stoopified
9/12/2006, 04:31 PM
where do we stand on our predictions for the season?
Personally I have to first admit that ENA is performing at a much higher level than I was anticipating.My thinking was that since he did not perform well in the TCU game and following this switched to wr that naming him as starting Qb before practice even started was a mistake.I figured if 3 1/2 years at qb did not prepare him as a qb,how was spending a year at WR going to help?
I was wrong and I apologize to ENA and all his supporters.He has done an outstanding job and in fact has the OU passing game already in the form that Rhett Bonehead did not reach till midseason.
My initial reaction when we lost Bonehead and ENA was named to replace him was that we were looking at an 8-4 regular season.If that comes to pass now it will be due to lackluster D performance and NOT because of ENA.
Barring critical injuries I fully expect OU to finish somewhere between 10-2 and 12-0 in the regular season.The D is Bob's baby and HE WILL do whatever it takes to get on track.He has talent and good,proven D coaches on board so I cannot concieve of this team not making a major improvement at stuffing the run and defending the pass.
Our problems on run D stem largely from poor tacling and overaggression taking us out of positionThis is a matter of fundamentals and I think fairly easy to correct.Game repitition as well as in practice should provide remedy.
Pass defense IMHO is simply complcency on the part of some players.I do not mean to single out DJ but he is the perfect example of this case.You have a player who is beginning his second year as a starter and he all of a sudden cannot cover anybody,even with a bedsheet.By all accounts and observations(at least that I am aware of) he is a sharp kid who knows the position and has the ability to do the job.The good thing about this team is whether it is D-line or D-back we have a lot of hungry talent that wii come in and go all out.Walker,Holmes,Jackson come to mind at CB and Blakard and McCoy at DT.
UO is a threat because they have decent talent,have a good coach ,and are at home early in the season.
UT of course is a threat because hey it is OU-UT,nuff said.
TT is a threat because they can score a lot and we may still have bugs in the D.I have to admit seeing UTEP take TT to OT and only lose by three lessens my concern.
aTm would not concern me except it IS at Kyle Field and history shows us that even great OU teams have to fight hard to win there.
Finally there are the Cowpukes,personally I think they are just getting themselves all pumped for no reason with cupcakes.BUT they have played us tough in Stoolwater in recent years.
In college football history it has been proven(even in OU's storied past) That going undefeated is hard to do. It is for this reason that I picked OU to finish between 10-2 and 12-0 in the regular season.At best we win number 8 and at worst go 10-2 and get a BCS bid.
So SOONER fans am I overly optimistic or am I on target?How do you see the season now?
Personally I have to first admit that ENA is performing at a much higher level than I was anticipating.My thinking was that since he did not perform well in the TCU game and following this switched to wr that naming him as starting Qb before practice even started was a mistake.I figured if 3 1/2 years at qb did not prepare him as a qb,how was spending a year at WR going to help?
I was wrong and I apologize to ENA and all his supporters.He has done an outstanding job and in fact has the OU passing game already in the form that Rhett Bonehead did not reach till midseason.
My initial reaction when we lost Bonehead and ENA was named to replace him was that we were looking at an 8-4 regular season.If that comes to pass now it will be due to lackluster D performance and NOT because of ENA.
Barring critical injuries I fully expect OU to finish somewhere between 10-2 and 12-0 in the regular season.The D is Bob's baby and HE WILL do whatever it takes to get on track.He has talent and good,proven D coaches on board so I cannot concieve of this team not making a major improvement at stuffing the run and defending the pass.
Our problems on run D stem largely from poor tacling and overaggression taking us out of positionThis is a matter of fundamentals and I think fairly easy to correct.Game repitition as well as in practice should provide remedy.
Pass defense IMHO is simply complcency on the part of some players.I do not mean to single out DJ but he is the perfect example of this case.You have a player who is beginning his second year as a starter and he all of a sudden cannot cover anybody,even with a bedsheet.By all accounts and observations(at least that I am aware of) he is a sharp kid who knows the position and has the ability to do the job.The good thing about this team is whether it is D-line or D-back we have a lot of hungry talent that wii come in and go all out.Walker,Holmes,Jackson come to mind at CB and Blakard and McCoy at DT.
UO is a threat because they have decent talent,have a good coach ,and are at home early in the season.
UT of course is a threat because hey it is OU-UT,nuff said.
TT is a threat because they can score a lot and we may still have bugs in the D.I have to admit seeing UTEP take TT to OT and only lose by three lessens my concern.
aTm would not concern me except it IS at Kyle Field and history shows us that even great OU teams have to fight hard to win there.
Finally there are the Cowpukes,personally I think they are just getting themselves all pumped for no reason with cupcakes.BUT they have played us tough in Stoolwater in recent years.
In college football history it has been proven(even in OU's storied past) That going undefeated is hard to do. It is for this reason that I picked OU to finish between 10-2 and 12-0 in the regular season.At best we win number 8 and at worst go 10-2 and get a BCS bid.
So SOONER fans am I overly optimistic or am I on target?How do you see the season now?