Unfreakinbelievable! That pretty much sums up what I just watched OU do to Kansas State. Or...should that be what I watched Kansas State do to OU? Yea, the Sooners won the game by three touchdowns. Yea, they covered the spread! Yea, they move to 7-1 and keep pace (well...as much pace as they can) with the other teams in the Big 12 South. But this was not pretty and it raises a ton of concerns about OU...in my humble opinion. Get that...my humble OPINION! Nevertheless, this game was unfreakinbelievable...for a number of reasons.

DeMarco Murray finally looked like the player I thought he was going to be this year. He ran for a 100+ and caught 4 passes and scored 4 TD's. Bradford, except for the 3 TD passes was subpar. Chris Brown was up around 140 yards which means the running game carried the load today. Good for them. I mean it's about freakin' time. So, the offense did its job in the first half. And fell into mistakes and poor execution in the second half managing a late field goal in the 4th quarter by Jimmy Stevens...who missed an extra point after a second quarter TD by Jermaine Gresham. Did you read the part about a "late field goal in the 4th quarter" meaning that is all OU scored in the ENTIRE second half. Unfreakinbeleivable! That ain't even the worst of it.

If it hadn't been for 3 Freeman interceptions and 2 fumble recoveries by OU's defense...mostly at the end of the second quarter...OU may have lost this game. The Sooners took advantage of turnovers and poor punt coverage to throw up 4 touchdowns in the last 7 minutes or so of the second quarter. Until then the game was 28-28 that saw Kansas State come from 21 down to tie it in the second quarter. Down 21 and they come back and tie it. Sounds like Texas...down 14 come back and tie...down by 14 come back and tie...down by 10 come back and win!!! And that...in this Sooner fan's humble opinion...is unfreakinbelievable!!!

Last week I commented that OU should be at #4 in the first BCS poll of the year...ahead of USC...based on who they had lost to. USC had lost to Oregon State and OU had lost to Texas. Comparing standings and records I felt it was an observation supported by fact. That fact being the records of who these two teams had lost to. Easy...simple...it is what it is...kind of a thing. While some of you disagreed with my rational line of thinking I still feel that at the time my reasoning was and still is valid. But understand that it was at the time! After seeing what I saw today I'm leaning the other direction. I know...unfreakinbelievable!

But here is why. If Kansas State doesn't turn the ball over all day OU looked like crap! Oh...you can tell me the defense played well in taking the ball away 5 times. And you can tell me that all day. It doesn't matter. Kansas State outgained OU today 550 total yards to 523 total yards. They outgained them in the air 486 yards to 255 yards. OU had 2 sacks and K State didn't have any even though they had fairly decent pressure on Bradford a lot of times during the game. OU had a more balanced attack but...me thinks that is part of the problem. What...a balanced offense part of the problem? C'mon, Gcoach..what the hell are you thinking? Unfreakinbelievable!!!

As I see it OU doesn't play with a go for the throat approach of some of the other elite teams in the country. Not on offense. Kevin Wilson prefers to slow things down when the Sooners get up big and not blow the opponent away. It cost him against Texas, last week wasn't much better against Kansas and this week was almost a repeat of the Texas game...against Kansas State. Granted that Kansas State is not, historically, an easy place for OU to play. But, c'mon, we are talking about the 4th ranked team in the country. Now, maybe he prefers to slow it down so the defense can get a rest. I mean when OU is firing on all cylinders they score quick and they score often. So much so that the defense spends...arguably...too much time on the field without getting adequate rest. And this catches up to them at the end of a game. Oh...only if that were true. Actually...I think he is trying to take some of the heat off of Brent Venables, OU's defensive coordinator. This defense is...well...for lack of a better term...unfreakinbelievable!

And they can't play with a go for the throat mentality on defense because of...Venables. Apparently because the Sooners front can't generate a pass rush without it... he is beating the blitz to death. And the talented QB's in the Big 12 are making them pay dor it. Throwing over the blitz has become relatively easy for OU opponents to do because...well...the Sooners blitz all the freakin' time and they don't hide it...AT ALL! Now, the loss of Ryan Reynolds for the year has created a major problem for the OU defense. I watched Austin Box misplay the entire field all day today. He looks completely lost out there.  And he was supposed to be the go to guy this Spring until he got hurt...or something like that. He just kind of disappeared off the radar for awhile. Well...now he's back and all I can say is...he better get it figured out soon, very, very soon. The secondary...which started out relatively well...has given up...consistently...more big plays than any Sooner secondary (and there have been a couple of subpar secondaries in the past couple of years) in recent memory. Unfreakinbelievable!!!

The Special Teams and kicking game have serious problems. Jimmy Stevens...taking over the placekicking duties this year...is fairly inconsistent. The kick off guy can't seem to get the ball deeper than the 10 yard line...on any kickoff. The only time I have seen him put one through the endzone this year was when he had the assistance of a penalty. Kickoff coverage is a freakin' nightmare. Stoops has changed personnel on his kickoff coverage teams because he can't find a group that he trusts...to NOT give up a big play. K-State average about 25 yards a kick return today. Considereing they are fielding the ball at about the 15 yard line on kickoffs that equates to pretty good field position for OU opponents. Punt return coverage...well...look at Texas tape! Unfreakinbelievable!!! 

These are pretty serious issues I think. And I think that OU is still a pretty freakin' good football team. I've said it before and I'll stick by it. There aren't many teams out there who can out-talent OU on either side of the ball. But...realistically...to be considered in the top 5 teams in the country...I don't think you can do the following things.

I don't think you can slow down your offense when you get a big lead...unless you are putting in your back-up players and it just happens. Not the case today with OU (or recently).

I don't think you can let your offense build up two and three touchdown leads to watch teams come from behind consistently against you. Granted these are some of the best offenses in the country in the Big 12 but...you still have to be able to shut them down.

I don't think you can be inconsistent in your kicking game...in every aspect of it...and give teams the idea that all they need is one big play to hang with you...and then give up that big play.

And I don't think you can live and die by the blitz in the college football game today with so many athletic QB's and spread offenses. I think it is a valuable part of your defensive game plan...if you don't use it 3/4 of the time that your defense is on the field.

I don't know...maybe it isn't all that bad. I mean OU is still 7-1 and in the hunt...kind of! They need a lot of help and right now Texas is beating Oklahoma State by 2 TD's so it doesn't look much like they are going to get it today. But they also need to take care of their own business. And that is bothersome to this Sooner fan. Texas Tech comes in to Norman and the Sooners have to go to Stillwater. Unless this has just been a bad stretch for OU (this stuff has happened last three weeks consistently) and these problems don't get fixed soon the Sooners may not end up the season as a one loss team. And to me...with the kind of talent they have...that would be unfreakinbelievable!!!

And right now maybe they aren't the 4th best team in the country! It should be interesting to see the BCS's take on them after this weekend. UNFREAKINBELIEVABLE...again!!!

That said...as always...that's the bottom line!!!

BOOMER SOONER!!!!