Perspective and the Future!

[Collier11]

Before we look to next year lets realize what we have...I am just as disappointed with this loss as anyone else and I am certainly embarrassed by how we played, but realize that this is a year that we were picked behind Texas and weren't a serious Natl Title contender to start the year.

So, that is two straight seasons that we were on a down year and this year a return to a Top 10 season and OU jumped those expectations each year. Two straight Big 12 Titles when Texas was the Fav, we ended the short horns 2 game winning streak against us, and we b*tch slapped okie state again. This wasn't even supposed to be our year and yet we were within an injury to SB of playing for a Natl Title with a Freshman QB, it hurts none the less but next year really could and should be OU's Year!!

Since 2000,
This is what our win total has looked like: 13, 11, 12, 12, 12, 8, 11, 11

And yet some of you cant even be happy with that, its one thing to be disappointed in our play and the outcome, its another to be irrational.

Now to next year, we return our QB who very well may end up being the best QB at OU ever, not yet but there is a chance. We return Demarco Murray and Chris Brown, Every single WR if MK comes back which would make up possibly the best group of receivers at OU ever, the same O-line and even if Duke leaves we return 4 starters to make up a Great O-line. We get Gresham back as well as Eldridge. We return English, Mccoy, and Granger(if he gets his crap together) plus Beal and some other young guys to form possibly the best DL in the BIg 12, now if we get Lofton back our LB group will once again be a strength and we most likely get Reggie back to go with Lendy and Franks to solidify our secondary.

The only question marks we really have are if some guys go pro and at kicker/punter. Our schedule is good enough that if we win out or just have 1 loss we are likely in the Title game, I don't know about you guys but I am already tired of waiting for the Cincinnati game and the possibly Great season that waits on us as we go for our 3rd straight Conference Championship!!!

[TXBOOMER]

Win out yes. 1 loss, not to sure. Should be fun to watch.

[aero]

nice post, Collier. I can't wait till next year. Those win totals are sterling for any program. I, too, am disappointed but we did pretty well this year with a young team. The possibilities were there and we didn't seem to grab them but overall a pretty good year with a bright future.

[bstuff1979]

"The only question marks we really have are if some guys go pro and at kicker/punter."

- Jimmy Stevens (Heritage Hall, OKC) is the incoming kicker, though I'm not sure if he'll punt as well. As for his kicking, I've seen more than my share of Heritage Hall games over the past four years (for that matter, I've seen more than my fare share of games regardless of the team) and that guy can flat out kick. He's currently the holder of the national record for fg's in a career. He's not the biggest guy, but his range is unreal. In high school, he was kicking 50yd + with real consistency.

[cvsooner]

Maybe our biggest BCS problems is we shouldn't play schools with three initials: USC, LSU, BSU, WVU..

'cept WSU and FSU kinda screw that idea up, don't they? Well, I thought I had it. :)

[bstuff1979]

Maybe our biggest BCS problems is we shouldn't play schools with three initials: USC, LSU, BSU, WVU..

'cept WSU and FSU kinda screw that idea up, don't they? Well, I thought I had it. :)

Two of those teams just flat out whooped "our" butts (usc, W.Virginia-though Granger/Holmes/Kelly/Iglasias/Smith/Murray had a hand). Two teams faced a flat Sooner squad (LSU, BSU). Two teams got their heads handed to them by OU. All in all, pretty even. Next year, Stoops breaks above .500 against the Fla./Uga winner (if unscathed through the regular season) or usc if OU hits a bump or two (if tOsu is in the title game, which is as reasonable guess as any at this point. The Rose can't throw a hissy fit two years in a row and expect to get away with it).

[cheezyq]

Since 2000,
This is what our win total has looked like: 13, 11, 12, 12, 12, 8, 11, 11

And yet some of you cant even be happy with that, its one thing to be disappointed in our play and the outcome, its another to be irrational.

This is the same line of reasoning that keeps Mack Brown at UT. Just sayin'.

:D

[Collier11]

"The only question marks we really have are if some guys go pro and at kicker/punter."

