Who's the REAL Cinderella?

[Tulsa_Fireman]

Perspective. It's an amazing thing.

The Fightin' Potatoes, a well-coached, talented 13-0 bunch, that much is undisputed. It's well understood that the press hype of David versus Goliath built this matchup into a big fat pantload of oppressed citizen versus The Man. But given a retrospective view, both at the final outcome of the cornchip bowl and at each team's respective hardships and what they've overcome in the course of the season, who, truly, was the cinderella team?

That well-coached, talented squad that rolled a WAC conference championship and a cornchip bowl win?

Or that well-coached, talented squad that A) lost a starting quarterback, B)lost a potentially starting offensive lineman on a group that was already touted as being just the left side of 'in shambles', C) started a quarterback, converted wide receiver, reconverted quarterback with questions as to even his viability in the role, D) lost arguably the best running back in college football, E) was in a rebuilding process at arguably the core of a defense, the DT spot, F) had not only questions, but downright red flags at the corner spot, and G) throughout all this adversity, managed to not only put together a respectable season, but H) win the conference championship?

Now again, help a brother out here.

Who's the REAL Cinderella here?

[usmc-sooner]

we should never lose to BSU, ever, regardless, they have only been in Div 1 team for 11 years.

[Scott D]

we should never lose to BSU, ever, regardless, they have only been in Div 1 team for 11 years.

Actually BSU has been pretty impressive over time when their record is looked at in regards to their competition from the time they started as a Juco program.

[usmc-sooner]

Actually BSU has been pretty impressive over time when their record is looked at in regards to their competition from the time they started as a Juco program.

I agree 100% but they shouldn't beat OU, they aren't on our level. But that's why they play the game.

[meoveryouxinfinity]

My thoughts exactly. It was a stupid media gimmick where Goliath was undeserving and David had the whole nation on his side.

How was OU undeserving of anything this year? This season we are not the big mean, drunk-Dusty-Dvoracek-In-a-bar team that the media sought us out to be.

Sometimes a potato can beat a sooner?

[MamaMia]

Very well put Tulsa Fireman. You managed to do a good job putting into words what I have believed all along. :)

[Scott D]

I agree 100% but they shouldn't beat OU, they aren't on our level. But that's why they play the game.

That my friend is why the game isn't played on paper. Well that and the papercuts that would fill injury reports every week ;)

[OSUAggie]

You can't boast 7 national titles, 4 Heisman winners, 853 conference titles, 53,000 All-Americans, 35,000,000 fans, a 500 billion dollar warchest and then call yourselves Cinderellas.... Sorry.

Just as you have all of those wonderful things, when a po-dunk school from Idaho beats you in a BCS game, you have to take your lumps from the media/country/whomever. It doesn't matter how bad OU is/was or how good Boise is/was, it's that Boise State University just beat the University of Oklahoma in a football contest. Why is that so hard to understand?

[usmc-sooner]

well if the stars align right Montana is a better team. Look the fact is we lost to a team we shouldn't have. We could've played better a QB, we could've called better plays, we shouldn't bit on the same stuff over and over, we should stay home better, we should tackle better. We needed more of a push from both lines. The coaches and players could've done better. It was dissapointing but lets not go overboard wacky by saying we were the Cinderella and they should've won. We were 7 point favorites and with 1:00 left we were up by 7. Defense broke down and we lost. Plain and simple. They always say never let an underdog stick around and we did and we lost.

[StuIsTheMan]

Maybe if this had happened in the 1990's we might be considered a Cinderella Story...No need to run around and find out who the shoe fits...WE ARE THE SOONERS before and after midnight...Save the Bed time story for the BSU's of the world...they deserve it...and the light shines on a Dog's Arse from time to time...I just wish we were not the ones making it brighter...This game scared me from the BCS selection show...I would of rathered our Sooners played anybody but BSU...they were due for the big one and it TOTALY SUCKS THAT IT HAPPEND AGAINST THE SOONERS...I think if we played LuLuville or Weak Forest we would have dominated...but BSU had everything to play for in that game and they got the job done.

