Bedlam: Defenses strength of both OU, OSU
I ran into Kevin Wilson on Sunday night at the Thunder game. I asked him if he saw coming the Bedlam beatdown that resulted, 27-0 Sooners.
Wilson said his only concern was if OU’s offense could score enough. He figured the Sooners would shut down OSU’s offense. But he said something very interesting.
OSU's Zac Robinson (11) is taken down by Oklahoma's Keenan Clayton (22) and Jeremy Beal (44) during Bedlam. Photo by Chris Landsberger, The Oklahoman
The strength of OSU’s team is its defense. Mike Gundy is the face of Cowboy football, and Gundy runs the OSU offense, and offense has carried the Cowboys for many years now. But in 2009, OSU’s defense is its best attribute.
Wilson said Bill Young has done a good job as OSU’s new defensive coordinator but offered another reason why the Cowboys have blossomed defensively: talented seniors. Andre Sexton, Patrick Lavine, Donald Booker, Perrish Cox, Terrance Anderson, Lucien Antione, Derek Burton, Swanson Miller and Jermiah Price. That’s nine solid seniors on the Cowboy defense. No real superstars, with the possible exception of Cox, but really good Big 12 players.
And indeed the OSU defense played well against Oklahoma. Not good enough. Especially with the OSU offense completely stuffed. Young’s crew needed an heroic performance to win Bedlam, needed to take the ball away from Landry Jones and Co. several times. OSU’s defense dominated the first quarter, but thereafter didn’t exert its well. The Cowboys needed more.
Same with the Texas game. OSU’s defense played a solid game against the Longhorns but got very little help from the offense and eventually ran out of gas.
Disappointing, but overall a solid trend for OSU, which had battled for defensive respectability for most of two decades. Of course, now the problem is replacing all those seniors that so impressed Wilson.
Emails: The OU wolves are after Stoops
The new emails are in, and as you would suspect, the wolves are after Bob Stoops.
Pat: “We were fortunate (or perhaps unfortunate) in being able to see the OU-Tech game on TV yesterday here in Utah. They really looked pathetic. I have long believed that if the football administration at OU is content with a team that usually looks good in the Big 12 South (and occasionally in the conference as a whole), then Bob Stoops is a satisfactory coach. But if they want a team that commands national respect, then OU needs a new head coach. What do you think?”
I think if OU hired a new head coach, there is about a five percent chance the Sooners would get better. And a 95 percent chance that the Sooners would do worse. Sounds like desperation to me. Can we deal with this discussion rationally, folks? Pat just said OU “occasionally” looks good in the conference as a whole. The Sooners have won three straight league titles and six this decade. Nobody else has won more than one.
Jerry: “I believe the Stoops era needs to end. They are so predictable and are getting out coached. I know the injuries are a big facto, but come on. I would like to have Shanahan as the new coach. Am I crazy or what? If changes are to be made, then Wilson needs to go and some of the defensive coaches also.”
Yes. You’re crazy. Why settle for Shanahan. Why not go after Belichick?
Charles: “I read your column regularly and appreciate that you are one of the few people that are actually stating some of the truth about Bob Stoops and his performance on the job. I like Bob as a person, he is a good man. But, at OU as far as job performance goes, STOOPS IS NOT DOING HIS JOB that he is getting millions of dollars a year for. It is Bob Stoops’ job to get his team prepared to play. There is no excuse for lack of preparation and discipline, no matter what our talent level is. What the *%)@*@_#()% is Stoops actually doing? Seriously. How many times are we going to continue to give him a free pass for his offensive coordinator calling the same 5-7 plays every game (that even people sitting at home know are coming), to go 3-and-out most of the time, and the defense having to always make up for it. Now the defense can’t even do that with all the talent we have. How many times does Bob get a pass for his team clearly not being prepared at all for big games? Most teams make adjustments on offense when something isn’t working. Not OU. We run up the middle when there are 10 defenders on the line waiting for it. Or, we call passing plays that have routes too long, and the quarterback sitting in the pocket until he gets sacked. What the hell happened to the offense that Mike Leach installed here before he went to Tech that had inferior talent, but put fear in people? Why can’t OU throw short passes and let their speed guys run with the ball. If we still had those types of plays used, Sam Bradford would have never gotten injured in the first place! I think a quarterback sack is a designed play call by Kevin Wilson. Stoops has clearly shown a decline in his ability to keep his coaches and team to maintain basic disciplines that players who are getting free rides to college shouldn’t lose. This team clearly has more raw talent than the one Stoops took over a decade ago. But you know what, the 1999 team had heart, and could probably beat this current team’s ass. It is time for Stoops to be on the hotseat! If he can’t do his job, it’s time for him to go. No more damn excuses!”
Charles signed himself “a very disappointed Sooner fan!” This is what Barry was referring to in the previous email, when he talked about a sense of entitlement. First off, accusing Kevin Wilson of running too much and throwing too deep. This OU offense has two problems. It doesn’t run enough (because it can’t) and it throws too many short passes (because it can’t protect). So sometimes, fans just blather about stuff they have no idea about. They see one play, it sticks in their minds and it goes from seed to weed. OU is not prepared in big games? OU wasn’t prepared in the Texas game? Here’s a simple truth. Some fans never mature.
Greg: “I am going to be so disappointed if you soft pedal this Tech loss. It is not just another loss. What has gone on since the USC game continues and is now accelerating. Why do we always wait until it is totally broken to admit a change must be made. We should donate money to Notre Dame to pay off Weis and hire Stoops. And for that matter, all of them, and I mean even Heupel. A clean slate is needed. No one wants to admit this, but OSU is going to wax our ass and we deserve it. I retract every good thing I have ever said about Stoops. This whole game result, the whole season result is on him. A commander is ALWAYS responsible, and if he thinks he is buying his stature off by some one-sentence mea culpa he is wrong. A sea change in fan attitude has occurred today. It is not a one game occurrence. I am driving 1000 miles on Thursday to be in Norman on Saturday. I am figuratively one of the 86,000 Roman senators sitting in the senate house waiting on Caesar. His fate is sealed as far as I am concerned. My email is littered with OU fans, season ticket holders and donors. No one, among 50 or so, has any of the milk of human kindness running in our veins.”
And so it has come to this. I’ve always likened OU football to gladiators and imperial Rome, and here is confirmation. There is an easy way to slay Caesar. An easy way to bring on Caligula or Nero or whoever the heck followed old Julius. Don’t buy tickets. Don’t go to the games. OU administration will get the message real quick. But I don’t think fans have the stomach for that. I think they want coaches to be tough and disciplined but don’t demand the same from themselves.
Sam: “Although I stopped reading the Oklahoman online a year ago, this morning I sought out your column and really enjoyed your video interview of two other experts. I can find no real analysis — from either players or coaches or journalists — except for yours. I’m not really an OU fan and can’t figure why Bob Stoops isn’t thrown to the wolves the way two or three other OU coaches have been. When I was in the eighth grade, I attended the only OU football game I have ever attended. Notre Dame won 7-0. I enjoyed the game, but not the histrionics of the fans (which lasted for years). I look forward to the game next week with Oklahoma State and hope the Cowboys win.”
OU throws coaches to the wolves when those coaches don’t win. Gary Gibbs went six years without a title; three three-loss seasons, three so-so years. Schnellenberger and Blake, I assume everyone knows about. Gomer Jones went 8-11-1. And you wonder why Bob Stoops isn’t asked to march in their shame after six Big 12 titles this decade, including three straight currently?
Echo: “Isn’t it about time that the head coach take the responsibility the way the Sooners are playing? Time to get rid of Wilson, get some new life in the staff.”
You know, in some ways, this entire discussion is very backwoodsy. Almost like Salem, Mass., in the pre-colonial days. Or really primitive cultures. Something has gone wrong, even terribly wrong, and rather than working to fix it, they try to appease gods by cutting off the head of some perceived culprit. I would bet a doctoral student could break some serious ground with this topic.
