SOONERS SACKED IN THE 'SIP

    Oklahoma 14 Ole Miss 26

Saturday, October 26th, 2024

Vaught Hemingway Stadium

Oxford, Mississippi

 

The Sooners were better last Saturday against the Ole Miss Rebels …

THE FIRST HALF … 

Reason for Optimism - Defense: After giving up a touchdown on the Rebels opening drive, the OU defense seemed to settle down. Yes, the Rebels were still able to move the ball, but the OU defense made some critical stops on 3^rd and 4^th down. The “bend but don’t break” defensive effort was enough to hold the high-powered Rebels offense to only a field goal through the remainder of the first half. 

Reason for Caution: More than once the Rebels had receivers running uncovered through the OU secondary, only to have Ole Miss QB Jaxon Dart, normally a very accurate passer, miss the mark. To think that would continue would be unrealistic at best.

Reason for Optimism - Offense: On offense, the play calling looked to be improved. Interim OC, Joe Jon Finley, was creative in finding ways to put QB Jackson Arnold in a position to be effective with both his arm and his feet. While still not good, the offensive line was at least able to occasionally open some nice running lanes. RB Jovante Barnes was effective both on the ground (12 carries for 53 yards) and as a receiver out of the backfield (3 catches for 38 yards). Hell, the junior from Las Vegas even broke a couple tackles … What next? An OU tight end catching the ball? Well, actually, yes. OU tight end, Bauer Sharp had 4 catches for 44 yards and a touchdown, all in the first quarter. It was a combination that culminated in the Sooners offense putting together three impressive first half drives, two of which resulted in points and another that ended on downs inside the Ole Miss 5-yard line. The most notable of the three was a 13-play 92-yard drive in the final 2:36 of the first half. Not only was the drive the most impressive one of the year it also enabled the Sooners to go to the locker room with a 14-10 lead. 

Reason for Caution: 3-Ole Miss personal foul penalties extended two OU scoring drives while also allowing the Sooners to overcome 2 holding penalties and three sacks. The Sooners also converted 7 of 9 first down attempts - which doesn't seem sustainable since OU came into the game 129th in the country in 3rd down conversion percentage. 

First Half: It marked the first time since week 3 vs. Tulane that the Sooners had led at intermission.  Yes, the sky was blue, the birds were singing, and there wasn’t a single piece of outdoor furniture holding its breath in the deep end of my pool … Could the Sooners, who came into the game as 20.5-point underdogs, really pull this off? Well, …

Yes, the Sooners were better last Saturday against the Ole Miss Rebels … and then the second half started.

THE SECOND HALF

In the second half, the Rebels started executing, the Sooners lost starting left tackle Jacob Sexton to injury, and the OU offense quickly reverted back to the inept 2024 version of themselves. It was a combination that resulted in things getting very ugly, very quickly. When I say ugly, I mean … Steve Buscemi ugly, fat girl in a leotard ugly, dare I say … a sack full of anuses ugly.

The Sooners first four offensive possessions of the second half were the definition of futility.  In their first 15 plays the Sooners had two penalties, gave up a sack, and witnessed their TE lose his mind and 8-yards on a screen play. Unfortunately, it was a stretch of ineptness not solely owned by the offense. 

On defense, the Sooner defensive backs mixed up their coverage scheme by alternating between Busted Coverage, Cover Burnt Deep, Cover Hold or Interfere, and my personal favorite, Man-on-No-Man. The result? Ole Miss receivers were like a Waffle House – Easy to Find & Always Open. Last but not least, we witnessed yet another poor in game decision – or in this case, indecision, from the head coach.  Using a valuable timeout so you can decide you’re going to punt is indefensible. That would be like me pouring out a bottle of whiskey so I could decided not to drink.

But there was a sign of life on the Sooners fifth drive, which started from their own 1-yard line. 10-plays and another Rebels personal foul penalty later, the Sooners found themselves with first and 10 at the Ole Miss 13-yard line. A touchdown – and the Sooners would be back in the ballgame.  

Instead, the Sooners ran what might arguably be the worst 4-play sequence by an OU offense in last quarter century. On 1^st down – the Sooners ran a poorly designed, slow to develop gadget play that resulted in TE Bauer Sharp being sacked for a 1-yard loss. Sadly, it would turn out to be the best play of the four.  The next three plays, including 4^th and a cab ride – all ended the same … with Jackson Arnold and the football under a mass of Rebels somewhere behind the line of scrimmage. Three of a kind is a sack-trick. Four sacks in a row - is a Golden Sombrero. 4-plays, 4-sacks, made by 4-different Rebels. OU’s chance to pull off the upset while wearing a Golden Sombrero? 4-get about it.

