Sooners Trip to Lubbock a Rare Treat

 OKLAHOMA 63 TEXAS TECH 28

A night game in Lubbock. On Halloween. At Jones Stadium, aka … The Haunted House on the Plains. A rare Blue Moon. The Masked Rider. Tortillas Tossed and Guns Up. What could possibly go wrong?  Well, if history is any indication – a lot.

I was in Lubbock for the game in 2005. To say it was an officiating disaster would be like calling the year 2020 ‘a little different.’ The refs botched two calls that allowed the Red Raiders to score on their final drive and win the game 23-21.  Botched wasn’t just my opinion btw – my opinion wasn’t fit for print.  But the calls were bad enough that the Big 12 issued an apology three days later. The Sooners hadn’t been robbed of a game like that since … let me think … oh that’s right … three weeks earlier in Eugene, Oregon.

I didn’t make the trip to Lubbock in 2007 – and for all he remembers, neither did Sam Bradford.  That’s because Sam got knocked out in the first quarter when he tried to tackle the truck who picked up an Allen Patrick fumble. Down big early, the #3-ranked Sooners tried to mount a late comeback, but ultimately came up short 34-27.  On a side note: The Red Raiders wide-receivers coach that night was a guy named Lincoln Riley. The QB who came in for Bradford that night you didn’t ask? “Alex, I’ll take Forgotten Sooner QB’s - for $500 please.” Who is Joey Halzle.

In 2009, it seemed as though the entire OU team didn’t bother to make the 342-mile trip to the south plains. With Landry Jones and his porn stash at QB, the Sooners got trampled 41-13.

And who can forget the Mayfield & Mahomes show in 2016 … certainly not the two defensive coordinators I’m guessing. In his return to Lubbock, Baker passed for seven touchdowns and 545 yards to help the Sooners beat Texas Tech 66-59 in a game that broke the NCAA record for combined offensive yards with 1,708. An easy win for the Sooners in the hometown of the late Buddy Holly? “That’ll be the Day.”

Then Saturday night, Tech takes the opening kickoff and promptly goes 75-yards in 7-plays. I guess abusing OU cornerback Tre Brown through the air for 3-straight plays got a bit boring, so they decided to hand it off to running back SaRodorick Thompson.  SaRodorick, promptly SaRan the ball down the Sooners throat for 30-yards on 3-carries ... and before you could say ‘pretty, pretty, pretty, Peggy Sue’ – it was 7-0 Red Raiders.

But there was no need to panic. Obviously, it was very early in the game … and besides, now the OU offense would get a turn.  Three-plays, a Robinson holding penalty, and a Mundschau punt later – that turn was over.  Okay, maybe time for a little panic. 

To describe the first 5:00 minutes of the game in Trick or Treat terms: Tech’s bounty featured Snickers and Reese’s, while the Sooners pillow case contained a box of raisins, dental floss, some loose change and a ball of lint.  Not good.

But on the ensuing Tech drive, the game changed faster than the west Texas weather. 2-plays that included a sack, a false start and a personal foul-penalty – left the Red Raiders facing 3^rd and 45 from their own 9 yard-line. Yes, you read that correctly - 45-yards. Hell, some people don’t go that far for vacation … and neither did the Tech punt that followed their unsuccessful third-down play.

What came next for the Sooners over the next 3-hours was … well, truly a treat. When the dust settled (as if that ever actually happens in Lubbock), the final score read 62-28 … but to be honest, it really wasn’t that close. 

Did the Sooners finally put an end to the Lubbock curse? Well … Maybe baby, we’ll have to wait and see.  But on this particular full moon, Halloween night in Lubbock – the Sooners – brought us joys to share with those who really care. And we know why, just you and I, know true love ways.

Tidbits, Snippets and Shit I Believe to Be True

Convicted? The Sooners were called for only 2-penalties for 15-yards Saturday night. If that’s not a record, then in addition to being too lazy to research that fact, I’d also be surprised.

Welcome back. Saturday night marked the return of Ronnie Perkins and Rhamondre Stevenson. The stats will show Perkins finishing with 4-tackles, 2-of which were for a loss, and a QB hurry, but those numbers don’t do justice to the way he continually disrupted things defensively.  As for Stevenson, he is simply a beast.  He looked like a man among boys running the football – and that stiff arm of his could stop a Buick in its tracks. Just sayin.

Front-Runners. The Sooners have now outscored their opponents 89-10 in the first quarter this season.  I’d point out the same stat for the 4^th quarter of games this season, but don’t want to ruin this positive run I'm on.