Johnny: “Sure, we have had success in the past decade, but we have consistently stubbed our toe at crunch time. Chokelahoma, as we were referred to in last year’s championship game, in the minds of a lot of people, pretty well describes our big game play in the past few years. Lost of people, including myself, question the players’ mental toughness and the crunch-time coaching of not only this year’s team but also for the past several years. Switzer’s teams won who knows how many big games in the fourth quarter, many on their last possession. Other than the Holiday Bowl of a few years ago, I can’t remember a single big game in recent years OU has won late. I realize we have underachieved this year due largely to attrition (graduations and injuries). In past years our teams with superior athletes and few injuries were able to succeed, I think, because they were consistently superior to their opponents in ability — except against peer teams (Texas, Florida, USC, LSU, etc.). When they beat Texas A&M, Nebraska, Alabama and Miami in recent years, those teams were substandard at the time. I think Stoops has a losing record against Texas. I don’t believe we can lay the blame for five losses this year entirely on inexperienced players. We could have won every game except Tech with only one additional successful play in each game. I like Stoops and think he is what we need at OU. However, I believe he may not be objective in his selection of assistants. I always thought his buddy Chuck Long was a poor offensive coordinator and a terrible play caller. His later experience at San Diego State seemed to bear that out. I am getting the same feeling about Kevin. As with Chuck’s offense, there is very little misdirection used, and sometimes you just shake your head at play selection at critical times (for example, the 54-yard field goal try against BYU by a kicker who had never attempted a field goal in college; mathematical odds says we had at least a slim chance to pick up a first down via pass but had zero chance of making that field goal). I wonder if Stoops’ loyalty to old friends may be clouding his judgment in selecting assistants.
I’ve heard offensive coordinators blamed for everything from the leaves turning early to the price of petroleum. But now you want to blame the BYU field-goal try on Wilson? Uh, that’s a head coach’s decision. Not that there was anything wrong with it. The chances of a booming field goal were much better than the chances of converting 3rd-and-long.
Jim: “Enjoy reading your column very much. Know you’re tired of this topic too. Anyway here goes. Do you think there is any chance that the powers that be at OU will come to their senses and start a house cleaning at OU football. Starting with Stoops, Wilson and Bobby JackWright? This disaster waiting to happen, didn’t just start this year, it’s been going on for the past nine years at least. This Castiglione isn’t any great shakes either. Didn’t he come from the University of Missouri. When did that school ever have any thing in sports that amounted to anything? Maybe Paul Christman, back in the early ’40s. Sorry about my ramblings. I’m just sick about what’s happening to this school’s great football tradition.”
Now we’re rooting this all the way back to where Joe C. came from? Castiglione is the problem? See what I mean about finding blame? There is nothing wrong with OU’s football tradition. It has not been dented or slighted. The Sooners have had a bad year. That’s no reason to start heating up the stake.
Jerry: “I have been watching OU football since the early ’70s. Also, I certainly understand the tradition from the Wilkinson days. I live and work in Florida so all I can do is come back for a couple of games a year and unfortunately I have gone to almost all of the bowl games in the Stoops era. Since I’m long distance and can only watch on TV and read some of the message boards, it seems to me we have more problems than just injuries. I’m not impressed with this offensive coaching staff even though they set records last year. I was at the Florida game and Charley Strong kicked Kevin Wilson’s behind. The defense played well enough to win that night, but I assume that was Bob’s scheme more than Brent’s. It seems to me the program has regressed to just a little better then when Bob and crew arrived and the coaching staff with the exception of Bob is far worse then what he started with. Sorry for the negativity, but I like a lot of folks bleed crimson and cream, and I’m very concerned about the state of the program now.”
This program is back near to where it was in 1998? You’re not impressed with offenses that score 60 points a game against quality competition? Here’s what you need to do. Stay off the message boards. They are a feeding frenzy for bad attitudes. They will lower your character level. A letter like this doesn’t indicate any bleeding of crimson and cream. It indicates bleeding instant gratification at the very cost of that which you claim to love.
Jeff: “I just want to put in my two cents worth. Just because the Sooners have failed a lot this season does not mean anything. Sooners have lost, it seems like, most of their first stringers this year. This season is not anyone’s fault. How can a team win if the starting lineup changes every week? No consistency means that you have to have the most basic game plan in place, otherwise the Sooners would have lost every game. Give the coaches some props for at least winning a few games.”
Well, I won’t give the coaches any props for beating Idaho State and Tulsa, but you’re basically right. In fact, that’s a direct quote from Stoops this week. “It’s not anyone’s fault.” Sometimes things just happen.
Larry: “Good article on the Tech game. Lou Holtz was saying yesterday that one of the problems with Notre Dame was lack of mental and physical toughness. I think the same might apply to OU. It’s been a long time since we played smashmouth football! Do you think the coaches might be a little complacent, reading their own press too much, or maybe reading too much into other teams performance against common opponents and letting their intensity slip? Just a thought I’ve had several times over the past five years.”
No, I don’t think OU coaches are complacent. And OU was playing smashmouth as recently as January. That’s what OU’s offense was last season. But you can’t smash mouths if your mouth is getting smashed.
Sixto: “Well, that is one hell of a debacle. Thankfully, I was out celebrating my birthday so I didn’t watch this train wreck. I did record it, but maybe it’s best to just bury this one and never look at it again, eh? I am not feeling too positive for the future of the Sooner program. Maybe it’s time us season ticket holders to send Mr. Castiglione a loud and clear message: do something before this kind of misery becomes a season in, season out trend. I am not one of the alarmists who think Stoops needs to go. But, I do believe the program needs some tweaking in order to get things humming again. Bob should look at Mack Brown’s success: he went through various coordinators until he finally found the right combination. And now Texas is riding a hell of a wave of good, positive momentum. It seems Mr. Stoops is loyal and reluctant to make tough changes; I don’t know the man and may be totally wrong, but that is what I sense.”
Mack Brown fired one coordinator. Carl Reese, defense, after the 2003 season, when the Longhorns hadn’t won anything in five years. Brown kept going through d-coordinators because he kept losing them (Greg Robinson, Gene Chizik). Brown kept Greg Davis on offense, despite annual cries from UT fans to make a change. And as for loyalty, you didn’t even watch the game. You went to your own birthday bash. That’s your right, but now you’re talking about too much loyalty on Stoops’ part. Seems like loyalty isn’t such a bad thing.
Dave: “I have been a Sooner fan since I was 13 years old (1966). Did the Sooners ever lose six games under Chuck Fairbanks or Barry Switzer. As best I can remember prior to OU’s 1985 championship year, Barry Switzer was on the hot seat for going two years in a row with four losses. I know Stoops has a good reputation for integrity and honesty, but the only thing that counts in Sooner Nation is wins. Do you believe Bob Stoops can weather another season like this? Will the university cut him loose?”
Fairbanks’ worst year was 1969, 6-4. Switzer went three straight years with four defeats, 1981-83. Yes, I think Stoops can weather another season like this. Probably not some assistants, though.
Bruce: “I don’t think we need to over-analyze the Sooner woes. To me, it’s as if OU is fielding its JV team on offense and hoping for the best. Tech did to OU what OU usually does to Tech and others. OSU will follow the very same game plan. Landry Jones may be the answer, but you have to think the coaches have begun to look past him a bit. He reminds me much of a young Chris Simms, cannon arm and pop gun pocket presence. Now more cerebral QBs with slightly lesser arms seem to be all the rage. What’s worse: The offense. Except for the insertion of the Wildcat, the offense hasn’t adapted to match its talent or innovated in ’09 as well as the defense. What’s better: The defense: You have to take your hats off to the coaching staff on the defensive side of the ball, bearing in mind they haven’t had to deal much with the injury bug - Venables did improve and innovate in ’09. Special teams has improved as well. OU will be fine, but the retooling effort may take time to complete. Texas will also have to retool in 2010, but if you look at the level of talent they have consistently recruited when compared to OU (if you believe the star averages), UT’s task may appear far easier and OU’s climb back to a elite status more daunting.”
