<Negativity Warning!> Am I the only Sooner fan

[TUSooner]

who is concerned at all about Boise State? Forget their conference and their schedule; 12-0 says they are at least competent, and all the emotional factors are in their favor: They are the ultimate underdog; they have nothing to lose; they are the latest darlings of the media & national fandom; they are on a 12-0 roll and feel like a "team of destiny"; we are a huge inviting "old establishment" target; and there's the usual bowl game mystery of "who knows what can happen to a team after a month off"? A flat start or a couple of turnovers by OUr guys could add fuel to their fire.
As usual, I take comfort in the fact that the team is lead by Bob Stoops and not the posters on this board - including both sunshine pumpers and fraidy-cats like me - and I trust that the players have a proper degree of respect for the opponent. All I'm saying is that, under the circumstances, OUr guys had better be ready for the kind of games we faced on the road against the orange and marroon aggies. We won those games; and it may take an equally ballsy effort to win this one.
Let the flames begin! :pop:

[SoonerBorn68]

Hey, they're 12-0. This ain't like playing E. Popcorn State. I'm confident the Sooners can and will come out victors but they'll have to earn it. BS ain't gonna roll over.

[King Crimson]

i'm worried about the game (it's not a gimme).....i think we will need to play well for 4 quarters to win. we've had trouble with teams that have balanced O. ENA has to throw the ball effectively and take care of the ball, IMO.

i'd be happy if we came out and rolled in a blowout and AD goes nuts.....but, i think we'll have to score 25-30 points to win. i think they'll get theirs.

[AlbqSooner]

If you are asking do I take this game as a given win, no.

If you are asking do I believe. Yes; for over 50 years of watching the Sooners I have believed and the disappointments have been so few and so far between.

I suggest, (note I did not say "pump the sunshine") that this game makes a huge statement for the offseason and next year for us.

[Okieflyer]

After the 1977 Orange Bowl against Arkansas. I always get worried!:O

[soonermeteor]

I think we don't have to be really worried but have to be careful. It can't get said enough that they will come out fighting and we cannot let them get momentum.

[RRWSooner]

I think BS could take an early lead, but momentum will shift by halftime and OU will overcome them.

[franklinjake]

I think Boise State will throw all they got and blow their wad in the 1st quarter, but we will bend and not break and we will pull away in the 2nd quarter.

I am not worried about them, this is an average college football team that we are playing that only looked good in the record book because of one of the easiest schedules in the nation. Anyone, yes anyone, can do that. Had they been somewhere in the middle of schedule strength and actually played some respectable teams, I think they would be a 3-4 loss team.

I think AD will have over 200 yards with 25 touches, AP will have over 75 yards with 10 touches. Thompson will be somewhere around 15-20 in passing for 250 yards. I don't think their defense will stop us. But I do think they will be stopped by OUr defense. Under 250 yards for Boise State. Ian will be held for something like 75 yards and BS will be around 150 - 175 yards in their passing game. I think our secondary will have a big night with 3 picks.

Let the talking end and the game begin! BOOMER SOONER!

Good Guys - 48
Smurfs - 13

[Widescreen]

Yes, I'm concerned. Especially after seeing how teams have lit up the scoreboard on Big XII teams. Having AD back should take a bit of pressure off PT and our receivers. For that, I'm thankful.

[sooner518]

im concerned of course. we just cant turn the ball over and I think we'll be alright. OU - 27 Boise - 17

[SoonerLB]

I don't see this game as a cake walk either, but if the team can stay focused, avoid penalties and mistakes, then we should get the win.
They will be fired up, and as mentioned above, have nothing to lose, so we need to light up that scoreboard, and keep lighting it up. Can't sit on a lead against these guys, gotta go hard the whole game. And I hope AD has twice the yards as their whole team!

[Rogue]

Nope, not worried.

[BudSooner]

Hey, they're 12-0. This ain't like playing E. Popcorn State. I'm confident the Sooners can and will come out victors but they'll have to earn it. BS ain't gonna roll over.
Well put 68, the past few years when after the CCG the time until the actual bowl game may have proven to be our true enemy since we looked a little slow starting the game.
We need to come out firing on all cylinders and not let up, BS is a team with something to prove and we need to prove that we should have been in a better bowl.
Translation:blow this turd out of the water!:mad:

[OUAndy1807]

I'm worried that I'm not worried, if that makes any sense. It's always the games that I'm not worried about that we lose.