Just a Streakin’. The Sooners have now scored 28-points or more in 58-consecutive games. The second longest streak belongs to Alabama, who has 19-straight.

Dos for Tre. Safety Tre Norwood had both interceptions for Oklahoma, becoming the first Sooners player with two in a game since 2016. The last player to do so for the Sooners? That would be linebacker, Jordan Evans.

More Treat Than Trick. For whatever it’s worth, the Sooners have now won eight consecutive games played on Halloween and are 12-3-2 all-time on All Hallows’ Eve. The last time the Sooners lost a game on 10/31 you didn’t ask? Hint: It was so long ago the Great Pumpkin was just a small Gourd. The last time OU lost on Halloween, was 1959 when the Sooner were squashed by the Cornhuskers 23-21. (Nothing funnier than Cucurbita humor, right mom?)

Next up: The Jayhawks

Just the Opinion of One Mildly Interested Guy

Buddy Putty – The Overweight Armchair Sooner

OU-TX - PART 3 - THE GAME

OKLAHOMA 53 TEXAS 45

4OT

The 114^th version of the Red River Shoot-Out was one that you had to see to believe.  Because explaining the game to someone who didn't ... might be awkward and go something like this:

Guy who lives under a rock: Hey, Buddy - what happened in the OU-Texas game?  

Me: Well ... 

• On the Sooners first possession they went three and out with two false start penalties.
• Lincoln Riley benched Spencer Rattler midway through the first half after the red-shirt freshman lost a fumble and threw an interception.
• The Sooners were penalized 11-times for 121 yards, but at least only six of those penalties gave Texas a new set of downs
• Sam Ehlinger ran for 146 yards and threw for 286 more – personally accounting for 6-touchdowns.
• The Sooners turned the ball over 3-times, 2-of which occurred deep in their own territory
• OU missed a field goal
• Lincoln Riley completely gave up on the running game, even though it had just started to click ...
• I drank a lot of tequila 
• Once again, #44 - Brendan "Bookie" Radley-Hiles started and pretended to play defense for the Sooners ... 
• ... after the final play of the game a proud, young, female Texas fan held up one finger ... a proclamation for all those watching on TV around the country.

Under a rock Guy: Oh, I'm sorry. I know your an OU fan, so I'm sorry to hear you got beat.  While Texas may not be #1 like the girl indicated, maybe they are finally 'back' ....

Me: No, I don't think so.  With the finger she was using, the only way her message included the word back - was if it was the position she'd be in in order to carry out her specific message. I deemed her single digit salute as more of non-gracious gesture to the Sooner Nation ... or Tom Hermann ...or both  - because the Sooners won the game by 8

Or maybe the conversation went something like this ...

Guy who likes to spend Saturday's at the library: Hey, Buddy - what happened in the OU-Texas game?  

Me: Well ... 

• The Longhorns committed 3-turnovers, including a fumble on their second play from scrimmage
• Texas was penalized 10-times for 86-yards
• Texas special teams gave up a blocked punt, a blocked field goal, and a 36-yard punt return ... which, when you tack on the personal foul penalty becomes 51-yards and a trip to an anger management class for the Horn punter.
• Sam Ehlinger was sacked 6-times
• The Longhorns leading rusher not named Sam - had 17-yards
• I drank a lot of tequila
• Texas also allowed OU running back T.J. Pledger to rush for a career high 131 yards and ...
• Once again, the Longhorns had Tom Hermann on their sideline pretending to be a head coach

Library Guy: Well, congrats - obviously you guys ran away with it. Probably another 63-14 type game. Must have been nice to get such an easy win over your big rival.

Me: If you say so.

The game was played in a surreal atmosphere.  While you could find a few signs of normalcy: Bevo taking up residence in the North end zone, and the Sooner Schooner doing the same in the South ... those paled in comparison to the reality of seeing only 24,000 people in attendance, or listening to Boomer Sooners or The Eyes of Texas, not from each schools band inside the stadium, but instead from the big screen - recorded renditions from OU-TX games of the past.

The game required 4-quarters, 4-coin flips, and 4-overtimes ... and took 4-hours, 43-minutes, 36-mystery seconds and ¾ of a bottle of Don Julio Reposado to complete. 

In addition to being brutally long, it was horrendously played ... as the two teams combined for 21-penalties for 209-yards, 6-turnovers, 8-sacks, two-blocked kicks, another field goal missed, and both head coaches making questionable decisions at critical times.  

