For all the ripping that Stoops & Co. will receive . . .

[Jacie]

. . . for the defense giving up 49 and 48 points in successive weeks, the team has come from behind late to win close games.

Seems like OU used to lose those kind of games.

I realize neither of these are "big" games but it is so satisfying to win close ones for a change.

Go Sooners!

[BlownGP]

Yes, sir.. We would always bee on the losing side of these games..

[rainiersooner]

Hell, I've got to admit I've kind of enjoyed watching these past two games!

[BoulderSooner79]

Hell, I've got to admit I've kind of enjoyed watching these past two games!

Me too. But I could use a break against TCU, but I don't expect to get one - TCU has been tough against everyone they have played. I don't see either team scoring 50 - more like a first-to-31 wins type of game.

[rdusooner]

I thought they were pretty big games, both redemption games, especially the WVU one. Waited forever for payback.

[rainiersooner]

Me too. But I could use a break against TCU, but I don't expect to get one - TCU has been tough against everyone they have played. I don't see either team scoring 50 - more like a first-to-31 wins type of game.

Lol - yeah I probably could use a good old fashioned 2008 butt whooping where the game is over in the second quarter!

But, I do like to see us "finding" ways to win games. We haven't had that for a while.

[agoo758]

I am cautiously optimistic that coming up big in a high pressure spot to keep our BCS hopes alive will turn over a new leaf for the direction of this program.

[Breadburner]

Would you rather win 49 to 50 or lose 7-6.....???

[kevpks]

Would you rather win 49 to 50 or lose 7-6.....???

That depends. In the SEC, losing 7-6 gets you into the top 5.

[bluedogok]

Too many people still think it is 1985 and everyone but BYU still runs the ball. This is 2012, high scoring games and Playstation offensive stats are the standard of the game. The day of holding teams to 9 ppg and 200 ypg are over (1985 OU Defense stats). If most of the SEC ran similar offenses to the Big 12 or Pac 12 then their defensive stats would not look as good.

[OUInformant]

Our defense is bad. It is really bad. There's no way to spin it.

Giving up 9 ppg may not be realistic, but what has happened the past couple of weeks has been downright embarrassing. A lot of it has to do with a lack of front 7 defensive talent, and this lacking falls on the shoulders of Coach Stoops.

Notre Dame is giving up only 10 ppg, and they gave up only 13 to us. The Big 12 has got to play defense again if we want to start comparing ourselves to the SEC. The last team to play in the title game from the Big 12 was Texas in '09, and they were very solid defensively.

[bluedogok]

I'm not saying the defense is good, I believe Switzer when he says the level of talent necessary isn't there. It just seems that some hold up the 1985 team as the standard and anything less is failure, as much as we would like to have a defense that is just unrealistic in this day, the game is not played the same way. ND plays a few strong teams a year, spaced out with time to game plan for the strong teams. ND gave up 26 to Pitt in the game after OU, I don't think Pitt is 13 points better than OU. If you have time to dissect and implement a game plan the spread teams are easier to defend, in the Big 12 or Pac 12 you typically don't have that luxury.

[OUInformant]

ND has played a tough schedule. 6 of the 26 against Pitt were in OT, and that's the most they gave up all year long. They have been very good defensively. Same with Alabama, Florida, and LSU. Georgia started to play good D about midseason, which is why they are in the championship hunt.

I'm simply saying that we need to be better if we want to be competitive for a national title. We are certainly good enough offensively, but we need some semblance of a defense to compete with these teams IMO.

[tulsaoilerfan]

I'm not saying the defense is good, I believe Switzer when he says the level of talent necessary isn't there. It just seems that some hold up the 1985 team as the standard and anything less is failure, as much as we would like to have a defense that is just unrealistic in this day, the game is not played the same way. ND plays a few strong teams a year, spaced out with time to game plan for the strong teams. ND gave up 26 to Pitt in the game after OU, I don't think Pitt is 13 points better than OU. If you have time to dissect and implement a game plan the spread teams are easier to defend, in the Big 12 or Pac 12 you typically don't have that luxury.

