We are (still) 4 in the new Coaches Poll

[StormySooner-IN]

Here is the latest Coaches Poll:

1 Ohio State
2 Boston College
3 LSU
4 Oklahoma
5 Oregon
6 West Virginia
7 Arizona State
8 Southern California
9 Virginia Tech
10 Kansas
11 Florida
12 South Florida
13 Missouri
14 Hawaii
15 Kentucky
16 Texas
17 South Carolina
18 Virginia
19 Georgia
20 California
21 Michigan
22 Penn State
23 Auburn
24 Alabama
25 Wisconsin

[kevpks]

What a year. Just when a few teams get cleared out of our path (S. FL, Kentucky, South Car.) a few more creep up (Oregon, WV, ASU, USC). I guess the Pac-10 teams will cancel each other out to some degree.

[OUHOMER]

will did you really expect to be higher?

[Octavian]

Can't really complain about not moving up.....but we're still in an excellent position to make the NCG if we win out.

[StormySooner-IN]

will did you really expect to be higher?Not at all.

[Suerreal]

I didn't see us staying above LSU for long.

Auburn should have challenged the spot that gave LSU 1st & 10 on the 10 and allowed them to score the winning touchdown.

[SteelClip49]

same as the AP.

I tell you what, Kansas v. Mizzou game in Arrowhead really would be a game to say.

[StoopTroup]

I smell a stinky duck.

[Texas Golfer]

After our performance yesterday, we should be grateful to still be in the top 4.

[SoonerStormchaser]

Relax guys...SUCC WILL lose again (next three games: Oregon, Cal, ASU)...Oregon WILL lose again (still have to play ASU, SUCC and I believe UCLA)...ASU WILL lose two games (Oregon, Cal, SUCC, UCLA)

[MojoRisen]

After Saturday I will calm my National Championship aspirations. One game at a time and win out - try and get better as we can beat everyone left on our schedule.

Looks like a potential LSU OU rematch if we do win out - and at this point I will say we are not ready for them. Although I think we can be by the end of the year.

Oregon wasn't that convincing in there win over Washington...

[StoopTroup]

I think most everyone thought that the CU, whorns and Mizzou games were going to be the tough games on our schedule until we go into Lubbock.

I don't like making excuses for our team either. We played poorly on the road.

We've made big turnovers in every game.

I am with Stoops though in thinking that all we need to do is keep improving.

Yesterday that happened on defense IMO.

We keep winning and we'll stay in the hunt.

Turnovers have got to stop though and the game in Lubbock better be our best game of the year IMO.

[Youngsooner]

After our performance yesterday, we should be grateful to still be in the top 4.

I agree, I was relieved to see us at #4, but we didn't lose at least :-)

[FirstandGoal]

I think #4 is about right for us at this time. Are we better than the teams in front of us? I really don't know. Depends on which OU shows up on the field.

However, its not like this is a problem that only affects Sooners. You see this kind of thing every week with many different teams. For some reason, the problem is particularly bad this year, and I have no idea why.

We had a really bad game yesterday.

Guess what though? It is impossible for a team to have a great game every time out. Stillwater in 2000 almost lost us #7. We played pretty crappy that day on the road as well and were lucky to escape with a W.

Crappy games are a fact of life, but the good news is that we survived ours yesterday whereas a lot of teams this week didn't.

Being #4 is fine for me by now until I see proof positive that we deserve to be ahead of 1-3.

[stoopified]

What a year. Just when a few teams get cleared out of our path (S. FL, Kentucky, South Car.) a few more creep up (Oregon, WV, ASU, USC). I guess the Pac-10 teams will cancel each other out to some degree.To be fair UK, and the OTHER SC were already behind us.LSU and Coach Lucky will bite it again before the season is over.We take care of business everything will work itself out.

[swardboy]

Bob has always been big on "peaking"....This bye week gives us time to heal, to study, and to learn. Colorado, Missouri, and Iowa State should have gotten our attention....and begin the up curve on performance.

[TexasEx4OU]

Guess what though? It is impossible for a team to have a great game every time out. Stillwater in 2000 almost lost us #7. We played pretty crappy that day on the road as well and were lucky to escape with a W.

I keep having to remind myself that the 2000 NC team had to work through some adversity, including poor play from both units and some close calls. We all like to remember the shellacking of the whorns and the dominant performance from the D against FSU, but we had to come back from two scores down vs. Nebbish, our D gave up a fair amount of yards and points at Collie Station (though it was the D that saved the day via Marshall's int return), and the above referenced O struggles in Stillwater. Every game was not a beatdown of RRS proportions.

