Rankings after the games of the weekend of Oct 25th
1. Texas - another highly ranked opponent, another win, although this one much tougher than the previous week. How much is left in the big-game tank and will playing in front of a hostile crowd make any difference?
2. Penn State - not the sharpest looking win at Ohio State but effective and the Buckeyes were rolling on offense before only scoring 6 against Penn State.
3. Alabama - avoided the upset trap at Tennessee. Saban's return to LSU is preceded by a "why is this game on the schedule for November 1st?" matchup with Arkansas State.
4. Florida - rolling into the game formerly known as the "World's Largest Cocktail Party"
5. Oklahoma State - The Cowboys are getting a lot of credit for never leading Texas but they proved they belong with their play in Austin.
6. Oklahoma - movement in the rankings reflect the trend of the defense since the loss of Ryan Reynolds - slipping big time. Back to back weeks of getting lit up by QBs from the Sunflower State. Good thing Sam Bradford is the better QB and the running game is back on track.
7. Texas Tech - the consensus overrated top ten team just a week ago. Defense showed up at Kansas. They are going to need a repeat performance to slow down McCoy enough for what should be a shootout in West Texas.
8. Georgia - is the payback for the TD celebration of a year ago coming this Saturday?
9. USC - didn't improve their stock with the trip to Arizona. Defense continues to shine. Offense just isn't as good as expected.
10. TCU - at Utah on November 6th should warrant national interest.
Tis the season of distractions. Early entry and coaching questions will heat up as the temperatures fall. Sam Bradford is already being asked about the potential to leave - will he bolt after his redshirt sophomore year? (I say not this year) How many coaches are being linked to the Washington post now that Willingham is officially out after the season? Will there be strong interest about Texas DC Will Muschamp?
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
World Series of College Football Games
I may not watch a single inning of the World Series. In response, here are 7 games worth watching this Saturday.
Texas Tech at Kansas - 11a cent ESPN HD - Tech's first real challenge. KU coming off an impressive offensive performance (but yet a loss) at Oklahoma. Will the home field aid the defense to allow Reesing to outscore Harrell? The Big 12 arena league continues.
Kentucky at Florida - 11:30 cent Raycom HD - Florida seems to be the popular pick to rise from BCS #10 to the SEC championship and BCS title game. Gators have already been defeated at home by a lesser team.
Georgia at LSU 2:30 cent CBS HD - everyone chasing the spot of the one-loss SEC champ that couldn't be left out of the title game if teams at the top falter. Or could they?
Oklahoma State at Texas - 2:30 cent ABC (HD?) - another week, another highly ranked opponent for the Horns. Missouri was exposed. Is OSU about to get exposed like their benefactor T. Boone Pickens?
Alabama at Tennessee - 6:45p cent - ESPN HD - Alabama has looked shaky recently and now they have to go on the road minus monster DT Terrance Cody.
Penn State at Ohio State - 7p cent ABC HD - game of the day because BCS #3 is on the road in what should be their last obstacle to a perfect season.
USC at Arizona 9:15p cent / FSN HD - this might be the last chance for another upset of USC.
Texas Tech at Kansas - 11a cent ESPN HD - Tech's first real challenge. KU coming off an impressive offensive performance (but yet a loss) at Oklahoma. Will the home field aid the defense to allow Reesing to outscore Harrell? The Big 12 arena league continues.
Kentucky at Florida - 11:30 cent Raycom HD - Florida seems to be the popular pick to rise from BCS #10 to the SEC championship and BCS title game. Gators have already been defeated at home by a lesser team.
Georgia at LSU 2:30 cent CBS HD - everyone chasing the spot of the one-loss SEC champ that couldn't be left out of the title game if teams at the top falter. Or could they?
Oklahoma State at Texas - 2:30 cent ABC (HD?) - another week, another highly ranked opponent for the Horns. Missouri was exposed. Is OSU about to get exposed like their benefactor T. Boone Pickens?
Alabama at Tennessee - 6:45p cent - ESPN HD - Alabama has looked shaky recently and now they have to go on the road minus monster DT Terrance Cody.
Penn State at Ohio State - 7p cent ABC HD - game of the day because BCS #3 is on the road in what should be their last obstacle to a perfect season.
USC at Arizona 9:15p cent / FSN HD - this might be the last chance for another upset of USC.
Which is Worse: BCS or Donor Financing?
BCS rankings are out and lots of discussion. Texas and Alabama control their destiny but with obstacles. Can Texas keep it going against this tough slate? Sure looked like it on Saturday night. Missouri was exposed as a true pretender and while Oklahoma State still looks potent and improved on defense, are they next to get exposed? Are the Big 12 offenses that good or the defenses that bad? Stronger argument for the former with a quality group of QB that has never been rivaled in the league and probably won't for some time. The key is that many of these QBs are running sophisticated spread passing schemes in high school in the south.
