K-State loss/game thoughts

[8timechamps]

The first thing I thought about when the game ended was that somehow this was payback for the win last week. Statistically, we were the better team today. Not on the field though. Turnovers is the only stat that really tells the story, and we had two terrible turnovers.

I felt like OU would win this game. The last time KSU beat us, it was the perfect storm of KSU playing well and OU making too many mistakes. That perfect storm returned today.

Outside of the horrible pick 6, I thought TK played his best game of the year. Even though he targeted Shepard more than ever, he found other guys to get the ball to, and the offense seemed to move the ball well today. I thought Heupel had a very good game plan, and called a good game (with the exception of the horrible Neal pass play). If that play works, nobody's questioning it, but it didn't. I don't really understand the thought process on that play call...TK was throwing well today, and we were even moving the ball on the ground...why ask a WR to throw a TD?

Losing Ripkowski early really hurt. Losing Bell at the end sealed our fate. I didn't have a problem with the play-calling on that drive, but missing those two guys really hurt our ability to punch it in when we needed it most. I'm still not 100% how that was targeting by Rip, but it doesn't really matter.

I thought we played too conservative on defense in the first half. When Waters was under pressure, he wasn't very good. We are not good at the safety position right now. We looked a little better in the second half, but I thought our safeties and linebackers played a really 'meh' kind of game.

Finally, I never thought we'd see a game where Hunnicutt struggled like he did today. The blocked XP wasn't on him, but the two field goals...that was just crazy. I feel bad for the kid, he's been such a solid kicker, and to have your worst game come in a game like this...I'm sure it's going to be a tough week for him.

Like the TCU game, we gave this one away.

[aero]

I'm pissed. I'm not happy when OU loses. Especially when we should have won which is how I feel about both our losses. I'm not happy with the qb play. I'm not happy with the defensive breakdowns. I'm not happy the kicker missed 7 points but I'm not laying it all on him. Kickers should be icing on the cake not the last bullet in the chamber. I'm not happy I'm staring at another year when there are so many teams that look better and I'm jealous. Most of all I'm not happy with the offense. It seems surreal to have witnessed national championships with some of the greatest ground attacks in the history of college football, then a NC with a defense and offense that both may have lacked talent but had more than enough scrap, then some really good defenses and offenses in the early/mid 2000's, and now to watch this. It's torture. Then I have to watch other teams and ask myself why can't we run some of those kinds of plays. Do our coaches even watch film? Maybe they should just turn on the tv and watch a few games. Any games. Ya, I'm pissed. But I'm also stuck cuz I'll be a Sooner till I'm dead. Screw it. Next year.....

[Snrinhouston]

Stoops and Co. get paid too much to give games away.

Sorry, when you get paid premium money, a premium product is expected. This team is FAR from premium. The problems are evident...Inconsistent special teams, constant poor management of timeouts, inability to dominate the line of scrimmage on face-off short yardage running downs, and the inability of Heupel to realize this inability and adjust.

As I've said in other posts, if the goal is to compete for another NC, the current regime can't do it.

[8timechamps]

I'm pissed. I'm not happy when OU loses. Especially when we should have won which is how I feel about both our losses. I'm not happy with the qb play. I'm not happy with the defensive breakdowns. I'm not happy the kicker missed 7 points but I'm not laying it all on him. Kickers should be icing on the cake not the last bullet in the chamber. I'm not happy I'm staring at another year when there are so many teams that look better and I'm jealous. Most of all I'm not happy with the offense. It seems surreal to have witnessed national championships with some of the greatest ground attacks in the history of college football, then a NC with a defense and offense that both may have lacked talent but had more than enough scrap, then some really good defenses and offenses in the early/mid 2000's, and now to watch this. It's torture. Then I have to watch other teams and ask myself why can't we run some of those kinds of plays. Do our coaches even watch film? Maybe they should just turn on the tv and watch a few games. Any games. Ya, I'm pissed. But I'm also stuck cuz I'll be a Sooner till I'm dead. Screw it. Next year.....

Yeah, there's no option to 'not care'. If there is, I've never been able to find it...I sat through every game of the 90's...hoping to win them all, upset when we lost. I don't think there's a cure for us.