Even Fox Sports made mistakes - posting this little nugget as both teams went to the locker room at half: "The team leading at half has won the last 11-games." While that's good to know, I'm not sure it was very relevant considering the fact the game was tied 17-17.

The game, while a train-wreck, was also wildly entertaining. In usual OU-TX fashion, it was a slugfest, played with high emotion with the game coming down to the wire. The OU defense, relative to their last two performances, played well. 

With about two-minutes to go in the game, and the Horns out of timeouts - the Sooners were facing 3rd and 9, from their own 47.  Get a first down - you win, but to get it, you'd have to throw the football and risk stopping the clock, or worse. Riley, despite benching Rattler in the first half, and watching him cough up the football like a cat would a hairball only two plays earlier, trusted his red-shirt freshman QB enough to take a shot at winning the game. While the play didn't work - I loved the call - and to me, it spoke volumes about his belief in his QB.  

Like Riley, Tom Hermann, had the opportunity to take a chance to win the game  ... twice ... only his chance would be with a senior QB who had accounted for 6-TD's on the day. But he didn't take the chance. He didn't have the same faith or the courage, or balls to do it. Like him or not, Ehlinger deserved better from his coach. 

That said, I can't tell you how relieved I was to see Hermann decide to kick the extra point at the end of regulation and again in the first overtime. There wasn't a chance in hell of OU stopping the red-hot Ehlinger from scoring on a two-point conversion with 15 guys, much less the 11-tired and reeling defenders who would be asked to try.  

But the game will go down, much like the year in which it was played, as one of the most memorable of all time. Only in 2020 can the team who benched their QB in the first half win the game, while the team whose QB accounted for over 400-yards and 6-touchdowns lose it. 

With two rosters loaded with 4 and 5 star recruits that hail from all over the country - it was only fitting that the winning touchdown would be caught by a 5'-11" walk-on from Norman. But I guess it wasn't just any walk-on ... when your name is Drake Stoops, chances are decent that you know a little bit about what it takes to beat Texas. Say it with me now .... STOOOOOOOOOPS!

Just the Opinion of One Mildly Interested Guy

Buddy Putty - The Overweight Armchair Sooner

OU-TX - Part 2 - FAIR PARK DRIVE THRU

The Texas State Fair - 2020

The Corona Virus has turned The Texas State Fair, the unique and iconic setting in which the OU-TX game has been played since 1932, into something more reminiscent of an In & Out Burger Drive-Thru.

Due to obvious reasons, The State Fair of Texas was cancelled this year - well sorta. For the first time since WWII, there would be no rides to ride, no music to hear, no midway in which to be conned, and no paying 14-coupons to see the world’s smallest horse or a bearded lady. To paraphrase John Candy’s line in the movie Vacation … “Sorry folks ... the Park's closed – the big cowboy near the entrance should’ve told you.”

Except ... for the drive-thru. That's right, for those of you who need a Fletcher’s fix and some quality time with Big Tex, the people at the State Fair have a deal for you.  It's called the Fair & Photo package - and all that is required for this forced family fun is $100.00 and four to six hours of your life that you'll never get back.  

Your allowed to drive one vehicle with up to 8-occupants into to the fairgrounds ... which is convenient since you've really never mastered the art of driving two.  This ‘historic opportunity,’ as billed by Fair promotors (i.e. someone who would never submit themselves or their family to this life drain), includes a ‘complimentary’ corndog (1-per person), fries, a drink and a group photo with Big Tex. If you’d prefer dining on a turkey-leg while traveling @ 4-miles per hour during the estimated 2 ½ to 3-hour “tour” of Fair Park (which does not include time spent in line to enter park) – they can make that happen for an addition $25.00 ... each. Jeez, when did turkey legs turn into caviar?

Well, that sounds like a great time and all, but I think I'll pass.  First of all, I'm not the Waltons or the Bradys. I'm a single guy with a red heeler, so a Ben Franklin to sit in traffic seems steep. Besides, binge eating and drinking inside a moving motor vehicle isn't my idea of the State Fair ... It's my idea of college, except it was done at 85 mph not 4.  Most importantly, I prefer throwing up in Fair Park Fountains on the way back to where I think I parked my car - not in the passenger seat floor board, while it's hopefully in park.  A sentiment equally shared by those trying to take away my keys.

Next: Part 3 - The Game

Just the Opinion of One Mildly Interested Guy

Buddy Putty - The Overweight Armchair Sooner

OU-TX: Part 1: The Streak is Over

 One of the best things about the OU-Texas game is the pomp and circumstance that surround it. For Sooner and Longhorn fans, it's not just a game, it's an event, an entire weekend, something that is circled on the calendar like a holiday or a birthday.

