Upset alert!!

[revelladee]

It's only Tuesday and I've heard it on ESPN, CFD and other sports channels at least a dozen times...Oklahoma is going down at WVA....I hope the boys are ticked off and ready to play and put the hurt on!!! Stop the disrespecting of our Sooners!


Boomer!!!!

[cherokeebrewer]

Yeah well, we've heard that before..

[SCSoonerfan]

Guess I better cancel my trip.

[8timechamps]

I haven't heard anyone say the Sooners are going to lose, but I've heard a couple of people in the media say they could lose this game.

If you're looking at the teams in the top 10 that have the toughest games this week, OU is probably at the top of that list. Florida State is playing Clemson, but it's in Tallahassee.

Here's the match-ups for the top 10 this week:

#22 Clemson @ #1 Florida State
#2 Oregon @ Washington State
Florida @ #3 Alabama
#4 OU @ West Virginia
#5 Auburn @ #20 Kansas State
#6 Texas A&M @ SMU
Mississippi State @ #8 LSU

With the exception of Auburn at KSU, OU is the only top 10 really playing a quality team on the road. So, it's not crazy to think it could be an upset.

With that said, OU will win.

[EatLeadCommie]

Barring an offensive meltdown, I don't see us losing this game. I can't remember the last time we came out in midseason form at the beginning of a season. I worry about losing one near the end of the year, but not right now. Our defensive line is just ferocious and intense. Just need to keep everybody healthy.

[BoulderSooner79]

WVU game 'Bama all they wanted, so it's easy to see why people look at this game. That really creates an opportunity for OU to play well against a common opponent of a top ranked team (in primetime, right?).

[Eielson]

KSU OVER AUBURN!!!!!

[EatLeadCommie]

Auburn is going to kill KSU, and I'm of the opinion that Auburn is overrated.

[Eielson]

Auburn is going to kill KSU, and I'm of the opinion that Auburn is overrated.

Don't mess with Snyder.

[aurorasooner]

KSU OVER AUBURN!!!!!The Puddys will have the biggest cat in the stadium Thur. night.

As far as OU/WV goes. since Striker has received so much attention this week, I think M. Stoops uses him as a decoy. He might not have any QB sacks but I think perhaps he'll have a couple of screen pass break-ups and maybe a pick in the flat for a TD. If Mike/Bob is/are the defensive genius(s) fans say they are, It'll be interesting to see what they put together for Sat. night.
Heupel and our receivers are the key though. If Heupel reverts to FUJH and has a Meh offensive game plan, then we'll be sucking hind tit with 3 and outs Sat night and fighting from behind all game. I do think that we'll see more counters, mis-direction/reverses, and screens similar to the Sugar Bowl instead of just running straight up the back of our OL.
It's too bad that we play WV and TCU before the Cotton Bowl, but if we try to be cute and save our offense for Texass, then we may go into the RRR with an 0-2 conference record.
TCU is leading most of the NCAA defensive stats although their OOC has been against E. Popcorn States (including the Gophers) and Patterson has 2 weeks to prep.

[badger]

OU needs to lose to WVU. There's not nearly enough SEC teams in the top 5

[Temujin]

The Puddys will have the biggest cat in the stadium Thur. night.

As far as OU/WV goes. since Striker has received so much attention this week, I think M. Stoops uses him as a decoy. He might not have any QB sacks but I think perhaps he'll have a couple of screen pass break-ups and maybe a pick in the flat for a TD. If Mike/Bob is/are the defensive genius(s) fans say they are, It'll be interesting to see what they put together for Sat. night.
Heupel and our receivers are the key though. If Heupel reverts to FUJH and has a Meh offensive game plan, then we'll be sucking hind tit with 3 and outs Sat night and fighting from behind all game. I do think that we'll see more counters, mis-direction/reverses, and screens similar to the Sugar Bowl instead of just running straight up the back of our OL.
It's too bad that we play WV and TCU before the Cotton Bowl, but if we try to be cute and save our offense for Texass, then we may go into the RRR with an 0-2 conference record.
TCU is leading most of the NCAA defensive stats although their OOC has been against E. Popcorn States (including the Gophers) and Patterson has 2 weeks to prep.

Personally I'd like to see Striker go off for the rest of the season the way he did against the Vols and bring in a defensive Heisman. :)

[KantoSooner]

I want to see a team completely sell out to stopping Striker and then see what Grissom, Ndulue et al can get done. It would amuse me.

[BoulderSooner79]

Since OU would be favored against every team on their schedule if that game were to be played next, OU is always on upset alert. Just preparing to win the next game is trying to avoid the upset, no? Okay, I know ESPN is saying that out of the possible upsets this week, WVU would not shock them as much as others. Fine, whatever.

