When does the league

[Collier11]

shift back to a defensive focus? I know the spread is the new fad these days and you cant argue with the success on offense but it does seem to hurt the defense, ive noticed it with OU as our ppg allowed has steadily gone up over the past few years. I think it is inevitable, they can definitely co-exist to an extent but not to the extent of the Big 12 offenses I dont think

[MojoRisen]

We could always run Calhoun straight up the middle into a huge pile of people.

I think the spread is here to stay.. Of course having a bunch of unproven Qbs across the board could slow down the o's.

[starclassic tama]

next year we have a chance to be a rare breed of team that is dominate on both sides of the ball. we can be a fast paced spread team that scores a lot and still have a suffocating defense.

[GoOwls]

dominate on both sides of the ball.

DOMINANT


Argh... One of my biggest pet peeves.

I do agree with you though.

[yermom]

it's the new clock rules that our offense is optimized to exploit, so it might take another rules change to swing the pendulum back toward the D

but playing in the Big 12 South is hell on a defense's stats too...

[JLEW1818]

The last 3 of 4 games really impressed me, defensively.

We held Tech to 21 points. (they scored the last one with what a minute left?)
We held Missouri to 21 points..
We held Florida to 24 points....

Our defense is going to be solid this year, starting with the defensive line... If the new Q can light people up like last year... we will be in good shape... I expect some big things from Sam Proctor as well...

And of course my boy Dominique Franks is going to be good again... that's a given..:D

[yermom]

Tech just can't score in Norman.

they were lucky to get out of the place alive that day though. 80,000+ bloodthirsty fans were upset with every point scored

this year i'm hoping our growing pains on special teams are over. that was really hurting us early. once we kinda adjusted to RR being out, that helped too

[Collier11]

These 4 things happen and we win a natl title

Our O-line has to gel
We need Tennel or another receiver to step up
We need Easly and Way to be able to boot the hell out of the ball on special teams
We need our D to continue to progress

[yermom]

i have a hard time worrying about the receivers

the kicking game scares me a fair amount more than the O-Line and Defense

[JLEW1818]

we better hope we can score a bunch like last year... cause we sure as hell can't kick the ball consistently.... lol, but i guess when you think about it.... Jimmy Stevens probably had the most made extra points in the nation last year.

[Collier11]

The 2nd half of the season Stephens was ok, not great but not bad either...we need to be able to trust him on a 40 yarder this year

[JLEW1818]

for sure... I should facebook him and straighten him out?lol

[Collier11]

freak

[goingoneight]

Stevens was 8/12 with one of the "missed" FGs being a blocked attempt.
Not too bad for a freshman. Still, nobody seems to get that Garrett Hartley spoiled us to death. 8/12 is really good for any college kicker. Like stated above, good but not great.
Think about it this way... a preseason mag has Leigh "Whiffin" Tiffin as the top kicker in the nation this year.

[JLEW1818]

Stevens was 8/12 with one of the "missed" FGs being a blocked attempt.
Not too bad for a freshman. Still, nobody seems to get that Garrett Hartley spoiled us to death. 8/12 is really good for any college kicker. Like stated above, good but not great.
Think about it this way... a preseason mag has Leigh "Whiffin" Tiffin as the top kicker in the nation this year.



yup.. and I didn't really feel that till half way through the season... Garrett was a G

[Collier11]

Stevens was 8/12 with one of the "missed" FGs being a blocked attempt.
Not too bad for a freshman. Still, nobody seems to get that Garrett Hartley spoiled us to death. 8/12 is really good for any college kicker. Like stated above, good but not great.
Think about it this way... a preseason mag has Leigh "Whiffin" Tiffin as the top kicker in the nation this year.

If I remember correctly two were blocked and he started off 3 for 6...if thats the case that means he finished 5 for 6 with the one miss being the block in the natl title game?

[yermom]

Duncan and DiCarlo spoiled us...

