Thoughts About OU/ND

[Temujin]

OFFENSE

Coaching - I do have a tendency to be critical of the play-calling with Heupel. He baffles me sometimes with his choices (see: WVU in 3rd quarter). I hate to be too critical this time, because we scored 35 points against a decent defense. But there were several parts where I had to shake my head. I actually think it was lucky that Bell cramped up, because we were abandoning the run at that point (aside from some Bell scrambles), and there was no way the coaches were going to throw it with Knight at QB. That short stint with Knight proved that we could gash ND on the ground, and I think it screwed Heupel's head back on for him. The rest of the game we had a healthy mix of run/pass. But I STILL had to scratch my head as we were up 35-21 with 6 minutes to go and we pass on 3rd and 2. I know that we were trying to get the first down. But if we run there, at worst we still drain another minute off the clock. Also, we need a tendency breaking play or two where we DON'T run the ball up Millard's butt. He's a great blocker, but even he can't block the whole ND defense. ND clearly saw that tendency on tape. Still, a win is a win, and we definitely exploited some weaknesses in the ND defense.
QB - Bell's decision-making was excellent. He got a little skittish during the 2nd quarter, but he brought it back in nicely. He made fantastic decisions though, knowing when he didn't have a receiver open and choosing either to throw it away or use his legs. A couple of times he recognized the blitz late and went straight to his "hot" read. In the 3rd quarter, for some reason he was rifling the ball a little hard, and his accuracy in the 2nd quarter was a footwork issue. But overall, great work for a 2nd start and first time in a hostile environment.
RB - Loved Damien Williams effort. Both backs (Clay and Williams) were a force out of the backfield and gained nice yards in the passing game as well. Millard was his usual awesome self.
WR - The best part was the blocking effort at the edges. But they also consistently got open and held onto the ball. Bester's break off in the endzone was something you don't usually see out of our offense. Most of the time our WRs run their route and then just stop when they don't get the ball, or they don't run to the open field very well.
OL - Pass blocking was excellent. I like what they did to neutralize Nix as well, as Mayock repeatedly pointed out. Again, just a great job of execution. Yet another game that gets me excited about Bedenbaugh's effect on this group.


DEFENSE

Coaching - This went almost exactly as I expected. Stoops dialed up some blitzes and got some big plays. We used our speed advantage on the edge to compensate for their size advantage. I know we gave up a lot on the ground, but we compensated with lots of big plays. Getting that early lead made the difference in game, in my opinion. It kept ND from being able to pull out the play action and keep us off-balance. One thing I've noticed all year is that QBs just can't figure out where to go against our defense. Today was no exception, Rees was clearly confused and felt like he had to make tight throws against our excellent coverage. Most of the broken plays were assignment issues when we went to a 4 front, but I expected that. I'm just glad it didn't beat us.
DL - This went as I expected. I think held our own, despite a significant size disadvantage. I was impressed at our physicality on several plays, despite giving up the yardage. We were assignment sound most of the game, hitting our gaps and getting the occasional stalemate against the run. The 4 front didn't really generate any pass rush, but at the same time I don't think they were coached to go after the QB when using that formation.
LB - This part was up and down for me. We made some great plays at times, but also had some poor tackling. I think we got better as the game went on, but I think that was partially due to having a lead.
DB - This, by far, was my favorite unit. I think Zack Sanchez will be a star and a 1st rounder when he leaves OU. He set the tone right away, being aggressive against a guy that was 6 inches taller and getting an offensive PI call on a fade. ND never went back to it, despite the fade being their primary offensive weapon a week ago. Colvin was brilliant as well. I think we might have the best DBs in the country right now and it affords Stoops great flexibility in play-calling.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Coverage - We had good coverage overall. We didn't have any scary moments, and we kept the ball away from their playmakers.
Kicking - Great job here. Hodgson is excellent on kickoffs and Hunnicutt did his job on short FGs.
Punting - Ouch. This was bad, although halfway through the game I started to wonder if we were intentionally punting it high and short to make sure we got good coverage. Whatever the case, it was hard to watch.

Other Thoughts

- Notre Dame is NOT coached to come from behind. They appeared completely lost in the 4th quarter after we went up by 2 TDs.
- Was Bob daydreaming when he called the timeout with the clock winding down in the 4th quarter? He realized his mistake when the crowd started booing, but it was almost like he wasn't paying attention. But the look on his face at one point made it look like he was staring off into the distance. LOL

[BlownGP]

Good read...

It was a overall great team effort. Both the defense and offense have some mistakes and tiny issues, but for the most part played great.

I was kinda pissed when they got that 80 yard TD.. I was like ohhhh here we go, OU doing whatever they can to lose the game.. hahaah

[okiewaker]

My thoughts,,,

ND has a solid coaching staff and good players.