Given what WVU did vs. Bama, I think we have a no lose (unless we lose) situation. Just winning by 1 point should maintain our high regard unless it's some total fluke and WVU looked like the better team. If we put in a dominate performance, we definitely gain some cred. (I just point this out for contrast for the crowd that claim a no win situation when we get a disappointing bowl match-up).

[cherokeebrewer]

They'll have us on upset alert against every team except Kansas...They want us to lose. It's what they do.

[delhalew]

Both WVU and TCU both look like much bigger challenges than I would have thought before the season.

[BoulderSooner79]

They'll have us on upset alert against every team except Kansas...They want us to lose. It's what they do.

Why do you equate upset alert to wanting us to lose? I interpret it as saying this is a tougher game than #4 vs unranked might indicate and I agree.

[BoulderSooner79]

Both WVU and TCU both look like much bigger challenges than I would have thought before the season.

Me too. With TCU, it seems defense can be a system thing just as much as offense can. Patterson seems to field a good D regardless of player turnover.

[badger]

They'll have us on upset alert against every team except Kansas...They want us to lose. It's what they do.

I think it would be fair to say that every college football fan loves upsets so long as it's someone else's team, not their own. Wouldn't you love to see every top team lose so that OU could go back to being #1?

Wouldn't everyone else just have loved for Bob Stoops to lose to Tennessee, not only to shut him up about the SEC, but also so their teams could all move up a spot in the meaningless top 25 polls? Oh yeah, I bet everyone else would have loved that. Too bad. Stay tuned for another round of Boomer Sooner (but not Rocky Top, because the cheapskates didn't bring their band, tee hee)

[BoulderSooner79]

I think it would be fair to say that every college football fan loves upsets so long as it's someone else's team, not their own. Wouldn't you love to see every top team lose so that OU could go back to being #1?



True dat. If there were no chances for upset, there a bunch of games not worth watching. Being a closet Stanford fan, I totally enjoyed what BC did to USC last week. Stanford outplayed USC in every way but the scoreboard (they did manage to win the most brain-fart category). Yet, everyone was jumping on the USC bandwagon anyway. I knew USC would tumble back to earth, I just didn't know it would be so soon. tee-hee.

[cherokeebrewer]

Why do you equate upset alert to wanting us to lose? I interpret it as saying this is a tougher game than #4 vs unranked might indicate and I agree.

We'll see how tough it is. That's why they play the game...

[BoulderSooner79]

We'll see how tough it is. That's why they play the game...

Agreed, but doesn't answer my question. I didn't see this particular upset alert segment, but most the ones I see are just warning flags, not predictions. The exception was the USCe/UGA game last week where more than one person flat out predicted a USCe win. And I detected no connotation that they wanted UGA to lose.

[cherokeebrewer]

Agreed, but doesn't answer my question. I didn't see this particular upset alert segment, but most the ones I see are just warning flags, not predictions. The exception was the USCe/UGA game last week where more than one person flat out predicted a USCe win. And I detected no connotation that they wanted UGA to lose.

Ok, you win.

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

Personally, I feel we are on upset alert until we show some more offensive consistency. We just seem to be heavily reliant on the big play which tends to disappear on the road. Any time we've tried to grind it out down the field, we are getting stopped after 2-3 first downs.

Weird Stats

Number of Plays - OU 210 Opp 226
Number of 3/Out - OU 9 Opp 18

[BoulderSooner79]

Personally, I feel we are on upset alert until we show some more offensive consistency. We just seem to be heavily reliant on the big play which tends to disappear on the road. Any time we've tried to grind it out down the field, we are getting stopped after 2-3 first downs.

Weird Stats

Number of Plays - OU 210 Opp 226
Number of 3/Out - OU 9 Opp 18

Any theories on why the inconsistency? I guess an easy one is that all the RBs and all the WRs except Shepard are new. Also, TK just finished his 8th CFB start.

Another factor I didn't anticipate is that the O-line doesn't seem to be great at run blocking and we are trying to be a more run oriented offense. It has been pointed out that the O-line is very big and would be in the top 5 NFL O-line in total weight. That is usually associated with a good pass blocking team and not run blocking. I remember those late 90's Broncos teams with Terrell Davis running wild had one of the lightest O-lines in the league. But those guys were explosive and could really run on sweeps. Maybe irrelevant, but it's factoid that struck me.

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

Any theories on why the inconsistency? I guess an easy one is that all the RBs and all the WRs except Shepard are new. Also, TK just finished his 8th CFB start.

