Saban - couldn't make it in the Bix XII

[landrun]

Looks like Saban is calling for a rules change because he doesn't know how to defend a Big XII offense. What a girly-man. :)


...is this what we want football to be?"

This is what football has been in the Big XII for over a decade now.

Full quote...

"I think that the way people are going no-huddle right now, that at some point in time, we should look at how fast we allow the game to go in terms of player safety," Saban said on today's SEC teleconference. "The team gets in the same formation group, you can't substitute defensive players, you go on a 14-, 16-, 18-play drive and they're snapping the ball as fast as you can go and you look out there and all your players are walking around and can't even get lined up. That's when guys have a much greater chance of getting hurt when they're not ready to play.

"I think that's something that can be looked at. It's obviously created a tremendous advantage for the offense when teams are scoring 70 points and we're averaging 49.5 points a game. With people that do those kinds of things. More and more people are going to do it.

I just think there's got to be some sense of fairness in terms of asking is this what we want football to be?"

[BoulderSooner79]

That quote was from a week or 2 ago. Maybe he was preparing his fans for the possibility of losing to A&M.

[agoo758]

Lost a bit of respect for him when he said that a few weeks ago. He should probably stop telling his players to lead with the helmet before lecturing us on "player safety".

[Curly Bill]

Wow...I thought more of him than that!

[Since71ASooner4Life]

Lost a bit of respect for him when he said that a few weeks ago. He should probably stop telling his players to lead with the helmet before lecturing us on "player safety".


I lost a whole lot of respect for him when he never finished a contract. Lets see, who has he jumped ship on so far ....... Toledo ....... Michigan State ....... LSU .......... Miami Dolphins ......... what a POS

[bluedogok]

In other words he doesn't like it because his big, highly recruited linemen get worn out. For the most part SEC offenses are plodding and unimaginative, that helps make SEC defenses looks great. When they have a month and a half to prepare, they can do well, in a one week turnaround, they don't fare so well. It smacks of me of giving opposing teams time to try to get the home crowd to calm down so a team could snap the ball, remember how ridiculous that rule was? I wonder if they will get the officials to kill the up tempo game like they did to college basketball.

[StoopTroup]

In other words he doesn't like it because his big, highly recruited linemen get worn out. For the most part SEC offenses are plodding and unimaginative, that helps make SEC defenses looks great. When they have a month and a half to prepare, they can do well, in a one week turnaround, they don't fare so well. It smacks of me of giving opposing teams time to try to get the home crowd to calm down so a team could snap the ball, remember how ridiculous that rule was? I wonder if they will get the officials to kill the up tempo game like they did to college basketball.

SIT DOWN!

I CAN'T SEE! :D ;)

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GjBwd_GI530/UHrKnQ_-ZvI/AAAAAAAADDM/FIyA5nMCmzg/s1600/rah-boys.jpg

[MyT Oklahoma]

This thread is hilarious. Did he really say that? Classic!

[freshchris05]

In the few games I watched this weekend, it seemed the refs went out of their way to allow a defensive substitution. I wonder if there was a memo sent out. I know that's the rule, but I don't think I have ever seen them be so consistent about it.

[S.PadreIsl.Sooner]

Saban is a **ssy.

[CowboyMRW]

I was reading on the Rant that supposedly Lacy suffered a concussion and Saban put him back out there 2 plays later

[8timechamps]

I was reading on the Rant that supposedly Lacy suffered a concussion and Saban put him back out there 2 plays later

I saw the hit, and it was a big time hit to the head. I don't think there was a flag, but there should have been. Anyway, there is no way his brain didn't get sloshed around in his skull, and sure enough, he was back in soon after. They tried to run him, and it was clear (to me, at least) that he wasn't himself. I really couldn't believe he was allowed back in the game. But, maybe he was fine...I doubt it though.

[bluedogok]

It doesn't surprise me since the SEC seems to play by their own set of rules now. My how the NCAA has changed since the Big 10 were the big dogs driving things.

[soonergirlNeugene]

I thought the quote about the hurry-up was ridiculous - even moreso than Mack Brown saying the league needs to start flagging horns down. But this talk of Saban not being able to cut it in the B12 is a bit nuts. One game does not tarnish his body of work.

