Coaching Changes

[cobrapilot]

Stoops is my choice to be the sooners coach till he decides to leave. I do not think there is anyone better.

However, I think Bob has fallen into the Mack Brown loyalty trap keeping people in their jobs till they leave on their terms.

It looks like this year that Mack finally grew a pair and got rid of coaches allowing him to bring in Muschamps, and the Major.

Why does Bob keep Bobby Jack Wright where he is (He failed at texas as dc and he failed at OU...he is a great recruiter in texas) so why not create a position like mack did and let bobby jack be in charge of hs player and coach relations.

Venables at times good, at times terrible...it has not been the same since Mile left. Does Venables need to go? Will Mike ever come back if he gets the boot at arizona? If not, who do we need as DC.

Offense, at times we are imaginative, and aggressive, at other times everyone watching knows the play. whats up with that.

Finally what happened to the Bob who ran fake punts on his own 37 yd line, the Bob who ran fake FG's against Missouri, the waterboy play.. the wr in motion taking handoffs from the qb under center. The trap plays that killed Texas

Comments???

[KantoSooner]

I think that some guidance can be taken from Jack Welch's style of running GE. He used to tell his stud managers to think of GE not as a career but as a resume booster. In other words, they weren't going to be there long.

Bob has done a pretty good job turning OU into a coaching factory.

As painful as it will likely be, on a personal level, he needs to encourage Venables to polish his resume, hard, with a couple of awesome seasons.

Too much comfort is not good for performance.

[Curly Bill]

As painful as it will likely be, on a personal level, he needs to encourage Venables to polish his resume, hard, with a couple of awesome seasons.

...or he could just fire his ***! :D

[goingoneight]

Stoops is my choice to be the sooners coach till he decides to leave. I do not think there is anyone better.

His record this decade would support saying he's one of the best, I agree.


However, I think Bob has fallen into the Mack Brown loyalty trap keeping people in their jobs till they leave on their terms.

Respectfully honest, this is nonsense. We may not have the best ever at OU, but any coach we can right now will have another job before we find his replacement. NTM, we were a few bad breaks away from playing for the crystal football with a RS Fr. QB on a year when OUr defense was supposed to be "rebuilding." We have a very solid staff that just hasn't gotten the breaks the last few National Champs have gotten.


It looks like this year that Mack finally grew a pair and got rid of coaches allowing him to bring in Muschamps, and the Major.

We consistently have ranked defenses and effective offenses, and Mack is always changing hands. No VY, no MNC for :mack:... can you honestly say without one player that we wouldn't have made an MNC game under Stoops?


Why does Bob keep Bobby Jack Wright where he is (He failed at texas as dc and he failed at OU...he is a great recruiter in texas) so why not create a position like mack did and let bobby jack be in charge of hs player and coach relations.

He has not failed here. And the "recruiting Texas" comment should have been a huge part of the answer you're looking for. Take a look at the last two coaches OU fans were screaming for Stoops to fire. Mr. Mangino just won a BCS Bowl at one of the most difficult jobs in college football and Mr. Pelini only put together a defense that *doesn't* choke in BCS games. Once again, that's not on the heads of the coaches... it's attitude, preparation, getting the cards to fall your way and being just flat-out better all at the same time.


Venables at times good, at times terrible...it has not been the same since Mile left.

How would one even know if a DC is "at times good, at times terrible?" He does the same thing every game, he gets involved signals the defense according to his booth help, which varies with the opponent. Look, I know that Bob Stoops is good and John Blake is terrible, but it doesn't just fluctuate like that with one guy. The idea is just off completely.


Does Venables need to go?

No. Think twice before you cut a guy who's been very successful for ten years at Oklahoma and has a National Championship to his credit.


Will Mike ever come back if he gets the boot at Arizona?

