SOONERGUYS Blog

Versatility may be Brody Eldridge’s middle name.  Coaches moved him to center this week, where he promptly beat out expected starter Ben Habern. 

The Senior Eldridge has received considerable playing time as a tight end and blocking fullback.  Now he takes his 6-5, 265 pound frame into the heart of an inexperienced Oklahoma line.  Rumor is he’s practicing tight spirals so he can backup Sam Bradford at QB.  OK, maybe not.

This gives offensive coordinator an opportunity not seen at OU since Mike Leach launched the Ninja formation.

Call it the Sooner Shell Game.  Eldridge comes out of the huddle to stand in the fullback position.  No, then he shifts to tight end.  No, then he shifts over to center and hikes the ball before the defense knows what’s happening.  “I’m here!  No, here!  No, here!”

Don’t be surprised to see the “Where’s Brody?” game to light up the videotron during time outs.  Sponsored by Oklahoma Farm Bureau.

This week’s OU depth chart does have some more surprises to chew on.  No Demarcus Granger on the two-deep list at defensive tackle.  Gerald McCoy and Adrian Taylor are the starters inside, with Cordero Moore and Casey Walker to back them up. Highly recruited freshman Jamarkus McFarland isn’t on the two-deep list either.

Mossis Madu is listed as a backup slot receiver to Norman High teammate Ryan Broyles.  And, DeMarco Murray is no where to be found on the special teams list.  No way the Sooners are going to risk their prize running back on kick returns, considering both his previous injuries have been sustained in such duty.

There is a good write up on collegefootballnews.com that puts into perspective Florida’s attempt to reach “dynasty” level.  Namely, they have to climb over at least three of the top 10 college football dynasties that wore Oklahoma jerseys.  You can see the article here.

At number 1 is, of course, Coach Bud Wilkinson’s 1953-58 teams that went a phenomenal 60-3-1 and achieved the college football record 47-game win streak.

This is a good list.  And, this doesn’t even take into account the Stoops era, which is well on its way to achieving what Switzer’s teams did during the 70s and 80s.

I’m sure we will hear from the ESPN simpletons that whatever team is staying at No. 1 during the season is the “greatest college football team of all-time” (we hear that every year about some team, including in the fairly recent past the Sooners).  Maybe some day these pundits can do their homework like this writer did.

My old employer, Gannett, has joined other news organizations, including the Associated Press, in refusing to agree to game coverage restrictions being imposed by the SEC for their college football games this fall.  The restrictions prevent news organizations from using audio and video on websites, and limits post-game interview video and game photograph publication.

It’s the SEC’s way of trying to control their “product” and drive everyone to athletic department websites.

Imagine what would happen if other government agencies (yeah, except for Vanderbilt, the SEC schools are government operations) did this?

FOX News would have a fit — and rightfully so.

These SEC rules also prohibit fans from posting photos or videos from the stadium on their fan-based websites.  If the Big 12 did this, we’d have to shut down our website. Would that be good for college football?  Or, in our case, Oklahoma football?  (Well, Ok, shutting us down might be a good thing.)

This is a disturbing trend in college sports to chase after the almighty dollar.  Don’t give me that “it’s been big business all along, get real” line — I know all about that, especially when it comes time to pay for season tickets. But when college athletic directors see more money as the measure of success (ala Mike Holder), then fans are bound to suffer for it.  This is especially true when the powers that be start wielding such control over the public’s experience that it no longer is worth it to be a sports fan.

Gannett and AP are meeting with SEC officials to work out the differences between them.  As far as I’m concerned, the SEC gets hyped enough (thanks to the Tebow-worshiping ESPN), so just don’t cover their games.  That will be lesson enough. 

Most observers have already named the OU-Texas game on October 17 the pivotal contest of the year (including Alex in his video report here), so it is little wonder the talk of last year’s Sooner defeat in Dallas is already quite loud.

Much of the discussion centers on the play of walk-on linebacker Brandon Crow, who was pressed into service when starter Ryan Reynolds sustained a season-ending knee injury. With the previous LB star Curtis Lofton having left early for the NFL the Sooners were without a strong backup.

Crow had his lunch eaten against Texas. The Texas coaches focused on the inexperienced LB, running tight end drag pass routes and mis-direction plays against him the rest of the game. He wasn’t the only reason OU lost 35-45 to Texas last year, but the position became a huge Achilles heel in that game. With some shifting of personnel Oklahoma coaches adjusted and Crow played little more the rest of the year.

With backup Tom Wort out for the season and Mike Balogun’s eligibility still in doubt, will we see the walk-on from Comanche back on the field against the Longhorns?

Considering all the grief Crow received after last year’s performance no one would have faulted him had he chosen to shelve the remainder of his football career.

But he didn’t. Crow is suited up and giving it his all in pre-season practices, fighting for his linebacker position. Whether he gets on the Cotton Bowl field in October remains to be seen. We hope that doesn’t have to happen. But, in the meantime, our hats go off to him for showing the mental toughness to work through that bad experience and fight for the right to wear the crimson and cream.

UPDATE:  Crow is being tried out as backup fullback.  Good job by the coaching staff to get him involved in a way for which he may be best suited. 

BYU Coach Bronco (Nagurski) Mendenhall appeared on ESPN today and said even if Oklahoma scores more points in their September 5 game in Arlington, BYU will remain the winner because their players are playing for a “higher cause.” 