[TUSooner]

Does he also want to limit the number of forward passes in a game? Maybe the offenses should announce before each play if they are going to run or pass, just to be fair, of course. That's probably the lamest thing I've ever heard a coach say. Not what I'd expect from Saban.

[delhalew]

I thought it funny for him to complain like that. Remember v when Urban Meyer said if he hadn't had a month to run two scout offenses against his defense he couldn't have kept up with us in the championship game?

Bama and LSU live off of constant defensive substitutions. If they can't change the package, they are screwed.

[picasso]

Saban should be glad he had the refs in his corner.

[cyclonesooner]

Good point Picasso, I didn't think there was anyway those refs were going to allow Bama to lose that game.

[StoopTroup]

I think Tubberville should give him a good slap.

[Seamus]

Good point Picasso, I didn't think there was anyway those refs were going to allow Bama to lose that game.

They're all getting fired first thing Monday.

[thecrimsoncrusader]

Saban will now probably complain that ATM didn't line up right on defense when that interception occurred to ice the game and that ATM should be penalized for it.

[badger]

You just wait --- there'll be an SEC team in the national title game some how, some way. Even if there's still 3 undefeated teams, there will be an SEC national champion this year... or else, the Mayans forecast the end of the word right about right. :eek:

[Wishboned]

You just wait --- there'll be an SEC team in the national title game some how, some way. Even if there's still 3 undefeated teams, there will be an SEC national champion this year... or else, the Mayans forecast the end of the word right about right. :eek:

If an SEC team doesn't make it to the BCS title game then the number one thing you're going to hear will be along the lines of, "We didn't lose it on the field. Because our conference is so tough we fight a war of attrition every season."

[badger]

If an SEC team doesn't make it to the BCS title game then the number one thing you're going to hear will be along the lines of, "We didn't lose it on the field. Because our conference is so tough we fight a war of attrition every season."

SEC teams have nearly been upset by mid-majors multiple times this season. Ooo La La at Florida's Homecoming was just the latest incident. Their tough conference argument is starting to not hold

[PrideMom]

The no huddle offense has been around forever. Some teams are just better at it than others. I see no relationship to that and injuries.....I thought Texas A&M had a chance before that game. Sumlin is doing a great job. Saban just doesn't want to admit he was out coached, and blames the turn overs, duh!

[Bourbon St Sooner]

What was aTm last year in the B12 with a qb currently starting in the NFL? 4-5? Can we now blow away that myth of the sec being so much tougher than other conferences?

The sec is top heavy and they've won the last game of the year the last 6 years but it's no tougher week in and week out than the B12.

[JiminyChristmas]

The SEC love in the polls is alive and well. 4 thru 9 all from the SEC? Crazy. That is officially the only conference a team with a loss can still make the NC game. In every other conference, you better go unbeaten because the SEC will get t the benefit of the doubt.

Heck, when the 4 team playoff starts, you will probably have 1 undefeated from somewhere and 3 SEC teams with a loss or two.

During the conference realignment, lots of folks said the SEC was the tougher path to a national title. No way that is true. The days of the BCS favoring our Sooners are over. We have to go undefeated now to have a shot.

[CowboyMRW]

Alabama has been very fortunate with scheduling, both last year, this year, and next year.

3 years without facing South Carolina, Florida, or Georgia. Really who's the best team they've beaten? LSU, once last year in a rematch. They are very fortunate the way the SEC schedules games for them.

Each of the last 3 years they've lost a home conference game.

The guy is obviously very, very good at what he does. In fact, probably the best in CFB. But I think his defenses do tend to struggle with uptempo offenses running lots of quick passes like slants and outs.

[Tear Down This Wall]

I guess the only problem with this theory is that Saban/LSU beat us for one of his national titles, and beat Texas for another. Tack on Florida beating us four years ago with our super duper, record-setting offense...and, there you have it.

One win by a former Big 12 school hardly means there is a Big 12 over SEC trend.

[CowboyMRW]

If the MNC game was played 1 week after the season, the SEC wouldn't have 6 straight titles. That I promise you. The long layoff hurts the offenses much more than the defenses.

