A Bakers Dozen things I think you think I think

Some near the end of season thoughts:

1. Some discussion on whether Landry Jones should go pro. He won’t. His new nickname is Nate Tebow. He’s like a cross between Nate Hybl’s happy feet and inconsistency and Tim Tebow’s faith. I wish the guy well. And I wish he’d declare for the NFL draft.
2. Berry Tramel actually wrote in an article that Jones played well in the three losses and that those losses were on the hands of the defense. No one’s mistaking this years Sooner D for Alabama, but here’s another point of view:.         
3. In nine conference games, Texas Tech played thirty six quarters of defense. In only three of those instances was TT able to hold the opponent scoreless in a quarter. Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma.  Additionally, only once was TT able to hold an opponent to less than 10 points in a half. Who? Oklahoma.
4. Against Baylor, you have to score points. Oklahoma State was so prolific on offense that Baylor felt pressured to take chances on fourth down and force the issue on passes.  OSU didn’t stop Baylor, OSU’s offense put pressure on Baylor’s offense. Baylor gained 622 yards against OSU, but had crucial turnovers and fourth down failures that saw those 622 yards converted into only 24 points. Oklahoma on the other hand was one of only four teams to score ten points or less in a half against Baylor. 
5. Oklahoma State had four games where their opponent scored three points or less in the first half. Arizona and Kansas fired their coaches. The other two: Texas Tech and Oklahoma. If Landry doesn’t make a bad throw, and if Landry doesn’t make a boneheaded move on a scramble, perhaps you’re in the locker room down 17-14, not 24-3. 
6. One of the dumber things I’ve heard this week is that no one wants the Penn State job, that there’s such a cloud hanging over the program right now. Let’s see…major conference – check…fertile recruiting area – check…no NCAA sanctions waiting…check. Sure, the whole Sandusky thing is weird, and they just fired everyone above you in the org structure, but it’s not like the next person can’t be successful there.
7. Regarding the Big 10 – Pac 12 scheduling thing: what’s the big deal? The SEC and the Sun Belt Conference have been doing this for years. 
8. At the first of the year, Baylor was being ridiculed for their legal efforts to keep Cash Machine U in the conference. Some national writers belittled the Bears. On Sep 7, Pat Forde wrote in a column, “No one cares about Baylor football” and referred to the Bears as the “98 pound weaklings of college football”. At the end of the season, here’s Baylor with a 10-3 record, a Heisman Trophy winner and Pat Forde voted for Baylor’s QB as the Heisman winner. What a difference a season makes. 
9. My favorite moment of the college football year had to be the Baylor-Texas game. Sure, I should have enjoyed the OU beat down of the Horns more but I was sick that day. At one point during the game, I was listening to the Texas radio coverage while driving. Rod Babers, the former UT player and now sideline reporter, said Texas had to run the ball more, because UT “didn’t have the firepower to get in a shootout with Baylor”. Wow.  
10. The Sooners loss to Texas Tech rates as the most bewildering of the Stoops era at OU. Tech had horrific defensive performances all year. Tech allowed 380 points in their last eight games.  But OU managed only 7 in the first half. 
11. Yahoo! Sports had an article today about whether Stoops job was safe after a 9-3 season. Same day, DeLoss Dodds says they are working on a two year contract extension after going 13-12 the past two seasons. If Stoops got a contract extension after going 13-12 over two years, my father in law would have a stroke.
12. Art Briles record at Baylor: 25-25. The last Baylor coach, other than Grant Teaff, to win 25 games and have a winning percentage of 500 or better was George Sauer, who coached from 1950-55 and went 38-21-3. Last time Baylor won 10 games: 1980. And their second EVER. That should tell you how special Baylor’s season has been.
13. To contrast, Bob Stoops has had NINE 10+ win seasons in his thirteen seasons at Oklahoma, and a victory over Stoops alma mater tonight would be his tenth.