Don't get me wrong, the game is important. In fact beating Texas is probably more important to me than it should be ... but what matters to me the most every year on the second Saturday in October, is actually not the game.  It's the people.

Jobs, kids, health, finances – hell, just making it through an average Tuesday takes all you have sometimes. One of the consequences from ‘not enough hours in the day’ is that you unintentionally drift away from some of the people in your life who are important. But Sooner football, and the OU-Texas games in particular, has provided the necessary where and why that brings us together ... even if only for a few hours … even if only for one day.

Sitting on those picnic tables outside the main gate of the Cotton Bowl before the game is where I get to see people like Dave McCabe, Tim Sanders, Blake & Sally Moffatt, Val & Diana Schlueter, Craig & Kathy Cruzen, Jeff Rogers, Trevor Walker, Bob Click and dozens of other fraternity brothers I should do a better job of keeping up with.

It's when I get to spend some time catching up and/or fighting with my friend Natalie, who has put up with me for almost 40 years ... and it’s where I get to share a 7-coupon warm beer in a wax cup with Scott McKnight's dad, Gary.

Like a measurement mark on a basement wall, the OU-TX game is where I get a chance to see the progress my friends kids have made in their pursuit of growing up. It’s were I watched Craigy Sanders become Craig ... Matt McCabe go from diapers to tall enough to dunk on his dad … the Cruzen boys go from grade school sports to college graduates ... and a trio of Lambert boys go from baby talk - to smooth talking the sorority babes.

Calling OU-TX only a game to me, is like saying the Bible is just a book.  Sorry, I'm not buying that.

But this past Saturday morning my alarm didn’t go off at 7:00 AM. I didn’t threaten to leave anybody who wasn’t in the car at 8:00 AM. I didn’t play Stairway to Heaven as loud as possible on the way to the game, nor did I hand some non-English speaking man flapping an orange flag, $40.00 in order to park. 

I didn’t have to worry about what I’d left in the car while walking to the gate, nor did I have to hide my two-flasks of Crown before going through Fair Park ‘security.’  I did however have a few beers before the game … but none of them were warm, served in a wax paper cup, paid for with last year’s left-over coupons, or handed to me by an unwashed, orthodontically challenged State Fair employee.  

Turns out that no routine, regardless of how sacred, is safe in 2020.  Yes, the streak is over … For the first time since 1982, there was no guy named Buddy Putty sitting in the Cotton Bowl at the OU-Texas game.

I still watched the game of course– and did so with some of my best friends, friends I’m lucky and grateful to have. I know they’re my friends, because no one who wasn’t would put up with the way I behave during a game – and I’m pushing it with some of them. 

That said, there was a part of me missing Saturday. Something that made me feel hollow. It made me think of the answer my friend Styx gave me when I asked him what it was like to watch the game on TV. My question was in jest, his answer was anything but, “I’ll be honest, it sucks. It makes you wonder why you’re not there.” Amen.

I guess I always knew there would finally come a day that I wouldn’t be able to be there in person.  Reasons like … my behavior finally resulted in me being banned, or my less than healthy lifestyle had me taking up space in Gods waiting room. Maybe I wouldn’t go if the game got moved to Jerry’s World – or if the powers that be decided to make the game a home and home series – thus killing what is one of the few long-standing traditions left in all of sports. But whatever the reason, I never dreamed my streak of attending OU-TX games would end because some moron ate a raw bat in a Wuhan, China wet market.  

Look, obviously, I'll be okay ... on the list of things wrong with me, this one falls well down the list. This shouldn’t be anything a few thousand dollars in therapy can’t fix.  Besides, judging from history, I probably should've seen this coming ... after all, I'm not the first Bud in Sooner history to have a streak end after 38-straight.

Next Up: Part 2 – Game Day

Just the Opinion of One Mildly Interested Guy

Buddy Putty - The Overweight Armchair Sooner

I'll Admit It. I Was Wrong ...

 

“I was dreamin' when I wrote this, Forgive me if it goes astray. But when I woke up this mornin', Could've sworn it was judgment day”

We took pictures with a camera. We got directions from a map and rented movies from a Blockbuster … please be kind and rewind. 

We still had home phones, we checked for a dial tone, and we left each other messages on a separate machine … and those long distance calls we made, well back then those were far from free.

 "The sky was all purple, there were people running everywhere. Tryin’ to run from the destruction, you know I didn’t even care."