I won't say it's impossible, but there are a lot of people who are still high on what Mike can do and is capable of. Besides, you don't just demote your current staff if brother Mike needs a job. Knowing Mike like many of us do from his media relations (all we have to judge him by really), I don't think he'll play second fiddle when he could go be a full-time DC somewhere or get another HC job. And FWIW, Arizona fans aren't exactly delusional or demanding of reaching the promised land. I'll bet you if Mike goes 8-4 next year, he gets a raise and a whole lot of sunshine pumped his way. Think about how the OSU fans were when :les: beat us pre-Boone's donation. They were happy with a win against big brother and a bowl game. Same in AZ.


If not, who do we need as DC?

I don't think we *need* any staff changes. We always seem to have a great defense regardless of whatever "rebuilding" we have to do. We don't have two Pro-Bowl athletes and a handful of All-Americans in OUr defensive backfield anymore, so I'd say we're doing great with what we do have. There's a reason people say guys like Tommie Harris and TRRW were among the greatest ever, and it has very little to do with Mike Stoops. He might have been a good coach and motivator, but that's like giving Pat Jones credit for Barry Sanders. OUr early Stoops teams were just flat-out more talented and undoubtedly more hungry than the most recent.


Offense, at times we are imaginative, and aggressive, at other times everyone watching knows the play. Whats up with that?

OUr offense is designed to take what the defense gives you and we play possession football out of an offense that prepares players for the next level. There's a reason you don't see the "wild hog" formation in the NFL. OUr offense is no different than what any given NFL team runs with. And TBH, we've won a lot of games in recent years based on OUr ability to manage the game.


Finally, what happened to the Bob who ran fake punts on his own 37 yd line, the Bob who ran fake FG's against Missouri, the waterboy play.. the wr in motion taking handoffs from the qb under center. The trap plays that killed Texas.

Uh, he ran an on-sides kick against WVU. He goes for it on 4th down more often than most fans are comfortable with going for it. He ran a fake FG in Lincoln just for the sake of momentum and risked his kicker's health. Look, if those early Stoops gambles failed, OU fans would have been screaming a long time ago when Alabama got the ball 1st and 10 inside the 30 on their home field. And we did run a few gadget plays this year... we kinda sucked at them. A few "wild hog" formations with Murray that went for a grand total of squat, an end-around pass-play from Manuel Johnson badly under-thrown to a wide open Malcom Kelly, double reverses against Missouri and that little thing Sam Bradford constantly burned defenses with called "play-action."

Comments???[/QUOTE]

Comments are we're okay and no one needs to have their rope cut because God forbid we lost three games, one which was a result of losing OUr QB for the entirity of the game on the road. I know this is mostly about the absence of Mike Stoops so I'll reiterate that Mike Stoops's defenses got a LOT of lucky breaks back in their day you could only call "Sooner magic."

1. TRRW's "Superman" play was a nice forced-fumble, but how lucky do you have to get to have the ball hit a 300lb guy in the hands in the endzone to seal a game against your arch rival? About as lucky as Mack Brown got catching us on an off-year in 2005 which paved the way for him to get into the Rose Bowl.

2. Blake Ferguson's first-down pass-play was nothing more than a coach putting all his chips and possibly his job on the line. When it works, it's bastard genius. When it fails, someone needs to be fired, right?

3. OUr 2000 team that everyone praises was a 100% team effort that had nothing to do with the genius of Bob Stoops or the resume of Mike Stoops, etc. OUr offense bailed us out a lot when OUr defense got burnt and OUr defense stepped up when it needed to. OUr opponents didn't respect us until it was too late, FSU was short an All-American WR on the MNC game night, Beasley couldn't hit water if he fell out of a boat in cold weather, etc. Great coaching job, historic title run, but you can't ignore the facts that we had the "luck of the Irish" everyone can't stand seeing someone else having. No injuries, no suspensions, ball flew OUr way, every week we had an underdog mentality with disrespect running rampant in OUr direction. We got about as lucky in retrospect as :les: got at times during his title run. Just so happens OUr teams was lightyears better with the resume to prove it.

[cvsooner]

goingoneight has the post of the year, right here.

