Wow! We Can Run the Ball Now

[CitySooner]

Hats off to all the men wearing Crimson yesterday for their domination over the Puke of the North. A great win for the Seniors in their last home game. Amazing how we just ran the ball down their throats, wouldn't you say? Where was this ability throughout the season? Why was this not our gameplan last week against a team with a similiar pourous defense like the Aggies? Have you read the Oklahoman this morning? Read John Helsley's article on Kevin Wilson and the offensive line. What Wilson said after the game left me aghast. According to Wilson, and you can read it yourself, "There were guys last week on the field taking plays off." WHAT? The biggest game of the year, your starting quarterback out, national championship implications at stake, and your players are not giving 100%? WHY? It all starts at the top folks. Team sports is just like business. When a business fails only management is to blame. So, as the article continues, apparently Wilson waits until the last game of the season to challenge his offesive line to play to their potential. The proof is in game stats: 307 yards rushing, the most by 121 yards in Big 12 play. Bradford threw ONLY 17 passes. So where was this awesome running game all year? Where was it last week when we needed it the most?

Just because I ask questions and don't sniff Coach Stoops behind does not mean I don't love my Sooners any less than you do. A lot of you will settle for Big 12 South and conference championships. As a true Sooner I want and EXPECT more! The coaches should be held accountable for their actions and inactions, and should expect critisism from those who support their programs, especially when it comes to the destiny of the team we have loved and cherished A LOT LONGER THAN THEY HAVE. If you haven't noticed there is an empty space on the north end of the press box at Memorial stadium right next to '2000' reserved for our next national championship. It could have been filled this season if our coaches would have 'challenged' our players consistently. Do you really think that West Virginia and Ohio State have more talent than us? Talk about a squandered opportunity.

Now go ahead and bring the insults and neg like a lot of you do when you don't agree with what I have to say. Instead of rebuttal and intelligent debate I get, "YOU ARE AN IDIOT, YOU ARE A TROLL, YOU ARE A MORON, YOU ARE A FAG, YOU ARE AN AGGIE, YOU ARE GAY, YOU HAVE A SMALL PENIS, YOU SHOULD BE BANNED", and many more. That's how small minded people (the far left) deal with things they don't like to hear.

Good luck to the mighty Sooners in San Antonio next Saturday. I guess if we beat #1 ranked Mizzou we can do what Alabama does every other year and give ourselves a national championship.

[rainiersooner]

I do not think you are an idiot, troll, moron, fag, aggie, gay (didn't you already say that once, btw?), physically unendowed below the waist line, or should be banned. Neither do I think you're small minded for assuming that only people of a certain political persuasion can be narrow-minded...although, you probably should be taken to task for missing the irony in your statement.

I actually agree with you that our coaches did not do a great job against Tech; the lack of a running game was perplexing. My problem is that I don't know what you mean when you suggest they should be held accountable. Accountable as in have an exit conference with a randomly selected group of posters on this message board? Accountable as in have their salary docked for a week? I suspect that no one holds the coaching staff more accountable than the coaching staff themselves; and that no one has higher expecations for the season than the coaching staff themselves. Do they make mistakes? Of course. I'm more interested in whether they learn from their mistakes. I think yesterday's game showed that Wilson learned from his mistakes against Tech.

I don't begrudge you for criticizing our coaching staff...I just think you're wrong.

[stoopified]

You do realize this was osu the 99th ranked D right?We had similar numbers against UNT(45-265-7TDs),Utah State(39-343-3TDs),Tulsa(45-285-5 TDs).Our running game has been efficent all year(479-2399yds-35 TDs,5 yards a carry and 200 yds a game) but NOT dominating.Part of this is because some teams (Missou for example) are still determined to make Sam beat them.Didn't work for them before and I'm thinking that the same will be true in San Antonio.

[ted_dawson]

Amazing how we just ran the ball down their throats, wouldn't you say? The proof is in game stats: 307 yards rushing, the most by 121 yards in Big 12 play. Bradford threw ONLY 17 passes. So where was this awesome running game all year? Where was it last week when we needed it the most?


