Scatter-shooting with the OAS:
Fox Sports Network.
Direct from the more is not always better department: FSN. How many FSN networks do you need? FSN Midwest, FSN Southwest, FSN South, FSN North Pole, FSN West Central Region of the Original 13 Colonies…evidently every time Lewis & Clark crossed a creek bed FSN felt the need to name a sports channel for it. They can call their channels whatever they want, the OAS just calls them…bad.
Let me start with the pre-game show….make that the Kyocera Big 12 Football Saturday Big Show, brought to you by KFC. This show is a joke. Basically, one guy sits there and listens to another guy in a really bad suit sing bad jingles, make off-base predictions and laugh out loud for no apparent reason.
Next…Is it too much to ask that the network come back from a commercial in time for the viewers to see the first play from scrimmage after a time out? No less than 5 times a play was missed due to the networks inability to return from commercial break on time. Look, oversized on-screen graphics imploring me to eat the Colonels’ original recipe or buy from Overstock.com I can tolerate if not ignore…but suffering through another erectile dysfunction commercials while Baylor is running the kickoff back into Sooner territory is something I have “a hard time gettingup for” if you will excuse the pun.
Then there are the announcers: Bill Land & Gary Reasons. I’m sure these are nice guys. They probably never forget their wedding anniversaries, brake for cats and squirrels, and are a big hit with the other dads on Indian Princess over-night outings…but they are the ultimate B-team when it comes to broadcast duo’s. Granted, OU beating up Baylor, and starting before Good Morning America is over, is not something you send Michaels and Madden to commentate, but seriously, is this duo the best you got?
OU vs. Baylor (Week 5)
The Baylor Bears are the Washington Generals of the Big 12 South. With the win, Oklahoma is now 18-0 all-time against Baylor, with the average margin of victory in Waco being 35.5 points a game.
OFFENSE
57 seconds into the game it was 7-0. After one quarter it was 28-0. If there was a mercy rule in college football, the game would have been called off…everyone could go get their snow cones and go home. From that point, OU played with a predictable diminished level of intensity, but all in all, it was as good an effort as you could ask for considering it was Baylor…and the fact Texas was up next.
QB
Bradford was again, very good. I have found that I pretty much take for granted how well he plays…so much that I am shocked when the sophomore makes a mistake…like when he was intercepted at the goal line early in the game…It was a bad read and throw, but the play was over turned by a questionable call against Baylor.
When OU is up comfortably in the 4th quarter, why Stoops insists on not only playing Bradford, but also having him throw the ball is very scary to me.
RB’s
DeMarco Murray just does not seem to have the same burst that he did previous to dislocating his knee cap. He is always slipping and stumbling…and seems to be ankle tackled quite often. Chris Brown is dependable, but not a break away threat…We need to be able to run the football against Texas or it will be more of a ball game than Sooner fans would wish for.
WR’s & TE
Much to the delight of Manuel Johnson, teams have decided to double team TE Gresham, leaving Manny running free. Iglesias caught one for a long TD, but dropped another one that ended up being an INT. Big effort is needed from this group this week...including the re-emergence of Ryan Broyles.
OL
Hopefully the injury to C Jon Cooper is not serious. This unit played well, as Bradford was hardly pressured the entire day. While the running game was consistent but not spectacular, I view that as more of an issue with the backs than I do the o-line.
Defense
DL
Please tell me that Gerald McCoy is not seriously hurt and will be able to play against the Horns this week. If he can’t go, the Sooners might be in real trouble defensively. The DL played well early, getting penetration and knocking Baylor QB Griffin around some…but later on gave up to many yards to the young playmaker.
LB
For the second straight game, the Linebackers played very well…but as mentioned last week, the mid-term exam at the Cotton Bowl will determine where this group stands. Keenan Clayton had his best game as a Sooner with double digit tackles.
DB’s
This was like a holiday for the Sooner DB’s…Brian Jackson is starting to look like a shut down type corner. Against Texas, the key to the game may be the ability of this group to support the run while at the same time not have guys run by them resulting in big plays for the Horns passing game.
Special Teams
Kickoffs were better…but the wind was a big help…Stoops still seems reluctant to go for a long field goal, instead opting to go for it…Punter Knall was better, but needs to be more consistent with placement kicks.
OU vs Texas
Nothing better in college sports than OU-Texas. This year it is #1 ranked and undefeated Oklahoma vs. #5 ranked and undefeated Texas in Dallas for the 103rd Red River Rivalry.
It is the 4th time since 2000 that both teams enter the game undefeated and ranked in the top 5…In 4 of the last 8 games; the winner has played in the BCS National Championship Game.
ESPN’s College GameDay will be broadcasting live outside the Cotton Bowl.
The Cotton Bowl has under-gone several renovations since last year’s game. Several restrooms have been added, concourses have been widened, scoreboards have been renovated and seating capacity has been expanded to 92,100. (Click or cut and paste the following link to see a video of the improvements made to the Cotton Bowl).
http://www.dallasnews.com/video/dallasnews/sports/index.html?nvid=283307
Molly and I head for Dallas on Thursday morning….would love to hear from anyone who is going to Dallas and what, if any, plans that have been made. If there is enough interest, I would be willing to have a cocktail party at my parents place on Friday afternoon.
Prediction
OU 37 Texas 20
Boomer Sooner….Beat Texas…
Just the Opinion of One Mildly Interested Guy
The Overweight Armchair Sooner
Buddy Putty
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