Maybe some scouting would've alarmed you before the game.

[adoniijahsooner]

Ranked 12 in total offense last year....a very balanced offense at that.

Also picked to make a bowl game by some publications.

Here is what they did in their schedule last year.

9-3-09 at Utah (Thur.) LOST 17-35 Gave them hell until the end

9-19-09 at Texas A&M LOST 30-38 Damn near beat them

10-2-09 at Brigham Young (Fri.) LOST 17-35 Gave them hell til the end (BYU beat us last year)


10-17-09 NEVADA LOST 32-35 Nevada was decent last year

10-24-09 LOUISIANA TECH WON 23-21

10-31-09 at Fresno State LOST 27-31 Fresno just beat Cincy

11-7-09 at Hawai'i LOST 36-49

11-14-09 SAN JOSE STATE WON 24-9

11-20-09 BOISE STATE (Fri.) LOST 21-52 Only time they were blown out last year.

11-28-09 at Idaho WON 52-49

[Blues1]

YEP -- If I said I saw this Coming - No One would have beleived Me - Notice I didn't post any OU vs Utah State Score before The Game....

Hopefully The Wake Up Call - Has Been Delivered --- ??

[adoniijahsooner]

YEP -- If I said I saw this Coming - No One would have beleived Me - Notice I didn't post any OU vs Utah State Score before The Game....

Hopefully The Wake Up Call - Has Been Delivered --- ??

I posted a score of 56-0, then I saw where they were ranked in offense last year, and most of their guys were coming back, and realized there was no way we keep them out of the endzone. I did expect our offense to play better though.

[meoveryouxinfinity]

Nobody honestly thought we'd only win by a TD and struggle the entire game. Get real.

[adoniijahsooner]

Nobody honestly thought we'd only win by a TD and struggle the entire game. Get real.

I dont think anybody said that. If I or Blues1 said anything like that please show me. I think I said something about keeping them out the endzone, and I thought our offense would play better. Yeah, thats what I said.

[Soonermagik]

Nobody honestly thought we'd only win by a TD and struggle the entire game. Get real.

Agree 100%. If so, why didn't these genius guys bet their mortgage in Vegas in favor of Utah State? Even Vegas was fooled by the game. They had a 30+ point spread on the game.

We had a lot of young players starting, guys were looking to Florida State, no one seemed motivated to play Utah State. Oh.. and they were a solid team. That Utah St. QB can really scramble and has a solid arm. It was a combination of things and no one saw it coming.

Honestly, it may be the best thing that could have happened. Coaches will be all over guys this week. Players will realize they could easily lose next week. I expect maximum effort, better play from Jones and changes in the secondary for the FSU game.

[meoveryouxinfinity]

I dont think anybody said that. If I or Blues1 said anything like that please show me. I think I said something about keeping them out the endzone, and I thought our offense would play better. Yeah, thats what I said.

No I didn't mean that, I wasn't talking to you or blues (I didn't quote/reply to your message).

I'm just saying nobody will ever pick a game like this to be close. Why? Because it shouldn't have been. No matter what Utah State was ranked last year in offense.

Their QB was a baller though and thank God Colt McCoy is gone.

[adoniijahsooner]

No I didn't mean that, I wasn't talking to you or blues (I didn't quote/reply to your message).

I'm just saying nobody will ever pick a game like this to be close. Why? Because it shouldn't have been. No matter what Utah State was ranked last year in offense.

Their QB was a baller though and thank God Colt McCoy is gone.

You are right. I thought we would win 49-21, after I knew how good they were last year. We still have Jerrod Johnson and Robert Griffin too deal with, but maybe we will be much more disciplined by then.

[meoveryouxinfinity]

Agree 100%. If so, why didn't these genius guys bet their mortgage in Vegas in favor of Utah State? Even Vegas was fooled by the game. They had a 30+ point spread on the game.

We had a lot of young players starting, guys were looking to Florida State, no one seemed motivated to play Utah State. Oh.. and they were a solid team. That Utah St. QB can really scramble and has a solid arm. It was a combination of things and no one saw it coming.

Honestly, it may be the best thing that could have happened. Coaches will be all over guys this week. Players will realize they could easily lose next week. I expect maximum effort, better play from Jones and changes in the secondary for the FSU game.