On Saturday, Jackson Arnold was sacked a mind dumbing 7 times in the second half, and 10 times overall. For those keeping score at home, the Sooners o-line has now given up 24 sacks in the last three games and 39 sacks through the first 8-games this season – a pace which would have them allowing 55 sacks this season. Sadly, that number might actually be conservative considering the competition that lies ahead on the Sooners schedule. To put this sack saga in perspective, in 2023, Dillon Gabriel was sacked 17 times all year. There is just no sugar coating it – the Oklahoma Sooners offensive line is historically horrible.

The Sooners are now 4-4 on the season, and 1-4 in conference play, which is 13^th in the SEC. They have Maine up next, which it wouldn’t be a stretch to say is their last realistic chance at a win (maybe a shot at winning at Missouri?) … Like I said last week, this might get worse before it gets better.

Yes, for one half of football in the SIP on Saturday, the Sooners were better. But the problem is … at Oklahoma, you’re not measured by deceptive halftime leads or improved play in a half of football. At the University of Oklahoma, you are measure by championships and victories … none of which are of the moral variety.

Just the Opinion of One Mildly Interest Guy

Buddy Putty

The Overweight Armchair Sooner

'Cocks in a Cakewalk

 South Carolina 35 Oklahoma 9 

I made a pledge going into this season, the Sooners first in the SEC, that I wasn’t going to be so negative and critical with my posts this year.  I was going to do a better job of remembering that the student athletes that I am living vicariously through have exponentially more talent than I ever had and are doing the best they can. Yes, OAS 2.o would be a kinder, gentler, more understanding version than the nutjob I've been in the past. If I can't say anything nice, I just wouldn't say anything at all - which is why I've posted zero blogs this year. But it hasn't been easy being mute ... like game 1 for example ...

Temple -It would’ve been easy to dwell on the fact that the Sooners were 1 for 13 on third down, or that the last time someone spent a Friday night being harassed, pressured, and sacked by a Temple Owl the way Jackson Arnold was – they were on a date with Bill Cosby. But I bit my tongue. 

But that vow is now over. I’m moving my ‘only gonna be positive’ vow over to my New Years resolution list, which is where I keep all my other unrealistic proclamations, because I can’t let the South Carolina game go without saying something.

 “I have the right to remain silent – just not the ability” – Comedian, Ron White

 I sat down with my bloody-mary at 11:47 AM as South Carolina kicked off.  First play - Michael Hawkins throws an interception, which wasn’t even the worst part of the play. The most egregious part was that someone on the OU coaching staff thought it would be a good idea to have tight end Baur Sharp, who couldn’t block a man hole cover, try to block South Carolina’s All-SEC and future first round draft pick – defensive end, Kyle Kennard. Why not also ask Sharp to cure cancer and balance the budget while he's at it? The block went as expected – Kennard went by Sharp like sh** through a goose, which flushed Hawkins out of the pocket, at which time he threw the kind of pass freshman QB’s throw when being pressured – late, underthrown and picked off by a Gamecock defensive back with a lot of vowels in his last name.  28 seconds, two or three missed tackles and a chair launched into the pool later … 7-0 Gamecocks.

After I’m told that Ford is the best in Texas, and Coach Saban, Deion, and a duck try to sell me some insurance, USC (no, not that one) kicks off again. After a couple of false hope first downs, it’s time for OU tight end Jake Roberts to try his blocking skills on a different USC (no, again, not that one) defensive end.  Shockingly (sarcasm), the result was the same. The pressure causes Hawkins to tiptoe to his right - where he is rammed by a ‘Cock defensive back (insert joke here). Of course, Hawkins fumbles … at which point USC’s (still not that one) Tonka Hemingway (no relation) scoops it up on a bounce. Despite Tonka “Truck” Hemingway (still no relation) being on the same diet I am, he runs untouched 38-yards for the score. Chair 2 launched into the pool. Score … 14-0 Gamecocks.

After an emu and a guy with a toothpick in his mouth promise me ‘I would only pay for what I need’ and ironically, an infomercial for erectile disfunction, the ‘Cocks kick it deep again. After a couple decent running plays got the Sooners a first down, OU offensive coordinator decided he was tired of his job and called an poorly-designed pass play. While Hawkins dropped back to pass, OU left tackle Michael Tarquin, who evidently learned to pass block from one of our tight ends, whiffs in a pitiful attempt to block USC (sigh, no –still the other one) defensive end Dylan Stewart. Stewart hits Hawkins as he’s throwing, but Hawkins was still able to complete the pass, hitting his new favorite target – the Gamecock defensive back with a lot of vowels in his last name - on the dead run.  In addition to not being able to enunciate his name, I guess no one thought they could tackle him either … because the only thing worse than the pass protection and throw, was the effort made by the entire OU offense to tackle Vowel Guy. There is now an entire outdoor dining set in the deep end of my pool, but at least I’m accurate with my throws … Score: 21-0 Gamecocks.