OU has a solid coaching staff and good players.

This year, we were better!

[SoCalBigRed]

OFFENSE

Coaching - I do have a tendency...

Offense I could have wrote that. I made a lot of the same observations, sometimes cursing... I wish they would have exploited the left side more. We seemed to move at will, when we ran that way, sealing the the line in and pushing the dbs out. I also noticed, our receivers were and have consistently done well, sealing dbs within a flow also. Its a noticeable change from years past. Its the biggest contributor for being able to run something of a power running game, out of the "spread".

Defense, I got a giggle when the ND homers finally mentioned all the movement, from the defense... and it confusing ND. Talk about a day late and a dollar short. Uhm, yeah... it serves/served its purpose. Big(ger) bodies don't switch directions as fast.

Maybe its just me, but going back to the offense, we see a lot of that same type movement on the offensive line, during their blocking schemes. These are two of the more active lines, during plays, I've seen in years. As you mentioned with the receivers in the past, running a route and then stopping... we saw the same on the line for years. Guys block and stop. Not this year.... we're befuddling big time NFL prospects. Lineman, that block someone then look for the next guy to hit. We've seen a LOT of plays this years, with the big hogs downfield, making a wall. Very mobile group.

Special teams.... I got scorched temper-wise on one return. Don't remember when. It was lane assignments though. Luckily, speed closed the lane fast.

The high punts, I thought odd... but, I think you might have a point. Same dude, that burned us on that TD run, wasn't it?

Coaching left me scratching my head at times. I hate 3rd downs. I truly, can not express how much I hate them. I think we make stupid 3rd down calls on both sides of the ball, oftentimes. But, you know what? I hear that same complaint from fans of every team. There's certainly some head-scratchers though. However, I was most impressed that they kept the guys' heads in the game. Made adjustments, even in-game (the left side, was discovered and exploited pretty rapidly - just not enough, imo)

But... I'm not a head football coach, nor a NCAA football player. HS and knees ended any glimmer of hope, I ever had. I don't study the film, live with them players, interact with the team all the time. I'm just an arm-chair QB/Coach and a questionable one at that.

Most of all... it was such a welcome relief to be able to take a deep breath and relax a little, when it became apparent we came to play, all the way thru... no 4th quarter meltdowns.

Thanks for the write-up!

[picasso]

I was confused when we went away from the quick spots and outside screens. Bell seems to excell at those throws and I'm glad we went back to it.
Our special teams are good!

[Sabanball]

Congrats on this win, guys, and one I know that older sooner fans especially will savor for a while. It was one that was a long time in coming. In some ways, it reminds me of when we finally beat them and got the Notre dame monkey off our backs in 1986.

[aurorasooner]

ASU was up big on USCw, so I flipped thru the channels before crashing. FCS Central had Sooner Sports OT on and it was a helluva show.
They had both coach's pressers on, although they cut Bob's presser off to go to some lame commercial and never came back to his interview.
Bob said that Heupel was really pissed at B Bell because of the cramp. He said that it blind-sided them because he had never had any indication of one before and they did hydrate some players (who are prone to cramping) before the game and at halftime.
Julian Wilson was interviewed and gave a well-spoken quality interview.
I checked the future listings and it's going to be on at 4am Sunday AM (5am central) according to Comcast's listings (which are sometimes wrong). It's worth DVRing imo.
BTW, my 1st trip Owen Field (of many) was the ND win 7-0. The Sooner win today is sweet.

[BoulderSooner79]

It looked to be like Bell took a hit or got kicked in the calf. A contusion like that, even a slight one, can bring on a cramp that is tough to get rid of. Knight came in a did a good job. I was surprised they called a pass for Knight on that 3rd and goal since a FG at that point in the game looked to be important. But I do like the pass selection they used. The defense doesn't usually cover guys that short of the goal, so he had a safe throw to execute. They were just hoping Saunders could find a lane to run it in. I would have been chicken in that case and just had Knight run a play that took the ball to the middle of the field for the FG.

[BoulderSooner79]

My main observation about the game was that Bell passed test #2. You could tell he was nervous at first because he kept throwing those smoke screens too high. Our WRs did a good job of catching them and we still made yards because ND was playing off so far. But the critical point in the game was the last drive of the 1st half. There was 4:40 left when we started and we drained all but 40 seconds. Bell made the 2 critical plays to finally get the TD. He scrambled for a 1st down on 3rd and long when no one was open. Then be made that nice adjustment on the TD pass to Bester. Both plays happened because Bell was cool headed. We were up 14-7 when the drive started and had we given up the ball quickly and ND scored before half, it may have been a different outcome. Even if it remained 14-7 and ND then tied it with that 80 yard run in the 2nd, we might have been in trouble. But making it 21-7 right before half kept ND on their heels.