[Collier11]

Stoops is my choice to be the sooners coach till he decides to leave. I do not think there is anyone better.

Im sure Coach Stoops is glad that he has your permission to stay around

However, I think Bob has fallen into the Mack Brown loyalty trap keeping people in their jobs till they leave on their terms.

It looks like this year that Mack finally grew a pair and got rid of coaches allowing him to bring in Muschamps, and the Major.

I somewhat agree but am not for firing anyone yet, I would rather see some schematic changes on D


Offense, at times we are imaginative, and aggressive, at other times everyone watching knows the play. whats up with that.

we are only imaginative and creative against lesser teams then we try to overpower GOOD teams and cant do it, why I dont know


Finally what happened to the Bob who ran fake punts on his own 37 yd line, the Bob who ran fake FG's against Missouri, the waterboy play.. the wr in motion taking handoffs from the qb under center. The trap plays that killed Texas

Comments???


I would like to see gunslinger Bob a little more but nothing crazy, all this about Mike is retarded. If you go back and look at the records Mike had some bad games too, obviously BV's bad games have been on a bigger stage but alot of it has to do with our D being on the field too much cus of the Off

[Collier11]

posted twice

[JLEW1818]

You know who we need a DC BOB STOOPS!!!!!!

[Collier11]

I wouldnt be surprised and ive said it on here before that Stoops might take on more of a behind the scenes role with the Def

[Curly Bill]

I wouldnt be surprised and ive said it on here before that Stoops might take on more of a behind the scenes role with the Def

...but what does that say about our current DC that Bob might have to do this? We are OU, we should be able to have a DC that can do the job.

...so no, in total I don't think that BV is getting the job done, not that he or anyone else cares what I think. :D

[Collier11]

...but what does that say about our current DC that Bob might have to do this? We are OU, we should be able to have a DC that can do the job.

...so no, in total I don't think that BV is getting the job done, not that he or anyone else cares what I think. :D


im just saying in the sense that we change up our schemes on his order, not that he is going to secretly take over def coord duties

[Curly Bill]

im just saying in the sense that we change up our schemes on his order, not that he is going to secretly take over def coord duties

I see what you're saying...

...but can we still can BV anyway? :D

[KingDavid]

I think BV is a great Coach and everyone here would be in agreement if it weren't for ONE game this year: WVA. During that game we were missing:


Auston English: arguably the best DE in the conference
Reggie Smith: arguably the best CB in the conference
Demarcus Granger: certainly one of the top 5 best DT's in the conference, &
Lendy Holmes: FT starter for the entire year; Now add to that . . .
Two premier All-big XII offensive starters (Kelly, Murray) that if present, would have helped keep our defense off the field for at least 5-10 more minutes.Good night. That's 4 starters, of which 3 were all big XII. Plus two more All-big XII offensive starters. There's not a DC in the world that overcomes those odds but 1 in 10 games, and that would be sheer luck.

If it weren't for a sour note with WVA, BV has, by all accounts and comparative measures, a banner year.

If it's not broke, don't fix it. We're blessed to have BV.

If anyone needs to go (or get moved to a different position), it would have to be Bobbie Jack Wright who's not been able to stabalize the secondary, yet. I think if continue to struggle there next year, we'll probably see some changes on that front.

[Curly Bill]

I think BV is a great Coach and everyone here would be in agreement if it weren't for ONE game this year: WVA.


I disagree :D ...so, not everyone. ;)

I would have been more then willing to see him make an exit before this year ever began.

[Curly Bill]

If anyone needs to go (or get moved to a different position), it would have to be Bobbie Jack Wright who's not been able to stabalize the secondary, yet. I think if continue to struggle there next year, we'll probably see some changes on that front.

I agree on the first part of this.

I do not however have any faith that we will make a change should he continue to not do his job very well.

[JLEW1818]

Bob should pull a Pete Caroll and take over as head DC. I think it would let the D get closer to the head coach. Therefore make them feel more comfortable on the field. Just a thought, not saying it would be the best choice. A Stoops needs the job.