At this point, the positive OAS.2 is thinking … It's only 6 minutes into the game, so there is lots of time left. The Sooners are at home, they have an above average defense (that is well rested, ha), you’d like to think there is hope that they could come back to win the game. 

The OAS.1 is thinking … It’s only 6 minutes into the game, so there is a lot of time left for this to get a lot worse. The Sooners are at home – but by now, so is the entire student section. The Sooners defense will need to score – a lot, for OU to come back and win this game … plus … Unless Michael Phelps shows up and gets one of my chairs out of my pool, I’m going to have to stand the rest of the game.

But it's hard to have hope when…

• Your offensive line could be confused for turnstiles at an amusement park – giving up 9-sacks on Saturday and 14 in the last two games.
• You have two quarterback who are handing out turnovers like they own a non-profit bakery.
• 8 of your 15 offensive possessions result in turnovers or turnover on downs, and three others drives result in 3 and outs.
• When you rush for a net 57 yards, fumble 6 times, and your tight ends catch about as well as they block
• When a receiver breaks open deep for an easy TD, but your QB overthrows him by 10 yards
• When two players on the defense jump off-sides on 4^th and 4 when the whole stadium knows the other team is just trying to pull someone offsides.

Bottom line – and this is where I’m gonna be positive … I’m positive about the fact that this Oklahoma Sooners football team is a poorly coached, below average to bad football team. Through 7 games OU has shown itself to be light years away from competing at a level necessary to be in the top tier of the SEC. The Sooners currently sit at 4-3 … which means they need two wins to be bowl eligible. But that won't happen - not with 4-top 15 ranked opponents on the schedule, three of which are on the road. This team is headed for 5-7 at best, and that is assuming they beat Maine. A record of 5-7 means that for the first time since the John Blake era a quarter century ago (1998), the Sooners won’t be in a bowl game. They would also enter the offseason with a long list of questions, none more pressing than whether or not Brent Venables is the right man for this job. 

My advice - Buckle up Sooner Nation – because in my opinion, this is gonna get worse before it gets better … which is not good news for my pool guy.

 Boomer -

Just the Opinion of One Mildly Interested Guy

The Overweight Armchair Sooner

Buddy Putty

OU-OSU ... The Numbers Don't Lie

BEDLAM … MORE LIKE A BEATDOWN.

(Stats courtesy of BlinkinReilly@blinkingreilly on Twitter – Brought to my attention by my friend Styx)

The Numbers Don’t Lie

In case the fact that OU is now 91-19-7 in Bedlam games wasn’t enough proof of OU’s total domination, then take a look at the numbers – they are staggering and hard to believe:

• The Bedlam series began in 1904. OSU didn’t score until 1914

•  70% of all points scored in the Bedlam series have been scored by OU

•  Of the 18 Head Coaches in the history of OU’s program, 7 have won at least 4 Bedlam games. No Oklahoma State head coach has won 4 games

•  Points Scored in Bedlam

          - OU in Norman: 1,680

          - OU in Stillwater: 1,538

          - OU in even years: 1,798

          - OU in odd years: 1,622

        - OU during Bud, Barry & Bob eras: 1,785

        - OU during Non-BB&B eras: 1,635

         - OU when ranked in top 15: 1,917

         - OU when not in top 15 - 1,503

         - OSU in the entire series - 1,496

• OU has scored 54 or more points in a Bedlam game 12 times. OSU has 15 head coaches that didn't score 54 points against OU in their entire career.

• Michael Phelps has won more Olympic gold medals than OSU has won Bedlam games.

• OSU Head Coach Mike Gundy Bedlam wins as head coach: 3.  Former OU head coach Barry Switzer Bedlam wins as head coach: in Norman … In even numbered years … in the month of November … when the day of the month is divisible by three: 3

• Bedlam wins:

          - Current OU slot-receiver Drake Stoops 4

          - Mike Gundy: 3

• Last 50 Seasons:

         - OU National Championships: 4

         - OSU Home Bedlam wins: 4

•  From 1951-1957, OU outscored OSU 310-26

• OU is 3rd all-time with 101 weeks ranked AP No.1. OSU has never been ranked AP No. 1

• From 1977 to 1994, OSU won had more Heisman Trophy winners (1) than Bedlam wins

• Since 2003: OSU Bedlam wins: 2. Ceremonies recognizing the naming of the stadium ‘Boone Pickens Stadium: 2

• OSU currently has all-time winning % of .525. If OU lost their next 500 games in a row, they would have an all-time winning % of .527

•  Bud, Barry, & Bob coached OU for a total of 51 seasons. They had more National Championships (7) than losses to OSU (5). During those 51 years OU outscored OSU by over 1,000 points.

