Emails in on OU-UT & coordinators
The new emails are in, and lots of talk about Texas and my support of OU’s coordinators.
Marc didn’t like my statement that in 2008, OU lost but won, while Texas won but lost. “No clear winner last year? 45-35 is about as crystal clear as it gets.”
So is 39-38.
Larry, our resident Tech fan, wrote about the OU and Texas sniping: “I wasn’t around back in 1941 when godless, genocidal totalitarians from Germany attacked godless, genocidal totalitarians from the Soviet Union. I suppose there were a lot of conflicted people then too.”
So what does that make Tech? Czechoslovakia?
David: “I was intrigued by your question of whether someone would rather see OU 5-1 with a loss to UT or 4-2 with a win over the Horns. Iwould have gone with the OU going 4-2 option, myself. I thought I’d share a discussion I had here in Austin last week with my best Longhorn friend when I asked him, ‘wouldn’t you rather have been in OU’s shoes at the end of the season, loser of OU-Texas, but conference champ and in the BCS title game?’ This is a rational UT fan, a running partner of mine for several years who takes his football very seriously — even played in the Longhorn band. And he’s smart enough to not be in favor of a college football playoff. He said in complete earnestness that he wouldn’t have traded places with OU. And I know him well enough to believe him. So there is at least one big-time Texas fan out there who’d rather be 12-1 with a win over OU and shut out of the Big 12 title game than be conference champs playing in the Big Bowl with an OU loss. That’s one difference between OU-OSU and OU-Texas: with OU-Texas, the fans of BOTH sides overweigh the importance of the series in relation to everything else.”
I didn’t advocate 4-2 because it included a victory over Texas. I advocated 4-2 because it had OU on track to win the Big 12, while 5-1 (with a loss to Texas) likely would knock OU out of both national and Big 12 consideration.
Brad: “Oct. 17 is the latest the OU TX Game has been played since 1931. Why was the game moved away from the second Saturday of October for the first time in 77 years? I bet some people secured hotel prior to double checking date. By the way, OU ranks 61st in third-down conversions. The reason they are 3-2. Pretty poor stat, regardless of QB.”
OU has to be better at third downs. But here’s what’s funny about the OU-Texas date. It’s not always on the second Saturday. Five times since 1931, they’ve played on the first Saturday: 1978 and four times this decade.
Dave didn’t like my column defending OU’s coordinators: “I am in utter disbelief that you would let the OU coaching staff off the hook so easily. I mean, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that the coaching has been weak for years. Please humor me. 1. As I’ve said for the last 5-6 years, Bob Stoops’ strength was in Mike Stoops, Mike Leach and Mark Mangino. If you’ll remember, as soon as Mike Stoops left and turned the defense over to Venables, we got our butts handed to us by K-State, followed by a mediocre performance against LSU. 2. OU gets humiliated by USC. Our defense was completely dominated; continuing the trend of our secondary getting burned by a decent team. Granted, that loss was apparently to a professional team, so we may not want to count this example. 3. Losses to TCU, West Virginia, Boise State, BYU, Miami, UCLA, OT vs. Baylor. Five consecutive bowl losses. All examples of a coaching staff that wasn’t prepared and obviously hadn’t prepared the players. 5. We’ve had more talent SINCE 2000 than we actually had on that team. However, many writers are trying to convince the rest of us that it’s simply a lack of execution and motivation on the part of the players. How is it that players have come and gone, but the coaching methods and philosophies have remained the same? Kevin Wilson is doing the same thing Chuck Long did. Venables, while showing some improvement this year, has provided nothing that stands up to more competitive teams. The Big 12 titles continue to be used as examples of why Stoops should be considered one of the best coaches in college football today. In reality, OU and Texas are the Big 12. Typically, whoever wins between those two will almost always win the conference; due mainly to an extremely weak North Division. Do I expect OU to win a national championship every year? Of course not. But I do expect for one of the highest paid coaches in college football to at least make the team a serious contender every year. I do expect his to recruit and demand excellence from his players and staff. I do expect him to hold his staff and players accountable when they’re not meeting expectations. As I’ve said hundreds of times before, if Stoops isn’t going to hold his coordinators accountable, then Castiglione needs to hold him accountable. The fact is, Stoops continues to ride the coat tails of the 2000 national title. Those coat tails have become tattered and have virtually disappeared. The trend of the last 5-6 years has gotten old.”