[ashley]

You know what they say about hindsight? OP needs a coaching job.

[basel90]

A great win and great job by Bob and his crew. heupel had some good calls and we need to fix the short yardage issues , but overall a an error free game . Bell was superb as QB and had no errors. The upside of this team is tremendous. I have to hand it to stoops , he is showing he is a top coach . The hiring of Mike and the OL and DL coaches and all the adjustmetns are starting to show folks. A wonderful win . i stayed up until 4 am where am stationed to watch this via streaming video. Go Sooners.

[deweydw]

- Was Bob daydreaming when he called the timeout with the clock winding down in the 4th quarter? He realized his mistake when the crowd started booing, but it was almost like he wasn't paying attention. But the look on his face at one point made it look like he was staring off into the distance. LOL

When BB came over to the side line and I could see him saying "Who called time out?" That was funny.

[8timechamps]

Thanks for explaining that 4th quarter TO. I thought that was extremely odd, and there are NO video boards inside the stadium.

[Temujin]

It looked to be like Bell took a hit or got kicked in the calf. A contusion like that, even a slight one, can bring on a cramp that is tough to get rid of. Knight came in a did a good job. I was surprised they called a pass for Knight on that 3rd and goal since a FG at that point in the game looked to be important. But I do like the pass selection they used. The defense doesn't usually cover guys that short of the goal, so he had a safe throw to execute. They were just hoping Saunders could find a lane to run it in. I would have been chicken in that case and just had Knight run a play that took the ball to the middle of the field for the FG.

If you go back and look at the game too, there's a shot where the camera is looking at the back of Blake's calf after that play. You can CLEARLY see the cramp in his leg. His left calf was all knotted up. That's how I knew right away it wasn't too serious.

[blacktop]

If you go back and look at the game too, there's a shot where the camera is looking at the back of Blake's calf after that play. You can CLEARLY see the cramp in his leg. His left calf was all knotted up. That's how I knew right away it wasn't too serious.

Yes! There clearly is a cramp - but - watch the end of the play BEFORE the cramp play. Watch close and you will see (my opinion) that that is when he got hurt. He came up off the grass looking in pain but to his credit, he ignored it, and went and ran his own number. No timeout, no handoff, just play. I'm still not 100% on Bell but he is a gamer!

[OU_Sooners75]

My thoughts:

Coaching: had a very good game plan set and pretty much stuck with it.

Thought they did a better job having the players in position to win.

Offense: Bell may not have had the game he did against Tulsa, but he was a true factor and a true leader. If his first read progressions weren't open, he made sound decisions either by running or improvising.

The line played a very solid game. In particular Gabe Ikard. There were numerous times he was on an island against arguably the best DL in te nation, Nix. And though he seldom got Nix pushes off the ball, he was able to get his hips between Nix and the hole. This made it where Nix was unable to be effective on run plays throughout the the game. The pass protection was great yet again.

The WRs did an excellent job on the edges blocking. They also ran precise routes and came back toward the ball if Bell was moving out of the pocket.

The running backs did a great job all game picking up their blocks. I don't think enough can be said of Millard as what he brings to this offense. Also clay is a beast! Williams was kind of a lack luster part of the game. He seemed to be more worried at bouncing the ball outside when he had good running lanes.

The only bad spot I seen was Finch. Not his running or what he did, but i cannot for the life of me fathom as to why the coaches do not give him more touches. The guy is as good an open field runner as any in the country.

Defense: we lacked size on the front. And at times it showed. However they played disciplined and were rarely pushed off the ball. Outside of that 80 yard run given up on NDs first play of the second half, the front seven did a very good job.

The DBs were excellent. There was just one play that I saw where the coverage had broke down. And that was the TD thrown to the TE.

Special teams: outside of the punting, the special teams played solid. Kick offs were again blasted out of the end zone, except for one. And Hunnicut was again perfect on FGs and EPs.

Overall I thought OU played their best game of the season. However there is plenty to still work on, and that is a good thing. Winning and still learning. Two keys of not developing complacency on the team.

This years team definitely has leadership on both sides of the ball!

[BigTip]

Maybe I worry too much, but I always seem to focus on what we are weak on, rather than appreciating what is working. So saying that,
I didn't think Bell had a great game at all. A lot of the passes were too high, or too low, but thankfully our boys being the studs that they are, managed to grab a bunch of them anyway.

Also, for those that were wondering why we didn't run the Belldozer for Tulsa, you should be appeased now. But it failed more often than it worked this time. I thought the beauty of it last year was how he would take the snap, then pause and look just for a moment, before finding the hole. But for ND he was just taking the snap and going, not looking, just going.

We had some red zone problems for sure. That's never good. I was flashbacking to Landy's problems pre-Belldozer era. Noooooo, not THIS again!

