"OU doesn't deserve it!" One more time please, "OU doesn't deserve it!" Now keep on saying it...over and over and over again! Keep saying it weekly...daily...hourly...hell, say it every few minutes if you want. Keep on saying it. Give the Sooners a bit more motivation...PLEASE!!! Raise your hands to the heavens and ask..."WHY...WHY OU?" Keep on complaining and ranting and raving and saying that the Sooners don't deserve to be in the NC game against Florida...because they lost to Texas in a head to head scenario in a system that rewards stronger play down the stretch. I read this comment today. "I saw the Texas-OU game this year and saw who the best team was." Key word here is...was! But keep on arguing and belaboring the point because whether anyone likes it or not...the system has spoken and OU and Florida will meet for the NC in January. Oh, and for the record...OU deserves it as much as anybody else.

Let me say straight up that I respect the Texas argument. What is really starting to get to me is that it is pretty convenient to dismiss the fact that Texas lost to Texas Tech and the three way tie in the Big 12. Blame the Big 12 for allowing the BCS to determine the outcome of the tie. Blame anything and everything you can blame it on but the point remains unchanged. I have been on here with Stevo and Cygnus talking about this for awhile. We all knew someone was going to get screwed. I've supported Mack Brown when everyone complained about his "whining" and the same for Bob Stoops when some people refer to him as arrogant. I call them great coaches who will step up and fight for their programs and their kids. They both make great points. But what if the one Stoops made tonight is absolutely correct. When he said the solution to the tie situation was discussed and agreed upon by every member of the Big 12 at the beginning of the year then that should override everything. If Mack Brown knew what the outcome could be in the event of a three way tie then it is what it is. Apparently Stoops knew it. Did Leach at Texas Tech? And if that is what the entire conference agreed upon...then why is everyone complaining? Why should anyone in the PAC 10 give a crap? Or the SEC or the Big Ten or the ACC? If that is what the Big 12 agreed upon...then let it go! "Yea...well they agreed upon it but they never thought it would happen!" So freakin' what? It is what it is.

As for the BCS...it isn't perfect and I firmly believe...with the competitive playing field becoming more equal...that maybe things have to be looked at. But what it does is reward strong finishes. Which ultimately, or hypothetically...will result in a more competitive NC game. Taken into consideration is how you finish. Florida and Oklahoma finished in a huge way...against stronger competition at the end of the year...then anyone else...including USC...who finished very impressively as well. You can't have a system that doesn't allow you to lose without having the opportunity for redemption. Lose early...play a strong schedule to finish out...finish out well...and you have a shot. Does scheduling have anything to do with it? ABSOFREAKINLUTELY!!! OU scores better at the end of the year based on who they beat and how they beat them than...say...Texas. Is it right or fair? Depends on who you cheer for. Does it make sense...ABSOFREAKINLUTELY!!!

From the time I put on athletic gear and started playing sports we always prepared to be playing well at the end of the year. We do it now with the high school kids I coach. We want to be building our momentum at the end of the year. If you do it better than anyone else...generally good things happen to you! Why the hell not? It's been this way forever. We get a lower seed in our section playoffs than a team we beat head to head. Happens all the time! Do we bitch about it? In the 15 years I've been coaching HS hockey when this has happened...we will comment on it and move on. Because with 10 teams in our section...it is what it is! And what it always has been. Six weeks ago...or so...Texas beat OU. After watching both teams finish out...I suspect OU has improved a bit more than Texas has.

Now...that said...here is where I have a huge issue with the Big 12. A conference championship game should have the 2 best teams in that conference playing in it. Now...personally...I would have preferred to see OU vs. Texas in the Big 12 Championship game. Didn't happen...can't do anything about it this year...Big 12 members all agreed on tie breaker (if Stoops is right...why would he say it on national television if it isn't correct...but someone out there will dispute it)...game over. OU throttles Missouri by 40 points. Also heard how that wasn't fair but didn't hear anyone offer up how Texas hammering an inept Texas A & M by 40 on Thanksgiving wasn't fair while OU had to go on the road and play a ranked OSU. And again...if you are looking at the three way tie scenario...I'm guessing Texas Tech would have an issue with not being in the conference championship game instead of Texas. So...imagine that...the world of college football ain't always fair. In the end the OU/OSU game was huge for OU where the A & M game didn't help Texas at all.

