College football Week 1: Bill Young & Brigham Young
Funny how football works. Small is the difference between champ and chump.
Take the fate of two defensive coordinators of note. OSU’s Bill Young and OU’s Brent Venables.
Let’s analyze. Who has the better offense, Georgia or Brigham Young. I think most would agree it’s BYU. Better quarterback, better scheme, better offense.
So what happened Saturday. Young’s defense gave up 10 points. Venables’ defense gave up 14 points.
Young is a hero, with the Cowboy crowd willing to parade their new defensive chief through the streets of Stillwater.
Venables, while not a bum, at least not this week, to the Sooner faithful, is answering questions about the late touchdown drive that allowed BYU to pull out a 14-13 upset.
Some of that is grading on the curve. OSU has been looking for years for a defensive game like it produced against Georgia. OU was sort of expected to play shutdown defense.
But still. All kinds of grades are passed solely on victory and defeat. And maybe that’s the way it should be. Young would have been happier with a 31-30 victory than a 10-7 loss. Same with Venables.
Still, victory sometimes masks problems. Defeat rarely does.
THANKS, DENTON
I’ve been driving to Dallas for 30 years. Getting through Denton always has been the biggest headache.
I generally love driving in Dallas. Freeways everywhere. Easy to get around. Everyone gripes about the LBJ, but Interstate 635 is easy to avoid. Just take a different route.
You can’t do that with Denton. You’ve got to go through the belly of the beast. For some reason, just south of the University of North Texas’ Fouts Field, traffic always slows.
Slows. Doesn’t stop. Until last Friday. It was bumper-to-bumper through Denton. Total traffic jam. I still don’t know why. Probably took us 30 minutes to get through five miles of Denton.
We already were late because of the Oklahoma construction on I-35. We hit the Pauls Valley backup just south of Paoli, so we illegally cut through the media on a gravel path, went back to the Paoli exit and took U.S. 77 all the way to Turner Falls. Probably 30 miles.
I’ve been going to Dallas on Wednesday the last several OU-Texas weekends. That plan never has looked better.
THANKS, BYU
Besides the Sooners, who was the biggest loser of Brigham Young’s upset of Oklahoma? How about Boise State?
The Broncos were the mid-major darlings for about 48 hours after their 19-8 thumping of Oregon. Then BYU took the mantle.
A year ago, Boise State went 12-0 in the regular season and was ninth in the BCS but didn’t make a BCS bowl. The reason? Utah also went 12-0, and the Utes were ranked sixth. A team from outside the six automatic-qualifying leagues is guaranteed a BCS berth if it is ranked in the top 12, but only one per year is guaranteed a spot, no matter how high it is ranked.
I know that’s confusing, but the result is simple. No. 6 Utah in, No. 9 Boise State out. This year, same could happen with Boise State and BYU.
After one week, Boise State is ranked 11th by the coaches, 12th by AP. BYU is 12th in the coaches poll but ninth in AP. If BYU keeps winning, it will jump Boise State and a whole bunch of other teams, since the Cougars play such teams as Florida State, Utah and TCU.
Hopefully, if Boise State is ranked somewhere like fifth or sixth, it would get a BCS invitation regardless of where BYU stands. But don’t count on it.
THANKS, PAPPA
Dallas is a funny town. I like Dallas. Like it a lot. But I’ve never eaten anywhere in Dallas that makes me declare I have to go back every time I’m in town. Well, other than Fuddrucker’s.
Anyway, take me to Kansas City or San Francisco or Chicago, and I know exactly where I have to go or it’s a calamity. Gorozzo’s (KC), Sabella & LaTorre (San Fran) and Giordona’s (Chicago).
But Dallas, wherever.
So often as not, I end up on Northwest Highway between I-35 and Loop 12, at one of the Pappa franchises. Pappedeaux or Pappasitos. They also have a Pappas Brothers Steakhouse and a Pappas Brothers Barbeque, though I’ve never eaten at the steak joint and tried the BBQ only once.
Pappadeux is my favorite. They’re in Houston, too. Wish they’d come to Bricktown.