[thecrimsoncrusader]

I guess the only problem with this theory is that Saban/LSU beat us for one of his national titles, and beat Texas for another. Tack on Florida beating us four years ago with our super duper, record-setting offense...and, there you have it.

One win by a former Big 12 school hardly means there is a Big 12 over SEC trend.

Yeah and OU would have beaten LSU if it was Matt Mauch with the broken hand on his throwing arm instead of Jason White. And he got to face Texas with their backup QB for 95% of that game. OU didn't have their all-time leading scorer in the Florida game. Just imagine Florida without Percey Harvin. Kind of changes that game doesn't it? That wasn't a question despite the question mark.

[badger]

It is undoubtedly an interesting dynamic going on after that Aggie upset.

Big 12: See how our mid-range team fares in the almighty SEC?
SEC: Gawd dammert, Texas A&M! Yew went an gawl darn ruined our cham peen ship streak!
Every other conference: About ****ing time! Now SHADDAP ABOUT THE SEC!
Bama: (nowhere to be found, SEC's entire supply of alcohol missing since Saturday night)
A&M: (nowhere to be found, SEC's entire supply of lube missing since Saturday night)
Media: Crap, what do we hype now... Oregon's uniforms? KSU's old fart coach? Notre Dame's tradition of winning returning? Save us, Tim Tebow...

[Tear Down This Wall]

If the MNC game was played 1 week after the season, the SEC wouldn't have 6 straight titles. That I promise you. The long layoff hurts the offenses much more than the defenses.

I guess that a good enough excuse...but, it doesn't change the fact that LSU, Bama, and Florida's offense also had long layoffs before those games.

The fact of the matter is Big 12 offenses rarely face great defenses. In each of those game, we or Texas finally faced a decent defense, and had our "high octane offenses" shut down.

Congratulations to Sumlin; he's gotten his team up to speed well. Sadly, we should be there with him and A&M instead of Mizzou. On a weekend where A&M has the opportunity to play the #1 team in the land, we're screwing around with Baylor, hoping to recover an onside kick so they can't have the opportunity to tie us.

This is what the Big 12 has done to our expectation level. We're good with back-to-back wins against the like of Iowa State and Baylor...and jacked up about playing a West Virginia school whose coach feels the same way about defense as Mike Leach. Horrible.

[Tear Down This Wall]

Yeah and OU would have beaten LSU if it was Matt Mauch with the broken hand on his throwing arm instead of Jason White. And he got to face Texas with their backup QB for 95% of that game. OU didn't have their all-time leading scorer in the Florida game. Just imagine Florida without Percey Harvin. Kind of changes that game doesn't it? That wasn't a question despite the question mark.

You see the pattern there...Big 12 quarterbacks being injured after hard hits.

Also, Harvin did not play in the SEC Championship game that year because of a high ankle sprain and hairline fracture. So, really, Percy Harvin at less than 100% was good enough to beat us. Perhaps had he been 100% the score wouldn't have been so close.

But, that's not the point anyway. The point is, the Big 12's high powered offenses haven't done dick against SEC schools in national title games. I mean, thanks for pointing out that they knocked the hell out of Big 12 quarterbacks. You're making my point for me.

[thecrimsoncrusader]

You see the pattern there...Big 12 quarterbacks being injured after hard hits.

Also, Harvin did not play in the SEC Championship game that year because of a high ankle sprain and hairline fracture. So, really, Percy Harvin at less than 100% was good enough to beat us. Perhaps had he been 100% the score wouldn't have been so close.

But, that's not the point anyway. The point is, the Big 12's high powered offenses haven't done dick against SEC schools in national title games. I mean, thanks for pointing out that they knocked the hell out of Big 12 quarterbacks. You're making my point for me.

Harvin was 100% in the BCS title game. Jason White broke his hand in the Big 12 title game against KSU. Thanks for not having a point.

[CowboyMRW]

I guess that a good enough excuse...but, it doesn't change the fact that LSU, Bama, and Florida's offense also had long layoffs before those games.

