We even had an off week to prepare...

[zandozan]

and still couldn't defend Baylor.

I don't know how the rest of you feel, but I think it's time this program goes back to it's roots and focuses on superior defense. If we have to throttle back the offense then so be it. Hell I'd be willing to let Blake Bell run it every single play if it meant giving our D a little rest and time to adjust. I have never understood our need to try to squeeze as many offensive plays into a game as possible. Sure it looks pretty but the end result is something like we saw tonight.

OU fans love good defense. I'd be willing to bet, if we had our choice of high scoring games with bad defense or lower scoring games with stellar defense...OU fans would pick the latter. It's just part of OU football. I'd rather be like an SEC team and run a more vanilla time grinding offense and win national championships then run high octane offenses with award winning QB's and never win the ones that count. Until we decide to change this mentality it's going to be the same sad story every year around here.

[VA Sooner]

Defense started out really well. But once the Hammer went out with a sprained MCL, there was no more consistent pressure on Griffin... you could see the plays changing and Griffin had a lot more time until we got pressure again in the fourth quarter.

[Keller Sooner]

I think pressure is the key. There are so many good qbs in this league if you don't get in their face and affect their rhythm, they can all beat you. We did well applying pressure the first quarter and RG3 was feeling the pain. After that, we went into contain and RG3 killed us. Our dbs maybe aren't great but when you can't apply consistent pressure and force hurried throws, nobody can cover those speedy receivers for very long.

[Tiger6]

The fact we had a week off to prepare, and still got out coached is mind blowing. This team has a bunch of sh*t talkers, who pack no punch. When our players learn to shut their mouths (until its time to talk...see 2000) and play, they will continue to be a bunch of chumps. I hate the attitude of this team.

[TMcGee86]

The fact we had a week off to prepare, and still got out coached is mind blowing. This team has a bunch of sh*t talkers, who pack no punch. When our players learn to shut their mouths (until its time to talk...see 2000) and play, they will continue to be a bunch of chumps. I hate the attitude of this team.

This.

I hate this teams attitude so much. I'm so sick of watching TLew talk trash and then fail to make plays over and over again. I'm sick of one guy going down and the entire defense acts as though its a free pass to suck.

The whole point of this season was to play for Box, to give it your all. I don't see that out there. I see guys wanting to have a championship handed to them without the hassle of having to get up for games against the likes of Kansas or Baylor.

**** this season.

[Okie35]

The fact we had a week off to prepare, and still got out coached is mind blowing. This team has a bunch of sh*t talkers, who pack no punch. When our players learn to shut their mouths (until its time to talk...see 2000) and play, they will continue to be a bunch of chumps. I hate the attitude of this team.

In 2000 there were hardly any spreads. I don't think anyone (OU included) will go undefeated in the Big 12 ever again. Even w/ our best team since 2000 in 2008 we couldn't do it. Why? Because * spread us out and ran hurry up.

[agoo758]

In 2000 there were hardly any spreads.

You know I keep hearing this, and yet that is still no excuse. I've seen teams show up and successfully defend the spread before, but the way to do it is to get after the quarterback with as many people as you can. No drop 8 people and wait for the quarterback to pick you apart. It drives me nuts how Venables continues to put the worst possibly play on the field time and time again. Sometimes I feel like he is the Al Davis of defenses.

[sortiz1965]

Absolutely right. I am ready to ditch this spread offense for a pro-style, grind it out system that blows people off the line and fully utilizes our talented fullbacks. Enough of this fireworks crap. Look at 'Bama...boring but lethally effective. And LSU is getting by with a lousy pair of QBs. Their defensive prowess more than compensates. They shut people down.