[Sooner-N-KS]

I'm looking forward to seeing AD. It seems like the OL has really improved in his absense, and there weren't enough holes early on when AD was healthy. If AD gets some blocking he'll tear them up.

I have a cousin that lives in Scottsdale, and he's a manager in a resort that a bunch of OU alumni is staying at. He made some connections that allowed him to attend some practices and other functions. He told me he went to a dual team event, maybe a dinner or something. His biggest impression was how small their linemen were compared to OU.

[TripleOption14]

I'm a little worried. But AD is back and going for history and i think the team wants to help him get it!! It won't be easy but if OU can get a lead early and then just beat on them with AD and AP by the third quarter the holes could be big enough for Trent Williams to run through. :D By that hopefully the BS D line will be to beat up to create any sort of pass rush and ENA can dink and dump for the rest of the game.

Close early but by middle of 2nd quarter OU's O-line will commence to beating people down! :D

[mightysooner]

Nah....not concerned really. They'll give us an emotional battle for 2 quarters but this is one of the most hard nosed Sooner teams I can remember under Stoops save the Rose Bowl Champion team. Boise hasn't faced ANYBODY like what they're about to face all season long. They D-line averages in the 270's where as our O-line averages 304 across. They're O-line averages in the 280's. We're going to own the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. Only thing tha makes me nervous is our aggressive defense's propensity to bite on the play action. I think we'll be fine....

I don't think Boise State could even win the North if they played in the Big XII. I think Several Big XII teams could beat them....even Pokie State.

[Blues1]

heres my take..... We are going to play our Best game of the Season....Call it Sunshine pumping IF you want to -- But thats the way I see it....

Lets Get Rockin;

[OUinFLA]

Im worried, Im lifting weights today (12 oz) and doing windsprints to the fridge during commercials.
I hope Im not too tired by kickoff and I hope I havent waited too late to get into shape.

Boomer Sooner
hang half a hundred on em.

[Widescreen]

I'm worried that I'm not worried, if that makes any sense. It's always the games that I'm not worried about that we lose.
So are you worried that you're worried that you're not worried? I would be.

[Sooner-N-KS]

OU OL 280 330 285 306 321
BS DL 262 270 278 244

[Sooner-N-KS]

Those are weights of OU offensive line and BS defensive line BTW

[mightysooner]

OU OL 280 330 285 306 321
BS DL 262 270 278 244

Between the tackles anyone? Who on our line is 280?

[Kels]

We don't play, our team does.

OU by 3 td's.

[Sooner-N-KS]

Messner is listed as 280.

[mightysooner]

Messner is listed as 280.


Centers are usually smaller. So who's 285 then?

[TUSooner]

We don't play, our team does.
Best news EVAR! :D

[1stTimeCaller]

I think the emotion part could hurt them. They do a good job of being in the right position to make plays. They do a great job of that. If their emotions get the best of them they could find themselves out of position and they don't have the players to make plays when out of position.

Just my opinion, I could very well be wrong.

[franklinjake]

We don't play, our team does.

OU by 3 td's.
Yes, and they play like a team more than I have seen from an other year since our last National Championship.

OU by 5 TD's.

[Widescreen]

I could very well be wrong.
Shocking!!!11!1!!!!

;)

[franklinjake]

I think the emotion part could hurt them. They do a good job of being in the right position to make plays. They do a great job of that. If their emotions get the best of them they could find themselves out of position and they don't have the players to make plays when out of position.

Just my opinion, I could very well be wrong.
Good point, emotion from a team never to be in this position (BSU = Bull S*** University), can be disasterous if it is not handled right and are able to focus your emotions.

[possumfat]

I think OU will wear BS down by the third quarter............chasing AD would make anyone tired.

[MyT Oklahoma]

I like our chances and I especially appreciate this story in the Oklahoman this morning. Win, lose or tie (yeah that shows my age) we are the team of destiny this year! Go Sooners go.

By John Helsley
Staff Writer


GLENDALE, Ariz. — Those could have been a tumultuous 24 hours back in August after Oklahoma's next great quarterback was exiled for thumbing his nose at NCAA rules.