I agree; hell we played 3 of the top 11( i think) offenses in the country these last 3 games, so it stands to reason they would be able to exploit our weaknesses.

[tulsaoilerfan]

ND has played a tough schedule. 6 of the 26 against Pitt were in OT, and that's the most they gave up all year long. They have been very good defensively. Same with Alabama, Florida, and LSU. Georgia started to play good D about midseason, which is why they are in the championship hunt.

I'm simply saying that we need to be better if we want to be competitive for a national title. We are certainly good enough offensively, but we need some semblance of a defense to compete with these teams IMO.

Disagree on LSU; they gave up alot of points in a couple of games this year to lesser teams; they seem to run hot and cold

[goingoneight]

There's no positive spin on this. The defense is awful. A good defensive effort against OSU would be giving up 17-24 points. That's giving plenty of credit to OSU's offense. No, OU has a horrible defense and they lost themselves after the big lead against Baylor. If Tech can hold WVU, no way we should give up 49 f'n points. It absolutely must improve. Counting on a fifth year senior to have the game of his life three weeks in a row just to eek past people is not Sooner football. To claim we're okay giving up 40+ppg because god bless 'em all they're just so good on offense is like watching your house burn down multiple times and saying "thank God for insurance."

[Breadburner]

The D won us the game....

[soonercastor]

The D won us the game....

lol wtf. The offense won that game. Sure the stop in OT to force the FG was nice but that's a ridiculous statement.


Should I turn my sarcasm meter on?

[achiro]

The D won us the game....
That's ridiculous

[okiewaker]

That USuck second string QB ain't no Clint Chelf,,that's fo sho.

[Breadburner]

Lehman and Dvoracek would agree...Good enough...???

[okiewaker]

Next time a team starts scoring a bunch of points on us please conk me on the head and remind me it's 2012. I guess, to some on here, scoring lots of points on us will be the new norm since its 2012.

[Tulsa_Fireman]

Mayan calendar end of the world prediction killed five hookers.

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

I am cautiously optimistic that coming up big in a high pressure spot to keep our BCS hopes alive will turn over a new leaf for the direction of this program.I am casutiously optimistic about that too. It would be nice to close out the 2013 recruiting commits with a bunch of guys that look real good on paper, anyway.

[East Coast Bias]

Can some of you football guru's explain to me why all the spread teams play crappy defense almost without exception? Is it because they put all the recruiting and coachingfocus into the skill positions? Does is evolve into that because all they see in practice are pass patterns and telegraphed run plays?
It seems like the best defense comes from teams that play simplified pro-style offense, ala Alabama,Notre Dame, Stanford.......

[Seamus]

That depends. In the SEC, losing 7-6 gets you into the top 5.

+1

[BoulderSooner79]

Can some of you football guru's explain to me why all the spread teams play crappy defense almost without exception? Is it because they put all the recruiting and coachingfocus into the skill positions? Does is evolve into that because all they see in practice are pass patterns and telegraphed run plays?
It seems like the best defense comes from teams that play simplified pro-style offense, ala Alabama,Notre Dame, Stanford.......

Not a guru, but I have my own theories.
- constant no-huddle
+ 85+ plays a game means more possession
+ stops defense from substituting for special situations
+ tired defenders, especially the big guys.
+ almost any play can burn a blitz
- vanilla defenses that must play "bend/try not to break" because the other guy *will* go deep if you don't.
- big12 style of referees calling the game. DBs are called for PI if they make a mean face at the receivers.
- once the points start flowing, other team forced to open up and it become "fast break" style game.
- playing a contrarian style ala KSU works most the time, then you hit a Baylor game. Same thing happened to 'Bama and A&M, but they don't face it most weeks.