[KingDavid]

I disagree :D ...so, not everyone. ;)

I would have been more then willing to see him make an exit before this year ever began.

So if the D holds WVA to it's season averages for points, yards, etc., you still want him canned? That just doesn't seem rational to me.

But assuming you would want him fired, I'd be very interested to hear what standards you would find acceptable for our next DC.

[Collier11]

So if the D holds WVA to it's season averages for points, yards, etc., you still want him canned? That just doesn't seem rational to me.

But assuming you would want him fired, I'd be very interested to hear what standards you would find acceptable for our next DC.


Exactly, look at this...Of the Top 10 teams in the final poll, here are the point totals over 30 they gave up at some point during the season

LSU 43, 50, 34
UGA 35, 30, 34
USC 31
Mizzou 34, 41, 32, 38
Ohio st 38
WVU 31
KU 39, 36
OU 31, 34, 48
BC 42, 30
Va Tech 48

So, of all the teams that had the best shot at a Natl title, they all gave up more than 30 pts at sometime during the year, and only 4 teams held teams under 30 in all but one game. The point is that offenses are evolving and we are at a point in time where offenses are alot better, so it isnt necessarily always the Def Coord fault.

Case in point with OU, we gave up more than 30 three times

Mizzou top 10 offense and they scored their final td with less than a minute in a blowout game
Tech- We lose our stud qb and decide to try and throw the ball all over the place, this is more the off coord fault and coach Stoops than BV

WV we cut the lead to 20-15 and then we ran out of gas

[cobrapilot]

Hey, Bob doesnt have to ask me anything. Im just stating my observations and getting opinions.

Yep you are right, we are a coaching factory. Leach, Mangino, Mike, Long, Pelini etal.

[Curly Bill]

So if the D holds WVA to it's season averages for points, yards, etc., you still want him canned? That just doesn't seem rational to me.

But assuming you would want him fired, I'd be very interested to hear what standards you would find acceptable for our next DC.

If BV had set the world on fire this year, or even gotten the defense to perform to the level that our supposed talent indicates it should, then no I would not at this time be in favor of his getting canned.

I would be in favor of our next DC, and that ain't happenin because Bob is loyal perhaps to a fault, getting our players to play to what the talent level indicates they should. It is my feeling that the OU defense has consistently underperformed during the BV tenure, and yes I know we can point to games like againt Mizzu in the CCG were he did very well, but for consistently having our D ready to play up to OU standards I think he has been fail.

[Ash]

If BV had set the world on fire this year, or even gotten the defense to perform to the level that our supposed talent indicates it should, then no I would not at this time be in favor of his getting canned.

I would be in favor of our next DC, and that ain't happenin because Bob is loyal perhaps to a fault, getting our players to play to what the talent level indicates they should. It is my feeling that the OU defense has consistently underperformed during the BV tenure, and yes I know we can point to games like againt Mizzu in the CCG were he did very well, but for consistently having our D ready to play up to OU standards I think he has been fail.

Who, specifically, is out there that you'd like to see Bob hire as DC?

[JohnnyMack]

Who, specifically, is out there that you'd like to see Bob hire as DC?

Rommel. Erwin Rommel.

[Curly Bill]

Who, specifically, is out there that you'd like to see Bob hire as DC?

Hell, I could give up 48 to WVU just as easily as BV did, 27 to TT in a half, or 43 to BSU. :D

I like the argument though that peeps use: who else is out there? I don't know, but I'd be willing to give someone else a shot, even some up-and-comer....or we can stay on the path we're on: win 11 or 12 games a year, win more then our share of CCG's, but manage to have a let down or two during the year that keeps us out of the MNC game, and if we do get into a big bowl game we can lay another defensive egg. HEY, that's not terrible, and if we are fine with that then OK, it is just my opinion that our defense has not been as good as it should be. Once or twice lets call it happenstance, more then that I call it a pattern, and BV is in charge of the D, so.....

