It's not the scheme...

[ObiKaTony]

Guys:

The talk about our offensive scheme not being "right" is simply absurd. Our O has been carrying us for quite sometime, and we have WON a championship game, and went to 3 others. RIGHT NOW, we simply don't have the personnel

-QB
Landry is gifted with a quick release and NFL arm, however, he is not capable of making reads on consistent basis and has ZERO pocket presence. He is totally inconsistent, and for a 5th year senior that is totally unacceptable at OU

-TE

We don't have a TE. We all know what Gresham did when he was hear and Trent Smith. We don't have one worth a damn, and it show by us using multiple ones

-OL

We don't have a "big time" offensive lineman due to injury/recruiting/development (in that order)

-Defense

Our defense is playing at a MUCH higher level, but we are lacking on the d-line and lb's. I have full confidence in Mike Stoops to correct this very soon. As he has done before we will go from below average to great in 1-2 seasons.

Bottom Line: We must get a QB. Like most teams in college football it starts and ends with the QB. Sam, Tebow, Colt, Newton, Vince, etc...were on Elite offenses because that offense had an ELITE qb, we have an average one @ best, and our ENTIRE offense suffers. Our D will get better. It's just that simple...

[One4OU]

So when we are passing over the middle and getting huge gains then run the ball three times and punt on the next series its not scheme?

What I got from the nd game was when something was working we still tried other things. When those other things werent working we kept trying to use them.

Our scheme may be fine but I believe our play calling is failing to take advantage of whats working and can not adjust during the game based on what the opponents are doing or their adjustments. So what we see is either total domination against weaker teams or a schizo team that cant hang in the game or put a drive together at a critical time when we play a good or better team.

[ObiKaTony]

So when we are passing over the middle and getting huge gains then run the ball three times and punt on the next series its not scheme?

What I got from the nd game was when something was working we still tried other things. When those other things werent working we kept trying to use them.

Our scheme may be fine but I believe our play calling is failing to take advantage of whats working and can not adjust during the game based on what the opponents are doing or their adjustments. So what we see is either total domination against weaker teams or a schizo team that cant hang in the game or put a drive together at a critical time when we play a good or better team.

Landry played against a good defense. When guys are streaking down the field wide open a read isn't necessary. Our offense was running smoothly against Texas with passes to other people, but I rarely see Landry look to another reciever if the first is covered. He threw to Stills 4x against triple coverage against K-state because the play called for it. @ the game fans were screaming "Don't throw it to Stills he is covered." ND adjusted, Landry got exposed. He has been exposed for the last 4 damn years. He has got a gun, but he doesn't know where to go with the bullet if the first target is covered. Once again, it STARTS with the QB...

[thecrimsoncrusader]

I think the philosophy is a bigger problem than the scheme although I would like to see both ditched.

[ObiKaTony]

I think the philosophy is a bigger problem than the scheme although I would like to see both ditched.

We have an average qb, no te, no rb...I'm suprised were putting up above average numbers...

[MountainOkie]

Football goes in cycles. Looks like it's time to move back to the power game.

[rock on sooner]

Stoops was asked about that in the Monday presser, too. His answer was that we
have to be able to run the ball, and even went so far as to say that we probably
should have run it more. I tend to agree about more of a power running game,
a tailback running behind a blocking back, say Williams running behind Millard or
Millard running behind Ripkowski. Everyone on the field would know what's coming
but it only takes one good block to get the running back to the second level.

[East Coast Bias]

I think it all comes down to the big guys up front on both offense and defense and we have problems in both areas. Get some horses up front and a good QB and that will work in most schemes. It seems to me we have lost our way with the run-game. There has been a lot of speculation around how how much better Murray and Peterson could have been here, especially DeMarco. We may get more committed to the run and have to change the scheme if we can't continue to plug in the right kind of QB talent. Landry takes a lot of shots here, but do we really think Bell (or Allen) can throw at that level? Next year will be interesting.......

[swardboy]

With the very good, and now seasoned, corps of wide receivers we have coming back, SOMEBODY better be able to throw the rock! If we have to get an All American juco, SOMEBODY better be able to throw the rock! If we have to steal an NFL QB and play him under an assumed name, SOMEBODY better be able to throw the rock! The receivers will be the strength of the offense.

SOMEBODY better be able to throw the rock! Did I mention that?

Personally I'm excited about a great QB competition this spring. Screw the upper classman mentality! Let's get someone out there who can find a free receiver and deliver the rock.