But it was a good win with lots of positives. Like I said, I am a worrier.

[OU_Sooners75]

Maybe I worry too much, but I always seem to focus on what we are weak on, rather than appreciating what is working. So saying that,
I didn't think Bell had a great game at all. A lot of the passes were too high, or too low, but thankfully our boys being the studs that they are, managed to grab a bunch of them anyway.

Also, for those that were wondering why we didn't run the Belldozer for Tulsa, you should be appeased now. But it failed more often than it worked this time. I thought the beauty of it last year was how he would take the snap, then pause and look just for a moment, before finding the hole. But for ND he was just taking the snap and going, not looking, just going.

We had some red zone problems for sure. That's never good. I was flashbacking to Landy's problems pre-Belldozer era. Noooooo, not THIS again!

But it was a good win with lots of positives. Like I said, I am a worrier.

He wasn't the same as the Tulsa game. But he was 22/30 232 yards and 2 TDs.

He completed 73.33% of his passes.

Yes a couple of his passes were overthrown. But he didn't make any costly mistakes.

All that on his very first road start.

[8timechamps]

Maybe I worry too much, but I always seem to focus on what we are weak on, rather than appreciating what is working. So saying that,
I didn't think Bell had a great game at all. A lot of the passes were too high, or too low, but thankfully our boys being the studs that they are, managed to grab a bunch of them anyway.

Also, for those that were wondering why we didn't run the Belldozer for Tulsa, you should be appeased now. But it failed more often than it worked this time. I thought the beauty of it last year was how he would take the snap, then pause and look just for a moment, before finding the hole. But for ND he was just taking the snap and going, not looking, just going.

We had some red zone problems for sure. That's never good. I was flashbacking to Landy's problems pre-Belldozer era. Noooooo, not THIS again!

But it was a good win with lots of positives. Like I said, I am a worrier.

It was hard to miss the overthrows, but I think that's because we are so used to accuracy. The anti-LJ crowd will not hear it, but LJ was a very accurate passer. Blake just isn't that guy, yet. I think he'll continue to improve in that area.

I do have to disagree though, I think Bell had an excellent game. He looked poised the entire game, lead the offense and MOST importantly, didn't make any dumb plays. If you get a chance, go back and re-watch the game. I did, and I think you'll find that Bell played better than you realized at the time (it's easy to get lost in the emotions of the game).

Also, don't forget that while Notre Dame may not be the most elite team in the country, they are still LOADED with elite talent (especially on defense). Scoring 28 points (not including the defensive TD obviously), on that kind of defense, is impressive. Sure, we had our issues, but I think, often times, people forget to remember that the other team is playing hard to stop our offense.

[picasso]

Some of Bell's balls were off but the ones he threw on the quick screens were money. I also thought his deep ball on the PI call was spot on.
To say he didn't play well is laughable.

[BoulderSooner79]

The high delivery on the short passes just looked like nerves to me - and understandable. And he settled down and was more accurate by the 2nd qtr. That TD to Shepard to seal the game could not have been more accurate and is what allowed the play to break big. His most impressive performance was the drive before halftime. He made the big plays by being cool headed and improvising. We don't need a pinpoint passer on every play as long as he doesn't panic and make the big mistake, and has the stones to make the important plays. So far, so good (or even great).

[cvsooner]

Bell hasn't turned the ball over yet this season, has he? Fumbles or interceptions?

[hawaii 5-0]

I just love mistake-free football. That's what practice is for.

OK, I also like that the receivers and RBs as units have very good hands. Less drops, less tipped passes.

5-0

[picasso]

Sure he missed some theows that we all expect everyone to always be money on but improvised some good runs to counter those few missed throws.
The one thing I'm dying to see some day is the keeper on a zone read when it's not obvious!
Keep it up BB!

[Temujin]

Maybe I worry too much, but I always seem to focus on what we are weak on, rather than appreciating what is working. So saying that,
I didn't think Bell had a great game at all. A lot of the passes were too high, or too low, but thankfully our boys being the studs that they are, managed to grab a bunch of them anyway.

I think you need to go back and watch the game. The passes he missed in the 1st half were mostly footwork issues that he corrected in the 2nd half. I'd attribute that to nerves on his first road test. The passes that he missed in the 2nd half, one of them was a deliberate overthrow as he was under pressure. Another, on 3rd and 2, the crossing WR was well covered and he threw the ball low and away, where only the WR could get to it. Bell's not the most accurate QB in the world, but his decisions are FAR better than Landry's, so far. The only 2 times I can recall that he was under pressure - 1. he threw the ball away, and 2. he felt the pressure, stepped up and ran for a first down. Granted, Landry's lack of athleticism wouldn't allow him to get the first down, but he also never would have felt the pressure and stepped up into the pocket.