For $5.00 you could see Spacey in American Beauty, Keanu in The Matrix or Brad Pitt in the Fight Club. On TV people tuned into Friends, the teenage drama of Beverly Hills 90210, and listen to Regis constantly asking us if we wanted to be a millionaire.

We listened to music on the radio (a device you could turn on to hear music you didn’t get to choose), a Walkman, or a CD player … playing CD’s we stole from Columbia House, not the internet.

"Lemme tell ya something, If you didn't come to party, Don't bother knockin' on my door. I got a lion in my pocket And baby he's ready to roar"

The Euro had just been established.  The twin towers were still standing, and the country’s biggest concern was Y2K.

I was 34 yrs. old, had been married to Plaintiff #1 for 6-months, and was standing in Section 4, Row 56 …

Say say … Two-thousand-zero-zero party over … Oops out of time. So tonight I'm gonna party like it's 1999 – Prince – Lyrics from 1999

Bob Stoops was in his first year as head coach of the Sooners. Lincoln Riley was 17-yrs. old and the starting QB for the Muleshoe Mules … and Spencer Rattler was still 6-days away from being born.

The year, as you may have gathered from the late great artist sometimes known as Prince – was 1999 … and it was the last time the Oklahoma Sooners lost back-to-back regular season games … that is until last Saturday night.

 Oklahoma 30  Iowa State 37

 “This defense sucks like nothing has ever sucked in the history of sucking” – Bevis & Butthead. 

I’ll admit it, I was wrong. Shocking, I know, but it happens. In fact, as crazy as this may sound, I’m wrong all the time, about a lot of things, and I have references that will back this claim should you need them. But as it pertains to the Sooners, after 3-games and two losses, all I can say is, what a fool am I.

I drank the cool-aide. I was a homer. I was a fool because I truly felt that the defense would be improved in year two under Alex Grinch. Look, I wasn’t being naïve in thinking that losing middle linebacker and leading tackler Kenneth Murry, top defensive tackle Neville Gallimore, and top cover-corner Parnell Motley wouldn’t hurt … I was being a crimson-colored glasses moron.

In my defense – pun intended - I thought that top recruit Josh Ellison from the junior college ranks would help plug the hole left by Gallimore’s departure.  In fairness, he’s been ok, but I guess I just didn’t expect this d-line to suffer more leaks than a game-day urinal. I'll admit it. I was wrong.

At linebacker, the Sooners had some guys returning who seemed on the verge of being quality players … White, Bonitto, Asamoah &  Ugweoghbu Ugewoebu - f*** it ... David U. But, I had no idea that they were such horrible tacklers or that they would get run over like they were standing between Kirsti Alley and an all-you-can-eat buffet, giving up enough yards after contact to make you want to YAC (YAC ...see what I did there :). I also thought Starbucks was a horrible idea ... coffee all day, no f-in' way. I'll admit it. I was wrong. 

As for the defensive backfield, surely they couldn’t be any worse than they’ve been the last couple years, right? In 2018, this defense was #130^th in the nation against the pass. The only reason they weren't #131, was because there wasn't one. In 2019, although you wouldn’t know it from watching the LSU game, there was some marked improvement by the Sooners defense against the pass, at least enough to give you hope for more improvement in 2020.  But then again, in 7^th grade I was absolutely certain that the line in the Queen song We Will Rock You was, “Kicking your cat all over the place…” I'll admit it. I was wrong.

Last year, the Sooners defense came up with only 11-turnovers ... or what I refer to as ‘A Sooners Dozen.’ Hell, a defense featuring Stevie Wonder, Ronnie Milsap, Ray Charles, & Helen Keller, could come up with more than 11. But then again, Stevie did write the Songs to the Key of Life … so of course they would. But 11? No way it would be that low again. Right?

The Sooners got their first turnover of the year Saturday night (no, the INT against Missouri State does not count damn it), which puts the Sooner defense on pace to get FOUR turnovers this season. FOUR! Four is the number of Beatles, suits of cards, cardinal directions, and deadly horseman there are – it shouldn’t be the number of turnovers your defense comes up with all season. But then again, I didn't think we'd drop out of the top 20 like we were a .com stock either. I'll admit it. I was wrong.

20-years ago, I was in the stands in South Bend, Indiana when the Sooners lost to Notre Dame … and again a week later in the Cotton Bowl when the Sooners lost their second consecutive game, this time to Texas. If our defense plays like it has so far this season, the Sooners streak will be extended to 3-in a row…

I thought the Sooners defense would be improved this season. I thought OU would win the Big 12 for the 6^th consecutive year, and that we'd be undefeated when we made the annual trek to Dallas. With that kind of thinking, it’s a minor miracle that I don’t believe the world to be flat, the internet a fad, and that my actions over the last 54-years wouldn’t be an issue if I were to run for public office. I'll admit it. I was wrong.