I don’t see how OU can adapt much more than it has. No line, no running game. So you’re reduced to flat passes to Broyles and Murray.
Kent: “I told you many weeks ago to get ready to go to Shreveport. OU should turn down any bowl game and lock the balls up and figure out why these high profile recruits STINK. OSU should pound a lowly OU squad. This is easily the worst Stoops team at OU. Pitiful performance against Tech, probably the worst ever under Stoops. When the highlight is a new kicker, you know you are really bad. You have to love Broyles throwing the ball.”
Let me get this straight. OU’s offense is predictable, but when Broyles throws a pass, OU’s offense is too wild. And don’t jump off a building yet. OU can’t fall as far as Shreveport.
Shlomo: “You said everything that needed to be said. That said, what does your ‘less rosy 2010′ comment mean? If you are suggesting that Landry Jones is not the quarterback we thought he was, or that the O-Line doesn’t show a lot of promise, or that the D is inconsistent, then we are in a rebuilding phase. But, great programs don’t so much as rebuild as reload. What we are dealing with is questionable recruiting, failure to motivate and to discipline, and bad coaching. The fish stinks from the head and Stoops cannot escape the reality that the program has some serious flaws. Now, it is certainly true that the Sooners have had a tremendous amount of success over the past decade and I’m not saying to throw the baby out with the bath water. But, there is something seriously wrong with the inner workings of a program that plays the way they did today. John Blake lost his job over such play. Gary Gibbs, a winning coach, couldn’t beat Texas, Nebraska, et. al. and he was gone. As former OU president Cross said, “It’s a short walk from the penthouse to the outhouse.”
Sounds like you indeed want to throw the baby out with the bathwater.
Maxwell wrote about my Bob Stoops column, in which I supported Stoops’ assistants: “Giving up Bob Stoops would be a drastic mistake, but so would writing about revolution in the OU program, even insinuating it as you did. There aren’t that many good coaches in the NCAAs. And that goes for a decorated assistant, Kevin Wilson. Of course, you end your article with the one-liner about waiting for another season, but don’t you think that this guy should not even have these stupidities mentioned, considering that he was in the championship game the year before and has a devastated O-line and, might I also mention, a shell of a team? You make it seem like heads should roll. All this talk is even shameful, to tell you the truth. Write columns about the Thunder and give Bob a pass. He’s had problems with Tech a full year before he hoisted the national championship trophy. Don’t add fuel to the fire. And this talk in one of your articles about expecting a worse team in ’10? This is ridiculous, really. Can you guys not get ahead of yourselves? You write columns as if you want to impact destiny, and you don’t. Instead, maybe you can give Capel a hard time that three McDonald’s all-Americans can’t get it done on the basketball court. Or should we give Capel a pass too?”
Uh, Maxwell, that’s not too Smart. I think you mis-read. A bunch of OU yahoos are upset with me for not coming down hard enough on Stoops. They think I’m giving him a pass. I didn’t call for any coaches’ heads. And I didn’t say 2010 was going to be worse. I did 2010 is a question, with this November performance. But you want me to come down on Jeff Capel after three losses. I’ve barely seen them play and nobody else has either. Let’s stay on point, my man. Football. Football.
Gene: “I don’t have the answer to all the problems OU has had this season, but in my opinion the majority of the criticism the coaching staff is receiving is unjust and uncalled for, and the solution is not firing anyone. Like you point out, 10 months ago the same staff had them playing for the national championship, But that was then, with different personnel, and not now with barely a shell of the former team. You can’t make chicken salad out of chicken manure. It would appear that a part of the kicking game problem is corrected, but that still leaves punt protection, punt coverage, kickoff, and kick off coverage to be addressed, plus penalties. If Stoops is coaching the kicking game, I suggest he consider hiring a special teams coach, not because of an inability to coach the kicking game, but due to time constraints and other matters calling for his personal involvement.”
You know, the Sooners split up the kicking-game coaching duties, but I think a special-teams coach is a fabulous idea. The pros all have one. OU has a coach for defensive ends and another coach for defensive tackles. Offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson coaches fullbacks and tight ends. I’d hire a special-teams coach and try to make the kicking game the force it was in the early Stoops days.
Jim: “Excellent article on Stoops and this year’s troubles. Can you define ‘red flags’ in your article after the Tech game?”
Oh, nothing specific. Just in general. Play that poorly and I don’t see how there can be too much optimism for 2010. Defensive lapses. No run game. So-so quarterbacking. All the usual suspects.
Don: “I agree completely with your analysis — that the calls for coaches’ heads are unwarranted. However, they aren’t unprecedented. In addition to those “down” years of Switzer, I also would like to point out the horrendous record, by Sooner standards, of the sainted Bud Wilkinson in ’60 and ’61. He went 8-11-1 in those years, which I remember well as I was a student at OU then. 1959 and ’62 weren’t so hot either, with three losses each year. Then there were the calls to “Chuck Chuck” after Chuck Fairbanks had suffered three consecutive four-loss seasons — and this on the very brink of the ascent to glory. Could it be that nothing obscures memory, and taints the logic, quite so much as success?”
I think you’re onto something, Don. There is something noble about struggling to succeed. Winning can make everyone fat, sassy and ungrateful. Including the fans.
Charlie: “I was amazed at the picture display with your column today. It included Kevin Wilson. Anyone who watched the Nebraska and Texas Tech games and fails to realize he needs a new line of work wasn’t paying attention. Those young players on offense should sue for non-support.”
You’re exactly right. OU needs an offensive coordinator who can call plays that mask false starts and holding penalties.
Larry: “Really, an important, absolutely right-on column. It’s good that you can remind us that Stoops and staff aren’t panicking along with us passionate, but spoiled by success, fans. And as we tend to be short sighted and remember about as far back as the last game, it’s will be even more important for you to remind us again next year, as it surely will be rebuilding, not reloading, season.”
I don’t really recommend a rebuilding season in 2010. If I start preaching patience in 2010, I don’t expect many sympathetic ears.
Harold: “Ever since since seeing OU lose the national championship to the Florida Gators and Tim Tebow with OU’s no-huddle offense, I am a firm believer that OU will not get back to where they should be until they junk that system. During that game, when they ran their hurry up/no-huddle offense, they ran all over the Gators and seemed to score at will.”
Uh, I’m a little confused. You say they ran all over Florida with the hurryup, but you want them to junk it. I’m confused. I’m very confused.
Mike: “The Tech game. No character, no leadership, no intensity, no execution, no fight in them, no pride. Coaches: No clue, no fight? Embarrassing.”
It was a bad day at Black Rock. But here’s a question I have. When OU beat Tech 65-21 last November, or popped Texas back in the day, was that a lack of character on the opponents’ part. Or lack of clue by the coaches? What goes around comes around.
Alex: “Sometimes they just lay an egg outright. There is an old saying to the effect that football isn’t just x’s and o’s, but Jimmies and Joes. The receiving corps of Johnson, Iglesias, Gresham and Broyles made it look way too easy. Don’t underestimate how much we miss our center from last year, too.”
Excellent point. OU hasn’t adequately replaced Jon Cooper. If OU had just replaced Cooper, it would be far better. Habern has been OK but nothing special, and now even he’s gone. The truth of the matter is, the coaching problem on this team is lack of development of younger guys. Receivers and offensive linemen. It has nothing to do with playcalling and schemes.