OK, I’ll bite. I expected this. 1. Mangino, you’ve got to be kidding. OU fans were trying to run him out of town at the end of 2001. Leach was here one year and went 7-5. Mike Stoops coached the defense vs. Kansas State. And OU gave up 14 offensive points to LSU. 2. OU stunk vs. USC. Agreed. 3. Your point is exactly what? OU doesn’t win every football game? Please give me the list of all the teams that do. Please give me a list of all the teams that win more than do the Sooners. Yes, there’s a bowl slump. I don’t understand it, but it most definitely exists. So you want to fire a bunch of good coaches because of a bowl slump, which no one understands. Not Tom Osborne, not Bear Bryant, not Bo Schembechler, all of whom had worse bowl slumps than Stoops. 4, Kevin Wilson is doing very little like Chuck Long did, other than losing an occasional game, which I guess means his job is in jeopardy. 5. You said you expect Stoops to make OU a serious contender for the national title every year. In that, he has failed. He has done that only four of the previous six years. That’s better than LSU, Florida, Alabama, Ohio State, Virginia Tech and everyone else other than USC. But it does not meet your standard. You said you expect Stoops to hold staff and players accountable, and by your tone you think he does not. Which means you advocate firing assistants. OK. No one else does that. No program, college or pro, fires championship-contending coordinators. But I suppose it could work. Probably wouldn’t, but it would get the fans fired up. And by the way, Stoops’ salary has nothing to do with it. If Stoops made $1 million instead of $2.8 million, there would not be fewer expectations. If Stoops made $2.8 million and Urban Meyer and Les Miles made $750,000 each, then OK, Stoops is overpaid. But he’s getting what the market bears. It’s nuts, but not for what Stoops is getting. For what they’re all getting.
Kenny: “Clearly only sports writers, ESPN commentators and Bob Stoops know enough to comment intelligently about offensive coordinators. Still, I offer the following uneducated, unqualified comments. At least you can tell your boss that someone, though unwashed, does read your propagandist opinion pieces. In your most recent Wilson apologia, you cite example play calling sequences from LSU and Boise State (actually Miami). In these examples you miss the point of all the criticism directed at Wilson. He seems to call every play as if he has consistent ability to beat the other team on the line or in the secondary. Cleary with the talent he has had of late, that is not the case when playing good (LSU) or imaginative teams (Boise State). At some point it seems to me that an offensive coordinator has to adjust his play calling to the talent he has on the team. Wilson seems to be calling plays as if he still has Peterson and last year’s receiving corps. If you can’t beat the other team every play then sometimes you have to fool them. OU can’t fool anyone (other teams) and seems to be fooled by almost any team that tries. Even teams that don’t have a clue in most games have all the clues they need against OU. Do we try to compensate for a weak line, running back, receiver by misdirection, play action, options, etc? Maybe we do and it is just not evident to all us $90 per bleacher seat fans. But if that is the case, then you sports writers owe us a story. Give us the story that explains why each and every offensive call was a good one. Tell us why Boise State beat a better team in 2006. Maybe you could explain why Texas and Florida beat us last year. Why did we lose to BYU and Miami this year? Tell that story.
Did you read this guy? He wants to know why OU doesn’t run play action (it does) or options (he’s got to be kidding). Says Wilson doesn’t try to fool anybody. Who does try to fool people? Does Texas? Does Florida? Does USC? That’s really what this is all about, you know. Some fans believe that football is a game of deception. Out-thinking the other team. And that indeed does happen. About once every 1,000 games. Quality coaching is teaching players what to do and how to do it. It’s not a funky chess move. Why did OU lose to BYU and Miami? Because it played without its quarterback. Why did OU lose to Texas last year? Because Jordan Shipley ran a kickoff back 100 yards, and after Ryan Reynolds went out, OU’s defense couldn’t stop colt McCoy. Sam Bradford threw five touchdown passes against UT. I don’t think that was a bad game by Kevin Wilson.
Greg: “Surprised that you didn’t bring up the playcalling against Florida last year. Shortly before halftime, we had been running the ball down UF’s throats and when we made it down inside the 5-yard line, we ran it four times and were stopped short of the goal line. i remember complaining when we started passing against LSU. I still question whether that was the right thing to do. That was at the end of the game and their D-line was undoubtedly gassed. I don’t fault Kevin Wilson for trying to ram it down UF’s throats last year. With the line we had, they SHOULD have been able to get the job done. Additionally, the fact that Sam threw an interception the very next drive deep inside UF territory, kind of controverts any criticism of playcalling in that instance. I don’t judge Wilson at all for the playcalling against Miami. When you’re playing with a completely rebuilt O-line, new receivers and you are playing without most of your playmakers, on the road against a strong team, it doesn’t matter who is calling the plays. You are going to struggle.”
I know everyone wants to fool everybody, but the truth is, the best teams power the ball into the end zone. If you can’t power the ball in, you’re not a great team to begin with. OU believed (believes?) it is a great team. I don’t blame them.