Except Sooner coaches stood convinced that Paul Thompson would leap at their offer to move back behind center from wide receiver.

Except what they didn't know was Thompson seriously considered passing on the invitation.

Serious.

As OU enters its Fiesta Bowl matchup with Boise State tonight, it's difficult to imagine where the Sooners might be without Thompson at quarterback. And it's easy to peg him as one of the most surprisingly important Sooners to any season, especially one that began amid such crisis only to progress into something special, pending victory tonight.

Not that Thompson's surprised.

"From the get go, when I came here, I knew I could be successful at the collegiate level at quarterback,” Thompson said. "I wasn't surprised.

"Some other people might have been.”

Many other people were, some inside the very doors of the Sooner program.

"Nobody knew what to expect,” sophomore wideout Malcolm Kelly said.

Bob Stoops felt a need to tell the team that if they didn't reach their goals, it wouldn't be because of Thompson.

That came from no disrespect to Thompson, a beloved teammate.

But in four previous years on campus, Thompson's starting experience at quarterback was limited to one game. One disastrous game: a season-opening loss to TCU in 2005 remembered for Thompson's early overthrow of a wide-open receiver and his fumbling run near the Horned Frogs goal line.

The following week, fab freshman Rhett Bomar was taking snaps in a career that seemed destined to deliver him among OU legends. Thompson was off to learn receiving routes.

Fate what it is, however, Bomar became only a dubious entry into Sooner history.

And in 2006, the Sooners hit on most of their goals.

Because of Thompson, not despite him.

"I don't know that people understand what kind of responsibility that was — for anybody,” said receivers coach and co-offensive coordinator Kevin Sumlin. "You just don't show up and be the quarterback at Oklahoma.

"All of a sudden, you're the guy. He's handled that really well. Paul's a winner. And he's a man.”

Pinpoint the defining moments of this Sooner season, which could become just the fifth 12-win season in school history, and Thompson is attached to most.

The 99-yard drive against Nebraska to cement the Big 12 Championship. The 40-yard touchdown pass to Kelly just 10 seconds before halftime against Texas Tech, cutting a 24-10 deficit to 24-17 and breathing life into a rally to victory. A touchdown running and two passing to account for all the TDs in a testy road win at Missouri.

Pull back for a broader examination of the season, and Thompson stands as the constant, calming influence to an otherwise manic five months.

OU endured a slow-developing defense, blown officials calls leading to one of their losses at Oregon, another loss to Texas and injuries to running backs Adrian Peterson and Allen Patrick to rattle off an eight-game winning streak and land in their fourth BCS bowl in five years.

Suddenly, the Sooners are back atop the Big 12. And one more win tonight is all that stands in the way of securing Thompson a legacy that will forever endear him with OU fans everywhere.

Former Sooner assistant Mike Stoops, now the head coach at Arizona, watched with interest as OU's wild ride played out.

"I thought Paul Thompson really came through when they needed him the most,” Mike Stoops said. "That was the guy, I think, held the key to that team. As great as Adrian is, the quarterback still has to make plays in any system. I thought Paul really showed his maturity and his toughness.

"For him to do what he was able to do, with so many questions around him, was impressive.”

Not bad for a fall-back plan.

"When we made the change to put Paul at wide receiver, we just wanted Paul to have some success and get on the field,” co-offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said. "We made a decision a year ago, but we weren't down on the guy. We weren't mad at him.

"He was too good a player and too good a kid to just stand over here. We wanted for him to have success. And ultimately, he's had as good of success as you could ever hope.

"It's as good a story as there is in college ball.”

How different the story might have been.

After Bomar's dismissal, Stoops, Wilson and Sumlin sat behind closed doors with Thompson and asked him to consider returning to quarterback.

They told him he was the guy. And that he was needed. And they asked for an answer the next day.

Having tasted success at wide receiver — he was the star of the spring game — Thompson had his potential pro career to consider. His senior season could have served as a proving ground.

"I was kind of confused at first,” Thompson said. "I didn't want to just jump back into the position, because I had worked at the receiver position for so long. I hadn't thrown the ball in a long time, and two-a-days were starting that day.

"It was actually something I had to think out an entire day.”

How different the season might have been had Thompson chosen to stay at receiver.

