2014 Sugar Bowl Champs
Category Archives: Oklahoma Sooners
West Virginia, Bedlam, and Other Sooner Rumblings
So the Sooners snuck out of Morgantown with a win, but didn't exactly build a lot of confidence heading into Bedlam week.
While the defense was the worst it's been in the history of Sooners football, there was one surprising bright spot: Landry Jones.
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I know, I know. I've ripped Landry Jones and ripped him on more than one occasion. Look, for all his faults, I've never said Landry Jones was a bad quarterback. What he is, is a wildly inconsistent quarterback. But Landry showed up to play last Saturday night and saved what likely would have been an epic beatdown had he not come through with one of the best games of his career. Save one terrible interception, Landry Jones played flawless including a check on 4th and goal to send Kenny Stills on a quick-slant route as opposed to the called corner fade route. Landry zipped in a perfect pass and Stills hauled in his fourth touchdown of the night.
The Sooners held on to win 50-49 and you can thank Landry Jones for that one. For as good of a game as Landry had, the defense had an equally epic bad game.
I could sit here and throw around some big stat-line numbers at you to prove just how bad the defense was, but take my word for it: they. were. awful.
Not awful as in getting gashed for a few big plays. Awful as in giving up the most yards in Sooners history. Awful as in allowing Tavon Austin rack up the 2nd most total yards in college football history.
OK, so I threw out a couple stats, but hopefully you get the idea. Mike Stoops should be embarrassed. Sticking with a loaded defensive back formation throughout the entire game even when it was clearly not working? Common Mike, you know better than that.
So the Sooners escaped with a win thanks to Landry Jones' heroics, but what about the upcoming Bedlam showdown?
Traditionally I would say that the combination of the game being played in Norman coupled with the fact that Weeden and Blackmon are now playing on Sunday's would lead to a relatively safe assumption of a Sooner victory. However, after dropping two home games already this season, I think we can agree that home field advantage is not what it used to be in Norman.
While OSU should be in a rebuilding year, they have quietly put together a 7-3 record and rank 21st in the BCS. Make no mistake, this is the furthest thing from a safe game for this Sooner bunch.
While OU is currently favored by a full touchdown, I think the line should be much closer. The simple fact is that it's impossible to predict which Sooner team will show up to play this Saturday. Will we get the aggressive and confident bunch who smacked around Texas at the Cotton Bowl earlier this season? Or will be see the tentative and hesitant bunch that took the field a mere two weeks later against Notre Dame?
I suppose I spoke out of turn last week crowning Kansas State the Big 12 champs with two games still left on their schedule. Baylor showed up to play and forced me to eat my words. Now the Big 12 title may be attainable for the Sooners, but they will still need some unfortunate help from the Longhorns next weekend (though I refuse to bring myself to rooting for the Horns, regardless). The Wildcats did screw up the Sooners clear path to a Fiesta Bowl though and now things aren't so clear.
One thing that is crystal clear, the Sooners must continue to win for any of it to even matter. Slip up this weekend against the Pokes? None of it matters.
Just win, baby.
Exactly How Good Are The Sooners?
A question that has been on my mind throughout this 2012 college football season is this: Just how good is this group of Sooners?
That is a question not easily answered, but one I think I'm ready to try and tackle.
The short answer? Good, but not (yet) great.
Continue reading Exactly How Good Are The Sooners?
While this team is still on track for a 10-win season, they have to take care of business down the stretch to really have a chance at salvaging this season. On it's own, a 10 win season isn't anything to sneeze at, but 10 wins alone does not a great team make.
So the Big 12 title is likely not going to happen with the Sooners sole conference loss coming at the hands of Kansas State who would have to somehow drop two of their final three conference games for the Sooners to have a shot. Let's be honest, that's not gonna happen.
A more likely goal for this young bunch to set their eyes upon is a BCS game in January. Pending that the Sooners and K-State Wildcats both finish the season without another loss (as they both should), then KSU will be sent on to the national championship while the Sooners would appear to be a lock for the Fiesta Bowl. Not only the Fiesta Bowl, but also a likely showdown against one of the top finishers from the media-loving SEC conference.
A 10-win season and a Holiday bowl victory doesn't exactly get me all excited, but a potential 11-win season with a BCS bowl victory over a top SEC team? Now you're talking.
The Sooners still have a real chance at accomplishing something very special in 2012. The upcoming final three-game stretch that looked so daunting in the pre-season now looks easily winnable. The Sooners will be favored in each of their final regular season games and should see themselves ending up in the Fiesta bowl which they've become so accustom to over the recent past.
But is this team even good enough to get there? Are they good enough to defeat one of the SEC's finest if they do get there?
Forgive me if I don't buy into the SEC bias. Texas A&M didn't exactly dominate the Big 12 last year (or any previous year for that matter), yet they are now a powerhouse simply because they defeated the mighty Crimson Tide? Are we maybe over-valuing the SEC because of their recent national title success? Don't get me wrong, I realize the SEC has some of the top teams in the land, but are they really that much better than the rest? I don't think so.