- Jimmy Stevens (Heritage Hall, OKC) is the incoming kicker, though I'm not sure if he'll punt as well. As for his kicking, I've seen more than my share of Heritage Hall games over the past four years (for that matter, I've seen more than my fare share of games regardless of the team) and that guy can flat out kick. He's currently the holder of the national record for fg's in a career. He's not the biggest guy, but his range is unreal. In high school, he was kicking 50yd + with real consistency.


yea I know who he is, Heritage Hall was in my HS's district for many years. He had a bad senior year % wise but I think it was cus they let him kick so many 40 and 50 yarders to let him try and break the record

[Collier11]

This is the same line of reasoning that keeps Mack Brown at UT. Just sayin'.

:D


not really, Stoops has won 5 big 12 titles and played in 6 bcs games, Mack has had two good years that wouldnt have happened without VY

[Redgiant2]

IF BV and BJW can magically learn to teach fundamentals and discipline in pass coverage it could be a banner year. If not, look for more woopsie games.

[Octavian]

....were picked behind Texas...


true.



...Two straight Big 12 Titles when Texas was the Fav...


true.



...we b*tch slapped okie state again.


true.



This wasn't even supposed to be our year and yet we were within an injury to SB of playing for a Natl Title with a Freshman QB...


true.



....next year really could and should be OU's Year!!


agreed.


And that's whats so frustrating.


No other team in our conference would switch places with us this year.


And probably no other team in our conference would switch places with us for next year.


That's what makes another bad BCS loss so unbelievable. We've just gotta fix our bowl/away-from-Norman preparation and be stronger on the road. The talent is there.

[Octavian]

IF BV and BJW can magically learn to teach fundamentals and discipline in pass coverage it could be a banner year. If not, look for more woopsie games.


That just doesn't make sense. At times this year our defense was gangbuster. At other times it was awful....same with the offense. And generally, both units simultaneously played good or bad.


This year was all about us. We played well several times and won handily. We played above-average a few times and won anyway.


We didn't show up and were 1-3 (the lone win in Ames).


That means it wasn't a lack of fundamental or schematic teaching/comprehension but a critical lack of consistency in gameday mental preparation, poise, and execution. That's a joint failure of the coaches and the players.


With our talent-rich roster, it was all about heart and desire and we simply didn't show it all year. All 4 flop games were away from Norman. Stoops and Co. just have to fix it.

[soonermeteor]

Some of you already expressed my opinions.... its GREAT that we have had so many wins, 5 big 12 championships and that we own Texas.... but thats exactly why we shouldn't be 2-4 in BCS games. We're better than this, and everyone knows it. I started hearing "chokelahoma" after the Orange bowl debacle, and I tried to push it out of my mind. I'm running out of ways to defend against it now. :(

[Monster Zero]

IF BV and BJW can magically learn to teach fundamentals and discipline in pass coverage it could be a banner year. If not, look for more woopsie games.
I hate to say it, but the "tendency" to take a whipping in BCS games isn't going to change until there's some kind of change in Norman. As someone else around here pointed out, the last time we went to a BCS game and didn't lose was when Nate Hybl was QB.

I don't like saying it, because we're talking about decent guys with families and kids, but it's the truth.

[usmc-sooner]

normally I agree with you Collier but OU was favored in every single game, including Texas, Colorado, Tech, and WVa.

The reason people had us low before the season started because there was no telling how an unproven QB would play. He could have been horrible.

So we didn't over achieve, we underachieved like I said we were favored in Vegas in every game.

For the life of me I can't comprehend why someone would come out and say well back in June of last year people didn't know we had a good QB so it's ok that we lost to teams that we were better than. We should be happy.

[Collier11]

normally I agree with you Collier but OU was favored in every single game, including Texas, Colorado, Tech, and WVa.

The reason people had us low before the season started because there was no telling how an unproven QB would play. He could have been horrible.

So we didn't over achieve, we underachieved like I said we were favored in Vegas in every game.

For the life of me I can't comprehend why someone would come out and say well back in June of last year people didn't know we had a good QB so it's ok that we lost to teams that we were better than. We should be happy.


Im not saying it is ok that we lost and got our butts whipped against a team we should have beaten, I still feel like we underachieved with the way SB turned out at QB. What I am saying is while we had a couple of major disappointments this year including SB getting hurt and costing us a shot at the MNC, we did do better than most thought and had a pretty darn good year and some OU fans act like we went 6-6.