• Gary Gibbs, Chuck Fairbanks, Bud Wilkinson, Todd Stidham, and Biff Jones, coached OU for combined 35 seasons. None of them ever lost to OSU.

• In Bud Wilkinson’s first 10 years, OU scored 379 points in Bedlam. At that point, OSU had only score 310 in the series.

• If OU spotted OSU 14-points in every Bedlam game, they would still lead the series 61-53-2

• If you gave OSU double the points every time they scored in Bedlam, OU would still lead the series 68-45-3

• In 115 years of Bedlam, OSU has 19-wins. OU has 31 wins by at least 4 touchdowns.

• If an OSU fan started walking from Stillwater after the 1945 Bedlam game at a leisurely 2 mph., that fan could have walked to the equator, then around the Earth 10 times, then back to Stillwater … and they would still have 5=years to wait before OSU’s next Bedlam win.

Yes, little brother has his moments, like last year as I’ve been reminded for the last 365. But calling this game Bedlam, is like calling a big wheel a Ferrari. It’s time to call it what it is … A Beatdown.

Just the Opinion of One Mildly Interested Guy

Buddy Putty

The Overweight Armchair Sooner

OU 28 OSU 13 .... 91-19-7

 “Not all of us who drink are poets. 

Some of us drink because we’re not poets.”

Dudley Moore – From the movie, Arthur

 

When you’re team is having the kind of season like the 2022 Oklahoma Sooners are in the midst of – a win, no matter how aesthetically challenging it may be – is a good win.

But make no mistake about it – the win last Saturday night was ugly. Yes, what started out Saturday night as being engaged to a beauty queen, somehow evolved into being married to an ugly fat girl. The fact that she is worth millions and her family owns a chain of liquor stores helps lessen the blow, but it won’t disguise the fact that if somebody told her to haul ass, it would take her two trips.

Beauty Queen

• The Sooners scored 28 points in the first quarter. Largest 1^st quarter in Bedlam history – which included 299 total yards and 12 first downs in first quarter
•  Dillon Gabriel was 14 of 18 for 224 yards and 2-touchdown in first quarter
• The Sooners defense came up with 4-turnovers
•  OU defense held explosive OSU offense to 1-touchdown in 19 possessions and 102 plays – including 6-sacks, 13-tackles for loss and 12-QB hurries
•  Held OSU to 7 of 24 on third and fourth downs.

·    OSU head coach, Mike Gundy, has no balls whatsoever. For the second game in a row, he has decided to punt in the fourth quarter down by two scores. Rumors of changing his name to Mike Punty could not be confirmed as of deadline time.

Fat/Ugly Girl:

• After the first quarter, Oklahoma had the ball 12 times (excluding the final kneel) but managed to run just 45 offensive plays and had to punt 10 times.
•  Clock management was so bad by the Sooners, that it was better to let OSU get a first down because it would run more of the clock then if OU had the ball.
• After the 1^st quarter, OU was outgained 423-135 in yards and 23-5 in first downs.
• After 1^st quarter, Dillion was 6 of 22 for 35 yards
• No possession after the 1st quarter lasted longer than 90 seconds of game time.
• Only scored 7-points off of 4-turnovers
• Dropped at least two other INT’s
• Sooners had a fumble inside the OSU 5-yard line
• Sooners were 1 of 14 on third down and fourth downs.

After Saturday night, the OU defense has now been on the field for 90 more minutes than the offense, which means the defense has played a game and a half more than the offense.

The win makes the Sooners 6-5 – and eligible for its 24^th consecutive bowl game – the second longest active bowl streak in the country. Ugly as it may’ve been … the Sooners won and that is a beautiful thing … especially in a season where if she were to break her leg, gravy would come out.

Just the Opinion of One Mildly Interested Guy

Buddy Putty

The Overweight Armchair Sooner

Bears Use a Sqwirl to Dominate Sooners

BAYLOR 45 OKLAHOMA 35 

Yes, I know that wasn’t the official final score, but I don’t care. From now on, when a player takes a knee to run out the clock in leu of walking in for an easy touchdown, that team still gets the points. It’s a new rule that I just made up – so everyone just needs to get on board with it. Although I could see where this new proclamation might be a tough sell to the people out in Vegas. 