[MamaMia]

You can't boast 7 national titles, 4 Heisman winners, 853 conference titles, 53,000 All-Americans, 35,000,000 fans, a 500 billion dollar warchest and then call yourselves Cinderellas.... Sorry.

Just as you have all of those wonderful things, when a po-dunk school from Idaho beats you in a BCS game, you have to take your lumps from the media/country/whomever. It doesn't matter how bad OU is/was or how good Boise is/was, it's that Boise State University just beat the University of Oklahoma in a football contest. Why is that so hard to understand?
I believe that Tulsa Fireman is referring to this group of players on this particular team and the struggles they have endured; not every single player on every single team in the history of our entire football program.

[Vic n Tulsa]

I'm sorry too but Oklahoma should never loose to a Boise State, TCU or Tulsa teams under any circumstances. What just happened 'legitmizes' these small schools. Ok Utah beat Pitt a couple years ago (who cares Pitt is not on the same level as OU).

From now on any non-BCS school can point to this game and say see any school can beat any school in any game! We've just opened up the door to future BCS games such as USC v Wake Forest, Michigan v Louisville, BSU v LSU.

Think Tulsa isn't having delusions of granduer? I know it's a stupid thought, but now idiots who think that can say, well why not???

[Scott D]

I believe that Tulsa Fireman is referring to this group of players on this particular team and the struggles they have endured; not every single player on every single team in the history of our entire football program.

Mom the proper etiquette is just smile and nod your head when an aggie speaks to you. Responding just makes you seem rude :D

[TopDawg]

I agree with the idea that, all things considered, it was probably more a surprise that we ended up in the Fiesta Bowl than that Boise State did.

But we're no Cinderella.

However, I disagree with the idea that we lost to a team that we shouldn't've lost to. Why people have such a hard time giving Boise State credit for being a top-notch team is beyond me. They are an incredibly talented team...at worst the 3rd most talented team we've played this year. I'm not so sure they aren't the most talented. Look at how their opponents are fairing in bowl games compared to ours. I'm not saying their overall schedule was tougher than ours, but they arguably have two regular season wins that are better than any of ours.

[TopDawg]

I'm sorry too but Oklahoma should never loose to a Boise State, TCU or Tulsa teams under any circumstances. What just happened 'legitmizes' these small schools. Ok Utah beat Pitt a couple years ago (who cares Pitt is not on the same level as OU).

From now on any non-BCS school can point to this game and say see any school can beat any school in any game! We've just opened up the door to future BCS games such as USC v Wake Forest, Michigan v Louisville, BSU v LSU.

Think Tulsa isn't having delusions of granduer? I know it's a stupid thought, but now idiots who think that can say, well why not???

If Tulsa (or ANY team for that matter) finishes the regular season undefeated and ranked in the Top 10, I think they've earned the right to say "we can play with them."

[Jello Biafra]

we should never lose to BSU, ever, regardless, they have only been in Div 1 team for 11 years.



EVAR EVAR EVAR










fugging evar i say............

[TopDawg]

I agree 100% but they shouldn't beat OU, they aren't on our level. But that's why they play the game.

Historically, they're not even close. But this year they are. "This is why games aren't played on paper" is a bad analogy for this, because they matched up well against us on paper. "This is why games aren't played by comparing resumes" is more like it.

[Jello Biafra]

You can't boast 7 national titles, 4 Heisman winners, 853 conference titles, 53,000 All-Americans, 35,000,000 fans, a 500 billion dollar warchest and then call yourselves Cinderellas.... Sorry.

Just as you have all of those wonderful things, when a po-dunk school from Idaho beats you in a BCS game, you have to take your lumps from the media/country/whomever. It doesn't matter how bad OU is/was or how good Boise is/was, it's that Boise State University just beat the University of Oklahoma in a football contest. Why is that so hard to understand?


fugg off agroid.......don't you have a ricky martin concert to go to or a wrastlin match to attend?

[usmc-sooner]

Historically, they're not even close. But this year they are. "This is why games aren't played on paper" is a bad analogy for this, because they matched up well against us on paper. "This is why games aren't played by comparing resumes" is more like it.