And an o-line that can double for run blocking duty.......

[ObiKaTony]

With the very good, and now seasoned, corps of wide receivers we have coming back, SOMEBODY better be able to throw the rock! If we have to get an All American juco, SOMEBODY better be able to throw the rock! If we have to steal an NFL QB and play him under an assumed name, SOMEBODY better be able to throw the rock! The receivers will be the strength of the offense.

SOMEBODY better be able to throw the rock! Did I mention that?

Couldn't agree more. It all comes down to the QB next year with the in-game intellect to get the job done. Landry has the tools, he just doesn't know how to use them DURING the game against good defenses...

Personally I'm excited about a great QB competition this spring. Screw the upper classman mentality! Let's get someone out there who can find a free receiver and deliver the rock.

And an o-line that can double for run blocking duty.......


Couldn't agree more. It all comes down to the QB next year with the in-game intellect to get the job done. Landry has the tools, he just doesn't know how to use them DURING the game against good defenses...

[One4OU]

I think it all comes down to the big guys up front on both offense and defense and we have problems in both areas. Get some horses up front and a good QB and that will work in most schemes. It seems to me we have lost our way with the run-game. There has been a lot of speculation around how how much better Murray and Peterson could have been here, especially DeMarco. We may get more committed to the run and have to change the scheme if we can't continue to plug in the right kind of QB talent. Landry takes a lot of shots here, but do we really think Bell (or Allen) can throw at that level? Next year will be interesting.......

We dont need a qb to throw it for a 70 yd td pass. Landry isnt doing it against good teams...so if we rephrase the question to can Bell throw it 15-20 yards then the answer could be yes. If its the running game we are looking for to help the question should be: Is our running game better with Landry or Bell on the field? Hint..look at the team who is getting ready to win the conference and possibly play for a national title as an example.

[OkieThunderLion]

w by us using multiple ones
-OL

We don't have a "big time" offensive lineman due to injury/recruiting/development (in that order)


I think all three of the guys they are playing at tackle will play on Sundays.

[ObiKaTony]

I think all three of the guys they are playing at tackle will play on Sundays.

No they won't...

[JiminyChristmas]

It's always more about the Jimmy's and Joe's than the Xs and Os.

[OU_Sooners75]

You're right, it isn't necessarily the scheme of the offens, but the philosophy of the play calling and coaching. Nor is it the talent of the players.

We have the personnel to have a very good offense. But not necessarily the coaching.

As I have said since last season, Kittle and Patton should not be the OL coaches. Then Heupel should only be OC in title alone. He should have a quality mentor to teach him, instead of him learning on the job. I honestly feel he has the football IQ and knowledge to be a very good OC. But just doesn't have it yet. Most great OCs have learned at a lesser school or program before getting to a big time program.

Leach, Rich Rod, Kelly, Holgerson, etc all started out at lesser programs before making it to big traditional programs.

[OU_Sooners75]

I think all three of the guys they are playing at tackle will play on Sundays.

Who will? Johnson won't. Verdict is still out for Thompson. And even Williams.

But with the current coaching they are getting, One could say the latter two have a slim chance.

[East Coast Bias]

As I said before , look at the goal line running in the ND game for comparison. We line up in the belldozer with 1000 lbs of backfield blocking to get into the endzone. ND lines up in a no back set and the G-man rolls it in behind the line. Their formation says we are going to blow you off the line and our only back is running it in..... We should not have to run the belldozer, that is what I am saying....

[hvhurricane]

If Bob Stoops really thought we needed to run the ball more to win that game then he is losing his mind. We needed to run the ball about 5 times on Sat. They were giving us the short passing game. We should gave been up tempo the whole game and we would have scored at least 28 on them. They absolutely couldn't cover our receivers. They were wide open the entire game. The play calling was crap and Stoops is living in his Big 10 world if he really believes those words.

[OUmillenium]

Thats an interesting take ^

[Breadburner]

We had an NFL TE in Hanna and never used him...

[EatLeadCommie]

Playcalling was bad against ND. Worst game JH has called.

LJ has always been mediocre. Even when he's on target, he's a first read kind of guy. And if the first read isn't open, he'll stare down the first or second read until he is.

OL hasn't had any push since Patton arrived. It really is that simple. Patton needs to go just like Venables did.

DL is having a problem with just being weak. This isn't a Stoops problem. It's a personnel problem.

