Get a Room!
8TIMECHAMPS, your point is well-taken. And I am not saying that anybody should be fired. I realize that the Arizona offense does not compare to the offenses of the BIG 12. But there is a big difference in the level of intensity between the Arizona/USC defenses and that of OU. USC has an in-your-face,slobberknocker defense and OU's seems to be more of a finesse, bend- don't-break defense. I know that there are many on this board who know alot more about this than I do. I'm just a diehard sooner fan living in Socal who wants OU to win. This is just my perception for what its worth.
I think the disappointing thing about the defense is how easily other teams are scoring TD's this season, as compared to FG's in the past; hell i remember having this argument about how many yards we were giving up in certain games from past seasons, but the d would at least keep other teams out of the end zone; we just don't have that ability this season
The offenses in this league are making the defenses look really bad, right now. It's easy to see that the DC's for the B12 have not yet figured it out. Give'em time. In the meantime, we just need to hang on. Maybe, just maybe, our DC will figure it out.
We're a Top 25(ish) defense with Top 5-10 recruits. They're playing undisciplined, and they're being poorly coached. If it takes us going back to slow, creaky guys to play well, bring 'em on. Yes, a win is a win... but a loss is a loss, too, and, if we keep playing the way that we've played on defense so far this season, we can expect that loss. It's just a matter of "when." Typically, it's been against one team during the season, and then against whoever we play in our bowl game. The last time we won a bowl game based on a defensive effort was when Mike Stoops was still on staff.
Sure, we won a bowl game against Oregon, but that was due to an outstanding athletic play by an athletic defender... not because he was in great position or anything. If his vertical leap had been 1" lower, that was going to go for six.
I'd be comfortable with bringing in someone else to scheme the defense and let BV coach fundamentals, since SOMEBODY needs to, and he's as good a candidate as anybody...
(That's something that the rest of you should start doing too, by the way. Try to find a way to say BV's name and the word "candidate" in the same sentence as often as possible. Maybe we can get him a head coaching job subliminally.)
the_ouskull
Skull=the most underrated poster in SoonerFans.com history. -- gdc, 09/05
skull makes people want to go sit in the corner and hang their heads in shame when he responds to their posts. -- birddog, 01/09
skull makes you feel like you are the dumbest motherf*cker on the planet... -- soonerinabilene, 08/09
My staff is getting tired of me making them read your posts. -- birddog, 10/09
As is pretty much always the case, I agree with Skull. -- A Sooner in Texas, 11/09
Again, the argument that, "The big 12 is hard. They throw the ball too much. We suck because they're big meaniepants." would only hold water if we were superb by big 12 standards.
We aren't.
We are, what, 5th or 6th best amongst Big-12 teams in total defense during Big-12 play?
Everyone in the Big-12 has to play Big-12 teams, so when you compare conference stats, you're grading on a curve which allows for the "meaniepants" factor.
Even by that standard, we're mediocre. Mediocre isn't good enough, this ain't BVs first season, it isn't like he hasn't had a chance. He had one pretty decent defensive season -- 2006, and I don't see how going 1 for 5 is enough to keep his job around here.
Heck, I think I'd be pretty content with 3 of 5. Give me a solid, menacing defense 60 percent of the time, and I'll be happy. He hasn't. I'm not.
nice reply, however, these rankings are not good enough. We're OU.
we should be no less than 2 every year in the Big 12, and no deeper than 10 nationally. again, we're the Sooners. Conference is made up of aggies, baylor, Kstate, a decade down Nebraska, etc, and we finish 3rd or 4th? Ridiculous. We have top 5 talent in the country. We should have top 5 offense and defense, if we have top 5 coaching and execution. Getting a little tiresome seeing these offenses gang rape the Sooners defense this season. Everyone was raving about all the speed we have/had. Why can't we use this speed? Something needs to change. Someone needs to start coaching this Defense or we may lose 2 more times before the end of the season, and suffer a 5th st8 embarrassment in a bowl game. All these excuses we're making for ourselves, reminds me of Horn fans. Disgusting.
It's very hard to compare USC and OU on defense this year because of the different opponents. I don't think USC will play a really good offense during the regular season. OU has played 2 with 2 more to go. And 'SC probably has the most talent on defense in the country - certainly more talent than OU does. Combine the talent with weaker opponents and 'SC can play an aggressive style of defense and just over-whelm their opponents and not worry about getting burned very often. I haven't seen another D in any conference good enough to play that way. LSU tries to do that and they have 2 losses where the opponent put 50pts on the board.
Some people don't care if we are among the best in the rankings. They won't be happy unless we're beating everyone 77-0 and have the #1 ranked offense and defense.
The funny thing is, Stoops apparently doesn't have such a problem with BV (supported by the fact that he is still here after all those "mediocre" seasons). He knows a hell of a lot more about the situation than any of us do or will. I'll trust his judgment and enjoy the #4 ranking.
Could anyone else imagine the hilarity of USC's two 250-260 lb linebackers chasing around Texas Tech wide receivers?
edit: gandalf - hilarity? SC has two GREAT linebackers, and the NFL draft will agree. i don't think it would be very hilarious watching 260 lb rey mauluga with his 4.5 speed run around smashing tech's receivers. i hate USC as much as the next guy, but come on they have two great linebackers, and a great defense.
I saw the title and thought:
Pete Carroll and SC, as much as I hate to say it, are money in a bowl game...with one exception...and that one was really close.
Graham Harrell could have a career day against us.