When OU lost to Texas I wrote a post about things that were wrong with OU from Brent Venables to the kicking game to special teams play. I wrote off the NC game because I didn't see much improvement. I was wrong. Since the loss to Texas, OU has improved and done everything the system...and the "experts" said they needed to do to have a shot...although slim...at the NC game. As recently as a week ago I still didn't think they would find themselves where they are now. Obviously I'm ecstatic. My dad is trying to get tickets and I'm hoping he does so we can spend a couple of days together in Miami. That would be great. And I won't be dissing Texas or talking bad about them and I won't be dissing USC, either. Actually...I'll be cheering for both of them in their bowl games.

But don't diss OU and Stoops for doing what the system said they had to do. Oh, wait a minute! Rip the hell out of 'em. Argue and complain and do it loud and strong. "OU doesn't deserve it!" Say it again..."OU doesn't deserve it!" Stick with the roughly 90% of the initial comments about how Florida will kill OU that I've been reading. Lay it on..."OU sucks and shouldn't be there." Help to motivate the Sooners. Sam Bradford said they used all those comments to motivate them against Missouri. A 40 point win! Keep it up then...PLEASE!

Besides...all of the negative comments may help to inspire and motivate the Sooners...and Stoops' need to prove he can win the big one may get a big boost. To all of the BCS teams and all other bowl teams...gcoach says congratulations to you all.

And that's the bottom line...

BOOMER SOONER!!! 

That one was fun too! Closer than last weeks game against Texas Tech at home but probably more impressive in a couple of different ways. No doubt crushing #2 Texas Tech last weekend by 44 points helped OU in their bid to move on to Big 12 Championship game. But all would have been for naught had OU lost to Oklahoma State in Stillwater, OK tonight. And there were many (and a lot of the many are bloggers here) who expected exactly that to happen. But...the Sooners went on the road...to play a rivalry game in the Big 12...a 7 point favorite...that won by twenty, 61-41. That the game was close the entire way should surprise no one. After all...it has to be close in order for an upset to happen...and Oklahoma State is a very good football team...especially at Boone Pickens Stadium. Winning by 20 there tonight makes a huge statement about OU.

Let me see...what will we hear about this one? Stoops ran up the score by having Chris Brown score on a 28 yard run with 25 seconds left. I would say the result of that play was more a tired defense than running up the score. Yea, gcoach, but they gave up 41 to Oklahoma State. Yes they did but all I've heard all year is how incredible that offense is. Plus it was on the road in Stillwater where OSU (tired of spelling it out) hadn't lost this year. This one was close all the way so it wasn't like a blow-out. It was much closer than the final score would indicate. I agree absolutely 100% on that. Which makes the final score even more impressive to be able to pull away at the end...on the road...for a quality road win. Can you believe how arrogant Stoops was politicking for the BCS voters? There are going to be Stoops haters who throw that in there...trust me. I actually thought he handled those situations well...even the parts about how they (the OU coaching staff was keeping track of the Texas Tech/Baylor game on the field before the OU/OSU game. So all of those arguments are done for me. Now here is why this win was more impressive to me than the win last week...by 44 points...over the #2 team in the country. And along the way I'll address a few other things.

Five weeks ago the OU Sooners lost to the Texas Longhorns 45-35 on a neutral field in the Red River Shootout. In my opinion that was one of the 3 best games of the year so far regardless of the participants. The differences I'm looking at are that this win tonight was on the road...not a neutral site. They won by 20 against a team that refused to give up and kept on coming at them. Against the Longhorns 5 weeks ago the Sooner offense couldn't run the ball and had to settle on the air game...which was pretty special even on that day. Yea...I know...Bradford threw two picks against Texas. On the first the defensive back laid out and made an outstanding play and the last one was on the last play of the game...a moot point. But the defense couldn't stop Colt McCoy on that day and he led several comebacks before eventually taking over the game. The Sooner offense responded as well as it could but eventually had no answer. Tonight...on the road...the Bradford led offense ran efficiently and effectively all night overcoming adversity that is a hostile environment...an injured QB (OU ran out of the shot gun in the second half because Bradford hurt the thumb on his left hand and snaps from Cooper to Bradford were problematic)...and an opponent that kept on coming. They came back after falling behind and took a lead they wouldn't relinquish...no matter how hard OSU tried...eventually pulling away and winning by 20 points. Is OSU close to Texas. By the numbers you would say no. At home..in a rivalry game...maybe! The point is that the Sooners...since the Texas game...have improved on the field...physically and emotionally. Not once tonight did I see an element of panic in the Sooner game...on offense or defense. This is a different team than the one that lost to Texas.