And I agree 100% with you. Is it the end of the world? No. It could be one of the best thing to happen to this team. Some of the problems are easy fixes (I would assume). I was at the game and didn't have the luxury being able to watch each unit/player, but from what I saw at the game, the O-line looked OK. It certainly wasn't as painful as BYU last year. Very few penalties. Was protection A+? No. But sometimes Landry had plenty of time to find a receiver or throw the ball away and he didn't. He'd run right into the tackler. This, I think, is our most fixable problem: Landry Jones. We know what he can/ought to do because we saw him all last year. He had a miserable night. Down right bad. It got to the point where, even when he did complete passes, the WRs were making diving catches. That's not going to get you any YAC.

The defense, on the other hand, will take a while to fix. Hopefully we can fake it til we make it, but they have some major problems in major spots. PS--I called it. I said over and over again that if you think this defense can replace GK without any hiccups you're crazy. I said the defense will struggle. However, I thought the secondary would make up for it. One or the other will have to improve for us to beat FSU. We'll have to get to Ponder early and often (and NOT let him scramble for 1st downs) or we'll have to create coverage sacks. Fleming is in way over his head--his head that he couldn't get turned around to see the ball. I'd say he had a much worse game than Landry.

Other thoughts:
Despite a good performance, Tress Way and the special teams were outplayed by Utah State's punter and special teams.

Broyles looked like he was afraid to go after a punt. Of course, they were punting away from him but it seemed like we were pinned inside our own 5 every time.

On the other hand, Broyles is a STUD. Maybe the best player and biggest game-changer in the country. He is almost at the AD level of WRs. Beastin'...

Miller should start. I don't care who we take out. Guy is a big target and is being underused just as Gresham was for his first year and a half.

Throwing to the RB? I was hoping to see us toss it to Murray more. This makes me think we didn't show our full hand last night. I can almost guarantee us swinging the ball out to Murray or Madu next week. And I think we will expand our play book in other ways as well...I hope.

Which brings me to my next point. I sure hope Madu is a solid #2 guy. I didn't see much that I liked from the backup RBs and obviously the coaches didn't either. Murray got a ton of carries.

[Breadburner]

They played well...But we helped them alot with stupid penalties and mistakes....

[Jason White's Third Knee]

No I didn't mean that, I wasn't talking to you or blues (I didn't quote/reply to your message).

I'm just saying nobody will ever pick a game like this to be close. Why? Because it shouldn't have been. No matter what Utah State was ranked last year in offense.

Their QB was a baller though and thank God Colt McCoy is gone.


Thank God Jordan Shipley is gone.

[BoulderSooner79]

I dont think anybody said that. If I or Blues1 said anything like that please show me. I think I said something about keeping them out the endzone, and I thought our offense would play better. Yeah, thats what I said.

+1 i thought we would have 31 on the board by halftime. We won't get far with a 2 man show (DM & Broyles).

[cvsooner]

+1 i thought we would have 31 on the board by halftime. We won't get far with a 2 man show (DM & Broyles).

This. 360 of our 420 yards due to these two guys. Shut down one or both and we're toast.

[goingoneight]

Five things can be said about this game...

1. Somebody, be it fans, players or coaches overlooked this game. I'm thinking it's a little bit of all three.

2. Utah State is gonna score some points, and they did NOT look like some patsy defensively. 2010 is gonna be an interesting year for them. Gary Andersen proved something in Norman. Les Miles and Gary Patterson made their name by winning ugly games in the worst of circumstances for their opposition in Norman. Think about the only other coach that comes to mind to play us that well in Norman with lesser talent-- Bill Snyder. I did not realize Andersen's coaching pedigree, and I suspect nobody else did until it was mentioned last night.

3. It's possible Landry Jones could be suffering from what most call a sophomore slump. He had bright, flashy moments last year, came into 2010 with all of the hype in the world surrounding him, and he went out there and looked pretty bad at times last night in situations a year ago that he was really good at. He needs to settle down and not try to be Superman out there.

4. OUr best receivers and DBs have not yet been identified. No matter what people say about Kenney, Stills, Fleming and Hurst... they all were non-factors. Major inconsistency. One interception a piece is nice to have, but giving up 310 yards passing mostly on jump balls to the outside (AKA against OUr corners) says something BAD about OUr coverage. And why did Landry hold onto the ball so long? Maybe it had something to do with nobody getting open outside of Broyles?

5. Something has to be done to light a fire up under the defense. Beal was inconsistent, and I saw for probably about three quarters our tackles weren't even trying. Casey Walker on three plays in a row just kinda stood up and scooted around instead of either getting after Borel or at the very least, paying attention to the play. Ronnell Lewis needs to work at one position or another permanently for awhile. He still looks to have loads of potential, but it definitely was too much for him alternating between SLB, DE and stand-up pass-rusher all night long. If King, Walker, McFarland, McGee and Alexander can shut down Toby Gerhart, we should have been able to play better last night.