Another factor I didn't anticipate is that the O-line doesn't seem to be great at run blocking and we are trying to be a more run oriented offense. It has been pointed out that the O-line is very big and would be in the top 5 NFL O-line in total weight. That is usually associated with a good pass blocking team and not run blocking. I remember those late 90's Broncos teams with Terrell Davis running wild had one of the lightest O-lines in the league. But those guys were explosive and could really run on sweeps. Maybe irrelevant, but it's factoid that struck me.


Our guards aren't very good. Large guys seem to only try to block straight ahead instead of getting leverage on a side and pushing them towards the sidelines. The only guy who can "bull block" like that is Savage and he is a backup. Even with Nila back, he and Shead were getting stoned at the LOS. We finally started getting some push in the second half when they put in Savage but then he false started and killed a drive.
Our RBs are mismatched with our OL. Typically, you want smaller scat type backs with large OL because they get lost by the defense and then can cut past them.
Our RBs have shown some limited vision until Ford against Tennessee. Large OL make really weird creases with lots of cutback lanes. Ford hit 2 cutback lanes for about 10 a pop, but that has been it for the season.
I keep saying that Knight is Hybl 2.0. The offense under Hybl used to have this same feast or famine quality. Watch me hit this pinpoint over the shoulder throw 45 yards down field and then airmail a slant 5 yards behind the receiver.
Our go to 3rd down and long has always been the slant. Unfortunately, Knight isn't accurate with that throw. What we are missing is the 3 verticals with the tight end sitting down over the middle (which was a secondary 3rd down and long play for us under Bradford). I thought we might go to it after we'd used Bell in that 2 minute drill in the 1st half but nope.

[8timechamps]

Did the FSU/Clemson game just get a lot more interesting (with the 1st half suspension of Winston)?

I'm putting FSU on upset alert! Hell, I'm putting everyone on upset alert!

[cherokeebrewer]

Hell, I'm putting everyone on upset alert!

LOL

[BoulderSooner79]

Did the FSU/Clemson game just get a lot more interesting (with the 1st half suspension of Winston)?

I'm putting FSU on upset alert! Hell, I'm putting everyone on upset alert!

That's what I was thinking (the first sentence). If Clemson wasn't such a reliably chumpish team, I might even wager a few dollars. They were all over UGA in the 1st half of their game and then did absolutely nothing the 2nd half. USCe showed that Clemson should have been able to finish the job. I guess Winston gets to come in a be the hero after half even though Clemson would have folded anyway ;)

[BoulderSooner79]

I'm putting FSU on upset alert! Hell, I'm putting everyone on upset alert!

Maybe we should have a meltdown alert so the fans feel involved.

[badger]

Tee hee, if only Tennessee receivers caught those passed to the endzone instead of Zack Sanchez and Julian Wilson. Tee hee :D

[8timechamps]

That's what I was thinking (the first sentence). If Clemson wasn't such a reliably chumpish team, I might even wager a few dollars. They were all over UGA in the 1st half of their game and then did absolutely nothing the 2nd half. USCe showed that Clemson should have been able to finish the job. I guess Winston gets to come in a be the hero after half even though Clemson would have folded anyway ;)

Clemson will have to get up big on FSU in the first half, but I don't know if that's possible.

I'm still putting everyone on upset alert...

[BoulderSooner79]

I'm still putting everyone on upset alert...

I'm getting upset already.

[8timechamps]

I'm getting upset already.

See...

[Wishboned]

Clemson will have to get up big on FSU in the first half, but I don't know if that's possible.

I'm still putting everyone on upset alert...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDAmPIq29ro

[cvsooner]

Tee hee, if only Tennessee receivers caught those passed to the endzone instead of Zack Sanchez and Julian Wilson. Tee hee :D You know, in all seriousness, I thought Worley was the real deal. Took a lot of punishment and was making very good throws. His receivers dropped a ton of great passes. They make some of those catches and that game gets a lot more interesting.

Of course, we also left a ton of yards and points on that field, both in the run and passing games. We've got to be more consistent.

[8timechamps]

You know, in all seriousness, I thought Worley was the real deal. Took a lot of punishment and was making very good throws. His receivers dropped a ton of great passes. They make some of those catches and that game gets a lot more interesting.

Of course, we also left a ton of yards and points on that field, both in the run and passing games. We've got to be more consistent.

Agreed. He took an absolute beating and kept making plays.

Tennessee's punter was also really good last Saturday. I haven't seen it mentioned, but with the exception of the punt we gave back, he was booting the ball.

I really believe Tennessee will beat a team or two they're not supposed to beat this year.