On paper they didn't match up at all with us. Physically they didn't match up well with us. We matched up well with Texas and turned it over a lot, and they won going away. Against BSU we turned it over 4 times played a little unispired and we were up by 7 with a minute left.

It is just like all the coaches like Johnson and Switzer said if we don't give them turnovers they don't have the athletes to compete with us.

[washington's fave]

I do not consider BSU a Cinderella team because since 1999 their record of 85-16 is the NCAA's best followed by the second best record which is OU's record of 86-18. Both records are impressive even when playing against air. The only reason they are considered a cinderella team is because the national media has not given them the proper respect they have earned. It is not easy to win every game - if it was both Barry Switzer and Bob Stoops would both be undefeated. The SECOND COMING OF THE KING (BOB STOOPS) HAS DONE MORE WITH LESS THAN MOST TEAMS HAVE DONE WITH MORE!!!

[usmc-sooner]

Bob Stoops has done more with less? He's got one of the premier college programs, he makes more than 99% of college coaches, he's sitting in prime recruiting land. I don't consider any of the players we've had as less. Most teams would give anything to be OU.

This is getting stupid, so now we were the little sisters of the poor. B12 Defensive player of the year, Best player in the Nation, 80,000 seat stadium how do we do so much with less.

[meoveryouxinfinity]

Here's the thing, Fox and their sports crew can all go to hell. And come to think of it, anyone else who fell for the whole "Goliath" thing where OU is supposed to be this big, undeserving bully.

Why the bad analogy of David and Goliath? OU and Bob Stoops didn't underestimate BSU, but the media sure did. They were the ones contributing to the talk of "if OU lost to a mid major" and other bugaboo.

So when did OU become Goliath this season?? Was it when Bob Stoops had the balls to kick Rhett Bomar off the squad? Or did we become undeserving bullies when our star running back crashed into his collarbone keeping him from playing the last 8 games? That doesn't sound over-confident to me. We worked harder than most to get there.

That being said: Congratulations Boise State--you won fair and square and I only hope that the nation will take note. As for OU: with all the bumps in the road you've had this season, God bless losing to an undefeated team at the Fiesta Bowl by only 1 point.

[Jello Biafra]

Bob Stoops has done more with less? He's got one of the premier college programs, he makes more than 99% of college coaches, he's sitting in prime recruiting land. I don't consider any of the players we've had as less. Most teams would give anything to be OU.

This is getting stupid, so now we were the little sisters of the poor. B12 Defensive player of the year, Best player in the Nation, 80,000 seat stadium how do we do so much with less.


i concur. i don't know where the problems lie but it needs to be fixed imo. we have top notched EVERYTHING......we have the name, the facilities, the tradition, the coaches.....i think it is desire. everyone standing around waiting for others to make the play, almost as if just making it to a bowl game is good enough to win. what are we, fuggin texas?

[OSUAggie]

i concur. i don't know where the problems lie but it needs to be fixed imo. we have top notched EVERYTHING......we have the name, the facilities, the tradition, the coaches.....i think it is desire. everyone standing around waiting for others to make the play, almost as if just making it to a bowl game is good enough to win. what are we, fuggin texas?

There is no problem, sir. Read the first post and then stop: http://www.soonerfans.com/forums/showthread.php?t=86899

[Tulsa_Fireman]

This is getting stupid, so now we were the little sisters of the poor. B12 Defensive player of the year, Best player in the Nation, 80,000 seat stadium how do we do so much with less.

Never said that. However, given the adversity of this season in whole, did YOU expect to be sitting in the cornchip bowl, outside of your expectations for Sooner squads to always be great? Would you expect, for example, a squad like Florida to pull off what we have given the exact same set of circumstances? And if they did, would you not agree that they truly, through either plain heart and guts, amazing coaching, or an act of God, played above their heads?

Point being, I think our Sooners got all three over the course of the season. And through such, played above and beyond not only reasonable expectation, but even the high expectations we have as Sooner fans. As the old adage holds, the bubble had to burst eventually. And while you can look to specifics as far as game play and play calling, in the overall, they rode a high tide for a mighty long time given this squad's specific set of circumstances. And did a dang good job while they were at it.

