#1 Oklahoma Sooners

Stop Making Sense

RMutt — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 19:10:16 GMT

There are those on the message boards infuriated that reporters, commentators and commenters believe that Brigham Young won that game because Sam Bradford went down with an injury. What part of one-point difference don't they understand? If you were talking about any team losing its starting quarterback in the first half, any rational person would deduce that was the crucial factor in a one-point loss. If the starting quarterback doesn't make more than a one-point difference in the game, there is no logical justification for him to be starting instead of the number two quarterback. Does anybody really believe that if the BYU quarterback had been injured in the first half, and Brigham Young lost by one point, that a single Brigham Young fan, or any other fan, wouldn't be arguing until their face turned blue that Brigham Young would have beaten OU if their quarterback had not gone down? And Hall didn't win the Heisman Trophy last year.

Those who say Bradford had not done much in the first half by looking at statistics are ignoring the fact that the OU offensive gameplan was bent, rightly or wrongly, on establishing the run, at least in the first half, probably to give the new offensive line a chance to get their feet under them. Bradford only threw 14 passes, five of which were on that final drive before the half when clock management dictated throwing the ball.

Of course they are right in one respect. Even with second string quarterback Landry Jones, Oklahoma was the better team and should have won the game. Without an obscene number of penalties and uncharacteristic fumbles, OU could have had a two touchdown cushion for Jones. No doubt, Oklahoma self-destructed. Even before Bradford went down, I told my son that we didn't deserve to win this game. Shoddy play proved to be OU's undoing. It is sadly ironic that despite playing the worst football I think I have ever seen from an OU team, we had a chance to win that game on a field goal in the final seconds, only to turn what would have been a longshot into something that would have required a miracle because of yet another stupid penalty, the sixth by the same offensive lineman.

When you lose like that, there are no excuses. But saying losing a Heisman Trophy quarterback affected the outcome of a one point game isn't an excuse, it is simply reasonable.

The Magic is Back

RMutt — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 15:49:16 GMT

I must confess I was dreading Thursday. I figured we were going to lose our Heisman quarterback, Sam Bradford. And our all-world tight end, Jermaine Gresham. And probably the best defensive lineman in the nation, Gerald McCoy. And the only returning starter on our offensive line, Trent Williams. In other words, Black Thursday.

Then Wednesday came, and Bradford announced he was going to make an announcement. Suddenly I thought he would return. Bearers of bad news typically procrastinate until the absolute last minute. Even if he were staying, the only reason I could think of for Bradford to announce a day early was as an attempt to influence the decision of others thinking of leaving, particularly Gresham.

I thought for certain we would lose Gresham. Of course, I thought we would lose McCoy, too. His announcement earlier in the week set the tone. Still, I thought Gresham was gone. He is more physically ready for the NFL than Bradford.

While it is good news the players are staying, the even better news is why. The loss in the national title game left a bad taste in their mouth, a taste that will define next season. These players are now on a mission. As Tebow showed this year, that makes all the difference.

I suspect Bradford learned something from Tebow. Technically, Sam is as proficient as there is. What he lacks is that intangible. He hasn't learned to come up big in big games. He doesn't play poorly, he doesn't choke, but neither does he take the game by the throat and wring out a victory. At the end of both the Texas and Florida games this year, he seemed to be wondering how technical proficiency was behind on the scoreboard. Ten points behind with three minutes to play is not utterly hopeless, not with that offensive firepower, and, more importantly, not with that thing they call Sooner Magic.

With his decision to stay, Bradford has taken that first step towards acquiring the only thing he lacks as a quarterback. He now wants to win more than anything. Moreover, as indicated by announcing early to sway the decisions of others, he wants to lead.

Last week all seemed hopeless. This week, I'm sensing some of that old Sooner Magic.

Congratulations to the National Champion Florida Gators

RMutt — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 14:24:14 GMT

Congratulations to the National Champion Florida Gators! Two worthy programs duked it out on the field last night in a classic game. Florida came out on top. Enjoy your championship, Gator fans, you've earned it.

Hope we're fortunate enough to see you in a rematch next year!

2008 BCS Championship Gameday

RMutt — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 17:37:03 GMT

Well gameday finally arrived. We're going to catch the game at Gators; I thought it was a nice touch. The blackened gator tail is delicious. We'll be munching on gator all evening long. Hopefully the Sooners will be too.

