brent Venables era, the Sooners welcome a Kent State squad that I know absolutely nothing about outside of their record (0-1). Last week, it was incredibly refreshing to see competent tackling and consistently making “routine” plays on defense. There were still coverage breakdowns and receivers being left wide open, but the signs of improvement were strong and plentiful. It’s said the hunger is the best sauce and loosely applying that to the Sooner defense I think it’s safe to say the fans were hungry. 

Offensively, the start was about as flawless as it gets. Then they sputtered a bit after getting lured into thinking every play should be a home run. I was impressed that they were able to reset, lean on the run game and then consistently move the ball. DG was solid if not spectacular. There were some missed throws and a bit of indecision at times, but overall he looked good. The foundation appears to be there, let’s hope they can “clean up” some things from last week and get tuned up for the meat of the schedule. 

Offense

There were several guys that could plausibly have been named OPG and I think Mitch nailed the Eric Gray pick. Gray was good between the tackles but also looked very good catching passes out of the backfield. Today I like Marvin Mims to have a big day and to haul in some of those long balls that didn’t quite connect last week. I think he totals over 100 yards and a TD today. 

Defense

I was extremely pleased with the gang tackling last week. It’s clear that swarming to the ball has been a point of emphasis and the basic ability to not let a minimal gain turn into a disaster 3rd down conversion was incredibly refreshing. I also very much enjoyed the ability to pressure without selling out to the blitz. With that in mind I’m going to pick who I thought was DPG last week in Quentin Grimes. I think he gets another sack today. 

Score

Without knowing anything about Kent State, I’m encouraged enough from last week to think the Sooners beat that ass today. The Crimson and Cream clean it up and tune it up, 52-10. 

Boomer to the Motherfuckin Sooner 

Oklahoma Sooners vs. UTEP Miners

Hello Sooner fans! Let's freaking go Champ U '22. It's been a long tumultuous offseason to say the least. The QB Whisperer fled for greener pastures and Caleb Williams plus half the squad followed him. And yet, I couldn't be more excited for a season of Sooner football because I have no idea what sort of product we will see on the field. And through the miracle of crimson colored glasses I have even managed to set high expectations. 

We will obviously see a fast paced offense that is predicated on gassing defenses and keeping them on their heels. Sounds awesome. Hopefully, the Ted Roof/Brent Venables defense will be ferocious. Also sounds great. Across the board, we can expect to be stronger. By all accounts ex-strength coach Bennie Wylie had no business being in the weight room. Jerry Schmidt is back. The vibe is palpably different.

OFFENSE

The Dillon Gabriel era begins today and that's a downgrade from Caleb Williams there's just no way to sugarcoat it. However, people seem to really like him and he was named the starter pretty much the day he arrived on campus. So, in the new Jeff Lebby led offense maybe he doesn't need to be a wunderkind. Especially today he just needs to find his sea legs.

Gabriel (Gabe) does have Marvin Mims returning along with Theo Wease, Jalil Farooq and some up and coming freshmen. Eric Gray and Marcus Major will get lots of opportunities in the backfield. 

Today I think Eric Gray is the OPOG getting opportunities to make moves out in the flat as a receiver. It'll be quick easy passes for DG.

DEFENSE

Word on the street is that this defense is going to attack from everywhere all the time. No gimmicks just straight gas. I imagine the LB's are going to carry a massive load so I like Danny Stutsman for my DPOG. Just gonna go with my one of my personal favorites from last year. 

Coaches do seem to be excited about Ethan Downs at DE and I'm not gonna be put out if the defensive line does some damage. 

Success for me today looks like a relatively clean game from a penalty perspective and less than three total busts. Seems possible.

THE SCORE

The way Brent Venables has come in and changed the attitutde of this team to its very core means I would not be surprised if the Sooners come out and just play brilliant, inspired football. At least for this game. It won't be flawless but it will be fast and hopefully intense.

Fans walk away with boners and the Miners leave butthurt.

Sooners 56, Miners 10

Boomer to the motherfuckin Sooner!

UTEP

 What an offseason it has been. The Sooners Football Program begins this season with a new coach for the second time since 2017. When Bob Stoops retired, I think his main goal was to turn the program over to a coach that he thought could lead the program for the next two decades or more. To turn it over to someone that would become the next legendary Sooners coach after Wilkinson, Switzer and himself (sorry John Blake). And then we all know what happened. But, my guess is that he has to be pretty happy with (and likely had a hand in) his long-time friend and assistant being the man that is in the spot now. As much of a dick punch Riley leaving felt like at the time (and it is still pretty shitty the way he did it), there are reasons for optimism. Lebby has led better offenses the last few seasons than OU had and Alex Grinch will be difficult to replace in the way that it's difficult to replace a roll of toilet paper. In short, I don't think it's a reach whatsoever that OU could conceivably get considerably better on both sides of the ball immediately. Talent will be the initial question mark and of course there will be growing pains with guys playing in a new system and learning a new playbook. That last part, however, might be somewhat mitigated by the fact that transfer QB Dillon Gabriel played in Lebby's system before (to the tune of 3600+ yards, 29 TDs and a 156.9 QB rating as a freshman). On defense, there is almost nothing but room for improvement. It's telling to 1) hear former Sooners in the NFL openly disparage Grinch for how bad he was and 2) see how much success guys have in the NFL after not doing a ton at OU. 