[Jello Biafra]

There is no problem, sir. Read the first post and then stop: http://www.soonerfans.com/forums/showthread.php?t=86899


shut yer cake hole. i don't take orders from turd burglars....


my opinion is, you can't keep going into games with kids thinking they deserve to be there because they are oklahoma. if the kid can't play smarter you need to make sure your COORDINATORS are MAKING them play smarter. gameplanning used to be a strong suit for this staff im thinking since we've lost a few coaches to HC jobs, we have lost that ability.

[TopDawg]

On paper they didn't match up at all with us. Physically they didn't match up well with us. We matched up well with Texas and turned it over a lot, and they won going away. Against BSU we turned it over 4 times played a little unispired and we were up by 7 with a minute left.

It is just like all the coaches like Johnson and Switzer said if we don't give them turnovers they don't have the athletes to compete with us.

How do you figure they didn't match up with us on paper? They had more experience. At some key positions they had more speed. Maybe they were a little undersized, but not by much. And their results this year certainly matched up with ours. While their schedule from start to finish wasn't as tough as ours, they probably had more quality wins. They THROTTLED Oregon State: a team that beat USC, Washington, Oregon and Missouri (three common opponents of ours). What was our best win? Oklahoma State who barely beat a head-coach-less 'Bama squad? Nebraska who looked bad against Auburn? Texas A&M who got torn up by Cal?

Yeah, we had our share of turnovers, but so did they. Miscommunication on the INT that gave us the lead. A fluke turnover on a punt. Without that punt turnover, we don't have a prayer at the end.

[usmc-sooner]

How do you figure they didn't match up with us on paper? They had more experience. At some key positions they had more speed. Maybe they were a little undersized, but not by much. And their results this year certainly matched up with ours. While their schedule from start to finish wasn't as tough as ours, they probably had more quality wins. They THROTTLED Oregon State: a team that beat USC, Washington, Oregon and Missouri (three common opponents of ours). What was our best win? Oklahoma State who barely beat a head-coach-less 'Bama squad? Nebraska who looked bad against Auburn? Texas A&M who got torn up by Cal?

Yeah, we had our share of turnovers, but so did they. Miscommunication on the INT that gave us the lead. A fluke turnover on a punt. Without that punt turnover, we don't have a prayer at the end.

I don't, I heard many coaches including Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer say this. I'm just saying if they matched up well 4 to's and they should've wiped us out.

I agree with you about the B12, they were pathetic.

[TopDawg]

I don't, I heard many coaches including Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer say this. I'm just saying if they matched up well 4 to's and they should've wiped us out.

I agree with you about the B12, they were pathetic.

But they weren't +4 on turnovers, only +1. You can generate 10 turnovers on defense, but it won't make a big difference if your offense gives it back 9 times.

[usmc-sooner]

I just think we are a better team than them. If you gave me a choice of rosters before the game, I take ours. Give me the choice today, tommorrow next week and I'll take ours.
They had a good QB but I'd take our back up rb (AP) over Johnson.

I think we agree that OU never was, never is, and never will be Cinderella. I think we agree the B12 probably gave us a false indication of how good we were. But IMO we were a better team and probably always will be than BSU.

I'm not taking anything from BSU, they beat us where it counts on the field. But it just burns my *** we lost.

[usmc-sooner]

Never said that. However, given the adversity of this season in whole, did YOU expect to be sitting in the cornchip bowl, outside of your expectations for Sooner squads to always be great? Would you expect, for example, a squad like Florida to pull off what we have given the exact same set of circumstances? And if they did, would you not agree that they truly, through either plain heart and guts, amazing coaching, or an act of God, played above their heads?

Point being, I think our Sooners got all three over the course of the season. And through such, played above and beyond not only reasonable expectation, but even the high expectations we have as Sooner fans. As the old adage holds, the bubble had to burst eventually. And while you can look to specifics as far as game play and play calling, in the overall, they rode a high tide for a mighty long time given this squad's specific set of circumstances. And did a dang good job while they were at it.