Anyway, Pappadeaux is a seafood/Cajun place. I had some red beans and rice last week in Norman that were pretty bland, so I ordered some at Pappadeaux on Friday night that reminded why it’s such a good combination. Also had a grilled seafood platter that was superb. Always is at Pappadeaux.
OU fans were everywhere in Dallas, including Pappadeaux. Some goobers started the “Boomer!” chant. In a bar, OK. In a nice restaurant, how about letting your colors let people know where you’re from?
TEN BIGGEST LOSERS OF THE WEEK
10. Arrelious Benn: The Illinois receiving star suffered a sprained ankle early against Missouri in a marquee ESPN game. He’s expected to return this week, but Benn left the stage for Mizzou’s offense to dazzle, and the Tigers won 37-9.
9. Washington State: The Cougars went 1-11 a year ago, and 2009 doesn’t look to be any better. One of WSU’s best chances for victory, a home game against Stanford, ended in a 39-13 thrashing.
8. Northern Iowa: Rare is the chance for a I-AA team to upset a ranked, in-state foe. But 22nd-ranked Iowa blocked two Panther field-goal attempts in the final seconds to preserve a 17-16 victory.
7. Fans: Week 1 included 78 games involving at least one Division I-A squad. Forty of those 78 were I-A vs. I-A; 38 were I-A vs. I-AA. This sport will be destroyed from within.
6. Al Groh: The Virginia coach, who left the New York Jets to return to his alma mater, lost to William & Mary 26-14. Groh’s nine-year record is respectable, 56-45, but losing to an in-state I-AA foe might spell his doom.
5. Dan Hawkins: Gary Barnett won four Big 12 North titles in his final five seasons at Colorado, 2001-05. Rick Neuheisel went 33-14 in four years, a winning percentage of .702 that is the best in the last 104 years of Colorado football. Bill McCartney won a national championship and turned the Buffs into a power. But after a 23-17 home loss to arch-rival Colorado State, Hawkins is 13-25 in three-plus seasons in Boulder.
4. Rutgers: Let’s see. Celebrating the opening of a stadium expansion, similar to what we’ve seen in Stillwater. A big home game in a season in which you’re touted by some as a conference favorite. A school once synonymous with losing but has turned the tide. And Rutgers laid a clunker, a 47-15 loss to Cincinnati that stamped the defending champ Bearcats as a Big East power and Rutgers as a struggling squad.
3. ACC: The league went 4-6 in its opening week, losing two games to I-AA foes (William & Mary beat Virginia; Richmond over Duke). Three of its victories came against I-AA opponents. The ACC’s most notable win – Clemson over Middle Tennessee.
2. Sam Bradford: The Oklahoma quarterback’s Heisman Trophy campaign probably has ended with the separated shoulder. His championship hopes hang by a thread with a team in tatters.
1. Chip Kelly: Hard to imagine a worse debut for the Oregon coach. His offense manages just six first downs and 152 total yards in a 19-8 loss at Boise State, then his tailback, LeGarrette Blount, punches Boise State’s Byron Hout in a post-game fracas. Kelly suspended Blount for the rest of the season.
BEST KIND OF LOSS
Here’s what’s strange about OU-BYU. The loss wasn’t the biggest problem for the Sooners. Even Sam Bradford’s injury has to share the spotlight with how bad the Sooners played even before Bradford went out.
In many ways, an 0-1 record is the least of OU’s problems.
Look at this way. If you’re going to lose, this is the best possible loss.
* Season opener, giving a team plenty of time to recover. OU is ranked 13th now. Last season, when November arrived, OU was sixth in the BCS. Florida was fifth. There’s plenty of time to rally.
* Lost to a quality team. BYU on a quasi-neutral field is not a bad loss. Brigham Young is ranked ninth now and will rise high if it beats Florida State next week.
* Lost without your quarterback. The Sooners will get brownie points for falling without Bradford.
Make no mistake. The loss is not OU’s biggest problem. Playing poorly, and now playing for who knows how long without Bradford, is the Sooners’ albatross.
