OK, I’ll join the rest of the million or more Sooner faithful today and dissect the latest loss at College Station. In other words play the Blame Game.
Heck, just look at my Report Card for the game at the lower right.
We heard all week from the OU beat writers that if only Coach Bob Stoops would admit there is a problem with the Sooners’ road play somehow, inexplicably, Landry Jones would play better and Tom Wort would figure out how to tackle.
So it would be easy to blame Stoops for not taking the podium last Tuesday and making that admission. Dang, if it were only that easy.
Now those same sports writer experts are telling us that the Sooners will have to win at Stillwater on Thanksgiving weekend to salvage their season and get back to the Big 12 Championship game. What are they smokin’? Given the way this team plays, you can’t count on them winning at Waco, Texas on November 20th to even make the Bedlam game relevant.
QB: F. For numerable reasons, Landry Jones performed his worst game yet. He killed five of seven first half drives, overthrowing wide open receivers, running into pass rushes, fumbling and throwing an interception. He played better in the third quarter, handing the ball off to DeMarco Murray, as the offense shifted to a run-game and resulted in 17 points.
Run game: B. DeMarco Murray ran hard. Focus on the ground game in the second half got the Sooners back and made it a contest going into the fourth quarter.
Rush defense: D. The Sooner defensive tackles didn’t show up. For seven of the last nine games the linebackers were manhandled by opposing blockers even when they were in position to make plays. This is the weakest Oklahoma front seven in years.
Pass defense: C- Jamell Fleming played well (two interceptions). Quinton Carter did not. Frankly if DBs could catch they would’ve had five INTs.
Kicking team: D (A kick return by Murray and punt returning by Broyles kept it from being a fail). Not only are the Sooner placekickers missing field goals I suspect if this problem “progresses” their feet will soon miss the ball entirely, ala Charlie Brown.
Coaching: D The fake field goal call was great, even if it was not executed (i.e. caught) by TE James Hannah. I give props to Stoops for this and it is the reason the coaches don’t entirely flunk on this report card. But, the decision to run the ball four times in a row inside the five yard line — and repeat that later in the game — resulting in no points for the Sooners, may have determined the outcome of the game.
Defensively, Brent Venables was effective calling blitzes at key times, but went away from it later in the game, giving a spirited but inexperienced Aggie QB Ryan Tannehill the opportunity to make big plays late against the Sooner secondary.
Now, that said, the post-game vomiting from some fans about firing coaches and Stoops being too content or paid too much or some other such nonsense is, well…nonsense. It might be good to shake up the staff a little bit, but firing Kevin Wilson? C’mon.
If James Hannah makes a catch and Landry Jones lets up on a pass to a wide open Kenny Stills you wouldn’t be hearing it. So, why say it now because those players didn’t make the plays? Sure, the “run-into-a-Wrecking Crew-wall” inside the five yard line play was dumb (on first, second, third and fourth down), but the 90 other plays called by Wilson weren’t.
I’m not going to fall into the usual Blame Game trap that many Sooner fans like to play after a loss. First, I don’t think OU’s talent is that superior than A&M or anyone else in the conference, therefore I don’t assume that a loss is caused by poor coaching. Even if it did blow on numerable occasions Saturday night.
Second, I don’t give the players a pass. I didn’t do it when Dean Blevins was sucking it up in the 70s, so why do it now? These losses to Missouri and Texas A&M fall squarely on players who didn’t make the plays. You know who they are.
Or….maybe….
These losses fall on my shoulders, because I have missed attending only two games this season: Missouri and Texas A&M.
Oh, this doesn’t look good.
The jinx I caused for going to all those bowl games in year’s past was reversed last December when, without me in El Paso, the Sooners won the Sun Bowl.
Now, they’re losing because I’m NOT there … not because I AM there.
Ugh.
OK, while there is some consolation that I have indeed now figured out the problems with the Sooners this year, it also means I must carry the burden that my attendance is so important that it risks causing an over-inflated ego.
But sacrifices we must make for our team.
Now, where is Waco?
Follow