Also, for those that were wondering why we didn't run the Belldozer for Tulsa, you should be appeased now. But it failed more often than it worked this time. I thought the beauty of it last year was how he would take the snap, then pause and look just for a moment, before finding the hole. But for ND he was just taking the snap and going, not looking, just going.

Again, go back and watch the game. Tell me where the "hole" was. Not only that, but most of the plays were designed to run up Millard's backside, a tendency we've had all year long and one that ND clearly noticed on tape. And it wasn't truly a "Belldozer" anyway because of the formation and personnel.


We had some red zone problems for sure. That's never good. I was flashbacking to Landy's problems pre-Belldozer era. Noooooo, not THIS again!

But it was a good win with lots of positives. Like I said, I am a worrier.

First of all, redzone issues? Two of the 4 redzone opportunities (that I recall) were TDs, the other 2 were FGs. Not too bad. And on the 2 FGs, one of them he wasn't even in the game. I don't know how you can put that on Bell. Heck, he even hit a nice pass for the 2-point conversion...which is in the redzone. And the other FG, I wouldn't even put that on Knight. The play-calling wasn't exactly stellar, IMO.

No one's saying that there aren't things to work on. Sooner fans expect a lot from their program. We're all there being critical with you. But at the same time, there were a LOT of encouraging things to take from this game...ESPECIALLY considering our recent past. And Bell's performance was clearly one of them.

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

"The only bad spot I seen was Finch. Not his running or what he did, but i cannot for the life of me fathom as to why the coaches do not give him more touches. The guy is as good an open field runner as any in the country."-OU_Sooners75

Finch could be a legit STAR, if we were to play him.

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

taken from comments on an Oklahoman article about the game:

1)Joel Christopher Driver · Top Commenter · University of Oklahoma

Tramel is making WAY too much of the series history because OU has now played Notre Dame 3 times in the last 45 years. I'm not understanding how games back in the 50's and 60's have any relevance whatsoever in the year 2013...that's a stretch. It's a great win though and puts OU in the top 10 and back into the mix for a mythical national title which is pretty exciting.
Reply · 1 ·
· 20 hours ago

2) Myrna Lawrence-Vanderburg · Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
JCD...I'll explain to you, the relevance of the OU teams of the 50s...That's where Oklahoma Football was Born...Those team laid the foundation for winning games and attracting nation-wide attention. They put The Sooners at the TOP of the Elite. They raised the bar SO HIGH that no other team, including OU, has ever crossed it. They put Oklahoma on the map. When all we had was dust and failed crops and broken men who couldn't feed their families, they gave us something to be proud of...to be recognized, favorably, for. They changed us from being Steinbeck's derogatory 'Okies' to being Bud Wilkinson's Proud SOONERS. They gave us an Identity that No One can take away from us. That's why, when ND broke The Streak, in 1957, Oklahoma hearts were broken... That's how those teams have relevance...Get it, now?

[BigTip]

Again, go back and watch the game.


Oh okay, if you twist my arm. :friendly_wink:

[jkjsooner]

But I STILL had to scratch my head as we were up 35-21 with 6 minutes to go and we pass on 3rd and 2. I know that we were trying to get the first down. But if we run there, at worst we still drain another minute off the clock.

This is the definition of hindsight logic. Just from watching the Vikings games this year they lost two games because they got too conservative and tried to run the ball in similar situations and Frazier got blasted by the fans for it.

I don't care if it's two scores. Six minutes left in the game is too long to get conservative and think of only draining the clock. Many games have been lost with that mindset. If you want to run the clock you have to get first downs.

Basically if something doesn't work there are going to be fans calling it conservative or predictable or stupid.

[BoulderSooner79]

taken from comments on an Oklahoman article about the game:

1)Joel Christopher Driver · Top Commenter · University of Oklahoma

Tramel is making WAY too much of the series history because OU has now played Notre Dame 3 times in the last 45 years. I'm not understanding how games back in the 50's and 60's have any relevance whatsoever in the year 2013...that's a stretch. It's a great win though and puts OU in the top 10 and back into the mix for a mythical national title which is pretty exciting.
Reply · 1 ·
· 20 hours ago

2) Myrna Lawrence-Vanderburg · Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
JCD...I'll explain to you, the relevance of the OU teams of the 50s...That's where Oklahoma Football was Born...Those team laid the foundation for winning games and attracting nation-wide attention. They put The Sooners at the TOP of the Elite. They raised the bar SO HIGH that no other team, including OU, has ever crossed it. They put Oklahoma on the map. When all we had was dust and failed crops and broken men who couldn't feed their families, they gave us something to be proud of...to be recognized, favorably, for. They changed us from being Steinbeck's derogatory 'Okies' to being Bud Wilkinson's Proud SOONERS. They gave us an Identity that No One can take away from us. That's why, when ND broke The Streak, in 1957, Oklahoma hearts were broken... That's how those teams have relevance...Get it, now?

