milesl
12/29/2015, 08:56 PM
http://www.cbssports.com/images/blogs/OU-CFPwin-640.jpg
http://cbsprt.co/1meYKsx
Video that I cant get to play on this website.
Five reasons why No. 4 Oklahoma will win the College Football Playoff
By Kyle Porter
December 26, 2015 11:00 pm ET
Oklahoma has improbably led the charge into the College Football Playoff this year behind quarterback Baker Mayfield, a playmaking defense and the best one-two punch at running back in all of college football.
Alabama might be the Vegas favorite to lift the trophy in a few weeks, but there are a few reasons why the Sooners will be able to hold off the Tide (and the two other semifinalists) from capturing the national title.
The best offense. Know which squad had the most prolific offense in the most offense-oriented league in the country? Not Baylor. Not Texas Tech. Not TCU. That would be Oklahoma at 3.19 points per drive during Big 12 play. For the season, OU averaged 3.18 per drive, which is far better than Clemson (2.81), Michigan State (2.67) and Alabama (2.30).
When you throw in defensive points per drive, Oklahoma easily had the best net of those four teams as well at +1.65. Only Western Kentucky, which last time I checked was not in the playoff, was higher in 2015 than OU.
Sure-fire backup plans. The Sooners want to do what pretty much all teams want to do: run the ball and turn you over on defense. With running backs Joe Mixon and Samaje Perine manning their stations, Oklahoma is better at it than almost anyone. OU averages 5.21 yards per carry and creates over two turnovers a game.
Consider the streak they're on, too. In OU's last seven games, it has turned teams over at a clip of three a game, averaged over 6 yards per carry, racked up at least 230 yards rushing in every game and scored 52 points per outing. Yeah, good luck with that.
http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/rRVWxZbHyOdwyQFi3aJhyg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3NfbGVnbztxPTg1O3c9NjMw/http://l.yimg.com/os/publish-images/sports/2015-09-13/ba8e62a0-59be-11e5-9ce1-fb8e5df1638a_shep-2.gif
But if it goes badly, and it might, OU has a number of backup plans it can call on. Sterling Shepard was an All-Big 12 receiver next to Josh Doctson and Corey Coleman. Mayfield threw for nearly 290 yards a game along with 35 touchdowns. If all that fails, they can just let Baker bake for four quarters. That leads us to ...
An improv wizard. I can throw all the stats I can possibly find at you, but the reality is as follows: When the chips are down, OU has the most dynamic playmaker on the field of any of the four teams. It's not even really that close. Is Alabama running back Derrick Henry better than Mayfield? Maybe. Is Clemson QB Deshaun Watson more prolific? Probably. But nobody on any of the four teams can take over a game like Mayfield can.
He did his Johnny Manziel impression late in the Tennessee and Baylor games when his team needed him most. And don't think he hasn't thought about being snubbed for the Heisman Trophy presentation. It's just one more reason OU has the edge as we hurtle towards New Year's Eve.
Revenge is sweet. OU lost five games in 2014. It lost to Oklahoma State, Baylor, TCU, Kansas State and Clemson. Oklahoma has played four of those teams so far in 2015 and won all four. The revenge tour (as it is being called by the Sooners) is nearly complete. I wouldn't normally buy-in to such nonsense, but it feels like OU's players really believe in what they're selling to themselves. And Bob Stoops is 2-1 all-time against teams ranked No. 1 in the AP Top 25.
Turnover margin matters. In conference play, OU turned the ball over just 10 times in nine games while creating 24 turnovers on defense. The Sooners rank fourth in the nation in sacks per game (3.2) and fifth in interceptions per game (1.6). Defensive backs Jordan Thomas and Zack Sanchez have combined for 11 picks on the season.
This sometimes ends with them getting housed by great receivers, but that's not really the point. Clemson is going to score. All these teams are. If Sanchez or Thomas can nab a pick six or a game-changing turnover in each of the two games OU is likely to play, Stoops could be holding title No. 2 here in a few weeks.
http://cbsprt.co/1meYKsx
Video that I cant get to play on this website.