You are amazingly short-sighted. We have better stats against OSU because OSU's run defense is not nearly as good as Tech's run defense.

On another note, we had better take Missouri very seriously this week. They will come to San Antonio on a mission, willing to take a smack in the mouth to give us one right back. Let's not take them lightly. Remember on October 13, they gave us all we wanted.

[MichiganSooner]

Agreed with rainersooner.

I have been a manager since the mid-70's. Ever make a mistake?

You better believe it. But there was only one occassion in my 33 year business career that I was so dumb, bullheaded, and shortsighted as to not realize it, take corrective action and move on. I got fired from that job and deserved it.

As evidenced by the results of yesterday's game, the management of the Sooners (coaching staff) learned, made adjustments, and the team was successful. My hats off in honor of the best coach in America and his staff.

[bred24]

No we can't!! Mizzou will kill our slow developing draw plays.

[soonersn2007]

The aggies run D is weak and they wanted to protect Bradford from taking any hits.................that is why. If Kevin Wilson uses this same game plan against Mizzou, we will get smoked. The playbook needs to be wide-open to keep that Mizzou defense honest.

[Socrefbek]

Correct me if I am wrong, but don't the coaches have a bonus structure built in for reaching the BCS NCG and additionally for winning the BCS NC? Furthermore, they get bonuses for winning the Big XII Championship and for top 5 finishes and so on and so forth. So in a way, they are held accountable. By not winning against Tech last week, they cost themselves a chunk of money.

That would seem to count as being accountable on some level would it not?:pop:

[SWFloridaSooner]

I believe that everyone has a right to their own opinion, but I can actually understand why you get negged. Perhaps it is because you are so negative. I might respect your opinion more if you actually had knowledge of what our coaches are doing, what goes on at practice, how they motivate the players, why they make the decisions they do. It is really easy to be an arm chair coach, but I would challenge that you have NO IDEA what it is like to coach a team like the Sooners. You insinuate that the team means more to us (i.e. YOU) that it does to the coaches. On what do you base that assumption? Now, having said all of that, I should confess that to those around me I am known as the Sooner fan with the most unrealistic expectations because I always believe that we have the best players and the best coaches out there. I always expect Sooner Magic. Am I always happy with the way things go. Not by a long shot. I was unahappy yesterday because I really wanted over 50 points on that scoreboard and I knew we could do it. I said a few choice words and gave Bob few choice words for not giving me what I wanted. I guess the difference here is that I do realize that Bob knows what he is doing. He knows a hell of a lot more than I do and just because I don't always get what I want does not mean that I care more about the team or that our coaches aren't held accountable or that they care less or that they don't know what they are doing. Trust me, the team would plummet to places we do not want to go if I were to be made the head coach, but during most games I believe that my decisions are probably the best ones. :) I guess my challenge to you is, if you think you care more and could do a better job.... go apply. :)

[stoops the eternal pimp]

Guys, these posts are a little long.

[RacerX]

Noun: paragraph 'paru`grãf
One of several (http://www.wordwebonline.com/en/SEVERAL) distinct (http://www.wordwebonline.com/en/DISTINCT) subdivisions (http://www.wordwebonline.com/en/SUBDIVISION) of a text (http://www.wordwebonline.com/en/TEXT) intended (http://www.wordwebonline.com/en/INTENDED) to separate (http://www.wordwebonline.com/en/SEPARATE) ideas (http://www.wordwebonline.com/en/IDEA); the beginning (http://www.wordwebonline.com/en/BEGINNING) is usually (http://www.wordwebonline.com/en/USUALLY) marked (http://www.wordwebonline.com/en/MARKED) by a new indented (http://www.wordwebonline.com/en/INDENT) line (http://www.wordwebonline.com/en/LINE)

[Leroy Lizard]

Hats off to all the men wearing Crimson yesterday for their domination over the Puke of the North. A great win for the Seniors in their last home game. Amazing how we just ran the ball down their throats, wouldn't you say? Where was this ability throughout the season? Why was this not our gameplan last week against a team with a similiar pourous defense like the Aggies? Have you read the Oklahoman this morning? Read John Helsley's article on Kevin Wilson and the offensive line. What Wilson said after the game left me aghast. According to Wilson, and you can read it yourself, "There were guys last week on the field taking plays off." WHAT? The biggest game of the year, your starting quarterback out, national championship implications at stake, and your players are not giving 100%? WHY?