[Curly Bill]

Who, specifically, is out there that you'd like to see Bob hire as DC?

On second thought: given a month to prepare for WVU I think I could have held them to less then 48 points. :D

...and yes I know we had starters out...so I might have given up 28 or so, but not 48. ;)

[Ash]

Hell, I could give up 48 to WVU just as easily as BV did, 27 to TT in a half, or 43 to BSU. :D

I like the argument though that peeps use: who else is out there? I don't know, but I'd be willing to give someone else a shot, even some up-and-comer....or we can stay on the path we're on: win 11 or 12 games a year, win more then our share of CCG's, but manage to have a let down or two during the year that keeps us out of the MNC game, and if we do get into a big bowl game we can lay another defensive egg. HEY, that's not terrible, and if we are fine with that then OK, it is just my opinion that our defense has not been as good as it should be. Once or twice lets call it happenstance, more then that I call it a pattern, and BV is in charge of the D, so.....

I'm not using it as an argument. It's a serious question. You're one of the posters that is adamant about this, you seem to have given it some thought, if BV sucks there's got to be someone out there who's better in your mind that you'd like to see.

To me, this old discussion takes a more interesting turn when we start talking about actualities.

[Ash]

Rommel. Erwin Rommel.

You magnificent bastard! I read your book!

[Curly Bill]

I'm not using it as an argument. It's a serious question. You're one of the posters that is adamant about this, you seem to have given it some thought, if BV sucks there's got to be someone out there who's better in your mind that you'd like to see.

To me, this old discussion takes a more interesting turn when we start talking about actualities.

I didn't say he sucked, he's a fair to good defensive coordinator, he is not a first class defensive coordinator, or to put it another way: he's not up to the standards that OU needs. One example of this would be the lack of D-1 head coaching offers that have come his way.

As for who I would like to see replace him? Off the top of my head I honestly don't know. I just don't follow the coaching who's hot, who's not, carrousel closely enough to say. Like I said: I would not mind seeing some up-and-comer type, nor someone more established either. I'd rather see Phil Bennett for example then I would BV for another go around. Phil might not prove to be any better, but we already know that with BV we are going to see 2-4 games next year where our D looks like they haven't a clue.

* I'm not saying Phil Bennett would be my choice, just throwing him out as an example. If I do study the possibilities further I may come out with a real choice. :D

[ashley]

If our head coach thinks these guys are good coaches I will go with his evaluation over a fans every time especially since he evaluates their work every day from up close. He also knows that the reason for a player of certain group sometime looking bad is often not what meets the eye. Watching film and going to practice every day is quite different from watching the game on TV or even in person. Also, the philosophy of stopping the run first puts more pressure on the secondary than at most schools.

[Collier11]

I didn't say he sucked, he's a fair to good defensive coordinator, he is not a first class defensive coordinator, or to put it another way: he's not up to the standards that OU needs. One example of this would be the lack of D-1 head coaching offers that have come his way.



So are you certain he hasnt been asked to interview and has just turned them down? We really dont know this, I do know that he was apparently on the short list at Mizzou before they hired Pinkel

[wishbonesooner]

"But assuming you would want him fired, I'd be very interested to hear what standards you would find acceptable for our next DC."

I'd settle for not folding like a lawn chair against Oregon, Boise, TT and WVU when the game is on the line. In other words, how about we play like Oklahoma Sooner defense?

[Curly Bill]

So are you certain he hasnt been asked to interview and has just turned them down? We really dont know this, I do know that he was apparently on the short list at Mizzou before they hired Pinkel

All I know is he's still here. :(

[Curly Bill]

Also, the philosophy of stopping the run first puts more pressure on the secondary than at most schools.

This is everyone's philosophy. Our secondary has no more pressure on it then most other schools.

Show me a team that has a: we're gonna stop the pass first philosophy.