Whereas, apparently, we Sooner fans are rooting for heathens who merely want to win a football game.  Gee, I feel so cheap on my way to hell (the road to which not surprisingly passes through a gawdy stadium built by Jerry Jones).

Ninety seven percent of BYU students are members of the Church of Latter Day Saints. All students pledge to no extra-marital sex, no alcohol use and no hair over the ears.  (That sex pledge thing is kinda overblown, since more than 50 percent of all BYU students are married, compared to a national average of 11 percent among college students — wonder why, do ya?).  Most of the BYU team have served two years as missionaries, meaning they’re older than the average NFL player.

Just a reminder to us all:  the last time OU played a team whose fans were predominantly Mormon was in the Fiesta Bowl against Boise State.  As I recall, that game ended in a marriage proposal.  Oh, yeah, and there was that greatest upset in college football history thing too.

Before we get the idea that BYU is just a bunch of guys who drink milk and look like Opie, understand they have a habit of kicking ass on the football field (but in a polite and clean shaven way).  And remember, at the New Year’s block party (or whatever it was called) in Tempe the night before that Fiesta Bowl game there was one Boise State fan wearing a t-shirt that read:

“Polygamy: When one just isn’t enough!”

I thought that mildly humorous then.  Not so much the next day.

The idea coming from some sports media types that USC is falling from the college football god’s graces sounds more like east coast wishful thinking than reality. Just because their last QB bolted to the NFL before Pete Carroll wanted him to, and just because there is a real competition among a sophomore and freshman for the job, doesn’t mean that the No. 4 Trojans are going anywhere. Well, except to Columbus, Ohio on September 12 where they will obliterate a big but slow Buckeye team, and then back to the west coast to ravage the PAC10.

Sophomore Aaron Corp and freshman Matt Barkley are competing for the quarterback job. Out of the picture is ballyhooed Mitch Mustain, who left Arkansas because then Coach Houston Nutt hadn’t left.

If the Trojans start Barkley he will be the first true freshman to ever start for them.

That might give the Buckeyes a chance to knock the Trojans off their high horse.

But, what some forget is that USC has a greater supporting cast behind their inexperienced quarterbacks than most of the other teams in the PAC10 combined. There might be a tough road game at Oregon this year, but expect USC to get its eighth straight conference championship and try to convince enough BCS voters they belong in the championship game, which, where else, will be played in their backyard – Pasadena, California.

There seems to be a knack for some schools which are located near championship venues to wind up in that game: Florida….LSU…. USC.

Mike Balogun’s legal challenge of the NCAA is heading toward a settlement. Apparently. His lawyer says he is trying to work out some compromise to get the NCAA to re-certify his client’s eligiblity, after it became questionable for allegedly playing semi-pro ball in Maryland after he turned 21 years old.  A court hearing that was set for today on Balogun’s request for an injunction against the NCAA was cancelled, to give the parties an opportunity to try to work things out.

My experience with settlements is they are good ideas when you a) want to avoid looking stupid in front of the whole world; or b) it’s cheaper.   Both are some reasons for the NCAA to consider letting Mikey play. 

But, any settlement would have to be written so as to protect OU from sanctions in the event the NCAA decides to de-certify Balogun when some yokel presents a Youtube video showing Balogun dressed up as a Maryland Marauder, with 21st birthday party hat and balloons.

None of this would be that critical if linebackers recruited by the Sooners had super tuff ACLs.  That is probably Bob Stoops’ birthday wish this year. 

Thanks to Jerry Jones for spending $1 billion on a stadium with a scoreboard too low.  When the Cowboys played their pre-season game last week against the Titans the punters discovered they could easily kick footballs off the 60 yard long jumbotron that hangs 95 feet above mid field.

This could be the answer to Oklahoma’s poor kick coverage.  If Tres Way and Jimmy Stevens can knock the pigskin off the huge TV screen it might distract the opponent’s return team just enough to give the Sooners an edge on kick coverage.  Lord knows they need it.  Last year Oklahoma was 102 out of 119 Division I teams in kick coverage.  The Texas game was lost in large part due to a Longhorn kick return for TD that busted the game open.

Off the big screen, off the ceiling, over the hill, across the parking lot, and through the uprights. Kicking could be real interesting on September 5 when the Sooners play BYU at the new Cowboys stadium in Arlington.

Usually hearing that a freshman linebacker who had never played a down of college football was injured in pre-season drills would hardly make news, but when it happened last week in Norman my first thought was Oklahoma’s hopes of a return to a Big 12 championship and BCS appearance were hanging by a thin thread.

Freshman Tom Wort was expected to play a key back-up role at middle linebacker to Ryan Reynolds, whose injuries last year cost the Sooners a win against Texas and greatly hampered their ability to lasso Percy Harvin and Tim Tebow in the national championship game.  His promise made dependence upon a rehabbed Reynolds less critical and the possibility that Senior Mike Balogun’s eligibility is doomed by a stint in a semi-pro league less likely to expose the Sooners’ weakness on defense.

But Wort suffered a torn ACL and is out for the season.   Austin Box will be moved from outside linebacker to the middle linebacker spot as a result.  Balogun remains practicing, but his future may be dependent upon a Cleveland County judge (who is considering Balogun’s lawsuit against the NCAA).

All in all, the middle linebacker remains the key to success.  One more injury and Oklahoma will be hard pressed to get to Arlington to play the north division leader, much less appear in another BCS game.