But, I guess there is hope for the Sooner Nation ... I think that after playing Texas this weekend, the Sooners will find themselves at 1-3. Which has me hoping .... #Pleaseletmebewrongagain. 

Just the Opinion Of One Mildly Interested Guy

Buddy Putty - The Overweight Armchair Sooner

Kicked by the 'Cats … Again

 #3 Oklahoma 35 Kansas St 38

Well, that sucked.

Scattershooting…Whatever happened to the Sooners 39-game home winning streak?

Only in 2020 … Corona Virus Count: Game 2: 8 Players / Season Count: 24 Players

Not Exclusive to 2020 … Well, we finally found something the Corona-virus pandemic couldn't have an affect on in 2020 … the Oklahoma Sooners defense. Saturday, as is the norm, the defense gave up 400 total yards, 336 of which came through the air. But they tried to make up for it by creating zero turnovers.  But in defense of the defense … it's hard to intercept a pass when your not close enough to the receiver to be in the television camera when he catches it. The good news: at least there wasn't an end-zone celebratory photo pose this week.

Expect the Unexpected … The Sooners season took an unexpected detour with Saturday’s home loss to double-digit underdog Kansas State.  But should it really have been all that unexpected? After all, Saturday’s loss to K-State marked the 6^th straight year the Sooners have lost a game they were heavily favored to win.

So You’re Saying There’s a Chance … Going into Saturday, teams that were (1) ranked in the top-5 (2) playing at home (3) against an unranked, double-digit underdog opponent and (4) were leading by double digits entering the 4^th quarter were 571-0.  Make that 571-1.  Yes, There’s Only 1 Oklahoma.

Over/Under 35 …You would think that 35-points would’ve been enough to have won the game on Saturday, but it wasn’t. The truth is, 35-points hasn’t been good enough to win, or at least win enough to call yourself an elite program, for a while now.  Since 2015, the Sooners are 58-10 (not counting 2020), which is an average of 11+ wins and 2 losses a year.  If the Sooners lost every game they allowed their opponent to score 35 points, their record drops to 43-25 (Avg. 8.5 wins/5 losses). While it would still be better than Texas overall record (35-29), it is far from elite.

Back When I Was Growing Up … From 1965-1995 (31-seasons) an Oklahoma Sooners opponent score 35-points: 18-times. From 2014-2019 (6-seasons) it has happened 29 times. Yes, the game has changed, but wow.

You Just Can’t Make This Shit Up … Wildcat kicker, Blake Lynch, who use to work as a janitor in the K-State athletic department to pay for school prior to receiving a scholarship in 2018, had never made a 50-yard field goal prior to Saturday and missed two of his 3 tries against Arkansas St. in the Wildcats season opener. So, naturally, the 5’ 5” 140 lbs. retired custodian hit it flush. It was a Fantastic kick that looked like a Comet coming off his foot, wiping clean what was once a 21-point lead.  If only he’d grown up in area code 409! Sorry, just trying a little custodian humor to put a shine on your day. But in all seriousness, congrats to that young man for not only making the kick, but for his perseverance to earn a scholarship. Well done.

Isn’t That a Kick in the … Lynch making his first 50 yard+ field goal, brings up the question of … when was the last time a field goal kicker missed a field-goal against the Sooners (in a game that matters)? 

Brace Yourself Kid … Did you notice that, unlike the first game, Rattler was wearing a knee brace on Saturday? From the way our offensive line played on Saturday, he may want to consider bubble-wrap and a body guard against Iowa St.  Speaking of the offensive line …

Holy Holding Penalty, Batman … Coming into the season, everything you read or heard indicated that the strength of this football team would be the offensive line. Well, if that’s the case, then this football team is in big time trouble. Bottom line, the Sooners offensive line was flat out horrible on Saturday.  We interrupt this rant for a word from this writer:

Annual Disclaimer: Over the years of writing this blog, I’ve become more and more conscious in regard to trying hard to not call out individual players.  They’re kids. Mere student athletes doing the best they can and doing it at a level that I can only dream about. They also didn’t ask for some 54-year old guy whose name rhymes to live vicariously through them. But sadly I do. 

