Does playing not to lose ever work?

[cherokeebrewer]

I'd rather go down in a blaze of glory than to play 'not to lose'

And if we don't trust the QB to throw it, we don't have a QB...The re-kick was mind-numbing.

[beached_sooner]

Whats to discuss Sunshine brothers? Our team is unbelievably unprepared and uncoached. They suck and we have no playmakers. Our QB is unbelievably terrible and that's on our coaches.

Sick of them and our non existent defense. Enough!

This ... and throw in the abysmal recruiting too.

[8timechamps]

8time you've been a part of the debates before about recruiting/talent level, which I'm still contending has been a significant factor in our decline. We can talk all day about the coaching (which most threads are focused on today) but I still see lack of talent as a big issue. How can if be that mighty Oklahoma has at best, only the #4 QB in the conference. And when he goes down, it looks like we've got guys to step in who never played the position. Since Landry came to town, the school with the best QBs in the country for a decade hasn't had anyone. We haven't simply dropped back to "just good" or "average", we've been weak. And how long has it been since we've had anyone on the defense who you would call a physical stud? Our best defender is a CB with arms that look like pencils. Other than Mixon, when was the last time we got a really high profile recruit? Gerald McCoy in 2005 or whenever? There are at least 10 schools who have easily outdone us (per Rivals ranking which I know you don't regard as the bible) over the past 7 or 8 years, and I don't see any indication that it is changing

I think it's obvious that Heupel missed somewhere along the way at the QB spot. I think it all started when Bell started running the Bell Dozer, and the thought (among the coaches) became "well, Bell will take over after Landry is gone". At some point, Knight began impressing in practice and that turned into a starting position for him. Rather than Bell playing a back up role, he moved to TE and left a hole behind TK. I don't think any of this has anything to do with Bell or Knight, it's the way it worked out, but the fact that the 'new' back up (Thomas) wasn't ready to go is completely on Heupel/Stoops. Thomas may end up being a great QB, but at this point he's not. In the end, I think the Bell experiment hurt more than it helped. Again, that doesn't have anything to do with Bell, it's got everything to do with the coaches.

In the secondary we're not good. A lot of that has to do with playing two true freshmen and a couple of guys that had never seen any meaningful time. You're asking for issues when you put yourself in that situation. Unfortunately, the scheme didn't do them any favors. Sanchez is very good, when he's healthy. Wilson never materialized at CB and the other guys are so young inexperienced that it created a ton of issues.

I can't remember the last time we landed a 5 star player (other than Mixon), it may have not been since McCoy. We have continued to bring in highly rated guys (Perine and Parker are the most resent that are contributors).

I firmly believe we have the talent to win. Look at TCU and Baylor as an example of teams that continually recruit below OU. They recruit players that fit their system, and it works. I think we do the same thing, but this year we got caught with our pants down. Some of it has to do with previous coaches that either sucked at finding the right players, or found the right players and failed to develop them. But, I don't think our recruiting is the issue.

If you want to look ahead a little (and I know that's hard to do right now), Bedenbaugh is quietly building an incredible group of linemen. He's got a few studs already on the roster and this year could be one of the best linemen classes we've seen in years. Montgomery is doing the same thing.

This season boiled down to young, inexperienced players being asked to do things they weren't ready for. We do have talent on this team, but it's a process.

[hawaii 5-0]

Predictable play calling down the stretch and depending on freshmen to carry the load on both sides of the ball cost us dearly.

Painful to watch, yet I had to see it through.

5-0

[SoonerorLater]

Does playing not to lose ever work? It usually works, just not for the team doing it.

[Salt City Sooner]

I think it's obvious that Heupel missed somewhere along the way at the QB spot. I think it all started when Bell started running the Bell Dozer, and the thought (among the coaches) became "well, Bell will take over after Landry is gone". At some point, Knight began impressing in practice and that turned into a starting position for him. Rather than Bell playing a back up role, he moved to TE and left a hole behind TK. I don't think any of this has anything to do with Bell or Knight, it's the way it worked out, but the fact that the 'new' back up (Thomas) wasn't ready to go is completely on Heupel/Stoops. Thomas may end up being a great QB, but at this point he's not. In the end, I think the Bell experiment hurt more than it helped. Again, that doesn't have anything to do with Bell, it's got everything to do with the coaches.

In the secondary we're not good. A lot of that has to do with playing two true freshmen and a couple of guys that had never seen any meaningful time. You're asking for issues when you put yourself in that situation. Unfortunately, the scheme didn't do them any favors. Sanchez is very good, when he's healthy. Wilson never materialized at CB and the other guys are so young inexperienced that it created a ton of issues.

I can't remember the last time we landed a 5 star player (other than Mixon), it may have not been since McCoy. We have continued to bring in highly rated guys (Perine and Parker are the most resent that are contributors).

I firmly believe we have the talent to win. Look at TCU and Baylor as an example of teams that continually recruit below OU. They recruit players that fit their system, and it works. I think we do the same thing, but this year we got caught with our pants down. Some of it has to do with previous coaches that either sucked at finding the right players, or found the right players and failed to develop them. But, I don't think our recruiting is the issue.

If you want to look ahead a little (and I know that's hard to do right now), Bedenbaugh is quietly building an incredible group of linemen. He's got a few studs already on the roster and this year could be one of the best linemen classes we've seen in years. Montgomery is doing the same thing.

This season boiled down to young, inexperienced players being asked to do things they weren't ready for. We do have talent on this team, but it's a process.

Trey Metoyer was a 5 star on both Rivals & Scout. Keith Ford was a 5 star on Scout (4 star on Rivals)

[BoulderSooner79]

Trey Metoyer was a 5 star on both Rivals & Scout. Keith Ford was a 5 star on Scout (4 star on Rivals)

Metoyer was better than that - he gave us our only 5 star 2 years in a row!!

But then he just never showed us what he had. Or, he did show us too much of what he had? There was some problem there as I recall.

[SoonerorLater]

Metoyer was better than that - he gave us our only 5 star 2 years in a row!!

But then he just never showed us what he had. Or, he did show us too much of what he had? There was some problem there as I recall.

Yes I was as shocked as anybody. I thought Metoyer was a stand up guy but as it turns out he was hanging out with the wrong people.

[8timechamps]

Trey Metoyer was a 5 star on both Rivals & Scout. Keith Ford was a 5 star on Scout (4 star on Rivals)

You're right, both were 5 stars with some services.

Honestly, I don't buy much into the services rankings, but that's for a different thread. My point was more about having the talent (and contrary to popular belief, we've continued to recruit well) to win.