Daniel: “This has probably been discussed to death, but I’d thought I’d say something anyway. I agree Landry Jones hasn’t been good this season, but I think some context is necessary. Right now, Jones is 23rd in the nation in pass attempts, and that is with one less game. OU as a team is 14th in pass attempts. The only team with a freshman QB who has passed it more than OU is Miami-Ohio, and he has two more games than Landry. The next major team with a freshman QB is Clemson, which is 75th as a team in passing. Barkley with USC is 99th. Clemson’s freshman is 18 TDs, nine interceptions, with 55 percent completion. USC is 11 TDs, 10 interceptions with a percentage of 57. Jones is 23 TDs, 13 interceptions with a percentage of 58. Bradford’s freshman year, OU was 66th in pass attempts. Jones has already passed it 20 more times without OSU, the Big 12 Championship and a bowl game. Bradford did, however, have a great percentage and 36 TDs. I’m not saying Jones is as good as Bradford. Bradford was on a team, however, that was 15th in rushing attempts and 12th in rushing TDs. The 2009 Sooners are 52nd in rushes, 68th in yards per game and 79th in rushing TDs. Not that this team is built to run the ball, but don’t you think a defense would have to play the run a little more if Jones had the offense Bradford had his freshman year. Not that he would get the same number of touchdowns, but would the reduced pressure help. When Bradford did poorly in Colorado, Bradford threw it 19 times. We asked Jones to throw it 58 times in Nebraska. Aren’t we asking a freshman QB for a little much?”
I don’t think there’s any doubt. This is excellent information. This is an example of what Kevin Wilson was talking about when he said OU has become a pass-oriented offense, out of necessity. That’s why the critics who say Wilson is too conservative, who say he’s on a run-run-pass rhythm, just aren’t paying attention. The Sooners are predictable, only because they are one-dimensional.
Bob: “Book it. OU beats OSU this weekend in Norman! Why? OSU is a sham. How does a team play eight home games in one season? Unheard of. Beat A&M, Baylor and Iowa State on the road. Look up the combined records of those programs this year. They lost two at home when quality was on the other side of the field. This game OU has 85 better players than OSU’s roster and has nothing to lose. OSU is a rookie at success.”
It’s not unheard of to have eight home games. And OSU’s road victims actually are a little stouter than OU’s home victims.
John: “Going to a bowl is a bad idea, simply because these players have quit on the coaching staff and themselves. The ticket office sent out a bowl game ticket request very recently. I have gone to every bowl game since 2000 coached by Big Game Bob. On this one, I will take a pass. He needs to get it. I am afraid everyone sitting on their hands and Joe having to call him in the office and say, ‘we have a revenue problem’ is the only way to get the message across. When John Blake could attract only 65,000 folks to a game, the red flags went up, and Joe has to face the problem. In fact, I may not even watch it since you know exactly how they will perform. Uninspired, disgusted with the fact they are being imposed on, etc. OU is going to lose this weekend, and ugly. I will be there only because I have paid for it. I have not changed my mind from last Saturday. I may not cheer against the Sooners, but I am going to make a point to sit on my hands. I suspect this emotion permeates a lot of folks.”
Hmm. Sounds like a self-fulfilling prophecy. The Sooners are good at home, but fans disgusted with the road performance might sit on their hands, leading to a lesser homefield advantage, which could lead to defeat, since Owen Field is the best thing OU has going for it.
Don: “Should OU go bowling? Yes. Couldn’t agree with you more that it offers opportunity to develop players. Also, with Big 12 contracts on bowls, would they have a choice of declining if invited?”
Good point, Don. I don’t think. I believe OU is obligated to go, if invited. You can’t very well stiff a bowl, considering the Big 12′s bowls have been very profitable for the conference.
Brad: “Just wondering what you think about the difference in response to the question about the Notre Dame job? Stoops: ‘There’s not even a job open, etc…’ Urban Meyer: ‘I’ll be at Florida as long as they’ll have me.’ Quite a difference in commitment if you ask me.”
I’d say it’s more like a difference in personality. First off, most coaches are liars, so don’t believe anything they say. But two, I think it hacks off Bob that these questions always come up, even when there’s not a job open.
Barry wrote about the psychology of OU fans: “I’ve been thinking, which can be very dangerous, I know. It does appear that the fans’ reaction to this team’s demise has been very vocal, and in many cases downright mean. I wondered why. So I came to a conclusion that some of the blame for that rests with Stoops. Now, I’m not excusing the fans who go WAY overboard and who view OU football with a sense of entitlement about winning. I’m talking about the good fans, who usually in a non-sunshine pumping way trot out to defend the program. They aren’t as numerous anymore. Here’s my theory. Bob has built a wall around his program. He has shut the fans out to such an extent that we don’t feel connected with it much anymore. Practices are closed. Shoot, we can’t even watch scrimmages anymore. What info we get is fed through a filter to such an extent we really don’t get the truth. Thos reporters only can get what info is fed to them because they can’t watch either. Anyway, this disconnect creates an environment that when the program is attacked, the fans feel outside of it - and instead of defending it as an attack on our own, we feel like we are watching it all transpire outside of our world. Hey, it’s just a thought. But if Bob would reconnect with the fan base again and at least allow a little ownership of the team, I’m guessing the defenders would once again outnumber the critics. But who knows?”
Very interesting. I think there’s some truth to what you’re saying. But I also know that that wall has gone up with almost every program, and OU’s filter isn’t as thick as some. For instance, you can talk to Sooner assistant coaches at various times throughout the week. Missouri and OSU, for example, are much more restrictive. But overall, you’re right. Fans feel less a part of the OU football experience than ever before. Because of the media explosion, there is more to read than ever before about OU football. More to read, and less to read about.
Bill is the OU fan who says his dreams tell him if OU will win in a certain week. Last week, he called Tech’s victory: “So far I’m 1-0 in my predictions that I’ve sent your way. Now comes another test. OSU. The game is at Norman where OU seldom loses. It’s a ranked opponent who is talking big bowl game if they win. After watching OU lose to Tech, it’s a wonder anyone would pick OU to beat OSU this year but they shouldn’t be so quick to jump on OSU’s wagon for this game. OU wins.”
If Bill’s dreams tell him to pick the Sooners to win at home and to lose on the road, I’m getting less excited.
Robert: “You referred to OU kicker Patrick O’Hara as Patty. The Hiberno-English nickname for Patrick is Paddy.”
That’s good to know, because I most certainly am on the Paddywagon.
Jim: “I have lived out of Oklahoma since 1969 – but I remember the last year OU wore road uniforms like the one they used at Tech. It was 1965 and Gomer Jones was coach. Injuries were everywhere. Carl McAdams was the best OU player. They finished 3-7 and looked like the team on Saturday. The uniform style changed when Jim McKenzie arrived in 1966 and let’s not use those uniforms anytime soon. Ugh.”
I agree. I thought the all-whites were a bad look. Looked like Stanford. All-whites with red helmets are classy. All-whites with white helmets look 1934ish.
Ken: “I have not heard anyone discuss my theory of why Landry Jones has a tough time against good defenses, or in this last game, corners with some speed. I understand that the line and injuries are the primary reason for this year’s terrible results, but I am also concerned about our future with Landry at QB because of his arm strength. When I was at the Baylor game, I watched the pregame warmups of Sam Bradford and Landry, and the arm strength difference was clearly visible to my untrained eye. I know you can’t always have a Heisman Trophy winner, but at this level I was very surprised at the difference. I believe that this lack of arm strength delivers the ball slightly slower, allowing the fast corners to respond quicker and either disrupt the pass or intercept. When he tries to throw the ball harder, the ball flies high or inaccurate. This was clearly evident at Nebraska, against Texas and even against Texas Tech. I believe that he has a lot of upside and does great against average defenses, but can he overcome his arm strength? Can the offseason workouts help this? Do the other potential QBs have stronger arms? I understand that this is only part of the problem, but with your inside access to OU sports, I would sure like to know if this is an issue.”
Well, no doubt, Landry Jones’ arm isn’t in Sam Bradford’s league. But OU might play another 100 years and not find another Sam Bradford arm. Here’s a list of OU quarterbacks with weaker arms than Landry Jones: Cale Gundy, Josh Heupel, Nate Hybl. Jason White’s arm was about the same, I’d say, and that was as a sixth-year senior. I don’t think arm strength is going to be Landry Jones’ problem.