So, as my grandfather use to say, “Jesus H. Christ on a popsicle stick,” are you f-ing telling me that there isn’t anyone on this team wearing a number over 49 that isn’t better than Swenson, Robinson, and Hayes?  I’d be one thing if we we’re trying to open a law firm but we’re not; we’re trying to open holes and protect our QB for f***-sake.

Granted, she has a good swim move, but Swenson couldn’t block my mom. Hell, even when Robinson holds, which is practically every f-ing play, his man still get to the QB. Hayes, well, he’s just glad that Robinson & Hayes are in the game because that means he won’t be the worst lineman on the field, maybe.  No wonder Rattler came out wearing a knee brace after playing ½ of a college football game.

What happened to ‘this offensive line group is deep and talented and there will be real competition for playing time?’ Please tell me that the deep and talented assessment didn’t come from watching them go against our defensive line in practice every day. Just because Pee Wee Herman can whip up on Richard Simmons on a daily basis doesn't make him a bad-ass. Okay, I’m through now.

Play Calling & Defense … I'm sorry, I can't address the play calling, the defensive ineptitude and the offensive line play in one blog entry without going over my quota limit in regards to negativity and length. But it would be safe to assume that I wasn't a fan of all three.

The Rattler Report.  Yes, as the mass media pointed out ad nauseum, Rattler did indeed throw 3-interceptions. I saw them all. But let’s pull back the curtain on those 3-picks. The first interception was a tipped ball, which is more an unfortunate break than an indictment of his play. As a great philosopher once said, "Shit happens."

Admittedly, the second interception was one that Rattler would probably like to have back. The ball was under-thrown and into tight coverage and made worse by the fact that he had Stogner and Stoops breaking open underneath. Spencer isn’t the first young QB to eschew the safe stuff underneath in favor of going deep, nor will he be the last.  Look, I’m not trying to be a mother-hen homer here, as obviously I’d prefer that our QB, whether he is young, old or Eric Moore, to not turn the ball over; but despite the two picks – he’d played well enough to have the Sooners up by 21-points with a quarter and a half to go in the football game. And oh by-the-way … the other 27 passes he’d thrown?  He’d completed 26 of them for 4 touchdowns. I have limited math skills, but I'm thinking that's pretty damn good.

But every Sooner hater and talking head in the country will point to the third interception as the reason the Sooners lost the game.  But before I address that ridiculous notion – let me preface by saying this: Ever since Y.A. Tittle was a pup, the QB has always received the majority of the credit or the lion share of the blame – earned or otherwise. It comes with the job, especially when your a 5-Star recruit who was last seen on his own reality TV show. Proof?  Just last week, Rattler was the talk of college football. His performance, which was relegated to one-half of football against Un-Huh State, resulted in him appearing on Heisman watch lists. This week … those same people are using terms like ‘poor-vision, rattled and over-rated.’  

Bottom line, yes, it would’ve been nice if he had orchestrated a game winning drive on that last possession. If he had, the 2-previous interceptions’ become merely a footnote... like if you woke up next to Scarlett Johansson, the fact she had bad breath would probably be lost in the story you told your buddies.  But he didn’t …

Frankly, his throw to Drake Stoops over the middle that resulted in the game-ending interception, was both late and off target.  Hello third INT, good-bye #3 ranking.  An interception or turnover at the end of the game will always be magnified, but regardless, the loss was far from his fault.

Spencer Rattler, playing in his first real college football game, completed 30 of 41 passes for 381 yards and 4-touchdowns. Even with the picks, Rattler played well enough for the Sooner to win on Saturday. He just didn’t play well enough to overcome the multitude of reasons that the Sooners didn’t.

But I do have one question for you Spencer … Dude, what the fuck is up with that hair do?

Just the Opinion of One Mildly Interested Guy

Buddy Putty - The Overweight Armchair Sooner

Game 1 Review: OU 48 Missouri St. 0

 OKLAHOMA 48  MISSOURI ST. 0

Scattershooting, while wondering whatever happened to former college and pro football head coach, Bobby Petrino … Oh, seriously?

Outside the Lines from Week 1:

Covid Count: 16-Players Out / Season Count: 16

Compared to some of the other college and pro games I’ve been watching, the stands at Memorial Stadium during the Missouri St. game looked like Woodstock. But if some of the 22,000 + in attendance looked a little stiff to you, well, there’s a reason for that. With seating restrictions being enforced, the OU Athletic Department offered fans the chance to sorta attend.  Yes, for $50.00 you could have a cardboard likeness of yourself placed in an open seat. I immediately signed up … but since the cardboard likeness of one of my checks for $50.00 that I sent in was returned to me, I don’t think The Faux OAS made the game.