Now...while I won't deny the Longhorn argument about head to head competition I don't think you can argue the head to head between OU and Texas...and ignore the head to head against Texas and Texas Tech. The scenario and the solution to it are going to make people very unhappy. So...what do we have? We have OU at 11-1, we have Texas at 11-1 and we have Texas Tech at 11-1. We know that the 3 losses against the 33 wins are the big problem. So I'm all set thinking my Sooners are going to get hosed here even though I think...regardless of the head to head record...they are one of the 2 best teams in the country.

The Sooners out of conference schedule is better than either Texas or Texas Tech's with wins over Cincinnati and TCU...both ranked teams. None of Texas or Texas Tech's non-conference opponents are or were ranked. While Texas' run of winning 3 of 4 against highly ranked teams and losing to Tech on the last play of the game are impressive I'd have to throw in 60+ points in 4 games in a row...one against the #2 ranked team in the country and one against the #11 ranked team in the country...on the road...is equally impressive. Common opponents we see that Texas squeeked by OSU at home 28-24 while Tech blasted them 56-20 in Lubbock. OU had to go to Stillwater and play OSU and win by 20. I keep hearing comments about OU being the "flavor of the week" and all of that stuff but a few weeks back Texas had their run as the "flavor of the week." Texas could...and should have won their game against Tech had an easy interception not been dropped. As to the Missouri argument that is made in defense of Texas and their record...OU didn't play Missouri this year. So...big deal? OSU is ranked higher than Missouri is or was. But you all know as well as I do that all of the arguing in the world will still only make one team happy. Aside from the fact that Texas wants to make their argument on the only thing they can argue...the head to head against OU...while pretending the head to head against Tech doesn't count...there are certain things at work here that should be considered.

One - teams change along the way. OU is clearly not the same team that lost 5 weeks ago to Texas. They have improved tremendously along the way. Their offense is a work of art with Bradford running things as effectively as Colt McCoy or any of the other Big 12 QB's. The defense...despite the 35 points last night (kick return)...is vastly improved. I'm not saying they are great but I would be hard pressed to find a team that has over come the adversity of losing so many key players to injury and...getting better!

Two - they are the only Big 12 team with a quality win over a quality opponent...on the road this year. Going in to Boone Pickens tonight and winning like they did makes it a quality win. The quality opponent is ranked #11 in the country. Texas and Texas Tech haven't been able to accomplish that feat this year. It also shows that OU can go on the road and win impressively...something they struggled with...oh...say...5 weeks ago.

Three - OU wins out in the regular season by playing two ranked opponents...#2 and #11...while Texas closes with Kansas and Texas A & M in Austin. And...I'm sorry...beating Texas Tech by 44 and OSU in Stillwater by 20 is a bit more impressive than laying a 28 point win over Kansas and a 40 point win over Texas A & M. As I have mentioned previously...a 40 point win against A & M was expected and are "style points" really "style points" if you are favored to win by almost the exact number of "style points" you won by? Beating the #2 team in the country by 44 points...at home or not...is impressive as hell and I don't care who you are. Were I a voter that counted I would be more impressed with an OU win on the road over a quality opponent than I would be a 40 point win over a team that ranks somewhere between 116th to 119th in the 4 major defensive categories.  And that is among the 119 Division 1A teams playing college football. But...hey...that's just me.

Four - historically...and no matter what sport you are talking about...you always strive and encourage your coaches and your players to gel and come together down the stretch so that you are primed and ready for the post season. We did it when I played and coached youth sports. We did it when I played high school sports. We did it when I played junior hockey. We do it now as I coach high school hockey. We have been eliminated from post season play and seen teams that we beat play in the state tournament. Is it fair? It is painful but it is what it is.