[Curly Bill]

So are you certain he hasnt been asked to interview and has just turned them down? We really dont know this, I do know that he was apparently on the short list at Mizzou before they hired Pinkel

I'm still waiting on the list of D-1 jobs that Venables has supposedly turned down according to another poster. I asked for the list months ago, so as soon as they get it to me I'll share it. ;)

[Curly Bill]

If our head coach likes these guys and are good friends I will go with his evaluation over a fans every time especially since he evaluates their work every day from up close. He also knows that the reason for a player of certain group sometime looking bad is often not what meets the eye. Watching film and going to practice every day is quite different from watching the game on TV or even in person. Also, the philosophy of stopping the run first puts more pressure on the secondary than at most schools.

FIXED

[BoulderSooner79]

"But assuming you would want him fired, I'd be very interested to hear what standards you would find acceptable for our next DC."

I'd settle for not folding like a lawn chair against Oregon, Boise, TT and WVU when the game is on the line. In other words, how about we play like Oklahoma Sooner defense?

I think people over estimate the talent we had on D this year. Watching USC, I think that Lofton was our only player on the front 7 that would have started for them. Maybe English on passing downs. Given we had good, but not great talent, I think BV did a good job if you look at the category rankings. It would have been nice to be a bit more consistent.

[Curly Bill]

It would have been nice to be a bit more consistent.

Part of his job is to have a consistent defense that comes to play and is prepared to defend whatever the offense throws at them. Given a month to prepare for WVU and we still did not look like we had a clue.

Like I've said: we are good for 2-4 defensive meltdowns a season as things are now situated.

edit...but if people are OK with that then who am I to protest?

[Collier11]

Part of his job is to have a consistent defense that comes to play and is prepared to defend whatever the offense throws at them. Given a month to prepare for WVU and we still did not look like we had a clue.

Like I've said: we are good for 2-4 defensive meltdowns a season as things are now situated.

edit...but if people are OK with that then who am I to protest?

I dont think anyone is ok with it and we all recognize that something scheme-wise needs to change, but go back and look at the numbers of the Top 10 teams Defenses that I posted in comparison and tell me who we could get that is better?

[Curly Bill]

I dont think anyone is ok with it and we all recognize that something scheme-wise needs to change, but go back and look at the numbers of the Top 10 teams Defenses that I posted in comparison and tell me who we could get that is better?

If I were a smart aleck, which I am usually, I would counter by saying: who could we get that would not be better?

Really though, like I said: I don't follow the who's up, who's down, of the coaching carrousel to know who'd be better. I just know I'm tired of watching those 2-4 meltdowns a year were our D appears to be clueless, and especially the bowl game debacles were given a month to prepare and we still look like we haven't been coached at all.

[Collier11]

go back to page 1 and look at my post, lsu gave up 50 one game, gave up over 40 twice...Offenses are taking over college fball, it is now time for Def coordinators to catch back up but to single out BV is rediculous, most every D coordinator in the country is struggling in a few games a year

[Curly Bill]

to single out BV is rediculous, most every D coordinator in the country is struggling in a few games a year

...but I don't care what those other guys are doing. :D

I just know that after years at the job I just don't think our guy is measuring up to OU standards...or maybe he is and then we have another problem.

...and I certainly don't think to call into question his job performance is ridiculous -- you give up 27 to TT in a half, 43 to BSU, and then follow that bowl debacle with one to the tune of giving up 48, then you've opened yourself up to some questioning.

[Collier11]

...but I don't care what those other guys are doing. :D

I just know that after years at the job I just don't think our guy is measuring up to OU standards...or maybe he is and then we have another problem.

...and I certainly don't think to call into question his job performance is ridiculous -- you give up 27 to TT in a half, 43 to BSU, and then follow that bowl debacle with one to the tune of giving up 48, then you've opened yourself up to some questioning.


to challenge his performance is fine, to act like anyone else could do such a job that the results would be that much different, well thats when I ask you to look at some of the other programs. I think the problem isnt his game planning or calling, we have a bad scheme that doesnt work anymore and I put it on Coach Stoops more than anyone to change up some things, especially our blitzes that rarely seem to work!