There were so many frustrating things about the team last year, but nothing irritated me more than their ability to play to the level of an opponent. Seldom did OU dominate and put teams away. Every game felt like it came down to the last possession. That's all wonderful when you're playing a tough road conference game or a top 10 matchup. But when you're playing conference doormats and teams like Tulane (that went 2-10 last year including 0-6 on the road) to a 40-35 (they gave up 35 points!) barn burner win, that is pathetic. Let's hope the new era starts with a dominant ass beat, backups in the third quarter, smiles and backslaps on the bench--of a 3rd tier team. As it should be. 

Offense

While most of the flashy recruits are gone, there is still a lot of talent on this side of the ball. The guys we know like Mims, Marcus Major, and company can play. I would say RB is a bit of an unknown as Major and Gray were solid in the past but both have talent and I think Gray catches a ton of passes out of the backfield in this offense and both of them have a great year. WR looks very good again, the offensive line has some new faces but looks promising and TE is in the capable hands of Braden Willis who has been with OU since 2003 seemingly. But, as predictable as it might be, I'm going with the new face at QB and Dillon Gabriel today. I think he absolutely light up UTEP and we get some garbage reps for the other QB transfer Davis Beville. I like DG for 300+ yards, 4 TDs and no turnovers.

Defense

There are some things to like about the defense in spite of the fact that they were pretty mediocre last year and lost several key players to the draft. Most of that stems from the hope that there is someone competent coaching them for a change. I like Key Lawrence and Woodi Washington in the secondary, and hopefully Jaden Davis can recapture whatever he had that made him look so promising as a freshman. The DL has several good (if no real stars as of yet) guys rotating in and out that they should be strong through four quarters. The LBs are strong with Ugwoegbu and Stutsman and DaShaun White. Today I like DaShaun White for DPG. He earned the famed Cheetah position in Venables' defense. I think he makes a ton of tackles and forces at least one turnover.

Score

I know almost nothing about UTEP. I do remember them coming to Norman many years ago and OU barely winning against Mike Price's bunch. This UTEP squad is already 0-1 (losing in their opener to the Flying Seth Littrell's of North Texas 31-13), and I predict the Venables era starts with a bang. OU dominates 45-6. 

Boomer to the Motherfuckin' Sooner

Oklahoma Sooners versus Oregon Ducks in the Valero Alamo Bowl

Life comes at you pretty fast, Sooner fans. The last month has been bananas. The Sooners lost to the Cowboys in Bedlam. Then Lincoln Riley bolts for USC. Doom and gloom sets in for a week before the triumphant return of Brent Venables buoys the hopes and dreams of Sooner Nation yet again. We had a season with championship aspirations and a Heisman Trophy quarterback and now we've got the Alamo Bowl, Spencer Rattler gone and Bob Stoops coaching the game.

There have been decommitments,  transfers and opt outs. Rattler, predictably, is gone. Austin Stogner went with him to Shane Beamer and South Carolina and Jaden Haselwood left for Arkansas. Perrion Winfrey, Isaiah Thomas and Nik Bonitto are notables on defense who have opted out of the bowl game. These are major blows but much has been salvaged. Theo Wease (he of 0 catches all season) entered the portal but decided to stay, there have been a couple of transfers from the portal on their way in and the recruiting class is still top 10 for whatever that is worth.

Most importantly, Caleb Williams thus far has stayed. I think if he was leaving he would have done so already. But besides going to USC to follow Riley, where else could his situation be improved? Kennedy Brooks, Marvin Mims and Mario Williams have also decided, thus far, to stay. I wouldn't be surprised if Brooks opts for the NFL after the bowl game, however. 

I think they've been convinced to stay by Jeff Lebby who, statistically, has had a top five offense nationally the last three years at Ole Miss. The Sooners offense, by contrast, has been around 40 the last three years. I didn't realize this until I obsessively started following the coaching search.

All of which has me looking at the program in a new light. First, it's possible OU just got better all around. Anybody would say Brent Venables is an upgrade from Alex Grinch and statistically the offense has room for improvement. Second, it's possible that the legend of Lincoln Riley is just that. It will be very interesting to watch the development of his former players compared to his new guys over the next three years. Third, there now seems to be a very intense focus on player development and for OU to become known as a conduit to the next level. 