[Johnny Utah]

Can some of you football guru's explain to me why all the spread teams play crappy defense almost without exception? Is it because they put all the recruiting and coachingfocus into the skill positions? Does is evolve into that because all they see in practice are pass patterns and telegraphed run plays?
It seems like the best defense comes from teams that play simplified pro-style offense, ala Alabama,Notre Dame, Stanford.......

IMO a teams offense and defense compliments one another. An offense that either scores relatively quickly or goes 3 and out will put its defense back on the field quicker and expose it more to the opposing teams offense. Whereas an offense that grinds out the yards and the clock, as well as works for field position, puts its defense in a better position to succeed. However, I also agree with you that it seems that the spread teams do focus on the "skill" positions, often at the expense of being able to consistently run the ball and stop the run.

[SoonerNomad]

That USuck second string QB ain't no Clint Chelf,,that's fo sho.

OU defense has made Chelf and Tavon Austin look life future Hall of Famers. To me it is about the lack of premium talent on the defensive line. We have players, but not great players and if you can't control the line of scrimmage there is no hope to control some of these ridiculous offenses. Our safeties have to be great at stopping the run for the defense to work. That is a recipe for disaster that creates big plays when the safeties bite on play action. (See first play of second half as prime example).

I agree with the post above that if you hold WVU and/or OSU to 24 to 30, then maybe, just maybe, you have played a version of what could possibly be considered "good" defense in 2012 Big 12 play, but since the second half of the Baylor game this defense has been more vulnerable than my feelings when the wife tells me my butt looks big.

I thought this D showed potential early in the season, but the signs of weakness that repeatedly showed up on third down against Kansas State and the exposure to the big play that was the downfall against the Irish have now been exacerbated and every team since then has exploited the huge holes in our D.

[stoops the eternal pimp]

OU defense has made Chelf and Tavon Austin look life future Hall of Famers. To me it is about the lack of premium talent on the defensive line. We have players, but not great players and if you can't control the line of scrimmage there is no hope to control some of these ridiculous offenses. Our safeties have to be great at stopping the run for the defense to work. That is a recipe for disaster that creates big plays when the safeties bite on play action. (See first play of second half as prime example).


Going back and looking, I agree with dline talent, but IMO, it's more about quality depth than necessarily just the standout talent...those rotations across the line suffered little drop off and we could get a push no matter who was in..

[thecrimsoncrusader]

Who on OU's defensive line is even worthy of 2nd team all-Big 12? OU's best lineman regardless of position is probably David King, but that is more due to his ability to play both DT and DE, but that doesn't necessary make him a good to very good DT or DE, it just means he is versatile. Either coaching or recruiting or both has failed here for Oklahoma to be in such a situation.

Hopefully, this is something that Mike Stoops can fix. Oklahoma's pass defense is fixed with Mike Stoops' coaching and scheme, but Oklahoma's rush defense will only be fixed with talent upfront and that goes for the linebackers as well. Wort has either been great or terrible and Nelson while fast, hasn't ever really played like the 5 star linebacker he was rated as. Shannon has shown a lot of promise though.

[westcoast_sooner]

It really boils down to the front 7, in my opinion. The DL and the LBs aren't awful, but they were exposed by several teams. Not entirely sure if the root cause is scheme or personnel, but I tend to think that Mike will need another season to get guys in to shore up the front 7. And if you look at the recruits coming in for those positions, we're still likely to be thin without JUCO guys.

[Jacie]

Having seen this thread hijacked into a b*tch session over the state of the Sooner defense, does that mean we can't feel good about winning anymore?

[BoulderSooner79]

Having seen this thread hijacked into a b*tch session over the state of the Sooner defense, does that mean we can't feel good about winning anymore?

Yes, that's what it means. If the reserves are not in for 4th quarter garbage time, you must feel shame.

(PSSST. I've found a few speak-easys where Sooner fans can feel good about games like this. PM me for details)