Bedlam

 Big game on the docket today in the form of the rivalry matchup known as Bedlam. OU takes on the Oklahoma State Cowboys in Norman today and it is a significant contest in the conference standings. Atypically, OU is looking up at OSU (18 and 14 respectively) and is the team looking for the upset. The Sooners have looked much better of late but this is easily their biggest test of the season.

Offense

Spencer Rattler got banged up a bit his last time out, but as far as I can tell he's a full go for this one. Which, most probably means he's out for the game. That's what I bring to the table. I think OU will once again needs its offense to be its best defense against an OSU team that I see little chance of stopping. With that in mind I'm doubling down on Rhamondre Stevenson in this one. The man has been a menace to opposing defenses since his return from his little wrist slap for crumblin' herb, so to speak. I think he beats up a solid OSU defense as the Sooners play a little ball control offense and keep their own worst enemy off of the field.

Defense

As you may have ascertained from OPG paragraph, I still don't have a ton of faith in this defense. I will admit they have looked improved the last couple of games. And, they've plenty of time to get ready for this one. That said, I'm not picking a DPG again this week. If they surprise me by looking competent tonight, we'll talk next week.

Score

In spite of the rankings, OU is giving 7 in this one (last I saw). I think it will be a tough game for sure and probably lower scoring than the experts think. I'm taking the under here and OU fails to cover in a  27-24 win. 

Boomer to the Motherfuckin' Sooner

Bedlam

2020 has decided to throw a bone to Sooner (and, begrudgingly, Cowboy) Nation with today's Bedlam matchup being meaningful, at night and on national television. Little Brother thinks this is their year so the prospect of the Sooners breaking their spirits while also getting back into Big 12 championship game contention is a cherry on the cake.

OFFENSE

The Cowboys believe they have a respectable defense for once and are eager put it on display. I do not wish them the best and am having difficulty imagining a scenario where they hold the Sooners under 35. The Sooners, and particularly Spencer Rattler, will need to make some poor decisions in the passing game to not make the magic number. 

Rattler's decision making continues to improve, however, and I think their plan today is to wear out the Cowboy defense with a bludgeoning mix of Rhamondre Stevenson and quick throws to the sidelines. It will pay off in the last 20 minutes with the Sooners going over the top and stocking the highlight reel. It's gonna be a party.

I'll go with Spencer today for my OPOG in what I can see being his best game as a Sooner. He's much more prepared for the spotlight here in late November than he was as the much ballyhooed wunderkind of early September.  

DEFENSE

There is no doubt the Sooner D is rounding into something resembling form but they need to be careful today. It's a knifes edge between playing fast and having that speed exploited and the Cowboys do have pieces around the field to turn strength to weakness. 

The key will be how Alex Grinch handles the second level. For instance, I would much rather see Brian Asamoah, DaShaun White, Nik Bonitto and David Ogwoegbu at the point of attack than having Bookie or, God forbid, Pat Fields trying to contain or shadow Spencer Sanders. 

You obviously have to stop Chuba Hubbard while also keeping Spencer Sanders from running the ball. Here is where the D-Line has to be aggressive like they've been all year without being too fast and running themselves upfield so quickly they get exploited. 

I may be prematurely prognosticating here but I'm going to pick a DPOG. Ronnie Perkins. He looks like a baby eater and will put on a show tonight.

THE SCORE

A lot of people think this will be low scoring by Sooner standards but I think the Sooners will get to that magic number of 35. The Cowboys will have to work hard for what they get and will get lucky a little too because it's Bedlam and shit gets wild. 

But I like the Sooners easy at home 35 Cowboys 20.