DiCarlo had one miss and was a Groza finalist before the post-season in 2003

[yermom]

If I remember correctly two were blocked and he started off 3 for 6...if thats the case that means he finished 5 for 6 with the one miss being the block in the natl title game?

but he also wasn't kicking very much or very long

[Collier11]

and then Dicarlo stopped caring for whatever reason

[Curly Bill]

The thing with Stevens is he just looked like crap kicking.

I think most of us imagined that given half a chance we could kick the ball with more power behind it than he did.

[soonermix]

These 4 things happen and we win a natl title

Our O-line has to gel
We need Tennel or another receiver to step up
We need Easly and Way to be able to boot the hell out of the ball on special teams
We need our D to continue to progress

i would just like to add this one...

virtually injury free like 2000

[Collier11]

but he also wasn't kicking very much or very long

youre correct, 4/4 from 0-29, 4/8 from 30+

[JLEW1818]

so get the ball to at least the 29.hehe

[Curly Bill]

If he doesn't kick any better than last year, I say we fire him!

...and by better I primarily mean be able to kick further than your average high school kicker. :O

[Collier11]

I have a buddy who is 29, 50lbs overweight, and last kicked at southwestern in Weatherford his Freshman year of college who can still hit a 35 yd field goal and kick off to the goal line

[JLEW1818]

I bet Sam can kick

[PLaw]

I bet Sam can kick

Yep, that Bradford kid is the next Jim Thorpe. Seriously. He could arguably make it today on the Nike Tour, be a 1st round NFL pick, and can probably pay developmental league round ball in Europe, and who knows about the hard ball?

[JLEW1818]

and still goes to church on Sundays!!!!

[Curly Bill]

and still goes to church on Sundays!!!!

Sam may go to church, but it's Tebow deliverin the sermon. :rolleyes: :P

[JLEW1818]

and baptizing and circumcising children...

[RedstickSooner]

DOMINANT


Argh... One of my biggest pet peeves.

I do agree with you though.

Yup. Me, too. But I've grown wary of complaining about typos & common mistakes, as often, for whatever reason, they're part of our deliberate Soonerfans.com-specific lingo.

Which I think is just a load of Bevo-turds dreamed up by some of our long-time posters to cover their asses for their consistent keyboarding foibles, personally ;)

Oh, and as a friendly neighborhood reminder, it's "y'all" not "ya'll".

Thank-you.

Carry on.

[RedstickSooner]

i would just like to add this one...

virtually injury free like 2000

That really may be the biggest issue. What was the last time we made it almost injury-free throughout a season? I want to say 2004 was close, as it sure seems like we had most of our playmakers available for The Game We Do Not Speak Of.

Without injury (like Florida was last year) a championship-caliber team has a fairly easy time of things.

[Collier11]

who the fawk cares, its a message board

[madillsoonerfan5353]

Just let Cameron Kenney kick the ball!!:D

[bluedogok]

Defenses need to catch up, and they will at sometime.

Sometimes I think that OU needs to shake up the defense and go to a more pro style defense. I liked the defense that Florida played but there is no way you could get by with playing receivers that tight in the Big 12, there would be multiple flags on every play.

[starclassic tama]

so get the ball to at least the 29.hehe

you mean the 12. 29 would be a 46 yard attempt. just looking at the guy you can see he can't possibly have much power. i don't think i've ever seen a college football player listed at 159 pounds...

[badger]

and then Dicarlo stopped caring for whatever reason

got replaced at the baylor game, right? had to yank a redshirt from the surfer dude that's in nawlins now, right?

[UberSooner]

it seems that as time has gone by, Big 12 D coordinators in general are game planning to bend and not break. There have been so many blow outs in the last 7 or 8 years that people don't even talk about shutting someone down anymore. Defensive secondaries are laying back in zone coverage most of the game and every offense looks to exploit the soft spots for easy pitch and catch. I swear I feel like most big 12 games are like watching the same teams, the only difference being the quality of personel. I don't know when that changes.

[JLEW1818]

you mean the 12. 29 would be a 46 yard attempt. just looking at the guy you can see he can't possibly have much power. i don't think i've ever seen a college football player listed at 159 pounds...

true that... makes sense now.

[yermom]

not all kickers are Sepulveda :D