Unlike all the fanboys out there who are sure one side or the other are going to win, I don't have a clue. When two top teams play either team can win. After hearing all the talk about Florida's defense, I watched the OU-TCU game last night, and feel much better. OU scored 35 points on a higher ranked defense than Florida's, and the offense wasn't anywhere near late season form. DeMarco Murray may be out, a justification given for picking Florida, but Oklahoma only netted 25 yards rushing in that TCU game. When the run wasn't working, they just went up top and put up 411 yards passing on the 11th ranked passing defense. Hell, TCU would have finished second if you throw out the Oklahoma game. Florida is 15th. So if OU can put up 400+ yards on TCU, what logic dictates they can't do the same against Florida? Gotta love the overconfidence of the Gator Nation.

OU beat Florida 34-0 last night in my traditional EA NCAA 09 simulation. OK, it was on Freshman mode, and I was letting Lee Corso call the defenses. I wasn't taking any chances.

An oblong ball takes funny bounces, so only a fool prognosticates on football. So with that, here are my predictions for the game:

Prediction #1: In a scene eerily reminiscent of OU losing its best defensive player, middle linebacker Ryan Reynolds, during the OU-Texas game, Brandon Spikes will exit the game to injury, allowing OU to exploit the middle, just as Texas did against them. Spikes injury won't be serious, thankfully. Trainers will eventually remove Spikes foot from his mouth.

Prediction #2: Looking up at the sky after getting knocked on his fanny for the twelfth time, Tim Tebow will see God: and discover He is a Sooner.

Prediction #3: The Media will finally figure out Oklahoma is #1. I've seen numerous references in the Media to "top ranked Florida". The Gators are atop the AP Poll-but isn't this the BCS Championship Game?

Speaking of the Media, While they're at it, maybe the Media will quit slobbering on Tim Tebow's Oscar Meyer.

Prediction #4: Bob Stoops will still not get any respect. Here is a coach who has had his team in the title game four times this decade. The pundits are slobbering all over Urban Meyer, but Stoops has accomplished as much.

Prediction #5: Gator fans will finally shut up.

Prediction #6: Final score: Oklahoma 45-35.

Prediction #7: Longhorns will whine we stole that from them. Oh hell, Texas will just whine.

Prediction #8: No matter what happens, life will go on. Win or lose, there will be other games, other national championship games. One of the great things about being a Sooner is we've been here before, and we'll be here again.

See ya' after the game...

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

RMutt — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 20:47:27 GMT

Oh, I'm loving it! The pundits are stumbling over each other to predict a Florida victory. Even Howard Schnellenberger is piling on. Howard Schnellenberger! Notice this article doesn't mention that Scnellenberger was the Oklahoma coach-for one season. After declaring how "They'll write books and movies about my time here", he skedaddled before we could run him out of town on a rail after our first losing record in conference play in 31 years. The article's failure to mention that sorry story is just another example of how unprofessional the Media has been in reporting on OU. Dominique Franks remarking that Tebow would only be the fourth best quarterback in the Big 12 was reported as trash talking, for example, while Tebow's own disrespect of Big 12 defenses was largely given a pass until the Franks incident.

Notice how the teams that have been disrespected have been faring this bowl season? The Media had Texas blowing out Ohio State. Utah wasn't supposed to be on the same field as Alabama. And how about Ole Miss? No, not against Florida-well, I guess that, too-but against Texas Tech.

To all the doubters and haters out there, I say: keep flapping your lips. Oklahoma hears you, loud and clear.

Texas Two Step

RMutt — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 16:20:58 GMT

I'm not one of those who believes God cares much about our athletic competitions. The Tim Tebows of the the world who wear Bible verses in their eye black or give "all the glory to God" only impress me as being rather naive and shallow. There are souls dying of starvation and disease on this planet, men killing one another in endless wars. I think God has more important matters to attend to.

That said, occasionally something occurs which makes me believe God might just indeed be interested in our foolish diversions, if only from a sense of mischief and irony. The 2008 Fiesta Bowl turned out to be one of those occasions.

For weeks now we've been listening to Longhorn fans minimize their 39-33 loss to Texas Tech, how they "lost that game in the last minute". It was as if it wasn't really a loss, just a glitch in the proper order of things, a fluke. Texas should be handed the Big 12 South. After all, they beat Oklahoma. That Texas Tech thing, well, they lost that in the last minute.