You assume that Kevin Wilson is correct. But we have no way of knowing. All we have is Kevin Wilson's opinion.


It all starts at the top folks. Team sports is just like business. When a business fails only management is to blame.

No, management is RESPONSIBLE, but not necessarily to blame. I blame those that actually do those things that harm, not those that are going to be held accountable simply because of their position in the organization.

Switzer was held responsible for Charles Thompson's coke bust. But he was not to blame. Big difference.

And there isn't always someone deserving of blame. Rotten things sometimes just happen, despite the best efforts of everyone involved.


So, as the article continues, apparently Wilson waits until the last game of the season to challenge his offesive line to play to their potential.

Again, a false premise. Why are we assuming that Kevin Wilson didn't challenge them beforehand?

Just because you challenge someone doesn't mean they will necessarily respond.

And why do we assume that an OL has to be challenged? After all, the game is as important to the players as anyone else, so why would they need someone to motivate them to play hard? They didn't become top players on a powerhouse like OU if they weren't already self-motivating types.

I am not sure what a coach can do to really motivate players if they are already not motivated. Threaten them? Offer them rewards? Tell them that the game is important (as if they didn't already know)?

Even Switzer said that the "coach as motivator" relationship was overblown. I tend to agree. The job of the coaches is, if anything, to keep the players settled down and focused on performing their task at hand.


The proof is in game stats:

No, stats never PROVE anything. They are nothing more than something to consider. I have watched football long enough to know that you can never predict the outcome of a game or analyze a game to any meaningful extent from stats.


307 yards rushing, the most by 121 yards in Big 12 play. Bradford threw ONLY 17 passes. So where was this awesome running game all year? Where was it last week when we needed it the most?

You could ask the same question about our defense against Baylor. And Baylor fans are asking why their team was not motivated before playing OU. This line of reasoning is silly.

Why a team plays lights out one week and horrid another is almost impossible to say. Often there isn't a good reason-- that's just the way it is with team sports.

Why do I play good golf one week, and horrible golf the next? I am swinging the club the same, or at least I think I am. It's the same course. I am playing the same guys. I can give you all the stats you need, and what would you be able to tell me?


Just because I ask questions and don't sniff Coach Stoops behind does not mean I don't love my Sooners any less than you do. A lot of you will settle for Big 12 South and conference championships. As a true Sooner I want and EXPECT more!

No, you cannot EXPECT more. YOU can only expect that which you are assured will occur.

We all want national titles. But since we don't actually play in the game, we have to take what the team gives us. Sometimes we are not happy with the results, but we have to accept them.


The coaches should be held accountable for their actions and inactions, and should expect critisism from those who support their programs, especially when it comes to the destiny of the team we have loved and cherished A LOT LONGER THAN THEY HAVE.

Well, I only know of a few ways to hold the coaches accountable.

1. Reprimand. But we have no way of knowing that isn't taking place anyway.
2. Fines. But I find that unacceptable from a business standpoint.
3. Firings. Fine, as long as you are assured the replacement will be better.

So what exactly do you have in mind?


If you haven't noticed there is an empty space on the north end of the press box at Memorial stadium right next to '2000' reserved for our next national championship. It could have been filled this season if our coaches would have 'challenged' our players consistently. Do you really think that West Virginia and Ohio State have more talent than us? Talk about a squandered opportunity.

In our 100+ years playing football, we have won the national title only seven times despite having a talent advantage over nearly every opponent. Most programs have won two or fewer. Winning the national title is harder than you think. It was certainly not assured this season, so I don't see how you can claim it is a squandered opportunity. The other team wants to win the game too, and they suit up 11 players just like we do.