OKLAHOMA 34 KANSAS ST 41

 Half of my mistakes I swear I should've known better … You get a little distance on it, the truth is clearer. Oh, and half of my mistakes I'd probably make 'em again”- Radney Foster, Half My Mistakes

Wow, I didn’t see that coming. But in retrospect, why the hell didn’t I?  Sadly, those last two-lines might be etched on my tombstone someday.  Yes, the Sooners ascension to all things special in the new Brent Venables era took the night off last Saturday … the result was a 41-34 loss at home to Kansas State. It was the first loss for the Sooners in the Venables era, dropping OU to 3-1 on the season and 0-1 in conference play. KSU, fresh off a loss to Tulane, has now won 3 of the last 4 against OU. Talk about a buzzkill.

SLOW START

These slow starts to games by the Sooners are now officially an issue. Other than the opening game against UTEP, not only have the Sooners failed to score on their first drive of the game, they’ve fallen behind in all three – and frankly, they’ve looked bad doing it.

Kent St. led 3-0 until a minute to play in the first half. Nebraska marched down the field on their first drive of the game to take a 7-0 lead … the Sooners response was 5-plays and a punt. The first two times that KSU had the ball Saturday night, they marched down the field like Grant went through Richmond. Back-to-back drives of 15 and 12 plays had the Wildcats up 14-0.  Meanwhile, while the Sooners defense is sucking oxygen on the sidelines, the OU offense goes 5 plays and a punt, and 5-plays and a punt, rinse, repeat on their first two drives.

Look, if I know what time the game starts, then I think it’s only fair that the team does as well. When the ball is kicked – I’m ready to go, why aren’t they? I’ve got snacks in place, I’ve checked the batteries in my remote, I removed any expensive fragile decorative accessories from the immediate area, and I have my blood-level alcohol at the proper percentage for cheering/screaming. I don’t know if Venables is reading Ole Yeller, or Steel Magnolias or Where the Red Fern Grows to the team or what – but whatever he’s doing – it might be time to try something different.

SIGNS OF MATURITY

It was nice to have a night game for a change. I’m not saying I don’t mind having a Bloody Mary with my pop tart at 9AM, but every once in a while, it’s nice to be able to ease into the day.

Having had pizza the week prior, we went with wings this week. The wings, boneless for me, were fine … but I regret not calling an audible when Wing Stop told me they no longer had the rolls I love – “only sides are carrot and celery sticks”. What? Which one of my chins tells you that I’d prefer a vegetable over a butter-soaked roll? What next - McDonald’s deciding to nix their fries in favor of sprouts in their combo meals?

I do have to give myself some credit in regard to my overall behavior. In seasons past, a loss like the one Saturday night would’ve been met with expletive laced tirades, a broken nick-nack of some unknown origin, and anything that wasn’t tied down being launched into the pool. Other than some strongly worded encouragement, a quickly retracted declaration about Gabriel’s mom after he over-threw a wide-open Stoops on 4^th down, and a broken whiskey glass that didn’t bounce well – I was pretty much an adult. Hey, it’s progress. Don’t tell anyone, but maybe I’m starting to grow up. Right.

GAME CHANGER

With a little under 12:30 to go in the second quarter, Gabriel hit Marvin Mims on a 50-yard go route to tie the game at 14. When Sooners kicker Zach Schmit launched the ball in the air down toward the KSU goal line, momentum was clearly wearing crimson and cream. But a Malik Knowles 58-yard return found KSU taking the field with first and 10 in OU territory. 14-plays and 42-yards later, it was 21-14 KSU. On the drive, the Cats converted twice on third down, twice on 4^th down, and drained over 6-minutes off the clock. Momentum, which only moments earlier looked like Barry Switzer’s closet, now looked the color of Prince, eggplant, and whatever that big Barney thing is that kids like.

PENALTIES

Want the recipe for losing to what was perceived to be an inferior opponent? (1) Allow them to convert 50% of their 3^rd downs and both 4^th down attempts (2) Let them win the time of possession by 10 minutes (3) Commit 11 penalties – seeming all of which were pivotal in stalling your own drives or extended theirs (4) allow over 100+ yards rushing to two different players (4) miss a wide-open receiver on 4^th down, game changing play. (5) Order Wing Stop when they don’t have rolls anymore.

SPY?

Look, I only know two things about defense: It is played with 11-guys and we haven’t seen one in Norman in 15 years.  But that said, I have to question why the F didn’t Venables employ a spy on KSU QB Martinez? If he said he did, then he was undercover.

KSU’s ability to convert on 3^rd & 4^th down absolutely killed OU. Not only did that allow KSU to extend drives and wears down the OU defense, it also toke the crowd out of the game and the ball out of the hands of the OU offense.

Speaking of a tired defense …

NOW YOU SEE HIM .... NOW YOU DON'T

Jaren Kanak. A week ago, I watched the gifted freshman linebacker come off the bench and play like Lawrence Taylor. While only playing a little over half the game, Kanak led the team in tackles (10), while also forcing and recovering a fumble.  Then a week later, Kanak might as well have been Elisabeth Taylor, because he never played a snap. How can he go from being all over the field – to not being able to get on it?