UPSIDE DOWN
Something strange is going on. From 2003 through 2006, here were the scores of the Miami-Florida State games: 22-14, 16-14, 16-10 and 10-7. The last three years, here are the scores: 37-29, 41-39 and 38-34.
What’s strangest is that defense seemed to rule the first week of college football.
Three marquee games that you thought might get pretty heavy in points instead were defensive struggles.
BYU 14, OU 13; OSU 24, Georgia 10; Boise State 19, Oregon 8.
Meanwhile, the Alabama-Virginia Tech game, which figured to be first one to 20 wins, was a 34-24 Bama victory.
TEN BIGGEST WINNERS OF THE WEEK
10. Turner Gill: The Buffalo coach just keeps winning. After an International Bowl appearance in 2008, Buffalo opened 2009 with a 23-17 victory at Texas-El Paso. Some school soon will hire away the ex-Nebraska quarterback. It just won’t be Nebraska.
9. Rahim Moore: The UCLA safety was one of three players with three interceptions in the opening week. But he’s the only defender to do it against a Division I-A opponent. The NCAA record (I-A) for interceptions is 14. Take aim, Rahim Moore.
8. Greg Paulus: The Syracuse quarterback gave hope to dreamers everywhere. Having finished his Duke basketball career, Paulus decided to give football try. After all, he had been pretty good in high school. The scoffers laughed. No one is laughing now. Paulus completed 19 of 31 passes for 167 yards against Minnesota and proved he could play major-college QB. Alas, sport is not a fairy tale. Paulus threw an overtime interception, and Minnesota won 23-20.
7. Steve Sarkisian: Not all winners have more points. The Washington coach made his UW debut with a 31-23 home loss to LSU, but the competitive game was a far cry from the dismal 2008 season under Tyrone Willingham, when the Huskies went 0-12, a far fall for a proud program. Sarkisian, a former BYU quarterback and USC assistant coach, seems to have Washington on the right track.
6. Texas transfers: Colt McCoy ran off a lot of good quarterbacks from Texas, for good reason as we now know. Two of those transfers were on national television in Week 1. Ole Miss’ Jevan Snead, a fellow Heisman candidate, shook off a slow start and directed a 45-14 rout of Memphis, throwing for two touchdowns. And G.J. Kinne made his Tulsa debut by leading a 37-13 rout of Tulane. Kinne completed 15 of 20 passes for 211 yards and a touchdown and also ran 13 times for 77 yards and a TD.
5. Unmandated sportsmanship: The coaches association’s request for teams to shake hands before games drew skepticism from some corners, and the Boise State-Oregon fiasco showed sportsmanship is not blooming in all ports. But in Columbus, Ohio, sportsmanship was in good hands. Ohio State decided to honor Navy and its fans joined the bandwagon. Navy ran onto the field with the Buckeyes, to thunderous applause. Then those fans were treated to a royally-entertaining game, won 31-27 by Ohio State.
4. Blaine Gabbert: Blaine Who? Chase Who is more like it. Missouri’s new quarterback was sensational in his first game replacing the iconic Chase Daniel. Gabbert completed 25 of 33 passes for 319 yards and three TDs (he also ran for a touchdown) as Mizzou routed Illinois 37-9 in St. Louis. Let’s see, Brad Smith, Daniel and now Gabbert. Isn’t it about time we admit Gary Pinkel knows how to recruit and coach quarterbacks?
3. Bill Young: Seems like every new Oklahoma State defensive coordinator for the last 25 years is ballyhooed as the difference-maker. But few have produced. Young did in Game 1 of his return to his alma mater. The Cowboys allowed an opening-drive TD, then shut down Georgia for a 24-10 victory.
2. Brigham Young: The Cougars have been felling giants for a quarter century. OU is the latest victim, 14-13 in Arlington. Time to quit labeling BYU a giant-killer. The Cougars are giants themselves.