And what have their offenses done? 21 and 24 points against you. I forget the Texas score but I think both teams were in the 30s or 40s. Last year a big 0 and 21. Every MNC has been a defensive struggle, save the two tOSU games that they got embarrassed in.

[goingoneight]

... and this is the guy everyone on landthieves.com is jerking off to. We'll huddle up when you stop over-signing, dude. IOW, it ain't gonna happen.

[badger]

... and this is the guy everyone on landthieves.com is jerking off to. We'll huddle up when you stop over-signing, dude. IOW, it ain't gonna happen.

I thought the SEC presidents huddled up (nyuck nyuck) and voted against oversigning during the offseason? I heard that the football coaches voted for it, then their university presidents overruled them.

Fact or crap?

[Seamus]

And what have their offenses done? 21 and 24 points against you. I forget the Texas score but I think both teams were in the 30s or 40s. Last year a big 0 and 21. Every MNC has been a defensive struggle, save the two tOSU games that they got embarrassed in.

In that 21, seven came on a pick-6. So really their offense scored 14.

[CowboyMRW]

In that 21, seven came on a pick-6. So really their offense scored 14.

Which further bolsters the point I was trying to make.

[colleyvillesooner]

Harvin was 100% in the BCS title game. Jason White broke his hand in the Big 12 title game against KSU. Thanks for not having a point.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/bowls08/news/story?id=3811267

[thecrimsoncrusader]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/bowls08/news/story?id=3811267

He was lying. He just wanted to look like a hero. And you have no life for digging up that piece. :acne:

[PalmBeachSooner]

Saban is a **ssy.

Sissy?

[jkjsooner]

Harvin was 100% in the BCS title game. Jason White broke his hand in the Big 12 title game against KSU. Thanks for not having a point.

Yep, unless KSU was retroactively put in the SEC TDTW has no point whatsoever.

I can say this about our championship games:

1. Had we had a healthy White, the LSU game very likely would have looked different.
2. Not having Murray against Florida was a huge killer. We pretty much moved the ball all night but didn't have the running game to punch it in.
3. The two games against the SEC were close going into Q4. I remember that other title game against a non-SEC team that wasn't. Neither LSU nor Florda could have stayed on the field with USC.

[FirstandGoal]

Yep, unless KSU was retroactively put in the SEC TDTW has no point whatsoever.

I can say this about our championship games:

1. Had we had a healthy White, the LSU game very likely would have looked different.
2. Not having Murray against Florida was a huge killer. We pretty much moved the ball all night but didn't have the running game to punch it in.
3. The two games against the SEC were close going into Q4. I remember that other title game against a non-SEC team that wasn't. Neither LSU nor Florda could have stayed on the field with USC.

1. Yes
2. Yes
3. No idea what game you're talking about. :redface:

[8timechamps]

You see the pattern there...Big 12 quarterbacks being injured after hard hits.

Also, Harvin did not play in the SEC Championship game that year because of a high ankle sprain and hairline fracture. So, really, Percy Harvin at less than 100% was good enough to beat us. Perhaps had he been 100% the score wouldn't have been so close.

But, that's not the point anyway. The point is, the Big 12's high powered offenses haven't done dick against SEC schools in national title games. I mean, thanks for pointing out that they knocked the hell out of Big 12 quarterbacks. You're making my point for me.

I was kind of following your thinking until this. Are you really arguing that players in the SEC hit harder than players from any other school in the country? I'm going to disagree with that.

[Sabanball]

Nope. No way Saban could make it in the Big 12. I mean, even though he's won 3 crystal balls, gone 59-13 since he's been at Bama, NEVER had a losing season in his whole career, and gone 3-1 against current and former Big 12 teams since he's been here, well, he just couldn't get it done out there...:confused:

[Soonermagik]

Nope. No way Saban could make it in the Big 12. I mean, even though he's won 3 crystal balls, gone 59-13 since he's been at Bama, NEVER had a losing season in his whole career, and gone 3-1 against current and former Big 12 teams since he's been here, well, he just couldn't get it done out there...:confused:

I think Saban is the best coach in college football and it's not even close. I hate the way he treats players and coaches, but he gets results. It's what's been said all along.. these SEC teams struggle with spread offenses when there's little time to prepare, but when they have a month to mimic in they do well in bowl games.