Bob: “I’m a ’56 OU grad but will be pulling for OSU tomorrow.”
Well, no way is Bob in the minority. Or even in the 99 percentile. But it’s interesting that some fans see that this game is huge for OSU, the state and even the rivalry. If the Cowboys could make the Fiesta Bowl, and consistently be a solid Big 12 force, Bedlam would be in football what it is in other sports.
Greg is another OU fan willing to pull for the Cowboys: “I must conclude Mike Gundy may be the more emotional under stress - “I’m a man!” - but he is a very warm, personable, nice guy. This is a game where he has an opportunity to get two monkeys off his and his team’s back. First, beat OU, even if by one point. Second, win in Norman. Let’s see Phil Cutchin did it once, ’66. Jim Stanley, ’76, and then Coach Simmons, who I still believed turned the mindset around at OSU, ’95, ’97. And then Miles in 2001. Not being a sour puss, but there is some part of me which hopes Mike can take a 10-2 team to the Fiesta Bowl and dust off either Boise State, TCU or Cincinnati. This is an OSU year, and I am not a big fan of spoiler roles. So, I hope both teams play their best football. That probably means an OU win, but the Sooners have the strangest breakdowns.”
Interesting take on OSU history. Mike Gundy can leave behind the club of Cowboy coaches who haven’t won in Norman. That list: Floyd Gass, Dave Smith, Jimmy Johnson and Pat Jones.
J.R. wrote about my assertion that OSU needs Zac Robinson to win: “Good article, my friend. However, it’s karma. The stars are lined up just right against Zero U. Nope, Gundy, our 40+-year-old is seasoned and so are his boys. OSU will deliver OU to a 6-6 season, with or without Robinson. Zero U. has no offense or O-line and OSU will dominate them with defense.”
OU’s offense has been good at home, but OSU could hold down the Sooners. But let me promise you. OU’s D would eat alive Brandon Weeden.
Kent also wrote about backup quarterbacks: “I agree on QB injuries, but Cincinnati didn’t cancel its season. Some act like OU should have canceled the season. OU should have been playing Joey Halzle more in 2007 and OSU should have played their guys more last year and this year.”
If you ask me, I don’t think mopup duty helps anyone with experience. Playing the fourth quarter of a 52-7 blowout isn’t anything like the fourth quarter of a 24-24 game.
Scott wrote about Nebraska upsetting Texas, which would knock OSU out of the Fiesta Bowl even if the Cowboys win Bedlam: “I doubt Nebraska can beat Texas, but their defense is good enough to make it interesting. Their offense stinks, though, and I don’t think they get many first downs on the Horns. If it happens, the Big 12 misses out on a second BCS bid. As an OSU fan, I hope we get the Fiesta but don’t really think we deserve it. However, I’m not sure who is deserving. I’d be fine being edged out by Boise, but really, I don’t see Iowa or Penn State as any more deserving than OSU. Maybe the second place Big East team, but the Fiesta isn’t about to invite one of those teams. What do you think of the potential OSU-BSU game? OSU would be the underdog, so it wouldn’t be a David-Goliath kind of game. Would Boise try to make it one?”
I think OSU-Boise State would be a great game. Boise would be favored, but it still would be David-Goliath. And if Nebraska wins, the Big 12 will get two BCS bids. Nebraska and Texas.
Thomas wrote about my Dairy Queen blog. “I can tell you what happened to DQ in Oklahoma. The Sonic corporation ran them clear across the Red River. That’s too bad. I don’t eat in my car and the Sonic shake’s, talk about hard ice cream!”
Actually, when it comes to shakes, I like hard ice cream. I like shakes thick. Really thick. Turn them upside thick. Which reminds me of a story. We were in Creede, Colo., one summer, and I stopped by old-fashioned ice cream parlor. Asked how thick their shakes were. “Oh, we can make it as thick as you like.” OK, I told them. Make it as thick as you possibly can. There’s no way you can make it too thick. I sat down with my nephew and we waited on our order. About four minutes later, they delivered one of those beautiful tall glasses. Thinner than Kevin Durant. Might as well have been milk.
Brian also wrote about ice cream: “I think you should give Braums one more go round, this time ordering up a soft-serve waffle cone. Yes, you may have missed this when seeing all the hard ice cream. I’m telling you, it’s incredible. I live in Denver now and really miss not having Braums, bad service or not. Funny story while I was in school at OSU. At a few minutes before 10 p.m. one night, my buddy and I craved some soft-serve from Braums (10 p.m. closing time) and mad-dashed to our car to try to make a five-minute drive in two minutes. We raced through town, and as we made like the Dukes of Hazzard into the parking lot, we see their mis-management person making his way toward the door. As we ran up to get inside, Mr. Braums guy locked the door as we pressed our face against the glass. No soft-serve for us that night.”
There are no holes in that story.
Leonard: “Surprised at all about the retention of Dan Hawkins up yonder in Boulder?”
Yes. I thought Hawkins was a goner. But Colorado doesn’t have a lot of money. And almost 25 years ago, Colorado football stayed patient with a guy who was off to a slow start. Bill McCartney eventually panned out. Maybe Hawkins will, too.
Larry wrote about a recent trip to Owen Field: “A&M was the first OU home game I’d been able to see since the field sidewalls still were white with yard markers and Big Eight logos adorned the Tartan turf: the fall of 1993. Bobby and his boys didn’t need to put on such a show for little ol’ me, and I wished they’d saved something for the next road trip. But while I knew the giant video doo-dads had been added, I could not get over how much the game-goer’s experience had changed. The Pride seemed wimpier, the zillion add-ons on the field and DiamondVision (or whatever) seemed endless and amusing. But all in all, still fun. I did miss the afternoon game window, though.”
Isn’t that an interesting adventure. Step away from anything for 16 years, then go back. A certain restaurant. A church you once attended. A neighborhood. Check out how things have changed. I think it would fascinate us all.
Josh: “Earlier this summer I emailed you about who is the greatest QB in OSU history. The debate was mainly between Robinson and Gundy. I threw in the name Josh Fields. Now that the season is winding down and Robinson’s career is nearly over, I decided to email you again about this topic. Statistically speaking, Robinson is the best. However, one may still argue Gundy (because of the 10-win seasons) or Fields (because of Bedlam). All arguments can be ended on Saturday if OSU wins. If OSU beats OU. Zac will have the numbers, the wins and the Bedlam victory. He will have achieved something no other QB at Oklahoma State has ever done – a 10-win regular season, he will have the Bedlam victory Gundy failed to achieve as a player and the longevity Fields lost to MLB. All arguments can end Saturday with an OSU triple crown. Zac will be the best, hands down.”
I don’t know. I might still go with Gundy. The stats are skewed; if Gundy quarterbacked in this decade, he would have silly-high numbers. Robinson has not produced the two things OSU has been void of – all-conference quarterback and a league championship.
PJ: “Would it be fair to say that Vince Young and his recent success is making Tim Tebow a lot of money?”
No. I ‘d say the Wildcat has been making Tebow a lot of money. Tebow seems a perfect fit for the new-age NFL offense.
Janet: “The parallel that you drew between the man in Psalms 1 (like a tree, planted by the waters) and Bob Stoops was inappropriate. Such an analogy to the Old Testament reference is a misuse of the truth. Although it was done tongue in cheek, it was a long stretch. Also, your reference to the OU season rivaling the seven plagues of Egypt, makes Stoops’ problem look miniscule. Please consider being considerate before using word from the Bible just to make a dramatic point!”
Sorry, I won’t fall on my sword for this one. Do you realize that aside from Shakespeare, the King James Version is the most common source of phrases in the English language. Everything from “sour grapes” to “no rest for the wicked.” Everything from “salt of the Earth” to “eat, drink and be merry.” What better place than the Bible for comparisons to common life?
