Bedlam football: Scheduling edge to OSU
Barring a Baylor sweep of Oklahoma State (Saturday in Stillwater) and Oklahoma (Nov. 20 in Waco), the Bedlam game Nov. 27 figures to be for the Big 12 South Division title. And OSU has the scheduling edge between now and then.
Both the Sooners and Cowboys go into Texas for road games against disappointing teams — OU at Texas A&M this Saturday, OSU at Texas on Nov. 13. That would seem like advantage OU, but I don’t think so. Texas is in such a funk — three straight home losses, to UCLA, Iowa State and Baylor — that OSU’s drought against the Longhorns (12 straight losses) — seems insignificant. You’d almost call it a wash, OU at A&M and OSU at Texas.
So that takes us to Baylor. The Sooners have to go to Waco, while the Cowboys host Baylor. Advantage OSU.
The remaining game is dead even — OU hosting Texas Tech, OSU at Kansas. Both are absolute locks.
So that takes us to Bedlam, where OSU is at home.
If OU, OSU and Baylor split their games with each other and win all the rest, creating a three-way tie, then Baylor would be eliminated because of divisional record (the Bears lost to Tech). In that scenario, the Bedlam winner would be the South champ.
In other words, the only way Bedlam is NOT for the South title, is if Baylor beats both OU and OSU.
OSU football: Excellent victory in a rough spot
Impressions of Oklahoma State’s 24-14 victory Saturday at Kansas State:
* Excellent win in difficult situations. Solid opponent, road game, no Justin Blackmon, rough start. And yet the Cowboys win going away. Very impressive.
* Mike Gundy comes out looking very good. He made the self-admitted “easy” decision to suspend Blackmon after his early-Tuesday arrest for a DUI in Carrollton, Texas. Easy to know what to do, still hard to pull the trigger.
Oklahoma State's Markelle Martin (10) makes an interception in front of Kansas State's Zach Trujillo (85) during the second half of the college football game between the Oklahoma State University Cowboys (OSU) and the Kansas State University Wildcats (KSU) on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2010, in Manhattan, Kan. Photo by Chris Landsberger, The Oklahoman
But Blackmon’s absence didn’t cost the Cowboys a victory, and it provided a great lesson. All in all, a good week.
“I’m very proud of our football team,” Gundy said. “They overcame some adversity. Tough loss last week. There was a hangover for a couple of days. We were a couple of players short. Our defense really played well. Made big plays in the end. And offensively, we made enough plays to win the football game.”
* This was Brandon Weeden’s best game. Let’s be honest; a lot of Weeden’s success has come courtesy of Blackmon, who has made big plays out of lobbed balls and short passes. There was no Blackmon against K-State, so Weeden was on his own and performed very well. Weeden completed 22 of 39 passes for 298 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. Good throws, smart decisions.
* The receivers did not adequately step up in Blackmon’s absence, especially early. Colton Chelf, Bo Bowling and Josh Cooper all had first-quarter drops, which explains the Cowboys’ early struggles. Bowling eventually became Weeden’s go-to receiver, and Michael Harrison returned to provide a big touchdown catch.
* Bowling had eight catches for 92 yards. A guy who knows all about trouble was able to step into the spotlight because of Blackmon’s troubles. Bowling, whose career seemed over when he was indicted on drug trafficking charges 18 months ago, had to enjoy this day as much as anyone. After pleading guilty to a lesser charge, sitting out last season and petitioning to return to the squad, Bowling had to wonder if he would ever have the chance to shine such as this.
* OSU penalties were ridiculous. Ten for 96 yards, some of them personal foul types that only extended drives. And the penalty against Brodrick Brown for targeting above the shoulders could have repercussions. The Big 12 suspended for one game Nebraska’s Eric Martin for that blindside block on OSU’s Andrew Hudson last week. Brown didn’t stand and gloat like Martin did, neither did Brown laugh on the sidelines as Martin did (while Hudson was wheeled from the field).
