Okie35
1/7/2009, 07:41 PM
Reporting from Fort Lauderdale, Fla. -- Utah State ranks 97th nationally in pass defense, followed by the team playing Florida on Thursday for the national title, followed by Marshall at No. 99.
Movie sequel idea set in Norman, Okla.: "We are almost Marshall?"
Take your free shots at the Oklahoma Sooners' secondary . . . before Florida quarterback Tim Tebow does.
It's easy to joke about Oklahoma's defense because . . . it is one.
Someone has to come to Oklahoma's defense . . . because the Sooners certainly don't play any.
Barry Switzer's great Oklahoma defenses of the 1970s featured the Selmon brothers . . . this year's unit has more of a Lehman Brothers look.
OK, enough is enough.
It's not easy painting a positive Florida sunrise when dissecting one of the more offensive defenses to take the field in a Bowl Championship Series title game.
Oklahoma gives up 24.5 points a game, the highest average ever for a school seeking a BCS crown.
The Sooners' defense allows opponents an average of 359 yards a game, ranking 63rd nationally.
Kansas State, which ended up firing its coach, put 35 points on the Sooners.
Historical note: The Oklahoma team that won it all at the Orange Bowl after the 2000 season allowed Florida State a safety in a 13-2 title-game win.
This BCS title game boasts two of the most prolific offenses of college football's modern era, an aggressive young Florida defense and 11 Oklahoma traffic cones.
"I wouldn't have it any other way," Oklahoma linebacker Travis Lewis said. "I love the fact we're underdogs. I love the fact people expect us to just lay down to these guys. . . . You get tired about people dissing on our defense, like everybody is. We're going to show up, I guarantee you that. We would like to think that they're going to score zero. We do have a defense and we're going to prove it."
The anger, like sludge, is oozing out of Oklahoma defensive players.
Want to see defensive back Nic Harris bristle? Ask him how Oklahoma is going to slow down Florida's option offense.
Ever seen anything like it in the history of mankind?
"Texas runs it," Harris said.
What about Florida's speed?
Harris: "We got fast guys in our conference."
What about all those Florida guys who run 10.01 in the 100 meters?
"This ain't track," Harris said, "this is football."
Oklahoma defensive back Dominique Franks hit a breaking point when he said the Sooners give up a lot of points because they go up against superior offenses. He said Tebow would be the fourth-best quarterback in the Big 12.
"Other conferences don't have what we face," he said.
Franks' comments, to be frank, cannot be dismissed.
In no other sport are numbers more misleading, and sometimes meaningless.
To paraphrase Benjamin Disraeli, there are lies, damn lies and NCAA college football statistics.
With 120 teams of vastly disparate abilities and styles, and many of those schools playing nonconference games against lower-level competition, the numbers can become screwy-skewed.
Is the leading rusher in the country really the best runner if he ran up his numbers in the Sun Belt Conference?
Penn State got to count 66 points against Coastal Carolina in its scoring average.
That's like Boston Red Sox batters getting credit for exhibition home runs against triple-A Pawtucket.
Maybe, put in a proper context, Oklahoma's defense isn't sewer rot.
The Sooners had to stop major offenses in the Big 12, a pass-happy conference that boasted five of the nation's top 10 units.
Opposing Big 12 quarterbacks who let it loose against Oklahoma -- Colt McCoy, Zac Robinson, Graham Harrell, Chase Daniel, Joe Ganz and Todd Reesing -- combined to throw 198 touchdown passes this season.
Oklahoma played 10 of the nation's top 50 in total offense and nine of the top 50 in scoring.
The Sooners' offense was so dominant, averaging 54 points a game, many points against the defense were scored after games were decided.
Oklahoma led Washington, 34-0, at the half. Who cares that the Sooners gave up two second-half scores in a 55-14 rout?
Oklahoma led Nebraska, 35-0, in a game that ended up 62-28. Nebraska pushed across a touchdown with 21 seconds left. So what?
Oklahoma still finished with an average scoring margin of 29.5 points.
"Points were scored," Harris concedes. "But the only thing that mattered was how many points did we have at the end of the game, especially when we had more than the opposing team?"
Oklahoma's defense was terrific in some areas. The Sooners are third in the nation with 42 sacks and are 16th against the run, allowing opponents an average of only 106 yards a game.
"Our defense has scored, or set up, 154 points this year," defensive coordinator Brent Venables noted.
If Florida had to face Big 12 quarterbacks every week instead of Southeastern Conference throwers, would the Gators' defense be No. 8 in the country?
Who knows?
What do any of these numbers mean?
Oklahoma had some key injuries and had to shuffle guys around. The Sooners lost middle linebacker Ryan Reynolds in October to a season-ending knee injury.
"It's not about how you start, it's not about the middle of the season, it's how you finish," Harris said. "I'm pretty sure we're coming out with the win. All the critics will be silenced. All the stats will go down the drain."
Read into figures what you want.
If the Sooners' defense can slow down Tebow and keep Florida's speed racers from making NASCAR turns around the edges, Oklahoma will win.