[kingsby]

The problem is and the problem will always be the defense gives up big plays and can not stop people when the game is on the line.This has been the characteristic of the sooners since M. Stoops left; yes I am sure you can come up with exceptions like (Mizzou, Texas). However think of T-Tech this year; the problem was not Sam Bradford going out of the game. It was the defense giving up 30+ points.

Sure the team can go undefeated, play for a championship, etc. etc.; but I would not take those odds with a defense that is likely to give up 40+ points in 2 or 3 games every season. Until that changes the future will look like the present.

[OUmillenium]

Great posts ^

[SoonerLB]

The defense is giving up a few big plays, but I see the problem as a weak offense. Other teams don't seem to be one bit skeered of our offense because it is so vanilla they love it! On paper we look frightening, but on the field we don't. Maybe it's just me, but I would like to see an offense that is exciting, and not so predictable. We have great athletes, give 'em a chance to shine! A bunch of points on our side of the board would be the best boost to the defense.

[Redgiant2]

That just doesn't make sense. At times this year our defense was gangbuster. At other times it was awful....same with the offense. And generally, both units simultaneously played good or bad.


This year was all about us. We played well several times and won handily. We played above-average a few times and won anyway.


We didn't show up and were 1-3 (the lone win in Ames).


That means it wasn't a lack of fundamental or schematic teaching/comprehension but a critical lack of consistency in gameday mental preparation, poise, and execution. That's a joint failure of the coaches and the players.


With our talent-rich roster, it was all about heart and desire and we simply didn't show it all year. All 4 flop games were away from Norman. Stoops and Co. just have to fix it.

Well, no offense, but I don't care if that doesn't make sense to you because it is the flat blatant truth. Sit down and watch them. If you can honestly tell me you know what to look for and can point out to me how what they do is not a complete and total lack of fundamentals and discipline I'm all ears. You think because everyone doesn't beat them that the games they win they are "gangbusters"? That just ain't so. They make the same mistakes in those games too but teams aren't able to always capitalize or take advantage of it because of personnel. WV knew what people were doing to them all year. They just so happened to put it all together and had the athletes to make it all work. The run force let's a receiver slip right past him like he wasn't even there. Slow to scrape to the outside by the linebackers. Corners that can't cover there own butts with a blanket for more than a half-second. These are the same problems over and over again. Sometimes their athleticism makes up for it, sometimes not (KSU, USC, WV, TT, CU, BSU).

I said this was gonna happen after the CU game because of the way they were playing. I guess I didn't know what I was talking about eh???

[CU Sooner]

The problem is and the problem will always be the defense gives up big plays and can not stop people when the game is on the line.This has been the characteristic of the sooners since M. Stoops left; yes I am sure you can come up with exceptions like (Mizzou, Texas). However think of T-Tech this year; the problem was not Sam Bradford going out of the game. It was the defense giving up 30+ points.

Sure the team can go undefeated, play for a championship, etc. etc.; but I would not take those odds with a defense that is likely to give up 40+ points in 2 or 3 games every season. Until that changes the future will look like the present.


Apparently you have selective memory, too. 01 and 02 MNC's were lost due to breakdowns in the defense. Guess what? MS was there too. Face it 2000 was magical, it will come around again, just be patient and enjoy what we have now. I remeber the 90's and the early 80's, it all comes back around. We have 7 national titles only one other team has more. So quit your complaining every year we don't win it all. The year will come when everything falls into place and next year looks as good as any.
BOOMER!:)

[kingsby]

Apparently you have selective memory, too. 01 and 02 MNC's were lost due to breakdowns in the defense.

Not sure what MNCs OU was involved with in 01 and 02. In 01 OU did not play in the MNC because they lost to OSU and Nebraska.

Lost to Neb 20 - 10
Lost to OSU 16 - 13

Pretty good defensive showing wouldn't you say.

[CU Sooner]

Go ahead and forget the am game where we got beat deep continuously and the losur game the following year. Those games cost us a chance to play in the MNC. Thanks for proving my point.

[CU Sooner]

My bad on 01, defense was ok but 02 the defense did cost us and Mike was there. O3 was kstate, so all I'm saying is this stuff never happened when Mike was here is bunch of crap.

[Collier11]

agreed