"Whew, we wouldn't have won this many games,” Kelly said. "I don't want to say we would have been terrible, but I know for a fact that we wouldn't have won this many games.”

Thompson called his father for advice. And Marc Thompson served as a sounding board but eventually told his son what he always does: the decision had to be Paul's.

"As one of the leaders of this team, I felt it was easier to be at the quarterback position and have guys follow me,” Thompson said. "In the end, where I'm at now is where I thought I could get this team. I thought I could be the guy to step in and help us attain our goals.

"I'll definitely look back at it and remember it for the rest of my life. It's been a great ride. I have one more game to finish out, and I'm looking forward to it.”

http://www.newsok.com/article/2993344/?template=sports/ou

[franklinjake]

I think OU will wear BS down by the third quarter............chasing AD would make anyone tired.
Yeah, and AD will be fresh with AP getting some touches. AD could have 200 yards in the 2nd half alone if BSU can't keep their energy level up in the 2nd half.

[MiccoMacey]

They will be the best "team" we've played in a long while. They play extremely well cohesively. That's what will keep them in the game.

Having said that, I just think we're too big for them. They'll keep it close for about three quarters, but then the pounding will take effect. We'll start to pull away after that (pulling away in a Bob Stoops way = keeping possession for six to eight minutes at a time).

[franklinjake]

They will be the best "team" we've played in a long while. They play extremely well cohesively. That's what will keep them in the game.

Having said that, I just think we're too big for them. They'll keep it close for about three quarters, but then the pounding will take effect. We'll start to pull away after that (pulling away in a Bob Stoops way = keeping possession for six to eight minutes at a time).

True, we do have a habit of just sitting on a 10 - 14 point lead letting teams hang around - hopefully we don't do that tonight!!!!

[OUmillenium]

What a fun day of football to watch!

OU finished the season strongly. Can we win with conservative play calling? You know that BS will try all kinds of stuff.

I hope to see a heavy dose of AD and Malcolm Kelley sprinkled with some TE touches.

[franklinjake]

What a fun day of football to watch!

OU finished the season strongly. Can we win with conservative play calling? You know that BS will try all kinds of stuff.

I hope to see a heavy dose of AD and Malcolm Kelley sprinkled with some TE touches.
Mix that with the play that OUr secondary had against the Cornshuckers....

[westcoast_sooner]

Can the team afford to take them lightly? No. We have to go out and play good smart tough football, the same kind of football that we've played most of the season. The same kind of football that got us to a BCS game.

We've got a size advantage on the offensive line, fresh legs on AD and a defense that's played most of the season like they were possessed.

As long as our guys approach the game in a business like manner, there will be plenty to celebrate tomorrow. No boneheaded plays. Just good tough smart football.

[franklinjake]

Can the team afford to take them lightly? No. We have to go out and play good smart tough football, the same kind of football that we've played most of the season. The same kind of football that got us to a BCS game.

We've got a size advantage on the offensive line, fresh legs on AD and a defense that's played most of the season like they were possessed.

As long as our guys approach the game in a business like manner, there will be plenty to celebrate tomorrow. No boneheaded plays. Just good tough smart football.
Agreed. i don't think Stoops will let them think that it will be an easy game. I think Stoops will have our boys ready, and we will expect them to do all the unexpected and will brush it off, and win big, imho!

[OUinFLA]

OU OL 280 330 285 306 321
BS DL 262 270 278 244



pffft, if weight was all that mattered, there are a whole bunch of us on SF.com that could be starting. These guys are lightweights.

:D

[franklinjake]

pffft, if weight was all that mattered, there are a whole bunch of us on SF.com that could be starting. These guys are lightweights.

:D
Speak for yourself, don't know what you are talking about... (as my beerbelly is very satified right now by the ice cold Coors Light) :D

[Sooner-N-KS]

Centers are usually smaller. So who's 285 then?

Jon Cooper.....the center:)

[RRWSooner]

Its better to go into the game cautiously and with concern. Chances are they'll pull out a win. If they go in too overconfident of a win, it could backfire. It seems thats how it has worked in the past.

[sooner-n-ga]

Our sooners were a better "team" without him !

They didn't sit back and wait on him to win it for them.

[Widescreen]

Maybe, maybe not. However, we're going to get to see if the team has matured since AD got injured. The combination of the OL's improved play and intensity plus AD should be dynamite.