[8timechamps]

Stoops and Co. get paid too much to give games away.

Sorry, when you get paid premium money, a premium product is expected. This team is FAR from premium. The problems are evident...Inconsistent special teams, constant poor management of timeouts, inability to dominate the line of scrimmage on face-off short yardage running downs, and the inability of Heupel to realize this inability and adjust.

As I've said in other posts, if the goal is to compete for another NC, the current regime can't do it.

Coaches, in general, are paid too much. Stoops' salary is the least of my concerns. There are a lot of people in this world paid too much for what they do.

I don't think we have "inconsistent special teams". Today, the kicking game was bad. That hasn't been a trend.

This loss is on both the players and the coaches, but it's more the players in this one. I thought Heupel called a pretty good game, but wasn't perfect by any means.

We left 14 points on the field:

2 missed FGs
Blocked extra point
Interception in the endzone

And gave them 7 with the pick 6.

That's a 21 point swing. Those are on the players.

[birddog]

I had fun today as frustrating as the loss was.Every time we got something going and the fans finally got into the game kstate would take it away. We always seemed to be a play away with old man Snyder making some big calls at the perfect time. Lbs and safeties are really young and bad right now. Lbs get blocked out of every play and Ahmad Thomas is always asking where he should be. I thought the offense played pretty well. 2 punts all day? 2 lame punts right?
This just isn't the team we thought we had. The defense is just not good enough to get big stops when they need em.

[soonergirlNeugene]

OP is pretty much spot on. Glad to see someone else watched the same game I did.

[soonergirlNeugene]

Outside of the aforementioned gimmick play, the only other criticism I have for the coaching staff was that KState 3rd down where we burned our second timeout.

[okiewaker]

I'm ticked I got suckered in by the media. No more.

[Snrinhouston]

Coaches, in general, are paid too much. Stoops' salary is the least of my concerns. There are a lot of people in this world paid too much for what they do.

I don't think we have "inconsistent special teams". Today, the kicking game was bad. That hasn't been a trend.

This loss is on both the players and the coaches, but it's more the players in this one. I thought Heupel called a pretty good game, but wasn't perfect by any means.

We left 14 points on the field:

2 missed FGs
Blocked extra point
Interception in the endzone

And gave them 7 with the pick 6.

That's a 21 point swing. Those are on the players.

Really? You aren't concerned about what Stoops is paid, considering what he delivers? If you paid Five Star Prices for a Three Star meal, that wouldn't concern you?

Sure there is plenty of blame between players and coaches. But it starts with Bob and ends with Bob.

So I simply ask. Do you have any faith that OU will seriously contend for another NC within the next 5 years if Stoops remains coach?

[SoonerorLater]

Really? You aren't concerned about what Stoops is paid, considering what he delivers? If you paid Five Star Prices for a Three Star meal, that wouldn't concern you?

Sure there is plenty of blame between players and coaches. But it starts with Bob and ends with Bob.

So I simply ask. Do you have any faith that OU will seriously contend for another NC within the next 5 years if Stoops remains coach?

No but as for me I don't have any "faith" that we would contend for a NC without Stoops either.

[okiewaker]

Coaches, in general, are paid too much..

Wait,,what? Under what scale, 8th. In a Command Economy,,,maybe so.

Anywhoo,,you are a stats person. When was the last time OU was 5-2 in the first 7 games? Do you have that? Thx

[Sooner8th]

The first thing I thought about when the game ended was that somehow this was payback for the win last week. Statistically, we were the better team today. Not on the field though. Turnovers is the only stat that really tells the story, and we had two terrible turnovers.

I felt like OU would win this game. The last time KSU beat us, it was the perfect storm of KSU playing well and OU making too many mistakes. That perfect storm returned today.

Outside of the horrible pick 6, I thought TK played his best game of the year. Even though he targeted Shepard more than ever, he found other guys to get the ball to, and the offense seemed to move the ball well today. I thought Heupel had a very good game plan, and called a good game (with the exception of the horrible Neal pass play). If that play works, nobody's questioning it, but it didn't. I don't really understand the thought process on that play call...TK was throwing well today, and we were even moving the ball on the ground...why ask a WR to throw a TD?