[OU_Sooners75]

In the few games I watched this weekend, it seemed the refs went out of their way to allow a defensive substitution. I wonder if there was a memo sent out. I know that's the rule, but I don't think I have ever seen them be so consistent about it.

Actually the rule is the offense only has to allow the defense to sub, if the offense subs.

If the offense does not sub, then they do not have to wait for the defense to sub.

What you saw when the refs were allowing the defense to sub was only done because the offense subbed some players.

[OU_Sooners75]

t
I guess that a good enough excuse...but, it doesn't change the fact that LSU, Bama, and Florida's offense also had long layoffs before those games.

The fact of the matter is Big 12 offenses rarely face great defenses. In each of those game, we or Texas finally faced a decent defense, and had our "high octane offenses" shut down.

Congratulations to Sumlin; he's gotten his team up to speed well. Sadly, we should be there with him and A&M instead of Mizzou. On a weekend where A&M has the opportunity to play the #1 team in the land, we're screwing around with Baylor, hoping to recover an onside kick so they can't have the opportunity to tie us.

This is what the Big 12 has done to our expectation level. We're good with back-to-back wins against the like of Iowa State and Baylor...and jacked up about playing a West Virginia school whose coach feels the same way about defense as Mike Leach. Horrible.


Stops implying that the big 12 losses to LSU, Bama, and Florida were some kind of blowouts.

All three of those losses were very winnable by the three losing teams.

The problem with the offense with long lay offs, especially offenses that strive off a lot of passes, is timing.

When you have a run based offense like that of LSU, Florida, and Bama when they beat the big 12 teams, their offense are easier to get timing back.

Its pretty much a fact, any length of layoff, over a two week span, starts to erode the timing of a pass happy offense.

[bluedogok]

It's pretty bad when even your rival has t-shirts printed because you lost to another team...

LSU Tigers Purple ROLL TEARS ROLL T-Shirt (http://www.tigerdistrict.com/products/001-1149?utm_campaign=tiger&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=post&utm_term=clicklinkabove&utm_content=1130am_rolltearsroll#)
http://www.tigerdistrict.com/images/products/xl/001-1149/roll_tears_roll_lsu_mockup.jpg

[smackramensooner]

I think Saban is the best coach in college football and it's not even close. I hate the way he treats players and coaches, but he gets results. It's what's been said all along.. these SEC teams struggle with spread offenses when there's little time to prepare, but when they have a month to mimic in they do well in bowl games.

Saban is the 2nd best coach in college football. Snyder is #1. And it's not even close.

[freshchris05]

Actually the rule is the offense only has to allow the defense to sub, if the offense subs.

If the offense does not sub, then they do not have to wait for the defense to sub.

What you saw when the refs were allowing the defense to sub was only done because the offense subbed some players.

I know what I saw and I know the rule. But like I said, they just aren't always as consistent with how they handle it.

[freshchris05]

It's pretty bad when even your rival has t-shirts printed because you lost to another team...

LSU Tigers Purple ROLL TEARS ROLL T-Shirt (http://www.tigerdistrict.com/products/001-1149?utm_campaign=tiger&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=post&utm_term=clicklinkabove&utm_content=1130am_rolltearsroll#)
http://www.tigerdistrict.com/images/products/xl/001-1149/roll_tears_roll_lsu_mockup.jpg

Thats some ****ing Poke ****

[Tear Down This Wall]

You all miss the point entirely-

For whatever all of your excuses are, the SEC defenses shut down our Big 12 "super" offenses in national title games.

Also, there are some blowouts in BCS title games - USC against us...Florida 41, Ohio State 14...LSU 38, Ohio State 24.

Whatever Saban, and other SEC coaches, are doing defensively, works alot more often than not. We set a bunch of offensive records, but have not won a trophy other the one we won in 2000 - on the strength of our defense - to show for it in the BCS era.

As it stands, our defensive coaches are wetting the bed about having to play Baylor these days.

[badger]

It's pretty bad when even your rival has t-shirts printed because you lost to another team...