Five - if OU doesn't jump over Texas with all of what I have mentioned in the BCS then Texas should give a great big HOOK 'EM to the media. Herbstriet, Corso, Musberger, Fowler, Mark May, Doug Flutie...just to name a few couldn't have done OU any more harm this weekend than if they were the actual people who set the championship bowl pairings. Texas and Texas A & M is where it started. Let's interview the guy that set up a facebook page titling it 45-35.com and then continually show all the fans in the stands with the same posters up. While I had less problems with the panning shots of the crowd (lack of network control over what fans do) I have issues with the interview. At least Fowler mentioned something about Texas Tech doing the same thing only calling it 39-33. That is where the equality ended. Every freakin' time the subject of the 3 way tie in the Big 12 came up every freakin' one of these guys threw in the head to head thing...every FREAKIN' time. They even actually showed the plane flying over Boone Pickens today with the 45-35 banner flying behind it. I guess if they are going to be objective and talk about everything that OU has done to get into the Big 12 Championship game and sway the BCS then they also have to continually support Texas. OU had the spotlight at the end of the year and took huge advantage of it. Instead of that being what we all see and hear...these sportscasters did their best to level the playing field.

Oh, well. Do I think OU deserves to be in the Big 12 Championship game next Saturday. ABSOFREAKINLUTELY! Do I think they won't be there on Saturday? ABSOFREAKINLUTELY! Do I think OU is better than Texas right now? ABSOFREAKINLUTELY! Do I think it is disgraceful that there is no way to line 'em up and find out...like in the Big 12 Championship game WHICH SHOULD HAVE THE TWO BEST TEAMS PLAYING IN IT! ABSOFREAKINLUTELY!!! But...then when OU wins we'd all be pissing and moaning about a rubber game! And sadly...that is the state of college football today. It is so whacked that conference championship games don't even have the two best teams from the conference playing in it! Just another thing for the common fan...people like me and you...to argue over.

Gcoach prediction - Texas plays for NC against Florida and Bradford wins Heisman. Sort of the grand payoff for not getting into NC picture after being one of 2 best teams in the country at the end of the year. His numbers are better than McCoy's and his leadership skills are unquestionable just like McCoy's.

I'll just congratulate the Longhorns now and hope for something to happen so that OU doesn't end up playing another non BCS conference school in the Fiesta Bowl...again!

And that's the bottom line... 

Wow!!! Now that one was fun! I just finished watching OU trash the #2 team in the country by...excuse me...what was that...like...44 freakin' points! Final score OU 65 Texas Tech 21...yep...if my math is correct (and I need to check it because there is a reason I don't teach math) then that would be a 44 point difference. Wow!!! Now that one was fun! But it was fun for some of the same reasons and for some unexpected reasons. What say I? Follow me.

The offense. OU's offense is really that good. And now that they seem to have muscled up their running game to go with Sam Bradford and the passing game...they really are that good. A running game that was non-existent in their loss to Texas has been very powerful in the last few weeks. DeMarco Murray, as pointed out by Kirk Herbstreit (don't like to agree with him much), is running the ball now like he never had a severe knee injury. Against Texas he ran light, was slow and apprehensive and not explosive at all. He has added a much needed dimension to the Sooner offense. A powerful runner. And with the appearance of Murray...Chris Brown has stepped it up as well. These two guys look great in the backfield with Bradford. And...of course...it is huge that the monstrous offensive line is playing like the nation expected them to all along. Bradford has time, Murray and Brown have huge holes to run through and all is well on the Sooner offense. Personally...I kinda hope it stays that way!!!