The series history only means anything to old farts that still gripe about Hornung winning the Heisman on a losing team. It gives announcers something to talk about before OU pushes ND out of the top 25. ND gave Switzer a 2 game reprieve before Stoops holds the record for most wins by an OU head coach. The only relevant game in the series to this year's game was last year (from a football POY). Same 2 head coaches and a large percentage of the same players. Even then, both teams have significant differences.

[BigTip]

Even then, both teams have significant differences.

Yes. We are WINNERS now and they are LOSERS. Bwaa haa haa!


The only thing the series means to me is history. Remember another great stat about OU is that are not many teams that have all time winning records with us. I like having records like that. I like bragging about OU. Of course we have our work cut out for us with ND in that regard, but this was a great start!

[Temujin]

Oh okay, if you twist my arm. :friendly_wink:

LOL. BTW, didn't mean that in a disrespectful way. Just meant that I think the emotion of the moment tends to skew the ability to view things objectively. I'm the same way, which is why I have to re-watch the game sometimes.

[KantoSooner]

The series history only means anything to old farts that still gripe about Hornung winning the Heisman on a losing team. It gives announcers something to talk about before OU pushes ND out of the top 25. ND gave Switzer a 2 game reprieve before Stoops holds the record for most wins by an OU head coach. The only relevant game in the series to this year's game was last year (from a football POY). Same 2 head coaches and a large percentage of the same players. Even then, both teams have significant differences.

The series history also means a great deal to those who care about good vs. evil. We, of course, are good; ND is evil. Although we're down 2-9 over the length of the series, we have won the last one. It's reminescent of the Battle of Helm's Deep in the Lord of the Rings. The forces of evil are on a long run, but notice is served, the tide is turning. The forces of light have won a battle and are feeling good; health and strength flows back into their sinews and they are readied for the long twilight struggle ahead sure of ultimate triumph.

Other than that, it was just another game.

[bobcatsoonermagic]

I attended the game with a ND grad. He said the superboard idea was nixed because it was "just too untraditional". He also said the only reason the "boom box" super-PA system is in there is because Kelly made it a deal-breaker in his contract.

I'm surprised they don't require males to wear hats if they are in the company of a lady.

[KantoSooner]

Let's be clear, ND was founded in 1842. They've got 50 years on OU, period. And for the first decade or so, they were holding classes for low double digit numbers of students in a log cabin chapel. OU started as a fully fledged university.
Enough with the tugging of our forelocks in respect to Notre Dame's 'tradition'. They've got bumpkis on us in that department.

[picasso]

If you can't appreciate history of long ago then why the heck do we toot our horn about the 47 game winning streak.
If history has no relevance then what do we have on oSu and Baylor.

[BoulderSooner79]

If you can't appreciate history of long ago then why the heck do we toot our horn about the 47 game winning streak.
If history has no relevance then what do we have on oSu and Baylor.

Tradition and history are great things of interest, but are irrelevant when analyzing a football match-up. When I hear Lou Holtz picking ND because "OU is 1-9 against ND and just can't seem to beat them", I just have to shake my head (as well as laugh). I'm sure Stoops was pouring over the film from the '57 game to get prepared (they had film then, right?). We all know Holtz is just an ND homer, but to give the series record as a legit argument as to who wins this year was absurd. If he had just talked about last year and how some of the factors were the same, I would have given him some credit for doing a little homework. But that's just Holtz - the series record was mentioned as relevant by many other so called experts predicting the outcome.

BTW, I'm one of those old farts that remembers stupid trivia from way back. But it wouldn't enter my judgement if I were to put real money on a game outcome.

[aurorasooner]

You watch Holtz and Mark May purely just for the laugher entertainment, period.
If you think that they say on the air what they truly believe and that their spew is not scripted like a bad soap opera, then you're of the type that believes that pro wraslin is for real, beach front property is for sale in Arizona, will watch a Nascar race from start to finish w/o changing channels, and that the email from some 3rd world country requesting that you send them a few grand is legit.

BTW, anyone know where Trev disappeared to since he wouldn't follow the song and dance spew from ESPin?

[8timechamps]

If you can't appreciate history of long ago then why the heck do we toot our horn about the 47 game winning streak.
If history has no relevance then what do we have on oSu and Baylor.

I agree, but I think it's more for the fans than the current players/coaches. I thought Stoops said it best last week, he said something to the effect of "I appreciate the history, but that has nothing to do with my current players and I don't want it to..."