Five reasons why No. 4 Oklahoma will win the College Football Playoff
By Kyle Porter
December 26, 2015 11:00 pm ET
Oklahoma has improbably led the charge into the College Football Playoff this year behind quarterback Baker Mayfield, a playmaking defense and the best one-two punch at running back in all of college football.
Alabama might be the Vegas favorite to lift the trophy in a few weeks, but there are a few reasons why the Sooners will be able to hold off the Tide (and the two other semifinalists) from capturing the national title.
The best offense. Know which squad had the most prolific offense in the most offense-oriented league in the country? Not Baylor. Not Texas Tech. Not TCU. That would be Oklahoma at 3.19 points per drive during Big 12 play. For the season, OU averaged 3.18 per drive, which is far better than Clemson (2.81), Michigan State (2.67) and Alabama (2.30).
When you throw in defensive points per drive, Oklahoma easily had the best net of those four teams as well at +1.65. Only Western Kentucky, which last time I checked was not in the playoff, was higher in 2015 than OU.
Sure-fire backup plans. The Sooners want to do what pretty much all teams want to do: run the ball and turn you over on defense. With running backs Joe Mixon and Samaje Perine manning their stations, Oklahoma is better at it than almost anyone. OU averages 5.21 yards per carry and creates over two turnovers a game.
Consider the streak they're on, too. In OU's last seven games, it has turned teams over at a clip of three a game, averaged over 6 yards per carry, racked up at least 230 yards rushing in every game and scored 52 points per outing. Yeah, good luck with that.
http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/rRVWxZbHyOdwyQFi3aJhyg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3NfbGVnbztxPTg1O3c9NjMw/http://l.yimg.com/os/publish-images/sports/2015-09-13/ba8e62a0-59be-11e5-9ce1-fb8e5df1638a_shep-2.gif
But if it goes badly, and it might, OU has a number of backup plans it can call on. Sterling Shepard was an All-Big 12 receiver next to Josh Doctson and Corey Coleman. Mayfield threw for nearly 290 yards a game along with 35 touchdowns. If all that fails, they can just let Baker bake for four quarters. That leads us to ...
An improv wizard. I can throw all the stats I can possibly find at you, but the reality is as follows: When the chips are down, OU has the most dynamic playmaker on the field of any of the four teams. It's not even really that close. Is Alabama running back Derrick Henry better than Mayfield? Maybe. Is Clemson QB Deshaun Watson more prolific? Probably. But nobody on any of the four teams can take over a game like Mayfield can.
He did his Johnny Manziel impression late in the Tennessee and Baylor games when his team needed him most. And don't think he hasn't thought about being snubbed for the Heisman Trophy presentation. It's just one more reason OU has the edge as we hurtle towards New Year's Eve.
Revenge is sweet. OU lost five games in 2014. It lost to Oklahoma State, Baylor, TCU, Kansas State and Clemson. Oklahoma has played four of those teams so far in 2015 and won all four. The revenge tour (as it is being called by the Sooners) is nearly complete. I wouldn't normally buy-in to such nonsense, but it feels like OU's players really believe in what they're selling to themselves. And Bob Stoops is 2-1 all-time against teams ranked No. 1 in the AP Top 25.
Turnover margin matters. In conference play, OU turned the ball over just 10 times in nine games while creating 24 turnovers on defense. The Sooners rank fourth in the nation in sacks per game (3.2) and fifth in interceptions per game (1.6). Defensive backs Jordan Thomas and Zack Sanchez have combined for 11 picks on the season.
This sometimes ends with them getting housed by great receivers, but that's not really the point. Clemson is going to score. All these teams are. If Sanchez or Thomas can nab a pick six or a game-changing turnover in each of the two games OU is likely to play, Stoops could be holding title No. 2 here in a few weeks.