Boomer to the motherfuckin Sooner

Kansas

 Good afternoon sports fans. The Sooners spend this fine (in New Orleans anyway) fall Saturday morning in the friendly confines of Owen Field. The Jayhawks of Kansas make a trip to town to (in all likelihood) get the living shit kicked out of them. I know absolutely nothing about KU except that they stink and have yet to win a game. The spread is 38.5 and OU is coming off probably their best win of the season. Which came on the heels of the previous best effort, hopefully this is a trend and the Sooners continue to improve. It's likely too late to make a run to the playoff as two losses (to mediocre opponents) is probably too much to overcome, but the conference title could still be had. Let's get down to business...

Offense

I was knee deep in wine and cocktails last Saturday night and watched almost none of the game as we were safely celebrating halloween on our porch. But, from what it looked like, Rhamondre Stevenson was just the tonic. He seemed to have his way with the Red Raider defense, while Spencer Rattler continued to (hopefully) come into his own. Marvin Mims looks like the next big deal at WR for OU as well. There are plenty of nice pieces to choose from but I'm going with Stevenson again this week. I think he's fresh, and he's fired up coming off of a huge game. 

Defense

I am still not ready to anoint anyone here. If they play respectably again today, I will reevaluate next week.

Score

All signs point to an old fashioned assbeat today. I mentioned the spread at 38.5. I think the Sooners win easily but for whatever reason, I don't see them covering. I like OU in this one 45-13.

Boomer to the Motherfuckin Sooner!

Oklahoma Sooners versus Kansas Jayhawks

Happy Saturday, Sooner fans. The Sooners take on the Jayhawks today in Norman in a contest that hopefully will be called faster than the Oklahoma presidential race this past week. Kansas is atrocious. Owasso High might be able to give them a game. 

The Sooners, for their part, are coming off arguably their most complete football game against Texas Tech, a game where the Red Raiders were shellacked by a feisty and opportunistic Sooner defense, run over by Rhamondre Stevenson and smoked by Spencer Rattler who was doing his best Pat Mahomes impersonation. 

OFFENSE

It's crazy but the Sooners return to Norman for the first time since the K-State loss on September 26th. The group taking the field today is much further along and should cruise on friendly territory against the hapless Jayhawks. 

Rhamondre Stevenson looked fresh last week and should be a proverbial bull in a china shop. He'll be my OPOG today but don't sleep on Seth MacGowan. Lincoln Riley is finding news ways to get him the ball every week. He could be devastating in the passing game today by being a check down for Spencer Rattler. Rattler, for his part, can continue to progress by going through his reads. 

The Jayhawks are target practice and it's going to be devastating.

DEFENSE

There was a lot to be excited about last week with the performance of the D. The return of two-time PRCA gold buckle winner Ronnie Perkins injected some much lacking fire and snarl. Better yet, that attitude persisted for four quarters and was rewarded with more batted balls, INT's and loose balls than I can recall in years. 

Again, today provides an opportunity to build on that performance and continue to add depth everywhere. The Sooners will throw the kitchen sink at the Jayhawks both in terms of scheme and personnel. This game at this point of the schedule is a gift on a par with what the SEC does with mid-season Division II games.

Out of an abundance of caution I will not pick a DPOG this week.

THE SCORE

The newspaper today said the over/under on this game was 63 which seems ludicrous as the Sooners will have to stop themselves from scoring 70. While a shutout would be capital, it's hard to see a mistake free game from the D.

The Sooners obviously win easily and take this one 70-7.

Boomer to the motherfuckin Sooner

Oklahoma Sooners versus Texas Tech Red Raiders

Good evening, Sooner fans. I am begging your forgiveness for the tardiness and brevity of this puff piece. The Oklahoma bureau of Sooner Steamroller has been without power since Tuesday on account of an apocalyptic ice storm. 2020 is relentless in its commitment to being the worst. 

Alas we press on.

OFFENSE

Spencer Rattler did a fine job of game management last week and he found his playmaker in Marvin Mims, Jr. This week I'd like to see Rattler continue to build and a key to his development is Austin Stogner. He had a nice game against Texas but last week dropped at least three balls that were heavily defended. His mission in life is to catch balls in traffic that are heavily defended. Stogner is my OPOG today.