Not even Bedlam win makes OSU automatic for Fiesta Bowl
OSU fans had to be torn Thursday night, watching the Texas A&M-Texas game. Most fans north of the Red River, regardless of wardrobe preference, are anti-Longhorn. Cheering against Texas comes naturally to them.
But OSU fans needed a Texas victory to keep their Fiesta Bowl hopes alive. Which they got, 49-39 in a wild affair at Kyle Field. Now, even if OSU wins Bedlam on Saturday, the Cowboys will have to sweat out the Big 12 championship game, needing a Texas victory over Nebraska.
A Husker victory over Texas would put Nebraska in the Fiesta and probably send Texas to the Sugar Bowl for a consolation bowl against the Alabama-Florida loser.
Here’s a look at the probably Big 12 bowl lineup, should Nebraska upset Texas and OSU win Bedlam.
Fiesta: Nebraska
Sugar: Texas
Cotton: Oklahoma State
Holiday: Missouri
Alamo: Texas Tech
Sun: Oklahoma
Insight: Iowa State
Texas: Texas A&M
Independence: out of luck
I don’t know. The Holiday might go for Tech, but the Red Raiders typically don’t travel well to the coasts. The Holiday might just grab Mizzou, which hasn’t been to San Diego since 1997. Tech hasn’t been to the Alamo Bowl since 2002. So that would seem to work better than Missouri going to San Antonio for the second straight year and Tech going to San Diego, though the Raiders haven’t been there since 2004.
This much is clear. The Cotton Bowl would be thrilled. The Cotton would get OSU — that’s exactly what the Cotton wants — and it would get a 10-2 Cowboy team ranked in the top 10. This is the ideal scenario for the Cotton Bowl.
Now, should OU win Bedlam and Nebraska win the Big 12, things change.
Fiesta: Nebraska
Sugar: Texas
Cotton: OSU
Holiday: OU
Alamo: Texas Tech
Sun: Texas A&M
Insight: Missouri
Texas: Iowa State
Isn’t that an interesting lineup? But I think it’s solid. If OU wins Bedlam and Nebraska upsets Texas, I say the Holiday pulls the trigger on the Sooners. A 7-5 Oklahoma vs. a 9-3 Southern Cal. That’s a matchup the Holiday would love. San Diego probably would love Nebraska more, but if the Huskers are in the desert, the Holiday would settle for a 7-5 Oklahoma.
Here’s an issue to remember. The Holiday next year drops from No. 3 to No. 5 in the Big 12 pecking order, behind the Alamo and Insight, which have raised their financial commitments. The Sooners don’t figure to be No. 5 (or No. 6) in the Big 12 lineup very often. This could be the Holiday’s final good chance to get the Sooners, and to pair them up with USC would be ideal for San Diego.
So the bowl outlooks for OSU and OU are vastly different. The Cowboys are going to Glendale, Ariz., or Dallas. The Sooners could end up anywhere from San Diego to Tempe, Ariz. (Insight), I suppose, depending on Bedlam and the Big 12 title game.
College Football Week 12: 29 losses each for Wilkinson, Switzer & Stoops
29, 29 & 29
As January 2005 arrived, Bob Stoops’ record at Oklahoma was 67-11. That’s a winning percentage of .859. That’s beyond ridiculous.
Barry Switzer’s winning percentage at OU was .837. Bud Wilkinson’s was .826. The idea that another coach could approach the Sooners’ Rushmore duo was laughable. The idea that another could surpass the two iconic coaches was unbelievable.
Yet Stoops was doing exactly that.
You know how the story has turned. Since then, Stoops is 48-22, a winning percentage of .686, which is not bad but not likely to call for a mountain sculptor.
And we have arrived at a most peculiar point in time.
Switzer coached 29 losses at Oklahoma. Wilkinson coached 29 losses at Oklahoma. Now, thanks to the Texas Tech Red Raiders, Stoops has coached 29 losses at Oklahoma.
Stoops’ record is 115-29, which remains a sizzling (.799) winning percentage.
But the days when he was threatening to supersede even the phenomenal winning ways of Switzer and Wilkinson are over.
Look at it this way. For Stoops now to catch Switzer in winning percentage, all that’s needed is a 34-game winning streak.
Win the next two games, go unbeaten, 14-0, in 2010-11, then open the 2012 season with a four-game winning streak.
Then Stoops will again have passed Switzer on the Sooner winning percentage list.
TEPPANYAKI AMARILLO
Most people know how much I love Lubbock, Texas. Love its wide streets. Love its open spaces. Love its Old West feel.
But I have declared a freeze on Lubbock. I’m tired of the hotel gouging that goes on during football weekends. A $99 room suddenly shoots to $150, usually with a two-night stay required. Good for them if they can get it. They’re just not getting it from me, even if The Oklahoman is paying my way.
The big casualty of such a boycott is my annual trip to Cagle’s, the great steakhouse outside town. Love going to Cagle’s.
But we stayed in Plainview, 45 miles north of Lubbock, so I saw no reason to drive through Plainview, down to Lubbock for dinner, then back to Plainview.
For years, videographer Tim Money has been touting Kabuki, a Japanese steakhouse in Amarillo, so we stopped off on our way to Plainview.
It was sensational, with a cool décor that included periodic falling rain. That allowed us to have a conversation about Casa Bonita, the old Mexican restaurant. The Casa Bonita in Oklahoma City had a great décor, but the Casa Bonita in Tulsa had a waterfall, and we always heard stories about the Casa Bonita in Denver having cliff-divers.
Well, some of the younger crowd with us was amazed, because apparently on The Family Guy or one of those silly adult cartoon shows, there was a reference or a scene with Casa Bonita cliff-divers. My pals, who sometimes I think were born during the Clinton Administration, thought it was a fictitious place. No, it was real.
And so was Kabuki. I had shrimp and some kind of steak, but here’s the deal. I’ve never been to a bad Japanese steakhouse.
I’ve been to Japanese steakhouses in Norman, Oklahoma City, Seattle, the Dallas suburb of Carrollton and now Amarillo. They all seem the same to me. Which is a good thing.
Maybe it’s time to admit that these teppanyaki-style restaurants hit on a great idea. Excellent food cooked right in front of you, with an entertaining chef. Dinner with a floor show is hard to beat.
BOWL PROJECTIONS
The bowl lineup is becoming more clear, and a few bowls are going to struggle to find quality replacements for conferences that failed to fill out their assignments. The GMAC, Humanitarian and Little Caesars Pizza bowls primarily are in danger.
But one of them could get a golden goose. One of them could get Notre Dame. If the Fighting Irish fall to 6-6, they will have to wait for table scraps on the bowl assignments.
New Mexico Bowl, Dec. 19, Albuquerque, N.M.
Air Force vs. Nevada
St. Pete Bowl, Dec. 19, St. Petersburg, Fla.
Connecticut vs. Central Florida
New Orleans Bowl, Dec. 20, New Orleans
East Carolina vs. Troy
Las Vegas Bowl, Dec. 22, Las Vegas
Utah vs. Oregon State
Poinsettia Bowl, Dec. 23, San Diego
BYU vs. Stanford
Hawaii Bowl, Dec. 24, Honolulu
SMU vs. Fresno State
Emerald Bowl, Dec. 26, San Francisco
Florida State vs. California
Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, Dec. 26, Detroit
Middle Tennessee vs. Ohio
Meineke Bowl, Dec. 26, Charlotte, N.C.
Boston College vs. Rutgers
Music City Bowl, Dec. 27, Nashville, Tenn.
North Carolina vs. Tennessee
Independence Bowl, Dec. 28, Shreveport, La.
Iowa State vs. Georgia
Champs Sports Bowl, Dec. 29, Orlando, Fla.
Clemson vs. Minnesota
EagleBank Bowl, Dec. 30, Washington, D.C.