* Safety Johnny Thomas seemed to play well even before his superb sequence early in the fourth quarter, when he tight-roped along the goal line and downed Quinn Sharp’s punt at the 1-yard line, then a few plays later intercepted a pass and returned it 26 yards for a touchdown.
* Kansas State’s future is not bright if it keeps allowing players like Joseph Randle of Wichita to leave the state. The OSU freshman was sensational again, with 64 yards on seven carries. Kendall Hunter had 143 yards on 28 carries, as the Cowboys ran for 213 yards.
Dana Holgorsen should have run the ball even more. OSU tailbacks averaged 5.9 yards a carry.
* Quinn Sharp was as valuable as any player on the field, other than Weeden. The Cowboy punter continually pinned the Wildcats deep in their own territory. He averaged 41.3 yards on six punts, but four of them were downed inside the 20-yard line. Sharp also kicked off well, as always, and OSU’s kickoff coverage was much better this week.
Big 12 football: Watch for violent hits
The Omaha World-Herald’s Tom Shatel raised a great point in recent days. If the NFL was not currently going through a great debate about vicious hits and what should be done about them, would Nebraska’s Eric Martin be suspended for today’s Missouri game?
Martin popped Oklahoma State’s Andrew Hudson with a blindside block last Saturday that virtually knocked out Hudson and almost certainly caused a concussion. The play resulted in no penalty, but Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe deemed it a helmet-to-helmet hit.
Shatel raises some valid points in his blog:
http://www.omaha.com/article/20101027/BIGRED01/101029730/1140#nfl-rule-trickling-down-to-college
Shatel correctly points out that the most controversial thing about Martin’s hit was his reaction. He stood and posed over the fallen Hudson, then while Hudson was wheeled off the field, Martin was shown laughing on the sidelines. Bad, bad form.
Helmet-to-helmet or violent hits have not been an issue in college football. It’s possible Martin was the victim of bad timing. All the problems in the NFL two weeks ago have created a climate of discussion, then here comes a bone-rattling hit that could be construed as against the rules. Suddenly, a suspension.
So keep your eye on college games today. A precedent has been set. Late hits on quarterbacks. Defenseless receivers getting laid out. Unsuspecting defenders on kicks being waylaid. Are all subject to suspension now?
Here’s my problem with the suspensions. Retroactive punishment is never good. If what Martin did was suspendable, that should be made clear before the game, before the season. Not after it happens.
That’s what Shatel seems to be saying. The Big 12 reacted to the NFL, not to a concern within the college game.
OU football: Late start aggravates fans
OU and Colorado kick off at 8:15 p.m. Saturday, in the latest start in Owen Field history. The Sooners, who before 1995 played just one night game in their history (OU-Colorado 1987), have taken to playing all kinds of games at 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. But not 8:15.
Here’s an email I received today from a long-time OU fan: “With the 8:15 kick, this year’s promotion should be officially changed to the “Year of the (TV) fan…
“Obviously, the priority is with the non-paying couch-based customer and not with the stiffs that pay over a $1,000 for a pair of tickets for the privilege of getting home at 1 a.m. — if they reside in the OKC metro and 3 a.m. if in Tulsa.”
Agreed, 8:15 is a very late kickoff and will affect the crowd’s number and mood.
On the other hand, which would create more consternation — inconvenient kickoffs, like 11 a.m. and 8:15 p.m., or several games a year not on television?
Because that’s the option. We all love our televised football. We all love to see our teams week in and week out. If OU-Colorado was not on television, it would be a barrage of complaints at the networks, at the conference, at the schools.
But you want OU-Colorado on TV? You want OU-Baylor and OU-Iowa State and OU-Tech on TV? You’ve got to work with the networks. They can’t put all the games on at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. They’ve got to create windows of viewing and fill those windows.