My surprise is in the defense. Maybe defensive coordinator Brent Venables had the wrong guys on the field at certain times...for the past 5 years! In the last month or so this defense has improved..steadily. How much so? Well, for the first time EVER I heard that he (Venables) has been interviewed and considered "head coaching" material. Clemson interviewed him for their open head coach spot!!??!! WOW! After the Texas debacle and the early come backs the offense thwarted by a couple of opponents...the defense has looked pretty good lately. And last night...well...as I like to say so often...UNFREAKINBELIEVABLE!!! The player of the game for Texas Tech last night...according to ABC...was a running back who accumulated something like 73 yards of total offense! WHAT???!!! Not Graham Harrell...the Heisman Trophy front-runner? Not Graham Harrell who lit up every team in the country, including Texas, on his way to the aforementioned "front-runner" status? Harrell...who had only been sacked 5 times all year before last night...was sacked 3 times last night and was pressured repeatedly by a defense that all of a sudden knows how to disguise a blitz package and rush the QB effectively with only 4 lineman while he was trying to find open receivers against a secondary that all of a sudden looks really freakin' good. I'm...kinda...well...stunned! Like...UNFREAKINBELIEVABLE!!!

Now, I know that Texas lost to Texas Tech and a large part of the reason was that their leading defensive lineman and pass rusher was hurt early in that game and they lost the services of one of their stud receivers. I'm cool with that and understand that even with that...Texas...had one of their D-backs held on to the ball...would have beaten the Red Raiders and we wouldn't be where we are today in the Big 12 South. Last nights blowout of #2 Texas Tech wouldn't have happened because..well...Texas Tech wouldn't have been #2 in the nation and the Big 12 South woud have already been decided...with Texas going on to Big 12 Championship game against Missouri. OK...so it would have happened but it wouldn't have received so much attention. On top of that...Lubbock is a tough place to play.

But for those of you who think the only reason the Sooners won this game was because they played it in Norman, OK where Stoops is 59-2 (oops...let me correct that, 60-2) you should understand this. OU played last night (and since the Texas game) without their best defenive player, Ryan Reynolds, who suffered a torn ACL in the Texas game and is out for the year. His replacement, Austin Box, has improved a great deal since the last time I saw him play when he looked like he had never been on a football field before...in his life! On top of that the Sooners leading pass rusher...Auston English...didn't play last night, either. And the entire unit (defensive) played with something I haven't seen in a Sooner defense since Mike Stoops left to Arizona. PASSION and INTENSITY...for 4 quarters! I love the fact that Nic Harris was in everyone wearing an opposing uniforms face last night...all night. The penalty on his hit in the secondary late in the game was a horrible call. Even Herbstreit was audibly laughing about what a horrible call it was. The whooping and hollering after sacking Harrell or breaking up a pass intended for Tech's other all world performer, Michael Crabtree, was greatly appreciated by me. I haven't seen it for so long I didn't think it would be possible again. Wow! UNFREAKINBELIEVABLE!!!

Do the Sooners still have problems? Yes! While the kick return coverage looks to be greatly improved as well as the defense does...the kicking game still has issues. A missed extra point last night and kick-offs where the receiving team gets their first touch on the ball anywhere from the 5 yard line to the 20 yard line is...to me...problematic. While the emotions of the players...and all of the talented players and plays...carried the Sooners last night...I shudder to think what might happen in a close game where the outcome relies on the kicking unit. That bothers me...alot!

So...in Norman...naysayers will jump all over that. The margin of victory...we'll hear how Tech should not have been ranked as high as #2. The emotional lift of revenge for losing in Lubbock last year...and the prospect of knocking off the #2 team in the country...will probably be played to the hilt. And I've already heard all about how OU lost to Texas on a neutral field. Whatever! Stoops kind of makes a point...even though I think he was doing it to more or less mock the current system. He said if Tech beat Texas then how can Tech be ranked behind Texas. If the Sooners are going to be ranked behind Texas for losing to them...then why should Texas be moved ahead of Texas Tech...since Texas lost to them. All I can say is...whatever the "experts" decide on...there are a few teams out there who ain't gonna be very happy in a few weeks. And I'm guessing one of them will be the Sooners.

First of all...they have the toughest game left of the Big 3 from the Big 12 South. They go on the road to play Oklahoma State in Stilwater, OK in the Bedlam game. This is no slam dunk for the Sooners. It is a rivalry game wherein the Cowboys have been known to shatter Sooner dreams before...when the Cowboys weren't a good football team. While I expect the Sooners to win...they may not do it by enough to make the "experts" happy. Texas Tech has to "re-group" (how many times did Musberger and Herbstreit have to say that last night) and play Baylor...in Lubbock. Texas goes on the road to play Texas A & M...who have surprised the Longhorns the past couple of years. Guess what? The only surprise here would be if the Aggies "surprised" the Longhorns...again.