Oregon, if you can believe it, finds themselves in a similar if not worse situation. They also lost their coach and due to transfers and opt-outs are missing something like thirty players for the bowl game. With expectations now through the floor and nothing on the line, this one looks like it could be a pretty fun one to watch.

OFFENSE

It's Cale Gundy calling plays and one wonders if this means everything will be simplified or if new OC Jeff Lebby has been doing any work trying to install some of his offense to try out. My guess is there will be a let 'er rip approach but with a heavy lean on the run game. By that I mean I don't think the run will be abandoned the way Lincoln sometimes would and I also expect there won't be a lot of playing for field position or punting. I bet the Sooners go for it on 4th at least three times, not including some late game obvious 4 down situation. 

I'll go with CW for my OPOG because I think he'll have quite a few designed runs for him. I wouldn't call it a coronation per se, but I think this will be a showcase game for him. 

DEFENSE

This is where things get real interesting. Nearly the entire D-line has opted out. You have a handful of coaches sticking around before heading off to new jobs and you've got Bob Stoops and Venables around but, in the case of Venables, not technically part of the staff. 

I think this lends itself to a hair on fire approach where a lot of new faces get a lot of snaps to audition for parts in next years D. Things could get extremely ugly but with Oregon being so shorthanded maybe the Sooners catch some breaks. 

Defense seems harder to adjust in a short time frame and I'll be interested to see if there's as much pre-snap movement or if new concepts are being installed. I will be shocked, in a bad way, if the D does not come out highly motivated and flying to the football. Those that are here and intend to be on campus next year should be very keen to be on Venables radar as soon as possible.

For my DPOG I'll go with Danny Stutsman who impressed me all season and who absolutely should be on the short list for players to make a big jump next year in the new Venables defense.

THE SCORE

Surprise, surprise I think the Sooners win this one going away. The line is Sooners -7 and I'd be jumping all over that if I were a betting man. There is no reason to think the Sooners offense can't be potent, especially with one of the best defensive players in the country opting out for Oregon. 

And don't forget this game is a meaningless exhibition, which is when Oklahoma teams really shine. All this points to good times and one last ice bucket bath for Coach Bobby.

Sooners 42, Ducks 17

Boomer to the motherfuckin Sooner

Bedlam

It's Bedlam, bitches, and it's always more fun when it means something. Usually that something is Little Brother trying to wreck Sooner hopes and dreams. It is true that a Sooner loss would essentially end the season. However, Cowboy tears will be shed if their inexplicable bubble gets burst. It's win or go home today.

I'm not feeling all that confident about the Sooners chances. The Cowboys defense is legit and even if it were only passable that would give them an edge over what the Sooners have been trotting out more often than not. And, as mentioned, the Cowboys are playing for a title game berth and a shot at the playoff. It's in Stillwater at night. 

But let us not forgot who has been here before. In a dogfight you have to like the Sooners chances. God knows they can win close and ugly. You know the Cowboys could come out with either their nuts in their throats or overconfident. The Sooners are made for this. 

OFFENSE

I would love (though not enough to actually follow through looking for it) to watch the tape of some of these plays where Caleb Williams is going deep or hanging on to the ball forever just to see if there are any open underneath routes. I have to believe he's not going through progressions or something. There has to be something easier than what it seems like he is always trying to do. 

He needs to get settled down early. He needs to run early. I wouldn't be surprised to see some razzle dazzle to see if the Cowboys over run. 

CW needs to be the OPOG here but I'm picking Mario Williams. He's on the cusp of some big stuff.

DEFENSE

For all the shit talk on these guys they did play a nice game last week. It certainly seems like the infusion of Jalen Redmond is a big reason. Obviously, for the Sooners to have any chance they have to play their best ball today. 

This Cowboy offense is not exactly dynamic. They are certainly capable of mediocrity. If Redmond, Isaiah Thomas and Perrion Winfrey can get some pressure then the Sooners will get some breaks you can count on it. 

Conversely, this defense can also make the worst offenses seem dynamic. If they can't get off the field on third and medium plus I will be calling it an early night and sitting in the dark feeling sorry for myself like a little bitch.

My crimson colored glasses don't allow me to see this happening, though, and so I'm going to pick Jalen Redmond for my DPOG.

THE SCORE

The Sooners will show up on D. CW will use his brain and his feet. The Cowboy faithful will water their miserable little patch of prairie with warm coed tears.

The first team to 24 will win. Tonight it's the good guys. The Sooners win and make a pretty big statement, 31-17.

Boomer to the motherfuckin Sooner