Duke vs. Marshall
Holiday Bowl, Dec. 30, San Diego
Nebraska vs. Southern Cal
Humanitarian Bowl, Dec. 30, Boise, Idaho
Louisiana-Monroe vs. Idaho
Texas Bowl, Dec. 30, Houston
Texas A&M vs. Navy
Armed Forces Bowl, Dec. 30, Fort Worth, Texas
Wyoming vs. Southern Miss
Sun Bowl, Dec. 31, El Paso, Texas
Oklahoma vs. Arizona
Insight Bowl, Dec. 31, Tempe, Ariz.
Northwestern vs. Missouri
Chick-fil-A Bowl, Dec. 31, Atlanta
Virginia Tech vs. Auburn
Outback Bowl, Jan. 1, Tampa, Fla.
Wisconsin vs. Kentucky
Capital One Bowl, Jan. 1, Orlando, Fla.
Penn State vs. Ole Miss
Gator Bowl, Jan. 1, Jacksonville, Fla.
Miami vs. Pittsburgh
Rose Bowl, Jan. 1, Pasadena, Calif.
Ohio State vs. Oregon
Sugar Bowl, Jan. 1, New Orleans
Florida vs. TCU
Cotton Bowl, Jan. 2, Arlington, Texas
LSU vs. Oklahoma State
Liberty Bowl, Jan. 2, Memphis, Tenn.
Houston vs. Arkansas
International Bowl, Jan. 2, Toronto
West Virginia vs. Temple
PapaJohns.com Bowl, Jan. 2, Birmingham, Ala.
South Florida vs. South Carolina
Alamo Bowl, Jan. 2, San Antonio
Michigan State vs. Texas Tech
Fiesta Bowl, Jan. 4, Glendale, Ariz.
Iowa vs. Boise State
Orange Bowl, Jan. 5, Miami Gardens, Fla.
Georgia Tech vs. Cincinnati
GMAC Bowl, Jan. 6, Mobile, Ala.
Notre Dame vs. Central Michigan
Big Bowl, Jan. 7, Pasadena, Calif.
Texas vs. Alabama
TEXAS STOP SIGN
One of the great mysteries of life is how all the Dairy Queens in Oklahoma died off and all the Dairy Queens in Texas still thrive.
Has to be a management issue.
I actually stopped at a Dairy Queen north of Dallas earlier this year on the way home, about 10 a.m., and we wanted some ice cream. The guy said the ice cream machine wouldn’t fire up for about 10 more minutes. Be careful, Texans. With that kind of service, your DQs could be DQ’d, too.
Anyway, we decided to go on a Dairy Queen hunt to top off our Japanese steakhouse adventure. We all voted to stop there in Amarillo, but the lone dissenter was driving, so he carried the electoral vote.
We drove all the way to Plainview, checked into the Holiday Inn Express (at $92 a night) and then headed out.
First off, Plainview seems like a cool town. About 20,000. Home of former OU basketball player Chelsi Welch. Good, solid, West Texas place. I’m told Plainview even has a Japanese steakhouse; some of the Tulsa World guys ate there.
We found the Dairy Queen and indulged in our treats. Some went for the exotic sundaes. Microwave Ubben, our rookie OU writer, got a Peanut Buster Parfait, which is a good call, if for no other reason than you get to say Peanut Buster Parfait, one of the great lyrical terms in the English language.
I went for the straight ice cream cone. Soft-serve ice cream seems mostly relegated these days to Chinese buffets, since we’ve lost our Dairy Queens.
The ice cream is hard at Braum’s, which I guess is what people like. I’d eat that, too, if I went to Braum’s, but I don’t, because I think they’re more mis-managed than Oklahoma Dairy Queens. You always know what you’re going to get at Braum’s. That’s supposed to be a good thing, but what I know I’m getting is a cruddy store and poor service, and it doesn’t matter which of 100 Braum’s you go to.
Give me a Texas Dairy Queen anytime.
TEN BIGGEST LOSERS OF THE WEEK
10. Rutgers: The Scarlet Knights quietly were putting together another great year, with a 7-2 record, albeit against a weak schedule. Rutgers had just won at UConn and routed South Florida in Piscataway. But with Syracuse and Louisville left before a season-ending home game against West Virginia, the Knights stumbled, falling at Syracuse 31-13.
9. Andrew Luck: At a school, Stanford, known for quarterbacks, Luck failed to produce in the Big Game. The freshman from Houston completed just 10 of 30 passes and the game-deciding interception, at the California 3-yard line with less than two minutes left in the game. Cal won 34-28. Stanford is 0-4 when Luck throws at least 30 passes; 7-0 when he doesn’t.
8. Bill Snyder: The euphoria of October is gone over the return of Kansas State’s iconic coach. The Wildcats, 5-3 on Halloween day, went 1-3 down the stretch to fall out of the Big 12 North lead and, even worse, drop to 6-6. Since two of their victories were over I-AA opponents, and only one can count toward bowl eligibility, the Wildcats are staying home for the holidays.
7. Tate Forcier: The Michigan freshman quarterback committed five turnovers - four interceptions and a lost fumble in the end zone - as the Wolverines were eliminated from bowl contention with a 21-10 loss to Ohio State. Michigan fans won’t soon forget five turnovers against their bitter rival.
6. Dan Hawkins: The beleaguered Colorado coach needed a marquee victory to restore confidence in his administration. The Buffaloes were in position, leading Oklahoma State 21-10 in Stillwater. But the Cowboys rallied behind third-team quarterback Brandon Weeden for a 31-28 victory, and Hawkins seems to have little shelf life left in Boulder.
5. SMU: The Mustangs, bowl-less since the 1984 Aloha, was in position to win Conference USA’s Western Division. But Marshall pinned a 34-31 loss on SMU, returning Houston to first place in the division.
4. Oklahoma defense: Through all the frustration and disappointment of an injury-marred season, the Sooner defense had stood strong. Not in Lubbock. Texas Tech rang up 32 first downs, tied for the second-most ever by an OU foe, and 549 total yards, the fourth-most gained in the 11-year Stoops era.
3. Notre Dame bowl hopes: Charlie Weis’ fate already seemed sealed, even before a 33-30 overtime loss to Connecticut. So Weis’ status was not the big factor in UConn’s victory. Notre Dame’s bowl status was. If the Irish lose at Stanford on Saturday, they fall to 6-6 and at the mercy of bowls seeking to fill out their slots. Best bet: GMAC Bowl in Mobile, Ala., or the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl in Detroit. Both would be against Mid-American Conference teams. Can anyone say Field Goal Jesus?
2. Mark Mangino: Rough week. How rough? Kansas’ 51-20 loss at Texas was the highlight. The verbal-abuse allegations against Mangino multiplied and seem certain to cost Mangino his job.
1. Les Miles: Superman had his Kryptonite, the LSU coach has his time management. Miles flirted with disaster two years ago against Auburn, throwing a pass on the final play of the game, when LSU only needed a field goal to win. That pass went for a touchdown, so Miles was spared the venom of LSU fans. Not so Saturday. Miles’ failure to call timeout in a timely fashion late against Ole Miss caused the fiasco with one second left, when the Tigers didn’t know what to do after completing a Hail Mary pass deep in Rebel territory. LSU lost 25-23.
YOURS TRULY, KOMA
When we left Tech’s Jones Stadium on Saturday night, I told Microwave Ubben he could listen to the OU-Virginia Commonwealth basketball game if he wanted.
He didn’t believe me, which is of course normal for the 20something crowd. They’ll learn.
On the way back to Plainview, KOMA came in loud and clear, with Bob Carpenter and Mike Houck calling the action.
KOMA has a powerful signal (AM-1520). I’ve written about listening to a Moore-Putnam North football game on a Friday night while I drove west of Laramie, WYOMING. When the Lakers were in town the other night, Phil Jackson talked about hearing KOMA as a kid in North Dakota, one of two radio stations he could pick up.
TEN BIGGEST WINNERS OF THE WEEK
10. Levi Brown: The Trojan dynasty out West ended this year, but the Trojan dynasty down South continues. Troy beat Florida Atlantic 47-21 for its fourth straight Sun Belt title as Brown completed 27 of 36 passes for a school record 477 yards.