All eyes on the highest one loss team since the assumption of more shake-up is the safest bet. Oklahoma is the highest for now but they might suffer the last minute snub by voters that push a one-loss SEC champ past them. Unlike some, I think USC will miss out due to the computer ranking. Their remaining schedule hurts while teams in the Big 12 and SEC have opportunities to enhance their resumes.
I like the BCS. I like the mid-season talk in college football. Already we are anticipating the impact of this week's games. This week's slate of NFL games - yawn. Wake me up when the playoffs begin.....without the Dallas Cowboys.
The economy is going to take a bit out of the arms race in college football. The big news may be what is going on at Oklahoma State, which was building a Dubai of athletic facilities from the $165 million donated by T. Boone Pickens. The money was donated and then reinvested in Pickens' hedge fund which has sustained substantial losses. Secrecy may be the rule but there is lots of smoke coming from Stillwater that Boone's failed gamble on oil prices may put OSU in a nightmare scenario. Oklahoma may lose a few million from Chesapeake exec Aubrey McClendon who had to sell tons of company stock to make a margin call. More articles about Pickens and the relationship between the economy and money collected at fundraisers will be forthcoming.
All eyes on the highest one loss team since the assumption of more shake-up is the safest bet. Oklahoma is the highest for now but they might suffer the last minute snub by voters that push a one-loss SEC champ past them. Unlike some, I think USC will miss out due to the computer ranking. Their remaining schedule hurts while teams in the Big 12 and SEC have opportunities to enhance their resumes.
I like the BCS. I like the mid-season talk in college football. Already we are anticipating the impact of this week's games. This week's slate of NFL games - yawn. Wake me up when the playoffs begin.....without the Dallas Cowboys.
The economy is going to take a bit out of the arms race in college football. The big news may be what is going on at Oklahoma State, which was building a Dubai of athletic facilities from the $165 million donated by T. Boone Pickens. The money was donated and then reinvested in Pickens' hedge fund which has sustained substantial losses. Secrecy may be the rule but there is lots of smoke coming from Stillwater that Boone's failed gamble on oil prices may put OSU in a nightmare scenario. Oklahoma may lose a few million from Chesapeake exec Aubrey McClendon who had to sell tons of company stock to make a margin call. More articles about Pickens and the relationship between the economy and money collected at fundraisers will be forthcoming.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Red River Rivalry Recap
As a long-time Sooner fan and alumnus, I am still stunned by the outcome of Saturday's clash in Dallas. This was a game that Bob Stoops was supposed to win. The highest ranked team had won every meeting since 1996. (The lower ranked Horns were actually favored in 2000 through 2002.) Stoops was 6-0 against Mack Brown with a top ten team. Mack Brown had only beaten one ranked OU team in his tenure. Oklahoma was better on paper (although not by much) but Texas was better on the field. It was a game in which the often criticized Greg Davis was the coach that had the greatest impact on the game with his game plan.
Texas won because they outcoached and outplayed the Sooners. In a game of relative equals, it's about finding weaknesses. Texas won because they exploited all three of the Sooners' main weaknesses. 1) Special teams 2) Lack of a running game and 3) Lack of LB depth
Special Teams
Jordan Shipley's kick return TD may have saved Texas from an early knockout attempt by the Sooners. The TD not only closed the gap from 14-3 to 14-10 but more importantly it was a Texas-sized can of Red Bull momentum. From that point on, the Texas crowd believed and the their team responded to every lead by the Sooners.
The other key special teams play was Bob Stoops rolling the dice with a fake punt still up 28-27. I personally did not like the call given the circumstances of being up one and having the opportunity to nail Texas inside their own 10 with a good punt. Texas was rolling on offense but I still thought back them up and give your defense more opportunities to make a play or two that might result in a stop. Even if they score, you have time and the confidence your offense will retake the lead.
The fake punt call had too much momentum riding on it for Texas and not enough for Oklahoma. If the Sooners make it and score a TD, assuming they kick the extra point to go up 35-27, Texas could still tie the game with one drive. If the Sooners were up 2 or 3 points and the score would have put them up 2 scores on Texas, then I might see the payoff on such a gamble. (Maybe Stoops would have elected to go for 2 to increase the lead to 9 but most coaches would prefer an extra point for an 8 point lead and force the other team to convert a 2-point conversion just to tie).
I had more of a problem with the design of the fake punt. The success of the play was dependent on a punter running for more yards than DeMarco Murray's longest run from scrimmage since the opener against Tenn-Chatt. It was 4th and 6 but you have to account for the yardage the punter has to make up from where he catches the snap. It's about 15 yards or so. He nearly made it but he nearly got tackled twice earlier in his run. Going back to OU's fake punt against Alabama in 2003, that was a better design because the punter simply had to execute a lob over one defender to a capable ball carrier who was expected to be all alone based on film study.