The truth is, fewer televised games would outrage fans much more than early or late kickoffs.
Nobody dislikes late starts more than us at press row. An 8:15 p.m. kickoff makes for an impossible deadline. But I’ve found the silver lining. It makes for a virtual Saturday off. You can rake leaves or go to your granddaughter’s soccer game or go to the office and get some work done, and still have plenty of time to get to the stadium, even if you live far off.
As for me, I’m going to sit home and watch college football, which I rarely get to do during the season. That’s a luxury afforded me because teams are willing to move their kickoff times around.
I remember the days when OU played at 1:30 p.m. every Saturday and OSU at 2 p.m. And the Sooners were on television two or three times, the Cowboys maybe once.
I don’t know want to go back to those days. Do you?
OSU football: Kickoff nightmares
Mike Gundy says he’s not going to risk any defensive starters by playing them on the kickoff return. That’s a fairly strong stance for a team that has given up three touchdowns on kick returns this year, despite having one of the nation’s top kickoff artists in Quinn Sharp.
Gundy said the risk of injury to an Orie Lemon or a Markelle Martin is too high.
It’s an interesting debate — I would have to disagree with Gundy; after about the second kickoff return TD, I think you have to scrap your desire to play all backups on the kickoff team. When you hear that the OSU kickoff unit consists of Sharp and 10 freshmen, all backups, you start to realize why opponents are taking it to the house.
But left unattended is Gundy’s assumption that kickoff units are more susceptible to injury.
Is that true? The image of OSU freshman Andrew Hudson laid out after a block by Nebraska’s Eric Martin last week comes quickly to mind. Martin this week was suspended for one game by the Big 12 Conference for what it deemed a helmet-to-helmet hit. Commissioner Dan Bebee called the hit “dangerous” and “one that we in the football community are trying to remove from the game.”
But think about all the new rules placed into football in recent years, designed solely to limit injuries. The head-to-head hits. In the NFL, the low hits on quarterbacks. The horse-collar tackles. Almost all are rooted not on kickoffs, but on regular plays from scrimmage.
In the NFL, the new wedge rule — three or more players cannot form a blocking wedge — is a pure kickoff rule, and so is the new rule that at least four players must be on each side of the kicker, so as to avoid all 10 players on one side converging on an outmanned player trying to recover an onside kick.
But is Gundy’s hunch correct? Are kickoffs more dangerous than regular plays? I don’t know the answer. I don’t even have a guess and I don’t know where to go for the answers. But it would be great information to know. Seems like it would be beneficial to rulemakers; if kickoffs are where a lot of our injuries are occurring, what rules could be implemented to stem the tide?
Until then, members of kickoff units proceed at your own risk. And Quinn Sharp, please kick the ball out of the end zone.
OU football: Halloween plan, dress like a coach
OU is encouraging fans coming to the Colorado game Saturday to dress as their favorite Sooner football coach. Now that’s a great Halloween idea. It’s not as cool as the band playing in full Halloween costumes — a tradition that died when some musicians offended sensibilities – but still should be fun.
All kinds of options exist:
* Bud Wilkinson fedoras.
* Howard Schnellenberger pipes.
* Barry Switzer polyester red pants. This is my favorite. I would love to see Bob Stoops and staff decked out some game in red polyester pants.
* Stoops visor.
* Bennie Owen one-armed overcoat.
The Sooner athletic staff will scan the crowd to find the four best-dressed and most easily recognized head coach costumes. During the third quarter, the four winners will be brought onto Owen Field and each awarded a $100 MidFirst Bank gift card.
Power Lunch Chat Recap: Berry Tramel
Blake Griffin: Rousing debut with Clippers
I was watching the Clippers-Blazers late Tuesday night, doing some work on my laptop at the same time, which means sometimes my eyes are late to the ballgame. I saw a Clipper fastbreak that ended with a nifty bounce pass to a layup.