So here's the deal in a nutshell. Replace Patton. Find a QB who doesn't choke. Wait for 2 years and reevaluate.

[swardboy]

Always.Reevaluate.

[One4OU]

If Bob Stoops really thought we needed to run the ball more to win that game then he is losing his mind. We needed to run the ball about 5 times on Sat. They were giving us the short passing game. We should gave been up tempo the whole game and we would have scored at least 28 on them. They absolutely couldn't cover our receivers. They were wide open the entire game. The play calling was crap and Stoops is living in his Big 10 world if he really believes those words.

This is dead on....

[SoonerorLater]

Right now the answer is all of the above. We need better talent, coaching and a better offensive scheme/philosophy. The more I think about it I am convinced that until we have an offense that can move the ball effectively and consistently on the ground we will not be winning any championships. Running up the score on lesser opponents and struggling to move the ball against better teams. The best example I can think of is the 2008 team that lost to Florida. When we had to move the ball a few feet to score we couldn't do it. It's doubtful we will have a lot more teams with better talent. That team was loaded with NFL caliber players and we still couldn't run the ball very well.

Number of guys that made an NFL roster off that team. I think 5 of them were 1st rounders

1 QB
5 OL
2 WR
3 TE
1 FB

That team had enough good players that we should have been able to run the football against anybody. We just play a softer finesse style game. Maybe if you're Rice or SMU it makes some sense but not OU.

[sooneron]

I'm surprised more at the selection of the running plays that we ran than the number of times it was called. It seemed that we were faster to the edge more often than not. Instead, we ran it through the 1 or 2 gap way too much. Yeah, I know, you have to keep it in the middle to bust it outside, but when we ran it away from MT, we would gain > 3-4 on average. Too many times, we either gained a yard or lost a couple and it put our offense in a hole. Multiply that with the lag of getting a play in and we were totally out of sync. We should have gone uptempo ALL game.

[cvsooner]

We had an NFL TE in Hanna and never used him... Never? A certain OSU game comes to mind. Maybe underutilized, but I also remember a number of dropped passes too.

[OkieThunderLion]

We had an NFL TE in Hanna and never used him...

Good player but hands were so hit or miss. His two years as a starter were decent production; 700 yards, 9 TDs.

[picasso]

I think it's the theory. Stoops needs a better football THEORY.

You know, at the end of the day and certainly just won't cut it in this league any more.

[soonerboy_odanorth]

Hold on.

You mean it's not the x's and o's?

But it's the "Johnnie's" and "Joe's"!?!?

Holy crap! Get a Western Union to Stoops, STAT!!!

[sooneron]

Sam, Tebow, Colt, Newton, Vince, etc...were on Elite offenses because that offense had an ELITE qb, we have an average one @ best, and our ENTIRE offense suffers. Our D will get better. It's just that simple...

This is the part that is just laughable. You know why? Those qbs that you mentioned were pretty much once in a lifetime qbs. It just seems like CFB was stacked with them because they happened in succession. Who is that qb now? Yep, no one. No one has him. Not that we know of...

If we're building an offense with hopes that the next Sam Bradford/Tebow/Young/Newton/McCoy is under center next year, the odds are HEAVILY in favor of us being disappointed.

****ing laughable.

[PrideMom]

WILL YOU GUYS GET OFF IT! The year 2000 ruined the Sooner fans! Now we are ungrateful for the best coaches and teams OU has ever had. The loss to Kansas State was OUr fault, and ND just played the game of their life, and you guys are willing to throw out the baby with the bath water!

Go root for some other team.......

BOOMER! SOONER!

[Curly Bill]

WILL YOU GUYS GET OFF IT! The year 2000 ruined the Sooner fans! Now we are ungrateful for the best coaches and teams OU has ever had. The loss to Kansas State was OUr fault, and ND just played the game of their life, and you guys are willing to throw out the baby with the bath water!

Go root for some other team.......

BOOMER! SOONER!

Oh man! The go root for some other team line! Could you be any lamer?

[Crimsontothecore]

WILL YOU GUYS GET OFF IT! The year 2000 ruined the Sooner fans! Now we are ungrateful for the best coaches and teams OU has ever had. The loss to Kansas State was OUr fault, and ND just played the game of their life, and you guys are willing to throw out the baby with the bath water!

Go root for some other team.......

BOOMER! SOONER!

Why don't you go root for a team with no history or tradition so that your low expectations are justified.