[JLEW1818]

I honestly think if Stoops stood up and took over at head DC we would be the most dominant. Obviously Stoops would take over if he wanted to, so I don't see it happening, just a thought though.

[ashley]

Very few put as much emphasis as we do. Check the stats.

[madillsoonerfan5353]

I disagree :D ...so, not everyone. ;)

I would have been more then willing to see him make an exit before this year ever began.

+1

[MojoRisen]

How about we hire Jerry Glanville to help BV out - I really think OU defense is kind of ATH but not real football Savvy minus a few players. I think we recruit speed and Athlete types as apposed to Football Beasts -

I think we have some good players coming up - Beal, Reid, Franklin, Washington - and a lot of projects. I know speed is as important as anything but I like Tenacity- Seems BV may over coach - I could be way wrong but seems he over corrects and confuses the players sometimes.

We are giving up to many points to the these teams not too make some changes and adjustments. Can an old dog learn new tricks? I hope so because BV is our best recruiter...

[Curly Bill]

Very few put as much emphasis as we do. Check the stats.

So can you break that down into percentages for me: I mean are we 80/20 stop run -v- pass, what is LSU 70/30, or how about USC are they 60/40. I would like to know how you have deducted that we are more serious about stopping the run then others are.

...and don't tell me stats, that could show we played teams with sorry running backs, that we played teams that didn't run much, in short it tells nothing at all about what our emphasis is on stopping.

"Check the stats" pffffttttt, yeah that'll nail it down. :rolleyes:

[Curly Bill]

How about we hire Jerry Glanville to help BV out - I really think OU defense is kind of ATH but not real football Savvy minus a few players. I think we recruit speed and Athlete types as apposed to Football Beasts -

I think we have some good players coming up - Beal, Reid, Franklin, Washington - and a lot of projects. I know speed is as important as anything but I like Tenacity- Seems BV may over coach - I could be way wrong but seems he over corrects and confuses the players sometimes.

We are giving up to many points to the these teams not too make some changes and adjustments. Can an old dog learn new tricks? I hope so because BV is our best recruiter...

Or himself :D

[ashley]

How do you guys get so smart without going to practice or watching film? I am serious, I would really like to know.
Please tell me.

[JohnnyMack]

How do you guys get so smart without going to practice or watching film? I am serious, I would really like to know.
Please tell me.

I have an IQ of like 250 or 251.

[KingDavid]

I'd settle for not folding like a lawn chair against Oregon, Boise, TT and WVU when the game is on the line. In other words, how about we play like Oklahoma Sooner defense?

Folding like a lawn-chair is pretty strong language, but let's just assume you're right. You've named 4 games out of the past two years - that's 28 games, total. Does that mean you'd say that he's had the defense ready to play 24/28 games or about 86% of the time? That's still pretty darn good, no? What standard are we looking for? 90%? 95%? Certainly not 100%, right? (Jesus for DC, anyone?).

But now, can we really fault BV and the D for TT and WVA? We've already discussed the hand we were dealt against WVA. It's assinine to even count that game in his evaluation. And TT - I would argue that we were on track, like usual, to humiliate the Red Raiders once again, until Bradford went down. It was 3 and out the first several series. And then we lose Bradford and get no support from the O for two quarters while Halzle gets his timing worked out. During that time, TT gets us off the field in 3 plays about a half dozen times in a row, and they get into a rythm (they would have against anyone if they start getting the ball back every forth play). But then look again in the fourth quarter after we start moving the ball again, and you'll see that we held them to next-to-nothing.

If you toss out those two games, you get 24/26 or 92% game-ready D, which brings me to the simple fact that the reason why all the "BV sucks-arse" folks are having a hard time naming a DC to replace him is that they're isn't a better one out there.

If you look at the general trend on BV from when he took over, I think what you see is that, sure, there was a drop off after Mike left; but from there, I think you see a great amount of improvement year over year - if you look at from the macro level. Or at least a steady amount.