1. Jacory Harris: Could Miami become Quarterback U. again? The Hurricane sophomore was sensational in a 38-34 victory over Florida State, throwing for 386 yards and two touchdowns. Miami might rise again.
-------------Berry Tramel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including AM-640 and FM-98.1. You can e-mail him here and follow him on Twitter @BerryTramel. Visit Berry's website here.
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Comments
“7. Fans: Week 1 included 78 games involving at least one Division I-A squad. Forty of those 78 were I-A vs. I-A; 38 were I-A vs. I-AA. This sport will be destroyed from within.”
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Laughable, Berry, laughable! Instead of playing 11 games, teams now play 12, with the 12th often times against a 1-AA team. IT DOESN’T MATTER. It’s a scrimmage, who cares? Isn’t
“destroying” anything. It’s just another day to have a good time.
Let the Cowboys enjoy their time in the top 5. Seeings how this is the first time in over 20 years. It will not last long they will lose 3 games at least. Texas OU and at least one more. So all you Sooner fans let the cowboy fans what few of them there are enjoy their lime light. It rarely comes and dosent last long. We can call this their Glory minute
Next time you’re nearing Denton, take the U.S. 380 exit, just before the I-35 split. Then go east on 380 to the Dallas North Tollway, which has opened the latest extension in its Manifest Destiny expansion to Oklahoma. What you pay in tolls might be worth the time saved in traffic through Denton.
So allen, glory minute huh? well i wouldn’t say it was as glorious of a minute as the one watching Sam Bradford escorted off the field crying like a little girl over a shoulder sprain. You give no statistical reason for Oklahoma state to drop three games this year. it’s okay buddy, if i was watching all hopes of a successful season go down the tubes with a season ending knee surgery for gresham, and a little bitty boo boo mommy needs to kiss better before bradford plays again, i would probably lash out at the successful teams too. It’s okay buddy i’m a oklahoma state fan i know what it feels like to be a fan of a loosing team i was one for years, but it’s okay man one day oklahoma might be good again… maybe… i’ll keep my fingers crossed for you. it’s gonna suck watching ou loose to both of the other D 1A schools from oklahoma….
Ther you go Dustin Typical OSwho fan. You have one successful Start to a season and all of a sudden you are world beaters. You want stats get out your hankie and listen up. When was the last time Osu beat Texas it was so long ago you might want to get out your playbook. This Texas team is loaded you have NO chance of beating them. OU has lost only 2 games in Norman under Bob Stoops and I know one was to OSU but not this year we will have Bradford back. You will have trouble beating Missouri and you will have trouble beating Baylor in waco. Dont let your defensive shut down of Georgia go to your head Georgia has no QB or RB which was proven. Your Defense will be better than last year but the bar is not set very high on that one. Live for your moment soak it in OSU will finish the seaon in a mid level bowl with more losses than OU and Deep down you know it.Deep down there is voice that wants to come out of your mouth yelling for all to hear BOOMER SOONER BABY
Berry, why you gotta hate? Just gotta find something to make OSU look bad about and OU still look good huh? Its just burning you up inside isn’t it?
Not burning me up. What is odd is how Osu can have a good season once in a while and then all the fans think that they are a new power in football. They think now they are the best team in the state. One game does not tell a season. How bad is Georgia? How good is BYU we wont know till they have played a few. Let OSU beat someone good consistently then start talking power. They are good this year but lets wait till they beat Texas and OU as well as run the table before we put the great tag on them. You have to beat teams like Texas and OU every year and play someone tough n the preseason every year. Cudos to them playing Georgia and Troy but do that every year. play a home and home with Ohio State florida miami notre dame lsu etc but you have to admit that the AD and Coach schedule 4 wins for the non conference most years
[...] Oklahoman’s Berry Tramel relates the slim actual difference in the defensive efforts of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State last [...]
P J is right on target about Dustin. But dont blame him for his thoughts about his team, If most fans got to actually rejoice over their teams top 5 ranking once every 25 years they would react the same way. We as yearly Big 12 champion fans need to relax and let them have their minute of glory because everyone knows (except in Stillwater) that when the season ends The sooners will be more highly rated than the cowboys
True fact – of all the Big 12 schools, OU has the most that live in trailer parks. Just saying…maybe we should keep that in mind before bashing others.