James: “A little harsh, Berry. Slammed the loyal OU fans. Let’s get this straight: If I disclose that I never played football, and dare to comment on bone-head decisions that even Brent Musburger (of all people) questions, that makes me part of a ‘mob’ and a ’so-called expert?’ Wow! More of that give us your money, but keep your mouths shut philosophy.”
Commenting is fine. Demanding the heads of coaches who have won big-time is ridiculous.
Greg: “At times, during the tenures of Mangino, Long and now Wilson, if the typical fan can call the EXACT play which is run approximately 67% of the time, the coordinator and the head coach do not require firing, but they need to conduct some introspection, and just maybe once, just listen. Throw on first down and second-and-short like we used to. Please, try anyone we have, Eldridge, Mensik, Ratterree, Hanna, you pick’em, run the post pattern on 2nd-and-1 and just watch even a slow guy be 10 yards in the open. Run the Miller kid in a meaningful situation on first down. This kid is too good to sit. He is a big play waiting to happen. Finally, just once in a decade, in a third and long, run the trap quick opener with the fullback who defenses now just totally ignore. It is not the exact play calling, it is how predictable each of these guys became after a year or two. For teams which study tendencies, OU can be read like a book once a coordinator has been on the job for more than a year.”
This one wears me out. The typical fan can’t call the EXACT play 30 percent of the time. The typical fan would be largely flipping coins on either run or pass. OU does not - didn’t under Long, doesn’t under Wilson - have tendencies on first down and second down. I’ve studied it. I’ve published it. OU mixes it up pretty good. Runs about 60 percent on first down; has for 7-8 years. I wouldn’t throw to the tight ends. They’ve proven they can’t catch. Move on. Bench DeMarco Murray or Chris Brown and run Jonathan Miller? That sounds like madness. And while I love the fullback run on occasion, Matt Clapp couldn’t pick up a third-and-long if his hole was 10 yards wide.
John: “One of the few things I do get down on Stoops about is he is too overdramatic. Criticism of individual game calling does not necessarily rise to the occasion of calling for someone’s dismissal. In fact, in this year being the 50th I have either had or my father had season tickets, I have never seen, nor would I surmise you have seen, a perfectly called game. It is like writing the perfect column, the perfect appellate brief to the Supreme Court or perfect appraisal report for the next regional shopping center. You review them a month later and you find either a lot of mistakes or places where it could have been improved, or both. Bob needs to come out every Tuesday or Thursday, like Barry used to do at Othellos, sit and hold court for an hour. He is popular now, but he would find as Barry knew and Bud knew from his TV show, the people, although sometimes fickle, all understand what he has done and continues to do.”
Here’s what’s funny. Kevin Wilson does that. He doesn’t necessarily interact with the crowd, but Wilson always is falling on his sword, saying, bad call, I should have done this.
David: “Man, it just wouldn’t be Oklahoma football if some misguided fans weren’t griping about something, whether it be at Steve Davis (32-1-1 as an OU starter) being booed after the first loss of his career; Barry Switzer almost being fired after the 1983 season; or the coordinator (take your pick) flavor of the month this time around. The only time I don’t remember a coach being booed too much were the years 1989 through 1998. People weren’t booing too much because Owen Field was empty and no one had great expectations for OU football. Anyway, the fans around here don’t care if Wilson is down an all-American quarterback, an all-American tight end and the team’s best receiver on a team that the year prior graduated six starters, four of which are playing in the NFL. By my count through the 2-2 portion of this season, in essence, OU had two returning starters. Yet the clowns around here think OU should be putting up 60 against everyone and when OU doesn’t, said clown could personally call plays that COULD achieve 60 points a game. Perspective! The thing to remember here is, in his tenure, Bob Stoops and staff have done a excellent job winning at a plus .800 percent clip.”
You know what? This is a great point. Schnellenberger wasn’t around long enough to get things too riled up, but fans didn’t really demand the heads of coordinators during the Blake years, or even the Gibbs years much. They only want the heads of coordinators who have won big. Really supports the spoiled theory.
Greg: “I have a Bud Wilkinson story. In 1985, I connected planes to the West Coast from St. Louis. Sitting in an airport lounge, having a vodka tonic, was the venerable coach looking as he did the day he left in 1963. It was very crowded at the bar. I was wearing my OU starter jacket or something. As I walked in and looked around forlornly, he summoned me to sit by him. You can imagine I just about peed in my pants at age 34 or 35. I ordered, was quiet but smiling and he said, ‘how are things at home?’ I said, ‘Penn Square failed, the oiwwwl biz is bad, the job market is too poor to get out of the Army for and we got hosed by the refs in the Cotton Bowl in a rainstorm, but other than that, OK.’ He smiled and responded, ‘It always gets better.’ We chit-chatted about a lot of things other than football as I did not want to be the typical football nutball antagonizing a legend in an airport. When his plane was called, he rose, put his hand on my shoulder and said, ‘Always find something to enjoy and never accept it as perfect.’ I think that statement covers a lot of subjects.”