9. Clemson: In the four ACC championship games staged since the conference went to divisions, five schools had qualified at least once. Remarkably, Clemson had not. That changed Saturday when the Tigers sealed the Atlantic Division with a 34-21 victory over Virginia, and now Clemson plays Georgia Tech for the title.
8. TCU: The Horned Frogs passed their last test of any kind, a road game at Wyoming. TCU won 45-10 and virtually sealed their BCS berth. The only game remaining is at home against 1-10 New Mexico.
7. Northwestern: The Wildcats always are one of those Big Ten teams that fill out the league’s lesser bowls. Alamo, Sun, Motor City. But Northwestern’s 33-31 upset of Wisconsin lifts the ‘Cats into contention for one of the Big Ten’s plum assignments, the Outback (Tampa) or Capital One (Orlando) bowls. Northwestern has been to a Florida bowl only once, with that 1996 team that beat OU 24-0 in a season opener.
6. Max Hall: The BYU quarterback had quite a day in a 38-21 win over Air Force. Hall completed 33 of 45 passes for 377 yards and five touchdowns. It was his 29th victory as the BYU quarterback, breaking the school record held by Ty Detmer. In a school history loaded with great QBs - Steve Young, Gifford Nielsen, Marc Wilson, Detmer, Robbie Bosco - Hall is the winningest.
5. Florida State: The Seminoles’ streak of 27 straight years with a bowl game seemed in jeopardy. Florida State, 5-5 with a game still at Florida, trailed Maryland 26-22 late in the fourth quarter. But Greg Reid returned a punt 48 yards to set up Lonnie Pryor’s 3-yard TD run with 32 seconds left go give the ‘Noles a 29-26 win over hapless Maryland.
4. Mike Locksley: The New Mexico coach was as embattled as Mangino, with off-field issues concerning assaulting his staff members. Only Locksley didn’t have an Orange Bowl victory on his resume or even a win, period, going 0-10 in his first year with the Lobos. But the latter changed Saturday as James Aho kicked a 27-yard field goal with 12 seconds left to give New Mexico a 29-27 victory over Colorado State.
3. Connecticut: The Huskies had pressed on after the Oct. 19 murder of cornerback Jasper Howard but had lost three straight close games - 28-24 to both West Virginia and Rutgers, then 47-45 to unbeaten Cincinnati. Finally, UConn found celebration, with the greatest victory in school history, 33-30 in overtime at Notre Dame.
2. Kentucky: Earlier this season, the Wildcats won at Auburn for the first time since 1961. But that broke just a 10-game road losing streak in the series Saturday, UK won at Georgia, 34-27, for the first time since 1977, breaking a road losing streak of 15 games.
1. State of Oregon: Oregon State never won more than six games a year between 1968 and 1999. Oregon never won more than six games a year between 1964 and 1989. For two decades, they were the punching bags of the Pac-8 and Pac-10. But Saturday, Oregon won a 44-41 thriller at Arizona and Oregon State won 42-10 at Washington, and now the Dec. 3 showdown in Eugene is for the Rose Bowl.
PLEASANT PHEASANTS
I found this letter on the desk as I was about to check out of the Holiday Inn Express on Sunday:
“To Our Valued Guests: We are glad to have the Pheasant hunters here with us this year and we appreciate your business. However, if you clean the birds in the rooms, you will be charged a cleaning fee of $100. Again, thank you for your business and hope you enjoy your stay.”
I enjoyed the stay quite a bit, thank you. But if I had known pheasant hunters liked to turn the room into some kind of wild-game headquarters, my sleep would have been a little less peaceful.
REALITY RANKINGS
Rankings based not on we think teams will do, but what they have done. This time of year, the rankings get close to the actual polls:
1. Florida
2. Alabama
3. TCU
4. Georgia Tech
5. Cincinnati
6. Texas
7. Boise State
8. Oregon
9. Iowa
10. Ohio State
Video: Discussing the 1960 Bedlam riot
Jim Weeks: Farewell to an old mentor
I walked into the Norman Transcript office, 215 E. Comanche, in late September 1978, hoping to talk to Jim Weeks. Crazy me, I had no idea what kind of office hours a sports editor might keep. Probably had no idea what office hours were.
I was 17 years old, a high school senior who long ago figured out I couldn’t hit a curveball or dunk a basketball but loved sports and loved newspapers and figured there couldn’t be much better way to make a living. So I stopped by the Transcript to ask for advice.
Lucky for me, Jim Weeks was in. Lucky for me. Lucky should be my middle name.
I had a short conversation with Jim, he gave me good advice. Go to college, work on the school newspaper, see what happens. Then about three weeks later, the phone rang.
OSU’s Gundy: Fool me once on Zac Robinson…
Mike Gundy says Zac Robinson has been cleared to practice and play and that Robinson should start against Oklahoma on Saturday.
I’ll believe it when I see it. Gundy’s track record for truthfulness is not good when it comes to telling us who will play. Gundy last week said he expected Robinson to start against Colorado, but now we know there never was a possibility that Robinson would play.
OSU's Zac Robinson waves to fans as he leaves after the college football game between Oklahoma State University (OSU) and the University of Colorado (CU) at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009. Photo by Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman
So maybe Robinson will start against the Sooners and maybe he won’t. But it’s a remarkable turn of events that even if Robinson sits again with that bruised shoulder, it’s not automatic disaster for OSU.
The fall of the Sooners, coupled with Brandon Weeden’s inspired performance against Colorado in second-half relief of Alex Cate, raises the possibility that the Cowboys could win without Zac Robinson.
I don’t believe that will happen. I believe that OSU needs Zac Robinson for leadership and smarts and legs to end OU’s 29-game home winning streak. Those attributes far exceed anything Weeden brings in terms of a stronger arm and a touch of magic.
Yes, I know, OSU pulled the 16-13 miracle in 2001 with a backup quarterback, Josh Fields, but lightning doesn’t strike twice in the same place. The Cowboys need Zac Robinson to beat the Sooners; they won’t do it with sizzle and flair. They will have to do it with toughness and savvy.
So will Robinson play? I have no idea. I think Robinson will be sore, at best, and I think he will try to play. And maybe he will be effective.
But I’m not believing Gundy. Not on this one.
Sooner football needs bowl practices
If Oklahoma loses Bedlam on Saturday, the Sooners fall to 6-6 in a year in which they started out ranked No. 3 in America. Some say OU should decline a bowl bid, if that occurs.
The let’s-stiff-the-bowls idea is a quaint old notion that some teams once did. OU decided not to go bowling after an 8-4 record in 1983 that ended with a victory in Hawaii. The Sooners apparently figured that was their bowl game.
Anyway, here’s the truth about not going to a bowl game. It’s a stupid concept.
Whatever you think about bowl games, be they to San Diego’s beaches or Shreveport’s casinos, they provide invaluable extra practice. A bowl team gets 15 practices after its regular season is over.
Think about that. An entire extra spring practice. Some of those workouts are on campus and some are at the bowl site. But it’s an amazing boost for a program wanting to develop its young players, which frankly, OU needs more than ever.
Sam Bradford’s rocket rise as a quarterback was first detected in 2006 December workouts, when the Sooners were preparing for Boise State.
Those practices are no small thing. The Sooners would be foolish to turn them down.
OSU looks like Cotton Bowl at worst; OU looks like Sun Bowl at best
The Big 12′s bowl lineup still is two weeks shy of being set, but we know a lot more now after Week 12. Best guess: Oklahoma State can do no worse than the Cotton Bowl, and Oklahoma can do no better than the Sun Bowl. Here’s why:
Emails in on Stoops/Notre Dame, Mangino and OU uniforms
The new emails are in, and fans are talking about Mark Mangino, OU uniforms and Bob Stoops going to Notre Dame. Let’s get to it.
