Thursday, January 3, 2008

At Least we beat 'em in Basketball...

First of all, congrats to the Mountaineers. They played the better game tonight and there was no question about the outcome.

On to various thoughts I had during the game.
  • If I never saw another Prison Break preview, I would be fine.
  • The sideline reporter was wearing WVU colors, which I thought was a nice touch.
  • Fox is awful doing college sports. The teams in the booth have no chemistry. There should be some sort of requirement of the BCS broadcasters that they use teams that have worked together throughout the season. I'd never heard of the dude doing play-by-play. I've seen Donahue do studio work. Pat Haden, lackey for NDBC, hadn't seen that much offense all year.
  • OU has an All-American left guard, Duke Robinson, flanked by a 350 pound mountain named Phil Loadholt. We ran right ALL NIGHT. I don't know who is on that side of the 'eer defense, or if they were just loading up that side to force us to the right, but it worked.
  • The onside kick was not a good call. Completely killed the momentum...we'd had two three and outs defensively to start the half. WVU's onside recovery not only recovered the ball, but it recovered the momentum and OU never got it back.
  • I've begun to despise two point conversions. I disagreed with both choices.
  • The Sooners alloweed 349 yard rushing. 8.9 yards per carry. Even if you take out the 4TD runs totalling 169 yards, the 'eers gained 4 per carry on the other 35 runs.
  • The Sooners have now lost four straight BCS games.
  • Stoops teams just don't play the favorite that well. I don't know why, but if the opposition says something to disprespect the Sooners, or if the foes higher ranked, Stoops can work with that. But an underdog that keeps their mouth shut seems to end up with the advantate.
  • I thought Brody Eldridge made a phenomenal catch, but it didn't matter.
  • The Sooners had 13 penalties for 115 yards. That's unbelieavable. Several of the penalties negated positive plays. I'd love to say the refs jobbed us, but there were at least two blatant holding calls that the stripes missed.
  • Quentin Chaney played well tonight, subbing for an injured Malcolm Kelly.
  • I thought Devine's two TD scampers were where I saw the impact most clearly of an injured Reggie Smith and an ineligible Lendy Holmes. Both times DBs overran the play and allowed Devine to cut back for scores. That young man is talented, you don't need to help him out like that.
  • As poorly as the Sooners played in the first half, I thought they were in good shape to be down ONLY 20-6 at half. I thought it could have easily been more than that. And it was later.
  • The Sooners are 1-3 at the Fiesta Bowl, with their last victory coming in 1976. Old timers will remember the loss in 82 to the Sun Devils. Marcus Dupree was running wild until he pulled a hamstring/blew a tire.
  • The Sooners have been notoriously slow starters in bowl games of late. The last time the Sooners led at halftime of a bowl game was 2002 at the Rose Bowl against Washington State.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Very disappointing. Didn't look prepared. Didn't seem to want it as bad as UWV. The Bowl streak is really beginning to worry me. Don't think the on-side kick was a great call, but would have been "genius" if it had worked. But some of the o-play calling seemed really bad and predictable. What's up with M Kelly? Great players play hurt. You can't blame all of this on Stoops but we may need to see some staff changes.

Anonymous said...

Genius Stoops needs to look for a new job. Maybe he could be an assitant for Mike Leach. Defensive coordinator.

OU Texans have unreal talent, near the best in the nation, why can't the OU Texans win big games any more? Why do OU Texans continue to underachieve like the TU Teasippers.

Anonymous said...

Land Thief,

Thanks to the Sooners for embarrassing the Big 12 last night.

Your prior post says a lot: We have a coach and you don't. Well, that's officially untrue today, and it was unofficially untrue last night.

You Sooners need to wake up. Stoops is overrated. I mean, how long do you get to ride that nat'l championship up there? I know, I know ... 5 B12 championships and all, but you know and I know: What matters is getting to the big enchilada. And he has just as many of those as "ol' dummy" Mack.

The play/call of the game last night was the onside kick in the 3rd. OU was coming back, but Stoops had to show himself the genius and show he pull a "Peterson". With this monumental blunder, he outclassed his fourth down gamble and two botched 2-point attempts. He was outcoached by WVU's special teams coach. Last year he made Chris Peterson look like Bill Walsh.

Dirty little secret that Stoops knows: OU has players that are as good as any one's. This is how he wins. Of course, that big stiff at QB tests this theory a bit, but it's still true. OU has far better personnel than WVU.

Mack and UT have more than closed the gap on the "genius". I know, Mack's a dummy and all, but he does know how to get his team ready for a bowl game. And ... but for our "NFL back's" fumble this year, it would be three in a row over the Genius and Co..

But Bob does get to the BCS. But always no cigar, unless the Fat Bastard is calling plays. Hmmm. How about "Buffalo Bob"?

But he is a genius.

B. Orange

Anonymous said...

Wow!

Was this same Mountaneer team that I saw against Pitt?

The OU lines were outplayed. The DE kept getting turned and pushed to the inside creating lanes for White and Devine. WV D line was quicker and created OU holding calls.

Hats off to WV.

When can Mike Stoops come back to coach the D? Not soon enough.

HeadThief said...

Overtheline - don't know what the deal was with MK. Malcolm was awesome early in the year, but disappeared after the Texas game. He hasn't caught a TD since then with the exception of the Baylor game. He's a phenomenal talent, but I'd suggest he come back and display that talent.

HeadThief said...

B Orange - we won't disparage Mack Brown much on this page, I actually respect the guy. Bob Stoops was a much better coach when he had Josh Heupel on the field. Brown was a great coach with VY providing on the field leadership. The question boils down to, would you rather win the Holiday/Cotton Bowl every year or get a chance to win a BCS game? There's several million reasons to be in the BCS game. Admittedly, the HeadVisor needs to seriously examine the bowl preparation he follows presently. It clearly hasn't worked of late.

Anonymous said...

WOW! More scorched earth from B Orange, we can always count on that from the pompus teasipper.

But seriously, you guys went to a bowl? What was that like?

Someday, my Bears will go to one again, someday...

New material on my blog by the way, a nice pic on me in my Christmas oufit. I love how it fits my "down there."

Anonymous said...

Crap. As much as I would like to jump on the "Bash OU" bandwagon, I have to give you credit: you observations, I think, are both fair and correct. Its nice to meet a Sooner who can be objective. My hat is off to you.

Anonymous said...

Thief,

You havea point re: going to BCS bowls v. the Cotton/Holiday. I agree. But we won the last two Rose Bowls we were in, too.

I appreciate what you said re: Mack. I think Stoops is a very good coach, but he lacks the humility necessary to ask himself the hard questions and make the changes needed to win another nat'l championship at OU.

Seriously ... can you see Stoops interviewing other coaches (as Mack did) to find out how to prepare better for bowls? I don't think he will. Mack has changed, and continued to improve, over the past few years. I think that's why we have closed the gap.

Poop ... Calling me a pompous teasipper? Thanks. And "scorched earth"? Thanks again.