Lack of a Running Game
Something is just not right with Oklahoma's run game both in the guys blocking and the guy carrying the ball. OU's OL can pass block with the best but they are lacking a surge off the ball. DeMarco Murray showed his speed on a catch out of the backfield in the first quarter and on two second half kick returns. The problem is that he needs a lot of run to get going. He doesn't have the acceleration of a year ago and he looks to run into tackles as crazy as it sounds.
Because OU could not run the ball effectively, the play action element was all but gone and short yardage was more based on execution than simple power football. Credit Bradford for an outstanding performance in and out of the pocket but when it came down to it - Texas broke a couple of runs to make the difference even though OU was supposed to have the better line and the better backs.
LB depth
The one player that Oklahoma could not lose on defense was Ryan Reynolds. Reynolds was finally healthy off 2 knee surgeries and playing so well people no longer thought what might have been had Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Curtis Lofton had stayed for his senior year. The Sooners other two LBs were playing far beyond expectations but Reynolds was the heart and soul of the defense and lined everyone up. The loss of Reynolds was a huge in the second half. Texas was already having success with an offensive gameplan they had not used in 8 years which worked the middle of the field but it was made even more effective with Reynolds out. Credit OC Greg Davis and Colt McCoy for spotting the weakness and taking advantage of it. There is no doubt in my mind that the late big run that sealed the game for Texas with a subsequent TD for Texas doesn't go for more than 5 yards if Reynolds is on the field because his inexperienced replacement was a step away from making the tackle but there were several plays that Texas made to ultimately win the game.
The game was labeled as a classic, which is really was, but it doesn't feel that way for fans of the losing team.
Texas won because they outcoached and outplayed the Sooners. In a game of relative equals, it's about finding weaknesses. Texas won because they exploited all three of the Sooners' main weaknesses. 1) Special teams 2) Lack of a running game and 3) Lack of LB depth
Special Teams
Jordan Shipley's kick return TD may have saved Texas from an early knockout attempt by the Sooners. The TD not only closed the gap from 14-3 to 14-10 but more importantly it was a Texas-sized can of Red Bull momentum. From that point on, the Texas crowd believed and the their team responded to every lead by the Sooners.
The other key special teams play was Bob Stoops rolling the dice with a fake punt still up 28-27. I personally did not like the call given the circumstances of being up one and having the opportunity to nail Texas inside their own 10 with a good punt. Texas was rolling on offense but I still thought back them up and give your defense more opportunities to make a play or two that might result in a stop. Even if they score, you have time and the confidence your offense will retake the lead.
The fake punt call had too much momentum riding on it for Texas and not enough for Oklahoma. If the Sooners make it and score a TD, assuming they kick the extra point to go up 35-27, Texas could still tie the game with one drive. If the Sooners were up 2 or 3 points and the score would have put them up 2 scores on Texas, then I might see the payoff on such a gamble. (Maybe Stoops would have elected to go for 2 to increase the lead to 9 but most coaches would prefer an extra point for an 8 point lead and force the other team to convert a 2-point conversion just to tie).
I had more of a problem with the design of the fake punt. The success of the play was dependent on a punter running for more yards than DeMarco Murray's longest run from scrimmage since the opener against Tenn-Chatt. It was 4th and 6 but you have to account for the yardage the punter has to make up from where he catches the snap. It's about 15 yards or so. He nearly made it but he nearly got tackled twice earlier in his run. Going back to OU's fake punt against Alabama in 2003, that was a better design because the punter simply had to execute a lob over one defender to a capable ball carrier who was expected to be all alone based on film study.
Lack of a Running Game
Something is just not right with Oklahoma's run game both in the guys blocking and the guy carrying the ball. OU's OL can pass block with the best but they are lacking a surge off the ball. DeMarco Murray showed his speed on a catch out of the backfield in the first quarter and on two second half kick returns. The problem is that he needs a lot of run to get going. He doesn't have the acceleration of a year ago and he looks to run into tackles as crazy as it sounds.
Because OU could not run the ball effectively, the play action element was all but gone and short yardage was more based on execution than simple power football. Credit Bradford for an outstanding performance in and out of the pocket but when it came down to it - Texas broke a couple of runs to make the difference even though OU was supposed to have the better line and the better backs.