DEFENSE

These guys are almost decent. I was but much pleased to see intensity and speed for the entire game. The Red Raiders offer another great opportunity to take a step forward. A night road game against a shit team is a recipe for heady vibes and PlayStation type numbers.

I am not picking a DPOG today. However, there are a couple of candidates who, if they don't watch themselves, could find themselves getting called out in a great way on this platform.

As an aside, it is patently ridiculous that country music legend, PRCA bronco rider and Sooner defensive end Ronnie Perkins is still not eligible to play as a result of a positive marijuana test last year. What in the actual shit. Can someone pull the stick out of the NCAA's asshole, please? This defense improves dramatically with him on the field.

SCORE

The Sooners cruise on the road and look and feel good doing it. I like the Sooners big time today. 

Sooners 49 Red Raider 17

Boomer to the motherfuckin Sooner

Texas Tech

 Signing in to put up a piece of trash on halloween as the Sooners prepare to play Texas Tech tonight. I would say that last week OU put together their most complete game of the season. They poured it on early, got a lead and managed to not piss it away late. It was enjoyable football. I read today that Rambo and Turner-Yell will be out due to Covid. The former I think we can hide fairly well, but losing anyone resembling a competent defender could be devastating to an already horrendous unit. Nevertheless, play they will and hopefully they can cobble together a win.

Offense

Rattler has looked steadily better since his benching earlier this year. He's more content to "take what they give him" instead of trying to hit a home run every play. In my (meaningless and woefully uninformed) opinion, he could tuck it and run a little earlier but he's still doing a nice job. I will go with him today to have a nice night under the primetime lights. Which essentially means he'll throw 4 picks.

Defense

Though the D definitely looked better last week, it's important to note that better is a relative term and certainly not a synonym of good and/or competent. Still not picking anyone here.

Score

I know nothing of Texas Tech. I'm sure they are talented in spots and not-so-much-so in others. In other words, typical Tech. I imagine the Sooner D will regress somewhat from passable last week as consistent improvement isn't really their "thing". I'll guess OU wins a close one that shouldn't be close at all. Sooners take 38-33.

Boomer to the Motherfuckin' Sooner

TCU

The Sooners, in spite of themselves, managed to beat texas two weeks ago in an epic Red River for the ages. Even though the Sooners escaped in over time, it should have never even gotten past regulation. Spencer Rattler looked like garbage in the first half, even getting benched for an even worse Tanner Mordecai. Thankfully, when Rattler came back he looked a little more willing to take what the defense was giving and not sitting in the pocket for four hours. Hopefully that carries over for the rest of the season, because the defense is absolute shit. On the plus side, we don't have to ever see Sam Ehlinger again or hear any more about how great he is. TCU is on the slate today and it wouldn't surprise me if OU won or lost by 30. I really have no idea what to expect. On to the picks...

Offense

I pulled off one of my patented moves against texas by selecting a player that did not suit up for the game. I can't remember the last season where I didn't do that at least once. Today I'm hoping to not keep that streak going, but am unwilling to do a brief google search to ensure I don't. I just can't pick Rattler, I hope he has a great game of course, but his turnovers are horrendous and all too frequent. And, while I know picking WR is somewhat predicated on Rattler playing well, I'm still going with Mims on the outside today. He's looking like he's ready to break out, and hopefully today is the day.

Defense

I still can't pick anything here. It's too awful. Alex Grinch should be publicly horse whipped for continuing to play Pat Fields. The Sooners could suit up a scarecrow at Safety and theoretically improve, simply based on the fact that the scarecrow wouldn't commit PI on every 3rd and forever. 

Score

As I said before, this could really go any number of ways and I wouldn't be shocked. But I'm going be optimistic that with two weeks to prepare, the Sooners will be ready. I like the Sooners to win it today 31-27.

Boomer to the Motherfuckin' Sooner