Superman 

“Two-thirds of the earth is covered by water, the other third by Roy Williams” 

Former Sooner safety, Roy Williams (1999-2001) was honored during the game in recognition of his upcoming induction into the College Football Hall of Fame. Williams, the 23rd Sooner to be elected, will always be remembered for his legendary “Superman” play in the 2001 OU-TX game. I could be wrong, but it looks like Roy has been on same diet that I have for the last two decades. But the best part of the whole thing was what Roy wore for the occasion, which was a t-shirt adorned with a very large replication of the Superman play. 

 Ironically, I’ve also been looking into having one of my greatest moments duplicated onto a XXXL Beefy-T … but the image of giving up fast food for an entire week doesn’t translates to 100% cotton as well as one might think. (if you have 4-minutes to spare - check out the Roy Williams highlight film below - the guy was amazing)

Scattershooting … Wondering what ever happened to Ryan Leaf? Oh, seriously? … 

Just a year removed from this game being the site of Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff, the Sooners and Bears were relegated to the random 2:00 ‘nobody is gonna find this channel so it doesn’t matter’ kickoff slot and televised on ESPN+ … which is a streaming platform one-step above having the game televised at 11 PM on tape-delay. 

 

ESPN+ is where you’ll find marquee matchups like Middle Tennessee St/La Tech and Florida International/North Texas – games whose outcomes change the landscape of college football each and every week. Who needs Rece, Kirk, Desmond and the rest of the GameDay crew when you have the ESPN+ team of Courtney Lyle (play-by-play), Ryan Leaf (analyst) and Tori Petry (sideline) rocking the Palace on the Prairie. Well, as it turns out, I do. 

I Think My Ears are Bleeding … 

Before I offend every person with an X chromosome with what I’m about to put in writing, let me say this … I’m a big fan of the female gender. For instance, my mom, who raised two children while successfully navigating the waters of a male dominated industry, is my hero – this despite the fact that she thinks the wishbone is symbol of luck, not an offense. I also think that Heart’s ‘Dog and Butterfly” album stands the test of time and I even rooted for Billie Jean King when she played Bobby Riggs in the Battle of the Sexes back in 1973. Hell, I’m not even mad that we decided to let women vote (that’s a joke mom). But with that said, I’d almost rather go swimming near the Great Barrier Reef with a ham tied to my ankle than listen to a woman do the play-by-play of a game. There I said it. So, sue me. 

Seriously, wasn’t it torture enough watching some dude named "Sqwirl" run through the Sooner defense like crap through a goose, without having to hear about it from someone whose voice goes from Sam Elliot to Screech from Saved by the Bell? I swear, every step "Sqwirl" took, and there were many, her voice got higher and higher. I’m pretty sure that by the time "Sqwirl" carried the nut ball into the endzone – her voice was so high that only stray dogs and hump-back whales could decipher what she was saying. It was so bad I didn’t know whether to cuss the OU defense or howl at the moon. Okay, I’m done now. 

I will give analyst Ryan Leaf, who is considered by many to be the biggest QB bust in NFL history, a nod for the funny, self-deprecating shot he took at himself after a Dillon Gabriel interception in the second quarter. “Watching a pass sail high over the middle gives me PTSD."

The Melting Pot of Mediocrity. 

With the loss Saturday, the Sooners dropped to 5-4 on the year … which sounds more like the first two digits you press when your calling your Aunt in northwest Virginia than it does a win-loss record. Maybe it sounds strange, because it is – as this is the first time Oklahoma has lost 4-games in a season since going 8-5 in 2014 – and only the second time in the last 22-seasons, the other being 8-5 in 2009. I don’t know about you, but after watching the first 9-games, I’d be more than happy to take 8-5 and a trip to the Chef Boyardee Spaghetti Bowl in Tupelo, MS., right now. 

3rd Down is so Yesterday. 

On Saturday, the Sooners converted a remarkable 66% of their 3rd down attempts (10 of 15), while Baylor struggled – converting only 4 of 13 (30%). There was a time, not so long ago, this kind of advantage of third-down efficiency was one of the more important and telling stats associated with a game. But that is changing and fast. More and more, offensive coordinators are using 3rd down to put their offense into a manageable distance to go for it on 4th down. Furthermore, fourth down conversions are often game changing, regardless of when they occur. 