Yes, like play-calling.
Mark: “I think you’ve captured a characteristic of Stoops’ that shows through in every press conference I’ve observed, he truly does not suffer fools gladly, and that appears to include the press (which know a great deal more about football than I do). The more I see and hear about Mack, the harder it is to dislike the guy. I’m getting soft on Texas.”
Mack Brown is very difficult to dislike. Anyone who knows him would agree.
Terry: “OU is rated around 20th in the country. Of all the teams rated ahead of them, who do you think would be favored if they played today?”
Interesting question. OU would be an underdog to about five. Bama, Florida, Texas, USC, maybe Virginia Tech. Remember the question. You asked about underdogs. Which means point spreads. Which means what betters think would happen. Which doesn’t necessarily correlate to reality.
Mike: “One question about Ryan Reynolds, who deserves an award for courage, certainly, However, he cannot run any more with all of the knee(s) damage. Why are the coaches leaving him in there? He cannot cover anybody over the middle for short passes. I think Colt McCoy will eat him alive this week. Could move Austin English over to MLB and let Frank Alexander play defensive end instead?
I think Reynolds gets too much blame for not covering passes. He was covering passes quite well last year vs. Texas, and the house caught on fire only after he left. Moving English? No way. He would be far less mobile than Reynolds in the open field.
Alberto: “Whatever happened to DeMarcus Granger? Is James Hanna not as good as he was advertised out of high school? Who will be anchoring the interior of the defensive line next year? Who is going to be our middle linebacker next year?”
I love easy questions. Granger is still fighting off back trouble. Doesn’t sound like he’ll be back. We’ve got to quit comparing tight ends to Jermaine Gresham. OU might never have another one like that. I would guess Jamarkus McFarland might anchor the line. And Tom Wort, if he recovers from the knee injury, is the likely MLB.
Chris: “Much has been said about the number of penalties that OSU has committed this season. Perusing the penalty statistics from ncaa.org shows that three Big 12 teams are dead last in penalty yards per game: Colorado, OSU and Texas Tech. Furthermore, Texas A&M is 110tth, Texas 104th, Baylor 98th, Oklahoma and Nebraska tied for 94th and Kansas St 87th. That is nine of 12 teams in the conference that are in the bottom .30 percentile in penalty yards. What gives? I cannot believe that almost the entire conference is undisciplined or their coaches are poor teachers of the rules. I’m not suggesting any conspiracy theories, but maybe the Big 12 officiating crews are too overzealous with the yellow hankies? Maybe the number of plays per game are higher in the Big 12? I know A&M is averaging about 90 plays per game and the Sooners had 99 plays on Saturday.”
I think there’s something to flag-happy officiating crews. That long has been the claim about certain NFL crews.
David: “I have an idea. Let’s have all the receivers wear Captain Kangaroo pockets on their jerseys. That way Sam or Landry only need to hit one of those pockets and bingo…. no more dropped balls.”
Why not surgically add Velcro to all Sooner hands?
Alan wrote from Baghdad: “Thanks for the great articles, video clips, and blog. I don’t always agree with your views, but I respect the research, talent and work ethic it takes to pound out the volume of information, and entertainment, found in the various formats. Those of us spread around the globe feel a little closer to home when we get a chance to jump online. I know it takes a healthy newspaper to support all this content. Where do you see the newspaper sports coverage headed? I see the ESPN-Chicago and ESPN-Dallas as an attempt to take away some of the niche currently held by local papers.”
First of all, heck of a country. We’ve got a guy over in Iraq, and he’s thanking us. Anyway, excellent question. You’re exactly right, the newspaper still supports most of the Internet content we do. We plan to keep making sure the newspaper remains profitable while also figuring out a way to make the web-based stuff produce revenue. Those are days are coming, we in the newspaper business haven’t figured it all out yet.
Jason wrote about my comments concerning Oklahoma sunsets being just as spectacular as Key West’s: “I went to college in Florida and saw the sunrise over the Atlantic and saw it set over the Gulf of Mexico. I also spent six years in east Tennessee and saw it rise and set from many mountain views. There is no sunrise or sunset like the ones I see every day just outside my front door in the Oklahoma Panhandle. I tell people if you know an atheist, bring them to my house with a lawn chair. We’ll face them east in the morning and turn them around before it sets. They’ll believe in God before they go to bed.”
The Panhandle has terrible highways but sensational sunsets.
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.
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