Seriously, what was the downside to putting Kanak in the game to spell White or another linebacker? It’s not like the starters were having the games of their life. With his speed, Jaren Kanak, could very well have been the answer for Adrian Martinez, but now we’ll never know. Instead, I can't unsee a totally gassed Dashaun White lumbering after KSU QB Adrian Martinez, like Kirsti Alley plodding after an ice cream truck, as Martinez scrambled on third-and-16 for 52 yards. From 3-and 16 ... to ... 1^st and goal Wildcats. From undefeated to 3-1. Better days ahead, I hope.

Next up – Sooners come here to Fort Worth to take on TCU.

Sooners Dominate Cornhuskers

Oklahoma 49 Nebraska 14

I was worried about this game. Coming off a loss to Georgia State, the 1-2 Nebraska Cornhuskers were the laughingstock of the college football world. Their head coach, Scott Frost, a former Huskers quarterback and the appointed savior of Nebraska football, had just been shown the door. So badly did the University of Nebraska want him gone, they couldn’t even wait three more weeks until October 1^st, when it would’ve saved the school $7.5 million to do so. Replacing Frost was Mickey Joseph, another former Nebraska quarterback, a guy that by all accounts was extremely popular with the players.  I felt certain that the Cornhuskers, playing in front of their loyal and raucous crowd, would be armed with an ‘us against the world’ mentality and play inspired football for their new interim head coach.  And they did …. For about 6-minutes.

This past Saturday in Lincoln, Nebraska, the #6 ranked Oklahoma Sooners shook off an early 7-0 deficit on their way to a resounding 49-14 victory over the struggling Cornhuskers. To be honest, the final score was not really indicative of how much Oklahoma dominated this game. Using a balanced attack on offense and applying relentless pressure on defense, Oklahoma turned in what, in my opinion, was the most all-around complete game played by a Sooners team in the last 14-years.

Opinions, Observations, Raves, and Rants

- I thought Sooners QB Dillion Gabriel was good, but not great on Saturday. His 60-yard run to tie the score left me almost in a state of shock. Honestly, I thought I would’ve had a better chance of scoring from that distance than he did.  Okay, not really – but only because I haven’t run 60-yards since Ronald Reagan was in office. Throwing the ball, as his 59% completion ratio will reflect, I thought he was a bit erratic. There were times when he threw fastballs when touch would’ve provided a better result. I do love the way he makes it a priority to get Mims involved (6-catches), while also spreading the ball around (10-different receivers caught a pass).

- Gabriel wasn’t the only one spreading it around on Saturday. After starting the game with a Coors Banquet beer, I connected with a couple of Bloody Mary’s, faked play action and took a couple deep shots with homemade Limoncello, mixed in a trick play with a High Noon, then ran out the clock with a large dose of Angel’s Envy on ice. Having that kind of variation to my game makes me tough to defend … or so those around me say.

- I’ve seen the future and possibly the here and now, and its name is Jaren Kanak. The 6’2”, 210-pound true freshman linebacker from Hays, Kansas, who runs the 100-meters in 10.37, came in after DeShaun White was ejected for targeting in the second quarter. All Kanak did was lead the team with 10 tackles, while also forcing and recovering a fumble and registering a quarterback hurry. His speed wrecks complete havoc. He's just learning how to play linebacker,” Venables said. “He has no idea what he's doing yet. But he's made a lot of improvement from fundamentals and the language — and I know things are going a million miles an hour for him. But he did a nice job.” I'll say.

- Proof that coaching and scheme matters? This Sooner defense is the same group of players from last year … only without the player that led them in tackles (Asamoah), sacks (Bonitto), and interceptions (Turner-Yell) – and yet this 2022 version is night and day better. I'd tell Grinch and his Speed D too kiss my ass, but it's hard to kiss what you can't stop.  

- Thank you to my friend Styx, for hosting a few of us for the game. He brought in Nizza Pizza at halftime, which I'd never had before. It was good … But I have to deduct points due to the fact they only offer delivery after 5 PM, which is blatant discrimination against us day drunks. Just sayin'.

- Kudos to the offensive line for their performance on Saturday. I’ve been critical of this group through the first two games – which I’ll admit is ironic considering the fact that I couldn’t block a stuffed animal. For the most part on Saturday, they gave Gabriel plenty of time to throw, and opened holes that were wide enough to spring Larry the Cable guy into the secondary. That’s the way to “Get-R-Done” right there boys!

- I was also impressed with the number of players who got playing time while the game was still competitive. I’m usually rain man when it comes to knowing players via their jersey number – but Saturday, I found it necessary to consult with a roster more than once. You know what they say about depth, rarely is it a bad thing, unless you’re wearing concrete shoes of course.