[85sooners]

we are the best dammit!!!

[Dan Thompson]

What happened to the October magic?

[josh09]

Oregon scares me at #5.

[Ash]

I keep having to remind myself that the 2000 NC team had to work through some adversity, including poor play from both units and some close calls. We all like to remember the shellacking of the whorns and the dominant performance from the D against FSU, but we had to come back from two scores down vs. Nebbish, our D gave up a fair amount of yards and points at Collie Station (though it was the D that saved the day via Marshall's int return), and the above referenced O struggles in Stillwater. Every game was not a beatdown of RRS proportions.

This is one of the best posts I've seen on this board in a while.

[josh09]

I honestly think LSU is going to lose again before the season is over, and BC will lose at least once.

[derek430]

4th is about right, we played poorly but at least we got the win. Also BC will lose next week and maybe Ohio State so i'm not to concern about being 4th right now

[CitySooner]

This is one of the best posts I've seen on this board in a while.
This is one of the best posts of a post I've seen on this board in a while. :D

[IronHorseSooner]

Look at this week:

1.tOSU wins at home by 1 touchdown to a mediocre Sparty team.
2.LSU played like crud against Auburn
3.Oregon struggled against a bad Huskies team. (Their defense played as badly as our offense).

Here are the teams we need to become big fans of:
1. Penn State: This team is playing better on offense, it's at night, and it is the last place where tOSU lost a Big 10/11 game.
2. Florida: First, the pollsters won't put a two loss Florida over a one loss team for the MNC. Second, like I said about the Kentucky game- get LSU out of the bayou and they are a different team. Florida is clicking on offense right now, and LSU has some injury problems.
3. The UCLANs. They have Oregon, SUC, and ASU left. They just eliminated Cal. They just don't play well out of conference. They could run the table on these teams. They have the offensive firepower to do it.

I am not worried about BC. They have an impending loss coming at VT (or Clemson, or Maryland, or FSU, or Miami- take your pick).

In the end, I believe that this will come down to LSU-FLA and us v. KU for a berth in the MNC. Our wins over UTerus, Mizzou, and one over KU (by then, 3 top 15 teams), will be as good as any in the country.

[OKC-SLC]

I believe our Defense has improved as the season has progressed. In general we have played tougher offenses (ISU is not, by the way) and performed better.

I believe our Offense has declined as the season has progressed. Sure, some of our first opponents were pathetic on D, but I was there for Miami and I'm here to tell you those guys are fast on D and generally played well. Bradford et al. were in a zone against those guys.

Some of the problems with offense that need to be improved (turnovers, run blocking for example) are things that CAN be improved. But we've not done particularly well in those areas this season yet.

Our special teams have really become an area of the game that I see as a weakness. In general, our offense is better than most, our defense is better than most, and our special teams are worse than most. When you're having to spend some of your limited (?25 hrs) of weekly practice time on securing the damn football for example, it takes time away from one of the most coachable aspects of the game--special teams.

Here's hoping this team's peak is in front of it and not behind it. In 2000, our offense peaked earlier (in part due to Josh injuries) in the year. Our D peaked in the Orange Bowl, in my opinion. Maybe that's what we're doing this year?

[man00]

I believe our Defense has improved as the season has progressed. In general we have played tougher offenses (ISU is not, by the way) and performed better.

I believe our Offense has declined as the season has progressed. Sure, some of our first opponents were pathetic on D, but I was there for Miami and I'm here to tell you those guys are fast on D and generally played well. Bradford et al. were in a zone against those guys.

Some of the problems with offense that need to be improved (turnovers, run blocking for example) are things that CAN be improved. But we've not done particularly well in those areas this season yet.

Our special teams have really become an area of the game that I see as a weakness. In general, our offense is better than most, our defense is better than most, and our special teams are worse than most. When you're having to spend some of your limited (?25 hrs) of weekly practice time on securing the damn football for example, it takes time away from one of the most coachable aspects of the game--special teams.

Here's hoping this team's peak is in front of it and not behind it. In 2000, our offense peaked earlier (in part due to Josh injuries) in the year. Our D peaked in the Orange Bowl, in my opinion. Maybe that's what we're doing this year?
OU hasn't added much if any new wrinkles to the offense. Teams are just catching up.