If they all win they finish tied for the Big 12 South lead taking the decision to a tiebreaker situation. The answer...the highest ranked team in the BCS. If there is no change in the rankings coming out today...where the early prognostications have Alabama at #1 with either Florida or Texas at #2 and OU sitting at #4...that puts Texas in the Big 12 Championship game against Missouri. And it pretty much sounds like...according to the "experts" that either Texas has to lose to A & M (seriously unlikely) or OU is going to have to hang a half a hundred on Oklahoma State in Stillwater and win by 2 or 3 touchdowns (style points don't cha know) which may not be very likely either...in order for OU to leapfrog Texas in the BCS. You know what? If that is how it turns out then...it is what it is. However, the "experts" will need to quit using their standard catch phrases like "In order for that to happen..." or "They need to add plenty of style points..." or "This team needs this to happen and that team needs this to happen..." because it doesn't make any sense. Bottom line would be...win all of your freakin' games...because if you don't...someone is going to get screwed by the system. But...then again...that's kind of like life...ain't it!

I hope, obviously, that the Sooners win out and win out big. But, even if they do it may not matter in the long run. But..at least for this week...I'm gonna love college football and relish in the Sooner victory over #2 Texas Tech. After all...it is what it is! A 44 freakin' point blasting of a damn good football team.

Next week is next week...I'll worry about it all again at that time.

And that's the bottom line...

BOOMER SOONER!!!

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!!!!

Unfreakinbelievable!!! That is my new word for certain occassions. Like USC fans who actually think USC deserves to be higher than they are in the BCS...at this point in time. These would be the same ones who think losing to Oregon State is more acceptable than losing to Texas...at this point in time. Unfreakinbelievable! One of the stalwart USC fans even commented on "how I should know how it feels to play USC in a bowl game." This reference is no doubt to the 55-19 butt whipping USC layed on OU a few years back in a NC game. So, according to this comment USC should be ahead of OU in the BCS...at this point in time...because of what I termed "ancient freakin' history." Because that is what the inference is to me. Ancient freakin' history...and unfreakinbelievable! Should calmer heads prevail one would think losing to Texas, while losing at all is not an acceptable part of the equation, smacks of a little more respect than losing to Oregon State. And I'm not trying to be disrespectful to Oregon State. A 3-1 record in the PAC 10 and 4-3 overall clearly doesn't indicate anything close to what the Longhorns are putting up so far this year. Maybe it is the ill-placed logic that USC lost early buut is playing really well right now. I think they are playing well right now. Certainly hammering Washington State 69-0 with your starters on the bench for most of the second half is impressive. But I have never bought into the "when you lose" debate. Right or wrong the quality of opponent you lose to should be more important than when you lost to them. As I've been reading around here since the BCS came out yesterday...this is another part of it that is arguable and at best is...unfreakinbelievable!

But you know what really set me up on this word? Not so much what actually but...who! Cygnus. I'm cruising along reading his latest post and enjoying the read as I usually do when he posts something (even if he is a Longhorn and I a Sooner) when I got to the end of it. The last sentence made me want to gag! He comments that even if the Longhorns lose once or twice and don't make the Big 12 title game or the Big Show his world will be alright. Well...he said something like that. Why will his world be alright? Because the Longhorns beat the Sooners in the Red River Rivalry game this year. AAAARRRRGGGHHHHH!!! That show of emotion out of the way...he is right. That is the way it is with these big rivalry games. As I said on his post...to the victor go the spoils and to the loser...that awful taste in your mouth for an entire year. So, as unfreakinbelievable as it is...I have given credit where credit is due and tipped my proverbial ht to the Longhorns. But that is not what really set me off on this word. Nope! What really set me off on this word is that I have to cheer for the Oklahoma State Cowboys...to beat the Texas Longhorns...to prevent said Longhorns from running away with the Big 12 South...to give my Oklahoma Sooners (provided they take care of their business the rest of the way) a shot at the Big 12 South, the Big 12 Championship Game...and a shot at a NC game. UNFREAKINBELIEVABLE!!!

And that's the bottom line...BOOMER SOONER!!!