Ou has the most fans anyway. When Osu adds on another 25000 empty seats to a stadium that they could not sell out when they had 45000. OU puts 85000 in the stands every week and would sell out a 100,000 seat stadium if it was available. The sooners do not have to advertize season ticket sales. Some teams cant give away season tickets so they have to make special 3 game packages just to put butts in the seats. So to say we have the most fans in trailers thats fine we have the most fans period. We have the most fans that live in houses the most fans that have jobs and the most fans that can put 3 words together to form sentences.
Ok Allen really? Why do you have to be so hatefully? There is no reason in the world you should say things like “the most fans that have jobs and the most fans that can put 3 words together to form sentences.” That is seriously poor sportsmanship. Guess what? I am an OSU student from a third-generation OSU family, but I was cheering for OU. The only time I do not cheer for OU is when we play them. That’s what it should be like. There is no reason for poor sportsmanship. Grow up and stop acting like such a sore loser. I’m sorry you guys lost, and we won. When Bedlam comes, we’ll see what happens. Like you said it’s too early in the season to tell how good teams will or will not be. P.S. You should go back and re-read some of your posts buddy. You have some poor grammar, and some of your sentences don’t make sense. Before you start bashing how your fans “can put 3 words together to form sentences,” you might want to make sure you can.
Hey Barry,
Solid point on the perception of the OU versus OSU defense, however I think (I know for me this is the case)the issues with our performance (OU) are based not upon the final amount of points we allowed but the fact that once again we seemed to let BYU move about the field at will (357 total yards) versus OSU (257 Yards) and that the stops we got were in great part due to luck/big turnovers etc (which can be due to skill, but more often than not it appears to be a lucky bounce i.e. a helmet hitting a ball or a hand hitting the ball, usually not on purpose, while making a tackle). Furthermore, I think its the frustration of seeing our players go to the NFL and wondering why if at times we had collections of guys that are now contributing in the pros(I mean…for a brief period of time the starting DTs for the Bears was Dusty and Tommie) why do we not completely and utterly and totally shut people down. Still, I have high hoops for a bounce back, Stoops Rocks, Sam Rocks, I’m sure Jones will rock too! Boomer Sooner for life!!
I still not comprehend how no coach was watching the game clock and did not call time out when the ball was on the one yd line in the 4th qtr.
TOTALLY INEXCUSABLE
In the MIa/FlaSt game, twice with the ball inside the 5 yd line and the clock about to run out the Miami coaching staff called time out from the sideline and avoided a delay penalty.
OK OK enough with the joking around. It was fun just trying to rattle the chains of others. I think it is great to have OSU in the top 5 and playing with something to look forward to. I hope they go undefeated until they play OU and OU runs the table that way both teams will be playing for the big 12 championship and a chance to go to the National champion ship game. This way OU can CRUSH the unrealistic dreams of all the OSU fans once again. Do you realize that OSU has NEVER won more than 9 games in one season counting the bowl games. Sorry but history is not on your side but maybe this is the year. You guys have a great chance to finally get 10 in a season. IT is better than the past when it took 2 years to get 10 wins. Is this nice enough for you.
In closing GO HOUSTON
“Do you realize that OSU has NEVER won more than 9 games in one season counting the bowl games.”
OSU won 10 games “counting bowl games” in both 1987 & 1988.
OK Randilea, really? You should check your own grammar before you criticize others. Your question was “Why do you have to be so hatefully?” What kind of grammar is that? Looking forward to ruining the Pokes season in Norman. Start pounding your chest when you succeed consistently while playing against the BIG boys consistently!