For example … Baylor was 3 for 3 on 4th down, with two of those conversion extending drives that eventually led to touchdowns. On Baylor’s initial possession, it faced a fourth-and-7 from the Sooners’ 35-yard line. The 35-yard line is the epitome of no-man’s land, too close to punt and the percentages show that making a 52-yard field goal is low. Failure to convert however, gives the Sooners, already up 7-0, great field position and all the momentum. But the Baylor coaches never hesitated and three plays following Baylor QB Blake Shapen’s throw to Josh Cameron over the middle for 16 yards, the game was tied. 

 

Conversely, OU was 0 for 1 of 4th down. Early in the second quarter, the Sooners were facing 4th and less than a yard at the Baylor 35-yard line. Quarterback sneak? Nope. Lebby, instead went with the Wildcat formation, which is a shot-gun snap … and Marcus Major never got back to the line of scrimmage. You also have to ask yourself, did that failure to convert factor into the decision not to go for it on 4th a 4 from midfield at the start of the 4th quarter? I’ll admit, I happened to agree with Venables decision to punt at the time – but that was prior to the OU defense surrendering an 11-play, 80-yard drive that put Baylor up by two-scores. Second guessing head coaches … it’s my gift that keeps on giving. 

Penalties are About Discipline 

“It’s not how hard the wind blows, it’s what the wind blows” – Ron White 

Listening to Venables press conference, he must have used the word discipline 40 times. Okay, maybe not 40, but I know it was a lot, I just didn’t have to mental strength to keep count … but as much as the head coaches stresses it, discipline would be about 67th on the list of adjectives I would use to describe this team. 

Committing 8-penalties isn’t the end of the world, in fact its about the average. But when those penalties occur can be devastating. The 15-yard hands to the face penalty by center Andrew Raym right before half essentially cost the Sooners 3 points. Instead of a 40-yard field goal, it was 55-yarder – which Schmidt missed wide left.

Defense is About Attitude 

Baylor rushed for 300 yards (yes, I’m adding in the ungained yards lost when the "Sqwirl" took a knee) – but most concerning is that 114 of those came in the 4th quarter. Mentally tough, physical teams do not give up 300-yards rushing, much less 114 when the game is on the line. 

This defense, which lost its top three defensive lineman, leading tackler, sack leader, interception leader, and glue guy from a year ago – frankly, just isn’t there yet. But while a lack of talent it one thing – there is no excuse for not playing with effort and passion – and from what I saw – that was the case on Saturday. But then again, I was drinking bourbon, and watching on ESPN+ with the volume muted, so there is that … 

Just the Opinion of One Mildly Interested Guy 

Buddy Putty 

The Overweight Armchair Sooner

Crimson, Cream & ... Anthracite?

 OKLAHOMA 52 #19 KANSAS 42

While the Sooners broke their three-game losing streak last Saturday against #19-ranked Jayhawks, I'm gonna focus more on what they were wearing while they did it.

CRIMSON, CREAM AND …. ANTHRACITE?

The Sooners unveiled their new alternate uniforms this past Saturday. The ‘Unity’ uniforms featured anthracite-colored jerseys, pants and helmets with crimson trim and lettering. There was an outline of the state of Oklahoma amid a triple-stripe on both sleeves and the word “UNITY” was stitched on the back-of-the-jersey nameplate.

 

I’ll be honest, my first reaction upon seeing the alternate uniforms was that I hated them.

 

My first reaction was … To make a snap judgement. “The jersey’s shouldn’t say Unity on the back, they should say Ugly.”

 

My first reaction was … That just the description of the uniforms made me dizzy. “Anthracite, really? Is that even a color? Because it sounds more like something I need to have my pesticide provider spray for on their next visit.”

 

My first reaction was … To make fun of them. “It would be my contention that any color that can’t beat out the likes of tumbleweed, inchworm, or jazzberry jam for a slot in the Crayola Crayons Box of 120 – shouldn’t be featured on a football jersey.”

 

My first reaction was … To chalk it up to something I don’t understand. “The new generation could care less about tradition … and sad as it may be, things like ‘alternate’ uniforms matter to recruits. Call me an old man, but I want these hideous things off my yard”

 

My first reaction was … To find a way to tie it to something else I deemed negative. “How in the hell am I supposed to know who to scream at when the jersey doesn’t have the players name on it, and you can’t decipher their jersey number? It’s like a witness protection program for Oklahoma Sooners defensive backs.”

 

Thankfully, before I published the blog this week, I did what I should’ve done to begin with … I took some time to educate myself on the Unity Uniforms.

 

Turns out … my first reaction was … Judgmental, Insensitive, and Uninformed.  