Then, he was asked about it again after the game, and he said that he understood and appreciates the history, and is happy for the OU fans that have lived through all the games, but he still doesn't want it to have an affect on his team.

That probably has a lot to do with him wanting to keep focus on the game, and not the back story.

[BoulderSooner79]

You watch Holtz and Mark May purely just for the laugher entertainment, period.
If you think that they say on the air what they truly believe and that their spew is not scripted like a bad soap opera, then you're of the type that believes that pro wraslin is for real, beach front property is for sale in Arizona, will watch a Nascar race from start to finish w/o changing channels, and that the email from some 3rd world country requesting that you send them a few grand is legit.



Careful there - my mom's a pro wrestler!

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

I don't care if it's two scores. Six minutes left in the game is too long to get conservative and think of only draining the clock. Many games have been lost with that mindset. If you want to run the clock you have to get first downs.

yessir

[8timechamps]

I've watched the game twice now (so much different than I remember...only two days ago).

Although the stats showed we gave up a lot of rushing yards, 80 of them came on one play. Unfortunately, it was a freshman mistake. Dominique Alexander read the play wrong, and moved out into coverage. That's all it took to open a (small) hole for the back to clear the garbage at the line and get behind the defense. The good news is that Alexander will probably never do that again. He clearly missed his key, and I'm sure he'll learn from that.

I'll have more in the 4th & 1 column up either tonight or tomorrow.

[aurorasooner]

Careful there - my mom's a pro wrestler! LMAO, I can remember when pro wraslin' was on Sat Nights and we would be loaded up on alcohol (or something else) with nothing better to do. The one night I can remember, these 2 wraslers were going back and forth like a tennis ball between the middle of the opposite ropes and were barely missing each other in the middle. It was like a 3 Stooges TV show rerun.
They did this about a dozen times before one finally cold-cocked the other wrasler' in the center of the ring and fell on his opponent for the pin. It was pure ESPiN type entertainment. I don't know if the loser lost because he was actually knocked out or out of breath. We were laughing our azzes off. It's too back that they hadn't invented the VCR yet, because I'd like to transcode that particular clip onto my computer and photoshop a GIF avatar out of it.

[mhackl]

I know that some have been upset about the run defense, but it's a D built for the big twelve. I actually thought they did a really good job considering. The OU lines did an outstanding job on both sides of the ball.

Hallelujah! The D-line and backs have finally their hands up.

When you consider where we expected this program to be this year, you have to be impressed. I get why (per Dean Blevins) Bob was "quietly more excited about this team than he has been in a long time".

The secondary is stingy, and I love it. It's nice to see Derrick Strait like athleticism. They're playing the ball!!

NBC did a great job with the intro. ESPIN/ABC could stand to take notes. The "Red River... Let it Flow" still rings in my head and makes me nauseous.

Favorite thing said: "And Bell is going to hand it off to Williams again, he's got the first down, and more, and he's in for the touchdown????"

Most annoying thing said: "Dozers don't slide! It's a DDS rule"

[stoopified]

We didn't play or coach as well as we could but still came out with a convincing win against a good team in a tough road environment.Boomer Sooner!

[8timechamps]

We didn't play or coach as well as we could but still came out with a convincing win against a good team in a tough road environment.Boomer Sooner!

That very thing is what makes me the most excited. To go on the road, in a tough environment, against a (then) ranked team, for the first time this year, and get out with a 14 point win is great. When you start looking at the film, and realize how many things could have been done better, you realize that those things are simple fixes between the coaches and the kids. These are not issue that we'll struggle with throughout the rest of the year, issues that are all correctable.

Now, after you've looked at it that way, and realize that we still won by 14, that's where the excitment comes. We're only going to get better...and we 'ain't too shabby' right now.

We should be playing high quality ball about the time we travel to Waco for the Thursday nighter.

[Temujin]

I know that some have been upset about the run defense, but it's a D built for the big twelve. I actually thought they did a really good job considering. The OU lines did an outstanding job on both sides of the ball.

Hallelujah! The D-line and backs have finally their hands up.

When you consider where we expected this program to be this year, you have to be impressed. I get why (per Dean Blevins) Bob was "quietly more excited about this team than he has been in a long time".

The secondary is stingy, and I love it. It's nice to see Derrick Strait like athleticism. They're playing the ball!!

NBC did a great job with the intro. ESPIN/ABC could stand to take notes. The "Red River... Let it Flow" still rings in my head and makes me nauseous.

Favorite thing said: "And Bell is going to hand it off to Williams again, he's got the first down, and more, and he's in for the touchdown????"

Most annoying thing said: "Dozers don't slide! It's a DDS rule"

Heh. I actually thought that was kind of funny in context because he had just said earlier that you'd never see Bell slide. Then he does, for the first time ever.