I didn't post that in response to you.

To answer your question, I think OU played with a lot of heart this year. When we lost Bomar and AD I honestely thought we'd lose to Oregon and Texas with maybe close games at A&M and OSU, as the season progressed I thought we'd get beat by Mizzu, but there wasn't one game that I though we had no chance. I think looking at how the B12 faired in their non conference and bowl games we did as we should have done. I think OU and Texas are the creme of the crop in the B12 and Creme rises to the top.

[TUSooner]

You can't boast 7 national titles, 4 Heisman winners, 853 conference titles, 53,000 All-Americans, 35,000,000 fans, a 500 billion dollar warchest and then call yourselves Cinderellas.... Sorry.

Just as you have all of those wonderful things, when a po-dunk school from Idaho beats you in a BCS game, you have to take your lumps from the media/country/whomever. It doesn't matter how bad OU is/was or how good Boise is/was, it's that Boise State University just beat the University of Oklahoma in a football contest. Why is that so hard to understand?

Dang, I didn't notice that Bud Wilkinson was coaching us and that we had Billy Sims, Tommy McDonald, and the Selmons on the field. I must need a new TV!

[TUSooner]

Perspective. It's an amazing thing.

The Fightin' Potatoes, a well-coached, talented 13-0 bunch, that much is undisputed. It's well understood that the press hype of David versus Goliath built this matchup into a big fat pantload of oppressed citizen versus The Man. But given a retrospective view, both at the final outcome of the cornchip bowl and at each team's respective hardships and what they've overcome in the course of the season, who, truly, was the cinderella team?

That well-coached, talented squad that rolled a WAC conference championship and a cornchip bowl win?

Or that well-coached, talented squad that A) lost a starting quarterback, B)lost a potentially starting offensive lineman on a group that was already touted as being just the left side of 'in shambles', C) started a quarterback, converted wide receiver, reconverted quarterback with questions as to even his viability in the role, D) lost arguably the best running back in college football, E) was in a rebuilding process at arguably the core of a defense, the DT spot, F) had not only questions, but downright red flags at the corner spot, and G) throughout all this adversity, managed to not only put together a respectable season, but H) win the conference championship?

Now again, help a brother out here.

Who's the REAL Cinderella here?

The game was really a matchup between Hot Young Turks and Scrappy Overachievers. But Cinderella fairy tales and David vs Goliath sell better; so that's what we got.
Must we always be reminded that the media -especially the sports media - is more about images, perceptions, and story-telling than about what's really happening?

[Scott D]

more like it was a game between the national power that had everything to lose and only a fiesta bowl trophy to gain, against an underrated mid major power that had nothing to lose.

[tulsaoilerfan]

We over-achieved as a team this season, big time; if you look at Bob's 4 Big 12 title teams, this team would be number 4 out of 4; you line up any of those other 3 teams against this team and there are only a handful of players on this team that could start for any of those teams RIGHT NOW. Also, for some reason the Big 12 has gone downhill the last few seasons and we have paid the price for it come bowl season.

[SoonerInKCMO]

Anybody that wants to say that OU was the Cinderella in this matchup is a dip****.

[TUSooner]

Anybody that wants to say that OU was the Cinderella in this matchup is a dip****.
Kinda :hot: ?
I might not exactly say that OU is "Cinderella", but the point is that we were not Goliath either.
I can somehow deal with a loss to a good team; but I want to barf at the cliched - but inaccurate - media portrayal of the matchup.
And as much as I'd want to admire BSu for a great season, I'm now very eager for them to get humbled at the earliest opportunity. Who is their 2007 season opener? East Popcorn State?

[OUstud]

Bottom line: OU certainly wasn't David or Goliath, and Boise State wasn't either. OU was a determined bunch who shook off early season struggles and turned a 3-2 start into a Big XII championship. The teams we beat down the stretch weren't that great. Mizzou, lost to ISU. A&M, taken to the wire by Army. Tech, lost by 24 to Colorado. Baylor, you know... Aggy, lost to Houston and KSU before they hit their stride. Nebraska, coached by Callahan. Now, that isn't OU's fault, but the winning streak down the stretch was a little misleading.