I'm not calling for anybody's job or starting position. In fact, I think if OU played a cleaner game, nobody's really talking about it. Take away senseless penalties and it's nothing more than an ugly win against a respectable underdog. 1-0 is better than 0-1, but we're definitely still not worthy of top 25 IMO. Murderer's row starts next week for OU, and everything is on the line. If we thought USU's shotgun-wshbone was tough, wait til we're playing 5 star athletes next week, or Air Force's true option attack, or Collaros on the road. Hell, I thought Texas looked bad... we weren't exactly anything to write home about.

[Statalyzer]

i thought we would have 31 on the board by halftime. We won't get far with a 2 man show (DM & Broyles).

Broyles vs Utah State reminded me a bit of Shipley vs Alabama. A WR who simply could not be defended 1 on 1, surrounded by other very talented receivers who for some reason weren't getting it done that game.

[StoopTroup]

I'm just glad we didn't play them at jerry world.

[NatureBoy]

They also finished #113 in total defense. I expected a lot more than 31 points.

[StoopTroup]

There's the way we want it...

The way it should be...

And the way it really is...

It's probably good to be prepared for all 3 of those scenarios...especially if your gonna drink and watch the game....you won't have to replace as many TVs over your lifetime.

http://www.ceimport.no/EN/Broken_LCD.jpg

[tooslow]

They also finished #113 in total defense. I expected a lot more than 31 points.

Yep, their pass defense was ranked an amazing #101. No excuses to not have a better than average night throwing the ball against a pass defense like that. :(

[StoopTroup]

Yep, their pass defense was ranked an amazing #101. No excuses to not have a better than average night throwing the ball against a pass defense like that. :(

You can look at that 101 number and then you can look at how they played last year and for a 1st year Coach Anderson is making a difference there and after last night's game...If your in his Conference...I'd be looking for tapes of last night's game so I could prepare my team.

[GKeeper316]

You can look at that 101 number and then you can look at how they played last year and for a 1st year Coach Anderson is making a difference there and after last night's game...If your in his Conference...I'd be looking for tapes of last night's game so I could prepare my team.

it was his defense at Utah that held Bama to less than half their season average that year in the sugar bowl...

dude's a good coach doing a great job with what we would consider sub-par talent.

[wishbonesooner]

There is no scenario, no ranking from last season, that makes last night more tolerable. I can't believe anyone would try in public, to make that performance acceptable.

[CBUS_SOONER]

YEP -- If I said I saw this Coming - No One would have beleived Me - Notice I didn't post any OU vs Utah State Score before The Game....

Hopefully The Wake Up Call - Has Been Delivered --- ??

I said we may want to take them seriously after what happened last yr... I got laughed at... We will lose at least 2-3 games. imo

[OU_Sooners75]

They also finished #113 in total defense. I expected a lot more than 31 points.

What does 2009 have to do with 2010?

[OU_Sooners75]

Also USU is prolly one of the most experienced team we will face all season long.

[BoulderSooner79]

What does 2009 have to do with 2010?

Quite a bit, usually. Even if a team is on the upswing, they can only improve by so much from year to year. (That's the reason I found all the August BCS title projections for OU kinda funny since we finished NR in '09, but I digress...)

[stoops the eternal pimp]

yay for the people trying to find the positives in this! im really trying to be one of those folks

[Curly Bill]

There is no scenario, no ranking from last season, that makes last night more tolerable. I can't believe anyone would try in public, to make that performance acceptable.

Shut up and drink from the Kool Aid, then you'll understand. :D


Of course I refuse to drink from the Kool Aid, so I'm right there with ya. ;)

[Leroy Lizard]

yay for the people trying to find the positives in this! im really trying to be one of those folks

Struggling against a weaker team often pays off in preparation for a stronger team. Frankly, I don't like home opener blowouts against creampuffs. I think the close win is exactly what we needed.

Would have liked to look better, though.

[GKeeper316]

Struggling against a weaker team often pays off in preparation for a stronger team. Frankly, I don't like home opener blowouts against creampuffs. I think the close win is exactly what we needed.

Would have liked to look better, though.

lou holtz said it best... preparation beats talent when talent isn't prepared.

[soonerhubs]

There's the way we want it...

The way it should be...

And the way it really is...