Great point Nicki, Osu will never win consistently against the big boys. They have NEVER won a national championship. Never won the Big 12 and won only one Big 8 title which they shared with Colorado and OU. Sorry Joe but I missed those 2 years so you won 10 games counting bowls,, twice in over 100 years of football WHOOOOO Boy. Did you know that OSU has lost 10 games in a season more times than they won 10. Again like I have been saying Be proud enjoy your MINUTE in the sun. Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn now and then. When the season ends the pokes (what is a poke anyway) will be in the lower half of the top 25
Don’t worry I caught my mistake Nicki. I feel the same way though about us beating better teams consistently. I (plus most OSU fans I would assume) am just really excited we started out our season with a strong win against a good SEC team. That is good for the Big 12 as well. It is not just OSU fans though that are saying good things about OSU. I mean we were on the cover of Sports Illustrated. OSU fans are just excited our team is getting better. Other fans need to just stop being so hateful that OSU fans are excited. Yes I am sure there are idiot OSU fans out there saying we are the best, etc. Obviously, we are not. Any astute person would realize that. Who knows what either OU or OSU will do this season. What bothers me the most is just the lack of sportsmanship fans of BOTH teams demonstrate. There is no reason in the world to act the way I see many fans acting.
“Sorry Joe but I missed those 2 years so you won 10 games counting bowls,, twice in over 100 years of football WHOOOOO Boy. Did you know that OSU has lost 10 games in a season more times than they won 10.”
OSU also won 10 games in 1984. OSU has only lost 10 games once – in 1991. If 1 > 3 in your world, what color is the sky?
Your opinions are about as well-founded as your “facts.”
Now I can come clean, I was wanting to have fun with everyone. I mean this when I say I hope OU and OSU both go undefeated the rest of the way and meet for the the big 12 title both highly ranked. Of course I want the Sooners to win but it would be awesome for both schools to to be ranked 2 and 3 with the chance to unseat the dreaded Florida Gators and mr wonderful tim tebow. (remember if you spend just 5 minutes with the man you will be a better person) I wish he could walk across the gulf of mexico and lay his hands on Sam Bradford and Gresham so they can be healed. It would be a great statement for Oklahoma to have 2 great football teams actually 3 if you count Tulsa which is not a bad team. No more having fun with cowboy fans I pulled for the cowboys all year when they had that horrible plane crash. Sports is for fun nothing was ever meant seriously and I hope Oklahoma and Ok State whip the State of Texas
Ever since Mike Stoops left the Sooners, their defense has left alot to be desired. Brent Venables seems not to be able to instill discipline in the players. I saw defensive plaeyrs quite a feq times thro whteir arms up, and look to the side for the calls. Bob Stoops needs to take over the defense, and send Venables packing. There is far too much talent on that side of the ball for any let down as the one that occured the past saturday.
AL
I agree with you It seems that when Mike Stoops was here OU s defense was the best in the nation Now we are just ok The sooners gave up 3 and long 3 times on that last drive of BYUs and on 4th and 2 gave up over 20 yards. In the Fiesta Bowl against Boise State a few years ago on 4th and 19 with the game won they gave up a 55 yard touchdown and we could not stop shipley and mcCoy in the texas game last year. But I still love my sooners and our defense will be good enough to win all our games this year. the only question wll be is our offense going to good enough
It’s a shame so many OSU fans point their fingers at OU fans and condemn them on lack of sportsmanship. In my experience many OU fans, just like Allen, like to joke around with competing fans. Football is a game. No one likes to lose, but I’m proud to say the majority of the fans I’ve encountered keep their perspective in check.
I think it’s interesting, however, that many OSU fans I’ve encountered that do not share a similar perspective. I would offer that perhaps it is related to the nature of the University, in that OSU is a smaller, less prestigious college that has (I am assuming) more family ties and tradition-based enrollment than a more nationally-known college like OU. Combine that with the history of their football team, the popularity of football in this region, and it’s not a far stretch to suggest OSU fans have a bit of a Napoleon complex.
Whatever the case, I feel bad for the OSU fans who cannot joke and jeer with their fellow Oklahomans. The fans who take pre and post-game comments personally offensive take themselves – and their game – much too seriously.
I received a few nasty texts after our loss to BYU.
I laughed.
Fort Worth >>> Dallas