Evidently, Missouri State fans were offered the same opportunity by their university … except their cardboard likenesses got to start on defense for the Bears.

 Speaking of the Bears …

Southwest Missouri State

Let’s not sugar-coat it.  Regardless of what they call their school (formerly known as Southwest Missouri St.) the Bears are, well, not good. Members of the Missouri Valley Conference in the FCS, the loss Saturday night dropped the Bears all-time record to 470-520-79.  After finishing 1-10 a year ago, the program found itself in such a desperate state that they thought it a good idea to hire Bobby Petrino to be their head coach. Clearly, they didn’t ask for references.

On the bright side, the Bears will not lose 10-games again the year, regardless of who their coach is, that I can promise. That’s because they only have 4-games on their 2020 schedule.

Being a bad team is one thing but there is no excuse for not being original.  The name of the Missouri State mascot: Boomer.  The name of their band: The Pride. Hopefully, they left town before changing their colors to crimson and cream.

 The Game:

Even with several starters missing, the Sooners looked very sharp in all three phases of the game in the first half.  While it’s true that you can’t read too much into Saturday night’s performance due to the inferior opponent, you can’t totally discount it either. After all, the Sooners have opened the season against door mats before … but that didn’t keep them from tracking mud into the house. (See UTEP in 2013).

The Rattler Era Begins

The much anticipated Spencer Rattler era kicked off a week ago Saturday night around 6:00 PM.  By 7:30 the red-shirt freshman was done for the night, having gone 14 of 17 for 290 yards and 4 touchdowns. Under his direction, the offense scored 41 points on 35 snaps, 31 of which came in the first quarter. There was a lot to like about Rattler’s debut (he set 4 OU and/or Big 12 records for a freshman QB while only playing a single half), but what stood out the most to me was the way he distributed the football. His 14 completions were to 8-different receivers, which tells me he isn’t locking in on one receiver. As I’ve stated before, this kid, if he stays healthy, will be every bit as good as the two Heisman winning QB’s and the running back that played QB for the Sooners before him.

Cooler than Cool

I’ll admit, watching walk-on red-shirt freshman Finn Corwin catch a 16-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth-quarter Saturday night made me a little emotional. Finn was a star wide-receiver at Highland Park High School who helped lead the Scots to 3-straight Texas 5A State Championships. While that’s cool, that alone wouldn’t cause me to go all Ole Yeller.  But the fact that Finn’s dad, Mike Corwin, is a fraternity brother of mine ... well … sports tears.  Congrats, Mike.  I know how proud I was for both you and Finn on Saturday night … I can’t imagine how cool that must have been for you as a father.

 Not So Cool

The end-zone celebration by the entire OU defense following Delarrin Turner-Yell’s interception in the 3^rd quarter against Missouri St. was ridiculous and completely embarrassing IMO. If they were that excited about an INT up 41 against Missouri St., what the hell would they have done if he’d also scored – thrown a parade and given DTY a key to the city? Hell, you don’t see me dancing around behind the bar, posing in front of the other patrons, and showing up the bartender just because I finish my crown on the rocks. Hey OU Defense … act like you’ve done it before … oh, wait … shit, never mind.

Absolutely Loaded

The Sooners are absolutely loaded at the H-Back position, which is a fullback/tight end hybrid. While Austin Stogner is the starter, Jeremiah Hall, Brayden Willis & freshman Mickey Henderson could just as easily be.  Look for several big plays to be made by members of this group all year long.

Rumor Has It …

… That almost every player on the Sooners 2-deep depth chart has already had Covid. It sounds strange to say, but from a football perspective at least, that is good thing.  I’m not a doctor, nor did I stay at a Holiday Inn last night, but it is my understanding that chances of contracting the virus a second time is rare – which would seemingly allow us to go back to worrying more about players missing games due to injuries and suspensions vs. global pandemics. 

… that the situation at Kansas St. is much like what the Sooners faced prior to their opener against Missouri State.  From what I’ve heard it sounds like contact tracing is wreaking havoc in the area of offensive and defensive lineman for the Wildcats. As of Tuesday, those in the know say that K-State still has enough players to play, but a lot hinges on the results of Wednesday testing. As of Tuesday – chances of OU and K-State playing this Saturday, 50/50.  

A sign of the times …

Who knew we’d ever see a day that it was okay to enter a bank and ask for money with a mask on?

Just the Opinion of One Mildly Interested Guy

The Overweight Armchair Sooner

 Buddy Putty