 

There are two thing I want to be very clear about.

 

The jersey Prentice Gautt signed for me back in 2002.

First, I loved both the message and the great pioneer that the
Unity Uniforms represented from the start. Prentice Gautt, a man I had the privilege of meeting back in 2002, became the first black scholarship football player at the University of Oklahoma in 1956. His perseverance through racial prejudice, helped unite this teammates on their way to four consecutive conference championships. Gautt, who was a two-time All-Big Eight running back, an Academic All-American, and the MVP of the 1959 Orange Bowl, also play seven seasons in the NFL. IMO, there could not be a more appropriate and deserving man to be honored and recognized by this kind of tribute than Prentice Gautt.

I’m also not so egotistical as to think my opinion on the Unity Uniforms matters to anyone, nor should it. The only opinions on the subject that matters … is that of the Gautt Family, the people who designed them and the players who wear them.  With that said, after reading more about the uniforms I have a whole new appreciation for them.

 

THE IDEA

The ‘Unity Uniform’ idea was created and then designed by a group of student-athletes, including several former football players. I’m impressed with the idea, that it was done by committee, and that the powers that be at the University of Oklahoma were on board and supportive of the project. Once again, Joe Castiglione shows why he is the best Athletic Director in the nation.

 

THE PROCESS

The idea for the ‘Unity Uniforms’  started in 2020. Two-years is a lot of time and effort to put into a project. Plus, when a ‘committee’ is tasked to do a project, that is a lot of opinions, which can lead to things being tedious at times. I know this from experience. The two situations I was involved in where I wasn’t the only one to get a vote, both ended in divorce. So, kudos to the group for the time and effort it took to bring the ‘Unity Uniforms’ to fruition.

 

THE HONOR

I read where it was also the desire of the student-athlete group to use the new football uniform to honor Gautt. “We wanted to honor Prentice for being the first African American scholarship football player here,” said Kelly. “He stood for unity, he stood for doing things the right way. He stood for making sure that you handled academics and football. He was one of the founding fathers who made Oklahoma football what it is and gave all the African American players who have come through OU an opportunity. As I’ve already mentioned, there couldn’t be a better choice for that honor. Well done.

 

THE MESSAGE

‘Unity Uniforms’ were designed for all University of Oklahoma varsity sports, not just the football team. “We wanted to make a statement that was way broader, something that stood out more than just a practice jersey,” said Caleb Kelly, a former OU linebacker who is now a director for the football team's SOUL Mission program. “When we're all together wearing the word ‘Sooners,’ we’re all one. We wanted to make sure we exemplified unity in our uniform.”

 

I’m not sure how the swim team is going to feel about wearing those helmets, but I love the message. I’m just kidding, we don’t even have a swim team, do we?

 

MY THOUGHTS

My second reaction was … That the new alternate uniforms, while not being my cup of tea aesthetically, are special. Special because of who designed them. Special due to the time and effort it took to bring them to completion. And special for who and what they represent – which is Prentice Gautt and the importance of togetherness and building relationships to better society.

 

Maybe the uniforms also serve as a reminder that the path to achieving the goals above won’t always be pretty and that a person’s first reaction should be based on meaning and not color … even if that color is something called Anthracite.

Just the Opinion of One Mildly Interested Guy

Buddy Putty

The OAS

OU-TX - Part 2 - The Game Inside the Cotton Bowl

 

“All I could think about the entire game was …
How bad the Nebraska Cornhuskers are” – The OAS

 

*Now seems to be a good time to share my annual disclaimer. Despite what you might occasionally read in this blog, I hate to be critical of a student athletes, I truly do. To start with, they have more talent in their little fingers than I’ve ever exhibited in my best day. I also appreciate the commitment, sacrifice, and effort that these kids put forth in order to chase their dreams – as well as give people like me something to live vicariously through. There is an old saying, those that do, do… and those that can’t, write about it.  Never has that saying been more applicable than with The OAS.

I’m also not ready to jump ship. Anyone who thought this was going to be a 10- or 11-win season was not being realistic. I still believe we have the right guy leading this team in Brent Venables and while it very well may get worse before it gets better, I’ll continue to trust the process – but meanwhile – I might continue to pass the time by pointing out a few things in order to laugh my way through this, because let’s face it – there in nothing attractive about a crying, soon to be 57-year old man. Boomer!