It's probably good to be prepared for all 3 of those scenarios...especially if your gonna drink and watch the game....you won't have to replace as many TVs over your lifetime.

http://www.ceimport.no/EN/Broken_LCD.jpg

Tell me that's a GIS result and not from your collection. :D

[bixby28]

The OU defense saw quite a few formations Saturday night. I bet the sooners don't see an option offense quite like this (Air Force, obviously) the rest of the year. It's difficult to defend down after down, and having little rest between each series is exhausting.

I'm not giving up on the "d" yet.

[OU_Sooners75]

Quite a bit, usually. Even if a team is on the upswing, they can only improve by so much from year to year. (That's the reason I found all the August BCS title projections for OU kinda funny since we finished NR in '09, but I digress...)

The 2009 season has very little bearing on what happens this season.

Different players different coaches, yadda yadda yadda.

If the previous season has anything to do with the current season, then please explain to me how we were able to go from 7-5 in 1999 to 13-0 in 2000?

[BoulderSooner79]

The 2009 season has very little bearing on what happens this season.

Different players different coaches, yadda yadda yadda.

If the previous season has anything to do with the current season, then please explain to me how we were able to go from 7-5 in 1999 to 13-0 in 2000?

Because that was a great accomplishment that is seldom repeated. It's a big reason Stoops garners so much respect as a head. Usually, it's tough to improve by more than a few wins from season to season, but it can happen. IF Utah State goes from 4 wins to a bowl game, that would be nice improvement but not earth shaking since it only takes 6 wins these days. If they win 8, it would be a big deal.

[OU_Sooners75]

Because that was a great accomplishment that is seldom repeated. It's a big reason Stoops garners so much respect as a head. Usually, it's tough to improve by more than a few wins from season to season, but it can happen. IF Utah State goes from 4 wins to a bowl game, that would be nice improvement but not earth shaking since it only takes 6 wins these days. If they win 8, it would be a big deal.


You do realize that Utah State was a mere few points from being bowl eligible last year, right?

But then again, we are not talking about USU. we are talking about 2010 and how 2009 has very little bearing on the current season.

But since you mentioned it.
OU went 7-5 in 1999, won the national championship in 2000.
Ohio State went 7-5 in 2001. Won the National Title in 2002.
LSU went 8-5 in 2002. Won the national championship in 2003.
Florida went 8-4 in 2007, won the national championship in 2008.

Sure seems like a rarity just in the decade of the 00's. :eek:

[OU_Sooners75]

Because that was a great accomplishment that is seldom repeated. It's a big reason Stoops garners so much respect as a head. Usually, it's tough to improve by more than a few wins from season to season, but it can happen. IF Utah State goes from 4 wins to a bowl game, that would be nice improvement but not earth shaking since it only takes 6 wins these days. If they win 8, it would be a big deal.


You do realize that Utah State was a mere few points from being bowl eligible last year, right?

But then again, we are not talking about USU. we are talking about 2010 and how 2009 has very little bearing on the current season.

But since you mentioned it.
OU went 7-5 in 1999, won the national championship in 2000.
Ohio State went 7-5 in 2001. Won the National Title in 2002.
LSU went 8-5 in 2002. Won the national championship in 2003.
Florida went 8-4 in 2007, won the national championship in 2008.

It may have been a rarity in the past, but it seems pretty common in today's game.

[gaylordfan1]

^ such a good point, might as well say it twice. :D

[BoulderSooner79]

You do realize that Utah State was a mere few points from being bowl eligible last year, right?

But then again, we are not talking about USU. we are talking about 2010 and how 2009 has very little bearing on the current season.

But since you mentioned it.
OU went 7-5 in 1999, won the national championship in 2000.
Ohio State went 7-5 in 2001. Won the National Title in 2002.
LSU went 8-5 in 2002. Won the national championship in 2003.
Florida went 8-4 in 2007, won the national championship in 2008.

It may have been a rarity in the past, but it seems pretty common in today's game.

Like I said, it is possible because I am talking statistics here. Go take the average improvement of all the teams that did improve and find the mean and standard deviation. I have no doubt the examples above are at least 2 standard deviations from the norm. I'm assuming Gaussian distribution here. Also, look at the coaches that pulled it off: Stoops, Tressel, Saban, Meyer - they are all held in high esteem for exactly that. Now maybe the USU guy is in the class will do the same; I'm not claiming otherwise. I stick by my original statement that a previous seasons team is a statistically valid input into the next seasons team. It will be a good indicator far more often than the exception.