LSU Tigers Purple ROLL TEARS ROLL T-Shirt (http://www.tigerdistrict.com/products/001-1149?utm_campaign=tiger&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=post&utm_term=clicklinkabove&utm_content=1130am_rolltearsroll#)
http://www.tigerdistrict.com/images/products/xl/001-1149/roll_tears_roll_lsu_mockup.jpg

"I want someone else to beat my rival" said no legitimate team ever.

[CowboyMRW]

You all miss the point entirely-

For whatever all of your excuses are, the SEC defenses shut down our Big 12 "super" offenses in national title games.

Also, there are some blowouts in BCS title games - USC against us...Florida 41, Ohio State 14...LSU 38, Ohio State 24.

Whatever Saban, and other SEC coaches, are doing defensively, works alot more often than not. We set a bunch of offensive records, but have not won a trophy other the one we won in 2000 - on the strength of our defense - to show for it in the BCS era.

As it stands, our defensive coaches are wetting the bed about having to play Baylor these days.

I think it's been mentioned already, but I'd wager that the layoff is shutting down our offenses much more than the defenses. Many offenses in the Big 12 are predicated on timing and precision. With a month plus off, it's hard to maintain that timing.

[Tear Down This Wall]

I think it's been mentioned already, but I'd wager that the layoff is shutting down our offenses much more than the defenses. Many offenses in the Big 12 are predicated on timing and precision. With a month plus off, it's hard to maintain that timing.

It didn't seem to hinder USC's offense against us. Or, LSU's against Ohio State...or, Florida's against Ohio State...or, Miami's against Nebraska...or, Florida State's against Virginia Tech.

Excuses about losing a championship game are poor. We got shut down by LSU, USC, and Florida. SEC has won the last six by an average score of 30.5 to 15.3, so their offenses have seemed to be ready to go as well as the defenses despite the "layoff."

Our lone championship win was a 13-2 game dominated by defense.

It saddens me that those days are gone, when we were sold out for great defenses. We are now sold out for setting offensive records and having "bend, but don't break defenses" that drop seven DBs against the like of Baylor.

It's sick. I'm sure some of it has to do with recruiting. But, what's that saying? That after 2004, Bob Stoops and his assistants forgot how to recruit defensive linemen and linebackers? I have a hard time buying into that.

[8timechamps]

You all miss the point entirely-

For whatever all of your excuses are, the SEC defenses shut down our Big 12 "super" offenses in national title games.

Also, there are some blowouts in BCS title games - USC against us...Florida 41, Ohio State 14...LSU 38, Ohio State 24.

Whatever Saban, and other SEC coaches, are doing defensively, works alot more often than not. We set a bunch of offensive records, but have not won a trophy other the one we won in 2000 - on the strength of our defense - to show for it in the BCS era.

As it stands, our defensive coaches are wetting the bed about having to play Baylor these days.

No argument about that, but it still comes down to the time a team has to prepare for an explosive offense. I'll also offer this:

The offenses being run by most of the Big XII are relatively new to the college football landscape. As with anything. it takes time to fully develop. I think the days of an SEC defense dominating a high powered offense are over. I don't expect to see any blowouts (when both teams are highly ranked, good teams), but I do think things have changed.

Saban's a smart guy, he knows how difficult it is to defend today's offenses, and that's why he came out against them a couple of weeks ago. The fast paced, high power offenses aren't going anywhere, and he knows it. So, he had to do a little face saving in the media.

[sooneron]

Satan worried about players' health? Yeah, that will be the day. Didn't one of his thugs suplex a mizzou guy? He doesn't even give two ****s about his own players. They are his means to winning.

[OU_Sooners75]

You all miss the point entirely-

For whatever all of your excuses are, the SEC defenses shut down our Big 12 "super" offenses in national title games.

Also, there are some blowouts in BCS title games - USC against us...Florida 41, Ohio State 14...LSU 38, Ohio State 24.

Whatever Saban, and other SEC coaches, are doing defensively, works alot more often than not. We set a bunch of offensive records, but have not won a trophy other the one we won in 2000 - on the strength of our defense - to show for it in the BCS era.

As it stands, our defensive coaches are wetting the bed about having to play Baylor these days.