[JiminyChristmas]

I've watched the game twice now (so much different than I remember...only two days ago).

Although the stats showed we gave up a lot of rushing yards, 80 of them came on one play. Unfortunately, it was a freshman mistake. Dominique Alexander read the play wrong, and moved out into coverage. That's all it took to open a (small) hole for the back to clear the garbage at the line and get behind the defense. The good news is that Alexander will probably never do that again. He clearly missed his key, and I'm sure he'll learn from that.

I'll have more in the 4th & 1 column up either tonight or tomorrow.

I hope you are right about Alexander. He misplayed his gap a couple of times against Tulsa too. I was hoping it would have been corrected, but he's young and hopefully learning.

We will need the 3-4 a lot against the whorns. I guarantee you they saw some success ND had running off tackle and will try to play that game too. Alexander and Shannon need to be gap sound.

[8timechamps]

I hope you are right about Alexander. He misplayed his gap a couple of times against Tulsa too. I was hoping it would have been corrected, but he's young and hopefully learning.

We will need the 3-4 a lot against the whorns. I guarantee you they saw some success ND had running off tackle and will try to play that game too. Alexander and Shannon need to be gap sound.

I remember seeing him out of place a couple of times against Tulsa, but I don't remember if it was because of play-action, or not. I think against ND, he was going off of instinct, and completely missed his key. If he would have stayed disciplined, and realized it was a run, he (at the very least) forces Atkinson to take a different route.

He's very talented, but is a freshman, and there's a lot of offensive looks he hasn't seen. He'll improve, I have no doubt.

[mhackl]

taken from comments on an Oklahoman article about the game:

1)Joel Christopher Driver · Top Commenter · University of Oklahoma

Tramel is making WAY too much of the series history because OU has now played Notre Dame 3 times in the last 45 years. I'm not understanding how games back in the 50's and 60's have any relevance whatsoever in the year 2013...that's a stretch. It's a great win though and puts OU in the top 10 and back into the mix for a mythical national title which is pretty exciting.
Reply · 1 ·
· 20 hours ago

2) Myrna Lawrence-Vanderburg · Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
JCD...I'll explain to you, the relevance of the OU teams of the 50s...That's where Oklahoma Football was Born...Those team laid the foundation for winning games and attracting nation-wide attention. They put The Sooners at the TOP of the Elite. They raised the bar SO HIGH that no other team, including OU, has ever crossed it. They put Oklahoma on the map. When all we had was dust and failed crops and broken men who couldn't feed their families, they gave us something to be proud of...to be recognized, favorably, for. They changed us from being Steinbeck's derogatory 'Okies' to being Bud Wilkinson's Proud SOONERS. They gave us an Identity that No One can take away from us. That's why, when ND broke The Streak, in 1957, Oklahoma hearts were broken... That's how those teams have relevance...Get it, now?

This was a great response. I'm only 38, and never saw those teams, but I learned my fandom from those who did.

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

This was a great response. I'm only 38, and never saw those teams, but I learned my fandom from those who did.I thought it was, too. It is the crux of the norte dome matter, in fact. Many of the younger Sooner fans prolly don't understand what an ugly memory that 1957 loss was to us older Sooners. An account of the domer shenanigans leading up to that game is discussed in the great book about the 47 game win streak("the Undefeated").

[panhandlesooner]

In 1957 I was 9 years old and had been going to the games or listening on the radio for 7 years. My late Father took me to my first game in 1950..he was so upset by the loss to ND that he wore a "morning band" to work the following Monday...I can remember asking him about what that meant. The last OU game we went to together was the 1999 ND game and he thought it was a great experience...he said " it is a beautiful football setting but they are still SOB's" Many of us older Sooners learned our passion from those who who lived it!

[sooner46]

Did anyone notice that the Belldozer dozed up some land on that slide?

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

Did anyone notice that the Belldozer dozed up some land on that slide?Kid is a horse.

[Blues1]

In 1957 I was 9 years old and had been going to the games or listening on the radio for 7 years. My late Father took me to my first game in 1950..he was so upset by the loss to ND that he wore a "morning band" to work the following Monday...I can remember asking him about what that meant. The last OU game we went to together was the 1999 ND game and he thought it was a great experience...he said " it is a beautiful football setting but they are still SOB's" Many of us older Sooners learned our passion from those who who lived it!

Glad I Lived long enough to "Our Sooners Beat ND Twice" - I was in South Bend for our 40 to 0 Win in 1956 - 14 Years old with "My Dad" - Have been hiding out being a Hermit - Glad to See all you posters are Still Rockin'
Amen
BOOMER SOONER

[picasso]

Kid is a horse.

He's just big. Not buffed or roid big just country boy big.
The kinda guy who won't impress in the weight room but can toss a bail of hay into the top of a barn.