If the Sooners don't, well, Florida will do a number on them.
http://www.latimes.com/sports/printedition/la-sp-dufresne7-2009jan07,0,111714.column
Hey, it is long but worth a read. I highlighted the key points.
Movie sequel idea set in Norman, Okla.: "We are almost Marshall?"
Take your free shots at the Oklahoma Sooners' secondary . . . before Florida quarterback Tim Tebow does.
It's easy to joke about Oklahoma's defense because . . . it is one.
Someone has to come to Oklahoma's defense . . . because the Sooners certainly don't play any.
Barry Switzer's great Oklahoma defenses of the 1970s featured the Selmon brothers . . . this year's unit has more of a Lehman Brothers look.
OK, enough is enough.
It's not easy painting a positive Florida sunrise when dissecting one of the more offensive defenses to take the field in a Bowl Championship Series title game.
Oklahoma gives up 24.5 points a game, the highest average ever for a school seeking a BCS crown.
The Sooners' defense allows opponents an average of 359 yards a game, ranking 63rd nationally.
Kansas State, which ended up firing its coach, put 35 points on the Sooners.
Historical note: The Oklahoma team that won it all at the Orange Bowl after the 2000 season allowed Florida State a safety in a 13-2 title-game win.
This BCS title game boasts two of the most prolific offenses of college football's modern era, an aggressive young Florida defense and 11 Oklahoma traffic cones.
"I wouldn't have it any other way," Oklahoma linebacker Travis Lewis said. "I love the fact we're underdogs. I love the fact people expect us to just lay down to these guys. . . . You get tired about people dissing on our defense, like everybody is. We're going to show up, I guarantee you that. We would like to think that they're going to score zero. We do have a defense and we're going to prove it."
The anger, like sludge, is oozing out of Oklahoma defensive players.
Want to see defensive back Nic Harris bristle? Ask him how Oklahoma is going to slow down Florida's option offense.
Ever seen anything like it in the history of mankind?
"Texas runs it," Harris said.
What about Florida's speed?
Harris: "We got fast guys in our conference."
What about all those Florida guys who run 10.01 in the 100 meters?
"This ain't track," Harris said, "this is football."
Oklahoma defensive back Dominique Franks hit a breaking point when he said the Sooners give up a lot of points because they go up against superior offenses. He said Tebow would be the fourth-best quarterback in the Big 12.
"Other conferences don't have what we face," he said.
Franks' comments, to be frank, cannot be dismissed.
In no other sport are numbers more misleading, and sometimes meaningless.
To paraphrase Benjamin Disraeli, there are lies, damn lies and NCAA college football statistics.
With 120 teams of vastly disparate abilities and styles, and many of those schools playing nonconference games against lower-level competition, the numbers can become screwy-skewed.
Is the leading rusher in the country really the best runner if he ran up his numbers in the Sun Belt Conference?
Penn State got to count 66 points against Coastal Carolina in its scoring average.
That's like Boston Red Sox batters getting credit for exhibition home runs against triple-A Pawtucket.
Maybe, put in a proper context, Oklahoma's defense isn't sewer rot.
The Sooners had to stop major offenses in the Big 12, a pass-happy conference that boasted five of the nation's top 10 units.
Opposing Big 12 quarterbacks who let it loose against Oklahoma -- Colt McCoy, Zac Robinson, Graham Harrell, Chase Daniel, Joe Ganz and Todd Reesing -- combined to throw 198 touchdown passes this season.
Oklahoma played 10 of the nation's top 50 in total offense and nine of the top 50 in scoring.
The Sooners' offense was so dominant, averaging 54 points a game, many points against the defense were scored after games were decided.
Oklahoma led Washington, 34-0, at the half. Who cares that the Sooners gave up two second-half scores in a 55-14 rout?
Oklahoma led Nebraska, 35-0, in a game that ended up 62-28. Nebraska pushed across a touchdown with 21 seconds left. So what?
Oklahoma still finished with an average scoring margin of 29.5 points.
"Points were scored," Harris concedes. "But the only thing that mattered was how many points did we have at the end of the game, especially when we had more than the opposing team?"
Oklahoma's defense was terrific in some areas. The Sooners are third in the nation with 42 sacks and are 16th against the run, allowing opponents an average of only 106 yards a game.
"Our defense has scored, or set up, 154 points this year," defensive coordinator Brent Venables noted.
If Florida had to face Big 12 quarterbacks every week instead of Southeastern Conference throwers, would the Gators' defense be No. 8 in the country?
Who knows?
What do any of these numbers mean?
Oklahoma had some key injuries and had to shuffle guys around. The Sooners lost middle linebacker Ryan Reynolds in October to a season-ending knee injury.
"It's not about how you start, it's not about the middle of the season, it's how you finish," Harris said. "I'm pretty sure we're coming out with the win. All the critics will be silenced. All the stats will go down the drain."
Read into figures what you want.
If the Sooners' defense can slow down Tebow and keep Florida's speed racers from making NASCAR turns around the edges, Oklahoma will win.
If the Sooners don't, well, Florida will do a number on them.
http://www.latimes.com/sports/printedition/la-sp-dufresne7-2009jan07,0,111714.column
Hey, it is long but worth a read. I highlighted the key points.