Losing Ripkowski early really hurt. Losing Bell at the end sealed our fate. I didn't have a problem with the play-calling on that drive, but missing those two guys really hurt our ability to punch it in when we needed it most. I'm still not 100% how that was targeting by Rip, but it doesn't really matter.

I thought we played too conservative on defense in the first half. When Waters was under pressure, he wasn't very good. We are not good at the safety position right now. We looked a little better in the second half, but I thought our safeties and linebackers played a really 'meh' kind of game.

Finally, I never thought we'd see a game where Hunnicutt struggled like he did today. The blocked XP wasn't on him, but the two field goals...that was just crazy. I feel bad for the kid, he's been such a solid kicker, and to have your worst game come in a game like this...I'm sure it's going to be a tough week for him.

Like the TCU game, we gave this one away.

great post, it seems on offense and defense we don't seem to change anything up. HOw many games have we rushed three guys and their qb has all the time in the world and kills us. Offense, same thing, same play after play after play. How many times did we give to the Perine in a row before the last third down play? When we got close on the int in the end zone I thought to myself do not bring out that neal pass, and if I'M thinking that - do you think ksu coaches didn't know and planned for it all week? Pathetic.

[Snrinhouston]

No but as for me I don't have any "faith" that we would contend for a NC without Stoops either.

I for one, am not afraid of a future at OU without Stoops as head coach. It's going to happen someday anyhow. Seems to me there are a lot of programs doing just fine with a head coach NOT named Stoops:

TCU, Baylor, Kansas State, Alabama, Ole Miss, MSU, Florida State, Auburn, Oregon

[SoonerorLater]

I for one, am not afraid of a future at OU without Stoops as head coach. It's going to happen someday anyhow. Seems to me there are a lot of programs doing just fine with a head coach NOT named Stoops:

TCU, Baylor, Kansas State, Alabama, Ole Miss, MSU, Florida State, Auburn, Oregon

It will happen someday but recent history suggests that trying to replace long term successful coaches is usually accompanied by long term pain.

[Snrinhouston]

It will happen someday but recent history suggests that trying to replace long term successful coaches is usually accompanied by long term pain.

Well, that's where Boren and Castiglione will have to earn their money, won't they? A program depends on players, coaches, and administration. Administration will have to do its job.

[Eielson]

I for one, am not afraid of a future at OU without Stoops as head coach. It's going to happen someday anyhow. Seems to me there are a lot of programs doing just fine with a head coach NOT named Stoops:

TCU, Baylor, Kansas State, Alabama, Ole Miss, MSU, Florida State, Auburn, Oregon

Maybe I'm wrong, but I feel like at least half of the teams on that list have NEVER won a national championship. Ever.

[Sooner8th]

Well, that's where Boren and Castiglione will have to earn their money, won't they? A program depends on players, coaches, and administration. Administration will have to do its job.

I understand heupel is married to borens daughter. True? Boren wouldn't let bob bring back the fat man. Just sayin'.

[soonergirlNeugene]

I for one, am not afraid of a future at OU without Stoops as head coach. It's going to happen someday anyhow. Seems to me there are a lot of programs doing just fine with a head coach NOT named Stoops:

TCU, Baylor, Kansas State, Alabama, Ole Miss, MSU, Florida State, Auburn, Oregon

Ok, so you would be happier with:

Patterson .583
Briles .579
Snyder .666 going into this game
Saban .750
Freeze .689
Mullen .600
Malzahn .813
Helfrich .842
Stoops .802

The two coaches who have won more of their games than Stoops have a combined 5 years of coaching behind them. Sorry, I don't see anyone on this list I'd rather have as our head coach.

[SoonerorLater]

Well, that's where Boren and Castiglione will have to earn their money, won't they? A program depends on players, coaches, and administration. Administration will have to do its job.

How much money they make is no guarantee of success. You can do our best diligence and it's still largely a crapshoot. If anybody knew with absolute certainty who would be the next coach that could guarantee a championship he would have already been hired by somebody yesterday.