And iconic announcer Hubie Brown went nuts. I couldn’t believe what he was saying. Then came the replay. There it was. That was a break started — and led — by Blake Griffin.
Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin dunks during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Portland Trail Blazers, Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2010, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Wow. What a debut for the rookie from OU who had to sit out last season with a knee injury. In a 98-88 loss to Portland, Griffin had 20 points, 8-of-14 shooting, 14 rebounds, four assists, one steal and one blocked shot.
We knew Griffin could play. Did we know he could play like this? It’s one thing to do against Morgan State and Syracuse. It’s quite another to do it against Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge.
The most impressive thing about Griffin was his offensive skills. Everyone assumed Griffin still could jump out of the gym and thunderously dunk. But could those smooth moves to and around the basket translate to the NBA? The answer was provided less than one half into his first NBA game.
Yes. Griffin’s second-most impressive play against Portland was a drive from the wing in the middle of a Clipper offensive set. He faked a defender, drove to the basket, weaved around another defender and gently floated in a layup.
Griffin was so good, it seemed impossible to imagine how even the Clippers could mess up this golden goose.
Now we know why, in spring 2009, the Thunder desperately wanted to win the lottery. Now we know why, when the Clippers hit the jackpot and the Thunder settled for the No. 3 slot in the draft lottery, the Clippers were more than willing to discuss a trade for Griffin. Just as long as the discussions started with Kevin Durant.
Lunch call at Buffalo Wild Wings on NW Expressway
We had a great time at Buffalo Wild Wings on Northwest Expressway last Thursday, and I’ll be back again this Thursday. I’ll be doing my online chat from 11-11:30 a.m., then I’ll hang out for lunch until probably 12:30 p.m. and talk sports with anyone who wants to drop by.
Tons of stuff to talk about. Bob Stoops’ game management. Justin Blackmon’s suspension. The Nebraska-Missouri game. The Thunder opener. Blake Griffin. Big 12 hoops.
Buffalo Wild Wings on NW Expressway is a great place for lunch. I ran into some old friends last week and made some new friends. Even took story suggestions. It was a good time.
If you’re going to grab lunch on Thursday, stop by and let’s talk sports.
OU football: Don’t call Landry Jones young
Landry Jones has his moments, good and bad, in 2010. Great against Florida State and Iowa State. Solid against Texas. Good early against Cincinnati, then shaky. Good early against Missouri, then shaky.
What does that mean for what kind of quarterback Jones is or will be? I don’t know. But can we agree on this? He’s not a young quarterback.
Bob Stoops called Jones “a young player … he’ll get better.”
I think Jones will continue to improve. But let’s slow squash this talk of Jones being a young player. That’s nonsense. He’s a third-year sophomore with 17 career starts to his name.
How much is 17 starts? Darrell Royal started 16 games at quarterback in his career. Eddie Crowder started 20. Jack Mitchell started 22. Danny Bradley and Nate Hybl 23 each. J.C. Watts and Jimmy Harris started 25 each.
Jones has started 17 and played at least a half in two non-starts that went down to the wire (BYU ’09, Texas ’09). Let’s get over the idea that he’s some kind of novice, learning to play the position.
Jones’ numbers are very good: 17 touchdown passes, five interceptions, 66.8 completion percentage. Take away Jones’ two interceptions vs. Missouri, and you’d have to say he’s been fantastic, despite his limitations.
Jones is not particularly mobile, and his arm is not a rocket-launcher. There are all kinds of throws he can’t make that Sam Bradford could — which is not Jones’ fault, of course. But most college teams today have a quarterback who can motor. Jones can’t, so his arm has to do all the damage.
And OU can win – big — with that arm. But he can’t throw the ball to the other team, which he did twice vs. Missouri, both on low-risk plays. A screen pass and a short out pattern that was tipped.
Those were poor throws. You can’t chalk them up to inexperience or youth. Not when a guy has made 17 college starts.