The empty Oklahoma end of the Cotton Bowl in the back ground, symbolic of the way the entire day went for the Sooners

THE GAME

Look, I’m sure that backup quarterback Davis Beville is a nice kid. He probably opens the car door for his dates, spends time playing canasta with the elderly at the local retirement home, and always sends handwritten thank you notes when given a gift … but he is, without a doubt, the worst QB to ever start a football game for the University of Oklahoma. If Mr. Beville was the best option to replace Dillon Gabriel at QB on Saturday, then the young men listed behind him on the QB depth chart need to rethink their football path in life. I honestly think we would’ve been better off with Mac Davis, Sammy Davis Jr., or even Betty Davis taking the snaps instead of the Davis we trotted out there. How bad was it? The best two quarterbacks for the Sooners this past Saturday weren’t even quarterbacks – they were a tight end and a punter.

- The Sooners completed just nine passes for 39 yards on Saturday. Unless OU reverts back to the wishbone, completing less passes than the number of beers I drank before the game, is not a recipe for success … for either of us.

32 of those yards were in the first half, the fewest yards passing for OU in a first half since 2014. What the hell were we doing in 2014? Anyway – in case that wasn’t pathetic enough, we followed that exhibition of ineptitude, with a grand total of 7 yards in the second half. Hey, we almost had enough for a first down. 7-yards … isn’t that what I use to drink at Brothers when I should’ve been studying? While I can’t confirm the accuracy of this next statement – 7-yards has to be the fewest yards passing in a half by anyone since the invention of electricity, the introduction of the forward pass, and the retirement of Woody Hayes.

- OU was only 2 for 15 on third down. Which begs the question … how the hell did the Sooners get two third down conversions? That said, 2 is not much to brag about since even a broken clock is right twice a day.

- Bad decision – football related #1: Down 7-0 in the first quarter, OU sends out Tight End Brayden Willis to run the wildcat. 6-plays later the Sooners had gone 43-yards and are now 1^st and 10 at the Texas 32. The Sooners have some offensive rhythm and the Horns on their heels – so what do the Sooners do next? Well, they decide to trot Davis Beville back into the game of course. Huh?

So, let me get this straight … the 7 your dating is a head case, so you take a break – and find yourself in a rebound relationship with a 3. As soon as you realize there is zero upside to dating a 3 - you break up and after playing the field, you suddenly find yourself going out with a 6.  While dating a 6 isn’t always pretty and won’t replace the 7 long term – you’re at least going places. But suddenly, for no apparent reason, you end things with the 6  - and go back to the 3 … even when you’re fully aware of the fact that her family doesn’t own a chain of liquor stores. Clearly, I don’t understand.

- Bad decision – football related #2: With about 1:50 to go before half, Texas was facing 3^rd and 10 from their own 30-yard line. Knowing they would get the ball to start the second half, the Horns seemed more than willing to just let the clock run down and take their 3-touchdown lead to the locker room … that was until OU called a timeout.

Venables obviously wanted to stop the clock in hopes that his team could hold Texas on 3^rd down, then get the ball back with some time left on the clock to try and score before half. It was a strategy that I would normally agree with – but not this past Saturday.

Evidently, Venables wasn’t watching the same Sooners offense that I was in the first half, because if he had been– he would’ve realized that they had completed only 5 passes to that point – and two of those were to the Longhorns.

Unless Venables truly believed that his QB was suddenly gonna morph into John Elway and engineer a drive that lead to points in the final minute of the half – then stopping the clock didn’t make sense. I would also argue that even if the Sooners got the ball back with some time left – there would be a higher probability of the Longhorn defense scoring than that of the OU offense.

But Venables call the timeout – and predictably, the Longhorns were able to convert on third down and 10. Armed with the extra time on the clock courtesy of OU timeout – Texas now had time to try and score, which they did, with 18 seconds left in the half.

IT’S OVER WHEN IT’S OVER

Somewhere above – John Blake is smiling.

Saturday's 49-0 loss ends the Sooners streak of 311 consecutive games without being shutout. The last time Oklahoma was held scoreless was by Texas A&M back on Nov. 7, 1998. The last time Texas shut-out Oklahoma was in 1965, 19-days before I was born.

Coming into the game, Oklahoma had scored an offensive touchdown in 167 straight games, which WAS the longest active streak in FBS.

The 55-24 loss to TCU last week and the 49-0 loss to the Longhorns on Saturday, marked the first time in the programs 127-year history that the Sooners have lost consecutive games by 30 or more points.

Next streak in jeopardy? The Sooners 22-year post season bowl streak. Just Sayin’

How bad is our defense? The latest Heisman polls show the favorites to win the 40-lbs piece of granite to be: Alabama QB Bryce Young, Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud and any QB with OU still left to play on their schedule.

Just the Opinion Of One Mildly Interested Guy

Buddy Putty

The OAS