They conveniently didn't mention that they were losing that game until a late rally put them ahead with a minute and a half to play. Just like the Fiesta Bowl, where Ohio State finally surged ahead with a couple of minutes left in the game. Needing a touchdown, the Longhorns scored the winning touchdown with ticks on the clock remaining, a receiver shaking off the tackle of the last defender--just like Texas Tech's Crabtree did against Texas.

The two games almost mirrored each other. Divine justice? Perhaps. But I'm curious: since the Texas Tech loss shouldn't really count since Texas lost it in the last minute, should a last minute win in the Fiesta Bowl count?

After the game, the Longhorns, who entered the game heavily favored and on a mission to blow out Ohio State to prove they were worthy of the national title, were already declaring themselves the best team in the land. After all, they beat Oklahoma.

Get in line. USC, who beat that same Ohio State team 35-3, Utah, who really is undefeated, no losses that don't count, should be ahead of the Horns, not to mention Florida and/or Oklahoma, which really are playing for the national championship. In that game, as opposed to a rivalry game back in October, beating Oklahoma really does determine the national title.

Choking Gator

RMutt — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 17:44:54 GMT

Despite the trash talking Gator and SEC fanboys, I find it difficult to dislike the Florida team that will oppose my beloved Sooners for the national title. Although the press has an unprofessional man-crush on Tim Tebow, watching him play it is understandable. Tebow is fun to watch, a throw back player who one opposing coach compared to Bronko Nagurski, although a comparison to the recently deceased Sammy Baugh might be more appropriate: Tebow has a golden arm. He wears his religion as well as his emotions on his sleeve, but there are worse faults, and he seems to be a genuinely exemplary young man. In general all the Gators I've heard interviewed have been pleasant, a bunch of kids having fun on the football field.

Wish I could say as much of Gator fans, and SEC fans in general. They should change the mascot to the Boors. Actually I've been unpleasantly surprised by the amount of Sooner hate out there:

Tebow SHOULD have won the Heisman but 150+ small minded, inbred voter in the Mid-west and south west, left Tebow off the ballot.
Just to let you sooner fans know that Ok means Ok not Oklahoma I know how dumb you are in that state.
they ought to get the Detroit Lions and teh Oklahoma Sooners football players to all pose together seeing one team can't win one game all year and teh other team just can't win a bowl game. lol They could title the poster the ophers 0-21 combined teams.
Oklahoma will be known as the loony sooners losing in bowl games. Say that 10 times real fast sooners by the time you get it right the game will be over and your sooners will be losers once again.

And today is a rather quiet day. I expect it will pick up before Thursday's game. Even on a feel good human interest story about Oklahoma recruit Ronnell Lewis, from a small town team that plays eight man football, they couldn't resist:

He should feel right at home at OU. They play 8 man ball now. Or at least in the Sugar Bowl they did.

"Chokelahoma" and previous failures in bowl games seems to be a favorite theme. I can't figure out how the fortunes of a team from 2003 or 2004 has anything to do with this years team. In college ball players rotate in and out in four or five years. But since we're on the subject, in 2004 Oklahoma lost a close game to LSU (the Sugar Bowl game reference above). Pit any of the top teams in college football together in any year and either team can win. No shame there. In 2004, OU got blown out by a Southern Cal team many believe to have been the greatest college football team of all time. In 2005 a 7-4 Oklahoma squad beat a 10-1 Oregon team in the Holiday Bowl, dispelling the myth that they've lost four straight bowl games. In 2006 Oklahoma lost a wild overtime game to Boise State, but remember that was the Oklahoma team that had started the season losing its starting quarterback to scandal and really wasn't supposed to do much anyway. Moreover, Boise State, who returned more starters than any other Division I team, felt it had something to prove after being snubbed in the polls despite having finished their season undefeated--wonder if, after Utah drubbed Alabama this year, voters will start taking these teams seriously. And then there was last year. Oklahoma got soundly beat by a better, underrated West Virginia team. It happens. So where is the "Choke" in Oklahoma?

I'm sure some Gator fan is going to comment "this year's BCS Championship Game". But to keep a moron in suspense, how could they choke if Florida is a better team?

Choke on that one.