Meanwhile, BSU entered the game having 2 good wins: Oregon State (who beat USC, UO, Washington, and Mizzou, as mentioned above) and Nevada (almost beat Miami, which would have been impressive last year). Both were blowouts, but proved BSU had the power to beat good teams. So what I'm getting at is, this was a matchup of a new national power and a traditional power, and that doesn't make it David and Goliath, it makes it more like, say, Miami and Nebraska in the 1983 title game.

[soonerloyal]

You can't boast 7 national titles, 4 Heisman winners, 853 conference titles, 53,000 All-Americans, 35,000,000 fans, a 500 billion dollar warchest and then call yourselves Cinderellas.... Sorry.

Just as you have all of those wonderful things, when a po-dunk school from Idaho beats you in a BCS game, you have to take your lumps from the media/country/whomever. It doesn't matter how bad OU is/was or how good Boise is/was, it's that Boise State University just beat the University of Oklahoma in a football contest. Why is that so hard to understand?

Considering OU beats OSU 99 times out of 100, and your team beats no one of consequence on a regular basis...we need to understand what from your viewpoint?

[SoonerInKCMO]

Kinda :hot: ?
I might not exactly say that OU is "Cinderella", but the point is that we were not Goliath either.
I can somehow deal with a loss to a good team; but I want to barf at the cliched - but inaccurate - media portrayal of the matchup.
And as much as I'd want to admire BSu for a great season, I'm now very eager for them to get humbled at the earliest opportunity. Who is their 2007 season opener? East Popcorn State?


No, of course an OU team coming in with two losses, an erratic QB and a young OL shouldn't have been presented as an all-conquering Goliath of the college football universe as the announcers tried to make them out to be. But, they'll never be Cinderella.

[Ash]

Kinda :hot: ?
... Who is their 2007 season opener? East Popcorn State?

Central Jiffypop

badda bing! :twinkies:

[Scott D]

Kinda :hot: ?
I might not exactly say that OU is "Cinderella", but the point is that we were not Goliath either.
I can somehow deal with a loss to a good team; but I want to barf at the cliched - but inaccurate - media portrayal of the matchup.
And as much as I'd want to admire BSu for a great season, I'm now very eager for them to get humbled at the earliest opportunity. Who is their 2007 season opener? East Popcorn State?

if this site is accurate, they open with Weber State before going on the road to face Washington.

[TopDawg]

So what I'm getting at is, this was a matchup of a new national power and a traditional power, and that doesn't make it David and Goliath, it makes it more like, say, Miami and Nebraska in the 1983 title game.

Exactly. Good comparison.

And the notion that BSU had nothing to lose is flawed as well. With their bad loss to Georgia last year, people were starting to get the impression that they were a solid mid-major team that couldn't hang with the big boys. Had they lost to us like Notre Dame lost to LSU, everybody would've said "See, that's why you're a WAC team." So they had some chips on the table too. And I don't think we had as many chips on the table as most people thought. Although some media people were surprised by the outcome, most of them realized Boise State was a good team and that we had an outstanding season that wouldn't be diminished by a bowl loss.

[cvsooner]

Four possible outcomes for us and none of them good in terms of perception:

Sooners win in a blowout. Well, of course, you're the Sooners.

Sooners win a close one. Boy, that Boise State team came to play. Valiant effort.

Sooners lose a close one. Cinderella team pulls out all the stops and upsets the big time program. (Which is the story as it's currently being told.)

Sooners lose by a lot of points. What's wrong with former glory program? Loses to WAC team.

Ironically they wouldn't be talking about how wonderful Boise State is if we'd have been blown out. They'd be talking about US.

Those outside the program and fanbase don't realize just how much of an average Sooner team this was. Even our averages are pretty good....but this is a year like 1976's squad. Some talent, good foundation for later success, but not great.

Ironically, with that comparison, '76 Sooners beat Nebraska with the hook-and-ladder play and go to...the Fiesta Bowl. Where we spanked Wyoming 41-6.

We play Utah State next season. Should be interesting, no?