Folks, we've got one of the best DC's in the whole nation. He's certainly in the top five. His best years are still ahead of him.

None of you have to worry about him being around here much longer because he'll be gone after we win our next MNC, which will be within 3 years. Probably next year if we can answer the bell at DB and LB.

[KantoSooner]

"Jesus for DC, anyone?"

That would be good. And maybe we could resurrect Genghiz Khan for OC.

I am a simple man, I simply want OU to win all of its games, going forward, by ever increasing margins. I am dead honest when I say that I could watch the Sooners beat Texas 900-0 and consider the 3 hours or so time very enjoyably spent.

[KingDavid]

"Jesus for DC, anyone?"

That would be good. And maybe we could resurrect Genghiz Khan for OC.

I am a simple man, I simply want OU to win all of its games, going forward, by ever increasing margins. I am dead honest when I say that I could watch the Sooners beat Texas 900-0 and consider the 3 hours or so time very enjoyably spent.

As long as we're dealing in hypotheticals, when do you think it would get old? I mean, let's say with commercials and play stopages, and with 900-0, there could be a few. What if it took 5 hours? 8? 12? Would you ever go home? Personally, I don't think I'd leave even if I had to sleep over in the Cotton bowl. I would stay. I might die of alcohol poisoning by about 1am, but I would stay. And honestly, that wouldn't be a bad way to go.



1971-Oct 8, 2008
Here lies Kind David
"with score OU 564 - TX 0 . . . it's time to go home."
R.I.P.

[goingoneight]

People need to realize how circumstantial a loss is. It's really never the same. You can generalize it all you want, but when you turn the ball over 5 times in game A, you're missing five starters in game B, you get screwed by the refs in games C and D, soemtimes no matter the coach you have a game E where everything just goes wrong and you don't show up to play...

If Bob Stoops or anyone who can even come close to Bob Stoops had a solution to win every single game or only drop one loss at most every season, don't you think we would have already? Mighty Mike Stoops gave up 31 points twice during the historic 2000 title run, but we had a collective team effort that bailed itself out of trouble from time to time. So what's the difference between that and the 28 that Brent Venables gave up in regulation in the Fiesta Bowl? Did Mike Stoops ever field a team without it's star S, DT, CB and DE? That's a Roy Williams, Tommie Harris, Derrick Strait and Teddy Lehman... I don't think even brother Mike could get out of that one.

We're doing the best with what we've got, we just haven't seen those lucky little breaks in recent years that National Champions do. Like making it a whole season without any injuries, tipped passes caught ala Woolfolk? against Nebraska 2000, Superman Roy Williams's pass break-up just-so-happened to fall into the belly of his DE in te endzoen to seal the game against his arch-rival, etc.

You know a truly great championship team when you see one. They always find a way out of trouble. And FWIW, we may not have won an MNC since 2000, but we've done a helluva lot more with less than any other program in the last decade IMHO. Do you really think USC would have made the MNC in 2004 or 2005 if Reggie Bush got hurt for 4 games like AD did in 2005? Do you really think Texas could win the MNC if Vince Young got kicked off the team? If you do, you're stupid, and that's all there is to it. No explanation other than favoritism and crying got the last two SEC teams in the big show against inevitably overrated Ohio State teams to begin with.

"Sooner Magic" hasn't exactly been on OUr sideline in recent years like it is when we have won it all. If it has, then Ian Johnson fumbles on the 2-point conversion, Garrett hartley's kick doesn't get blocked and soars through the uprights at Eugene and Mark Bradley's muffed punt goes out of bounds setting up a 95 yard TD drive against USC and possibly a better game outcome. Seriously, has anything in recent memory come even close to Torrance Marshall's lead-changing INT? Have we entered a bowl game at all that we weren't stereotyped Goliath in? No. But when someone runs their mouth and gets us ready to coach and play, we're the best out there. See 2007 BIG 12 CCG. Was there any team in CFB more dominant than us that night? Don't think so.