LB depth
The one player that Oklahoma could not lose on defense was Ryan Reynolds. Reynolds was finally healthy off 2 knee surgeries and playing so well people no longer thought what might have been had Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Curtis Lofton had stayed for his senior year. The Sooners other two LBs were playing far beyond expectations but Reynolds was the heart and soul of the defense and lined everyone up. The loss of Reynolds was a huge in the second half. Texas was already having success with an offensive gameplan they had not used in 8 years which worked the middle of the field but it was made even more effective with Reynolds out. Credit OC Greg Davis and Colt McCoy for spotting the weakness and taking advantage of it. There is no doubt in my mind that the late big run that sealed the game for Texas with a subsequent TD for Texas doesn't go for more than 5 yards if Reynolds is on the field because his inexperienced replacement was a step away from making the tackle but there were several plays that Texas made to ultimately win the game.
The game was labeled as a classic, which is really was, but it doesn't feel that way for fans of the losing team.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Big Game Bob
If there is one game that has defined the Bob Stoops era, it's the Red River Rivalry. In Stoops' first OU-Texas game, the Sooners jumped out to a quick 17-0 lead before Texas rallied for a 38-28 win. It was a pattern that would repeat itself several times during Oklahoma's rebuilding year of 1999 - double digit lead that ended up with a loss. That was a different time. After a decade of futility, it was viewed as encouraging progress.
The Stoops mystique over the rival Horns began in 2000 as the Sooners rolled Mack Brown into a Texas-sized apology with a 63-14 beatdown. Oklahoma was ranked 10th, Texas 11th. The Sooners would go on to beat No. 2 Kansas State and No. 1 Nebraska in consecutive games to reclaim the school's first top ranking since 1987. Oklahoma held on to the No. 1 ranking for the remainder of the season and claimed the national title.
The Sooners went on to win five consecutive games (2000-2004) that featured three games where both teams were ranked in the top five and two blowouts when Texas was ranked around 11th. Oklahoma endured an unexpected rebuilding year in 2005 due to the combination of departing seniors from the '04 squad and the impact of unusual attrition in some highly ranked recruiting classes. Texas ended up cruising through a weak Big 12 but topping USC in a game for the ages.
During the nine matchups between Stoops and Brown, Texas has only defeated a ranked Oklahoma team once in 2006. The #14 Sooners actually outgained Texas by 100 yards but the Longhorns won the turnover battle 4-0 and forced timely key plays that resulted in a victory.
The winner of this game has won the Big 12 South during the Stoops era. Only twice has the loser appeared in the conference championship game - 2001 and 2006. In 2001, Oklahoma lost to Nebraska and then dropped a second game to Oklahoma State - one of the two home losses in the Stoops era. Texas dropped their final two games of the '06 season to allow Oklahoma to claim the South by beating Oklahoma 27-21 in Stillwater.
Stoops has definitely had the upper hand in a matchup of two of the top coaches in college football. Both have national titles but Stoops has 5 conference titles to one for Mack Brown. Some would argue that the phenom of Vince Young deserves all the credit but Brown did bring him and defensive coordinator Gene Chizik (present for both of UT's wins over OU) to Austin. Bob Stoops has 5 conference titles with 5 different QB and while two were national award winners, none of the previous 4 had NFL staying power.
The Stoops mystique over the rival Horns began in 2000 as the Sooners rolled Mack Brown into a Texas-sized apology with a 63-14 beatdown. Oklahoma was ranked 10th, Texas 11th. The Sooners would go on to beat No. 2 Kansas State and No. 1 Nebraska in consecutive games to reclaim the school's first top ranking since 1987. Oklahoma held on to the No. 1 ranking for the remainder of the season and claimed the national title.
The Sooners went on to win five consecutive games (2000-2004) that featured three games where both teams were ranked in the top five and two blowouts when Texas was ranked around 11th. Oklahoma endured an unexpected rebuilding year in 2005 due to the combination of departing seniors from the '04 squad and the impact of unusual attrition in some highly ranked recruiting classes. Texas ended up cruising through a weak Big 12 but topping USC in a game for the ages.
During the nine matchups between Stoops and Brown, Texas has only defeated a ranked Oklahoma team once in 2006. The #14 Sooners actually outgained Texas by 100 yards but the Longhorns won the turnover battle 4-0 and forced timely key plays that resulted in a victory.
The winner of this game has won the Big 12 South during the Stoops era. Only twice has the loser appeared in the conference championship game - 2001 and 2006. In 2001, Oklahoma lost to Nebraska and then dropped a second game to Oklahoma State - one of the two home losses in the Stoops era. Texas dropped their final two games of the '06 season to allow Oklahoma to claim the South by beating Oklahoma 27-21 in Stillwater.
Stoops has definitely had the upper hand in a matchup of two of the top coaches in college football. Both have national titles but Stoops has 5 conference titles to one for Mack Brown. Some would argue that the phenom of Vince Young deserves all the credit but Brown did bring him and defensive coordinator Gene Chizik (present for both of UT's wins over OU) to Austin. Bob Stoops has 5 conference titles with 5 different QB and while two were national award winners, none of the previous 4 had NFL staying power.
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