No, you're just blowing up a point of nonsense.

The OU defensive coaches aren't wetting the bed because they have to play Baylors offense, their wetting the bed because BV left our defense with little to. No help on the front 7.

Our defense is pretty damn good. But not great yet. If they decide they want to take away the passing game, they have been able to do that. If they decide they want to take away the run game they have been able to do it. Their current problem is they are unable to do both at the same time.

However, that isn't the coaching staff or the philosophy of the defense. Its the lack of proper personnel.

[OU_Sooners75]

It didn't seem to hinder USC's offense against us. Or, LSU's against Ohio State...or, Florida's against Ohio State...or, Miami's against Nebraska...or, Florida State's against Virginia Tech.

Excuses about losing a championship game are poor. We got shut down by LSU, USC, and Florida. SEC has won the last six by an average score of 30.5 to 15.3, so their offenses have seemed to be ready to go as well as the defenses despite the "layoff."

Our lone championship win was a 13-2 game dominated by defense.

It saddens me that those days are gone, when we were sold out for great defenses. We are now sold out for setting offensive records and having "bend, but don't break defenses" that drop seven DBs against the like of Baylor.

It's sick. I'm sure some of it has to do with recruiting. But, what's that saying? That after 2004, Bob Stoops and his assistants forgot how to recruit defensive linemen and linebackers? I have a hard time buying into that.

What's one thing those offenses you mentioned focused on with regularity?


That's right, the run game. They don't focus on a spread'em out offense that focuses on a short passing game. They focus on punching you in the mouth with a running offense and then throw in some play action passes.

Its much easier to focus your defense on one aspect when a team cannot or does not do both the pass and run evenly well.

Hence that's why top teams that play teams that predominately runs (navy, afa, army, georgia tech, etc) make a defensive game plan of shutting down their bread and butter. Same can be said by teams that pass a lot more successfully than run.


Then let's not even talk about game film study and breaking down tendancies. Yes same can be done with a balanced offense, but a one dimensional offense relies way to much on their certain comfort in certain situations.

Like OU this year, if you get OU in a 3rd and medium, they are likely throwing for a first down. Get them in 3rd and very short they are bringing in bell. Get them in third and 3 then they are balanced between pass and run.

In other words, get the team in their uncertainty zone where they are not comfortable. And you win.

And given a month, you can devise a zone to help stop the passing attack. Whereas if a team is balanced, the defense has to think which aspect to give the offense and which to take away.

Anyway, enough blabbing. I understand your point, buts its complete nonsense.

[BoulderSooner79]

No, you're just blowing up a point of nonsense.

The OU defensive coaches aren't wetting the bed because they have to play Baylors offense, their wetting the bed because BV left our defense with little to. No help on the front 7.

Our defense is pretty damn good. But not great yet. If they decide they want to take away the passing game, they have been able to do that. If they decide they want to take away the run game they have been able to do it. Their current problem is they are unable to do both at the same time.

However, that isn't the coaching staff or the philosophy of the defense. Its the lack of proper personnel.

^This. I think the staff is doing a fine job with the tools at hand. But we don't have elite talent in the front 7 and that spells a non-elite defense no matter how you cut it. We have a great secondary and we leverage it well. We are by far the best pass defense in a pass happy conference. But we can't put up a wall against the run when we really need it. But overall we are better than last year even though we lost 3 of our best players who were not replaced with equal talent this year (R. Lewis, Alexander, Fleming).

[thecrimsoncrusader]

I'm just glad to see teams not roasting OU over and over again right down the middle of the field just past the linebackers. That was sooooo frustrating during the Brent Venables era. Sure, some teams may be doing the equivalent of that albeit via the ground game, but at least they aren't getting down the field as quickly and it's a by-product of personnel and not coaching or scheme.

Mike had pretty mean rushing defenses back when he had a legit front four/seven. This year's defense could of even actually been great as opposed to very good even if it had a healthy Travis Lewis, Ronnell Lewis and Frank Alexander back for a year. Frank and Ronnel would have made a huge difference in handling the run-game on off-tackle plays. This defense is a lot less talented than last season, but is performing drastically better.