This Sooner team is far from flawless and still have many roadblocks ahead before we can start talking a showdown with the SEC in the Fiesta Bowl, but the path has been laid out for them. Will this year's team regroup after an unprecedented two home losses and do something special? Or will they find a new way to squander the opportunity?
Bob, please don't squander this one.
Westbrook Signs, Venables Leaves
Some major happenings in the world of Oklahoma sports today.
After breaking down Russell Westbrook's extension only a day ago, the Thunder came to terms with Westbrook today on a 5 year $80 million dollar extension. This is significant for a number of reasons. While Westbrook's extension is technically a max extension, it is actually still less than what he could have held out for. Durant is on the "super max" salary which essentially equates to 30% of the teams cap while Westbrook agreed to the "normal max" which places him in the 25% range of the team's cap range. Now you may be asking why that 5% difference is so significant? Well, it could mean the difference between re-signing Harden and Ibaka next season and having to let one or both go. The way that Westbrook's extension was structured also eliminates the risk of the Rose Rule bumping him if he makes the All-NBA team this season. His 25% is locked and there is also no opt-out clause built in anywhere meaning #0 is going to be in OKC for the next 5 years no matter what.
Continue reading Westbrook Signs, Venables Leaves
I did question whether or not Westbrook would be a team player and agree to a little less to help out the overall good of the team moving forward and I am pleasantly surprised at his decision to do so. While Westbrook tends to drive me nuts like no other player, he is also a consensus top 10 player in the league and the fact that he and Durant are locked in together for at least 4 more years is a very good thing. Westbrook has rebounded from a horrendous start of the season to really beginning to shine as the Thunder now stand at 12-3 and a force to be reckoned with in the Western conference.
Late last night news also broke that OU defensive coordinator Brent Venables had accepted the same position at Clemson. With Bob Stoops bringing back brother Mike, he had to know that there was potential for defections within his staff. While Bob tried his best to have his cake and eat it too, it wasn't too hard for Venables to see the writing on the wall. The defense has failed the Sooners in recent years and Venables took the blunt of the blame. Having the opportunity to bring Mike Stoops back was a no brainer, but put Venables in a no win situation. If the defense improves then all the credit goes to Stoops. Venables knew his reputation was on the line and if he ever wanted a shot at head coaching then he had to move on. While there's no question Venables was a top notch recruiter, he simply wasn't getting the job done on the defensive side of the ball. A Stoops and Venables combo as co-coordinators was probably the optimal solution, but if forced to pick between Brent Venables and Mike Stoops then I wouldn't hesitate for a second taking Stoops.
The hard truth is that the Sooner defense just hasn't lived up to the hype in the recent past and changes had to be made. I wish Venables well at Clemson, but I couldn't be happier having Mike Stoops running the defense once again.
Back From Vacation
Multiple reports are now indicating what Sooner nation has been hoping for the past month, that former Oklahoma defensive coordinator Mike Stoops is set to return. The younger Stoops spent 8 years as the Arizona head coach after being relieved of his duties earlier this season. What was thought to be a hot commodity on the assistant coaches block, Stoops has instead chosen to reunite with big brother Bob in hopes of recreating the wild success they had early in the 2000's.
I, for one, could not be happier.
Continue reading Back From Vacation
I think that the Sooner defense has simply not been the same since Mike left back in 2003. Since that time the Sooner defense has looked lazy and complacent. Not only has the defense looked complacent, but even brother Bob has looked a little too comfy in his shoes for the last few years. Bob won a national championship in only his second year as a head coach and has been to 3 other national title games since. Having that kind of success so early on in one's head coaching career could easily lead to complacency. I think Bob had so much success that once his brother, Mike, moved on that there was no one in the club house to really call Bob out and let him know when he was slacking. Mike Stoops brings that fire back to the Sooner locker room that they have so desperately missed and you can bet that Mike won't think twice about keeping Bob accountable and inspired.
How exactly does Bob make room for brother Mike to rejoin the Sooner staff? Well, for starters, defensive coordinator Brent Venables has publicly stated he is on board with sharing the defensive duties with Mike Stoops once again. That would leave Willie Martinez, Oklahoma's current secondary coach, as the odd man out. It has been reported that Martinez is in talks with a number of other programs to take over as their defensive coordinator. This would allow Bob to keep in line with his history of not firing assistant coaches and allow the man that Sooner nation has dearly missed over the last 8 years return to the program.
While I don't anticipate Mike Stoops rejoining the program and turning it into an Alabama or LSU defense overnight, I do foresee a change in mentality and attitude on the defensive side of the ball that only Mike can bring. Mike Stoops has been known to let his emotions fly on the sidelines and you'd better believe that his players react to that.
In short, we will now no longer have Venables as the scapegoat for our defensive woes in the recent years. We will now have a man fully capable back in charge and no excuses not to turn things around. Mike Stoops is back in town boys and girls and I couldn't be happier.