Go simple on offense and focus on defense. And for God's sake, hire a special teams coach! I don't think we have returned a kickoff for a TD since Antonio Perkins did so in 2003
. I am disappointed with Stoops' statements in the paper, constantly saying "the kids fought hard, but the other fought better, a lot of teams have lost one or two games, blah, blah, blah...". Where is the Stoops who once said he would not shy away from the high expectations, but embrace them? Where is that fiery coach?? I am getting numb to this...people say OU fans are spoiled; I call BS on that. OU fans have the high expectations that come with a program that considers itself elite and on the same level as LSU, Alabama, etc. There was all this focus on getting to the NC game, but there is no one on this board who would dispute the fact that LSU would have kicked our crimson and cream butts all over the field. In a way, i am glad to be spared the sight of yet another title game embarassment. But that discussion is now academic...until a focus to fundamentals returns to Norman, this program will remain stuck in neutral.

[btb916]

I think any way you slice it this is a very disappointing season. From Box tragically dying in the offseason, blowing the home winning streak to a team with high school talent and coaching, losing Whaley, Broyles (!), and now the Hammer, to losing against Baylor for the first time...this season has sucked.

[BoulderSooner79]

And "we" had an extra week to prepare our anuses.

[sortiz1965]

If I were Stoops I would have given his D a public *** reaming. Enough coddling!! All the talk about "the kids" fighting hard is BS. When the opportunity was there, they failed to rise up. A false start on a potential game winning play that Baylor couldn't stop all game long??? A failure by the D to get a stop at the end of the game, aided and abetted by what will probably go down as the most ill-advised timeout in OU history?? Just an all around clusterf**k. It was all there for the taking...win out and get a shot at LSU (which may have out to be a disaster anyway, but stranger things have happened). And now I get to look forward to another off-season of what ifs...

[OU_Sooners75]

Defense started out really well. But once the Hammer went out with a sprained MCL, there was no more consistent pressure on Griffin... you could see the plays changing and Griffin had a lot more time until we got pressure again in the fourth quarter.

When Ronnell went out, OU was also bringing more than 3 pass rushers.

After Lewis went out, Venebles got complacent and decided to drop 8 and rush 3.

It wasn't until Baylor took a 14 point lead that we saw a healthy dose of 4 DL and 5-6 guys rushing the passer!

It is time to do away with all the damn zone coverage our defense plays. It is time to teach our DBs how to bump someone at the line and how to cover them man to man! How not to give the WR the inside.

It is time our defense gets back to its roots and starts to hit people in the mouth with a nastiness we have not seen since Bozworth was in Norman!

[OU_Sooners75]

The fact we had a week off to prepare, and still got out coached is mind blowing. This team has a bunch of sh*t talkers, who pack no punch. When our players learn to shut their mouths (until its time to talk...see 2000) and play, they will continue to be a bunch of chumps. I hate the attitude of this team.

I agree to a point. The players need to do their talking by showing it through their play. Other than that, this is not a team character problem. I would agree if this didnt happen every year...but since it does, this is a coaching problem!

[okienator]

Sad thing is all this talk means nothing its not going to change. You look at next years schedule and almost pic the games where going to lose second game after tx and one of next two every year.

[zandozan]

I think I've mentioned several times that I have never liked this offense. It puts too much pressure on your defense because of increased snaps and lack of time to rest/adjust. Think Texas Tech under Leach. Everyone loved his offense but always assumed he couldn't win the big ones because of a lack of D.

I don't think I'm the only one who gets a little giddy when I watch Bell run over people in short yardage. The use of those fullbacks and whoever plays tailback along with Bell and it's a pretty damn lethal and effective offense. I don't know if it could become a base offense but I do love watching us play some powerball for a change. It amazes me that Stoops with his defensive background would feel comfortable running the no huddle fast paced offense, knowing what it does to your own D.

[OUmillenium]

You know I keep hearing this, and yet that is still no excuse. I've seen teams show up and successfully defend the spread before, but the way to do it is to get after the quarterback with as many people as you can. No drop 8 people and wait for the quarterback to pick you apart. It drives me nuts how Venables continues to put the worst possibly play on the field time and time again. Sometimes I feel like he is the Al Davis of defenses.

Ding! We have a winner!

[C&CDean]

Oh jeezus, not another one.