So, what did the Sooner Nation learn on Saturday? That maybe … the days of an Oklahoma Sooners team consistently playing down to their competition might be a thing of the past. That maybe - this is no longer a program whose only chance to win is predicated on their ability to outscore their opponent. That maybe - this is a team that can take an early punch in the mouth and not pee down both legs. That maybe, just maybe - we’re witnessing the birth of something special in the Brent Venables era … or … maybe the fact is, the Sooners just beat a Nebraska team that sucks like a $2 hooker.  

We will know more soon, but as far as this past Saturday is concerned, there was no maybe about it …  It was most definitely was a good day to be a Sooner.

 

Just the Opinion of One Mildly Interested Guy

Buddy Putty

The Overweight Armchair Sooner

4-For-4 ... Part II

The second part of a look back at the four games that Oklahoma played against Nebraska when I was in college. Not only did the Sooners win all four, each game feature a play so memorable, they were given nicknames. 

THE CATCH - 1986

#3 Oklahoma (9-1) @ #5 Nebraska (9-1)

November 22^nd, 1986

 

What would a trip down memory lane be without a serving of Sooner Magic.  With the Big-8 title on the line, Oklahoma rallied from 10-points down in the fourth quarter to beat the Cornhuskers in Lincoln 20-17.

 

Of note here … I was supposed to watch the game at my then girlfriends parents’ house in Norman, but she decided a couple hours before the game that my inability and lack of desire to harness ‘my passion’ was not fun for others. Actually, what she said was – I don’t want to spend 3-hours listening to you scream f-words at the TV like some kind of possessed moron, then have to answer questions from my parents in regard to your anger issues. Besides, they’re still not very happy with you for spiking their glass into the fireplace during the Colorado game two weeks ago.

 

“Look, for the record, that glass was bad luck and besides, why do they care – its not like they don’t have 3-more that look just like it in the pantry. But whatever … there are plenty of people I know who will want to watch the game with me.” Yep, that 1986 OU-Nebraska game was the first I ever watched by myself.

 

Down 7, with only 4:22 to go in the game, the Sooners drove 94-yards, tying the game on a Jamelle Holieway 17-yard touchdown pass to Keith Jackson with 1:22 to play.

 

The Sooners, with one of the best defenses in college football history, were able to use their timeouts and after forcing a Nebraska punt, took over at their own 37-yard line with only 40-seconds to play and no time outs.  On 3^rd and 12, from their own 37 … and 18 seconds to go in the game .. it was time for a little Sooner Magic …

 

The 41-yard completion stopped the clock with just 9-seconds to play. After spiking the ball, Tim Lashar’s kick from 41-yards split the uprights. It was pure pandemonium – for a party of 1 at my house … a place where only solo cups are used on game day.

 

THE BOW – 1987

#2 Oklahoma @ #1 Nebraska

Game of the Century II

 

The game was being billed as the Game of the Century II. Undefeated #2 Oklahoma vs, undefeated #1 Nebraska. At stake was a trip to the Orange Bowl and a shot at the National Title.  Yes, once again this rivalry would play a major role in determining college footballs national champion.

 

Going in, the deck seemed stacked against Oklahoma. Talk all week was in regard to the perceived advantage the Huskers had received due to a scheduling quirk that resulted in the Sooners having to travel to Lincoln for a second consecutive year. Furthermore, while Oklahoma plodded through a rather unimpressive 17-13 win over Missouri the previous week, the Huskers had the benefit of a bye-week to rest and focus on their longtime rival.

 

Much was also made of the fact that the Sooners would be playing without two key starters, fullback Lydell Carr and QB Jamelle Holieway. Turns out, the Sooners, led by redshirt freshman QB Charles Thompson, would do just fine.

 

Late in the third quarter with the score tied at 7, the Sooners had the ball facing second and 2 from their own 35. Patrick Collins takes the pitch from Thompson, turns the left corner, gets a perfect block from John Green, shakes off a couple of arm tackles, and raced 65 yards down the sideline for the go-ahead touchdown. Patrick Collins – take a bow!

 

 

Since we won the previous year, superstition had me watching my second consecutive OU-Nebraska game by myself, which was both good and bad. After Collins 65-yard gallop, I decided that the only way to properly celebrate Collin’s achievement was for me to jump over my couch. Good that I was alone so nobody saw it, bad that nobody was there to take me to a hospital.

 

Elevating over my couch wouldn’t have been a good idea, well – ever. To start with, my couch at that time was the size of a small third world country.  Hell, Evil Knievel probably would’ve declined an invitation to jump that thing. Throw in the fact that I was drunk and on a good day possess the vertical jumping skills of an anvil, and well, as you can imagine … it was a disaster of near epic proportion. 

 

As I entered take-off mode, I stepped on a beer bottle and rolled my ankle. To far in to abort the mission, I’m now focused on merely surviving. With all the grace of a walrus, I bellyflop/carom off the side to the couch. While I did stick the landing, unfortunately, that landing occurred out of bounds and in the middle of the fireplace equipment – the result of which left a deep gash on my left elbow that eventually needed 6 stitches.  I say eventually, because I felt certain that despite the carpet looking like a crime scene, that this wasn’t a big deal. All I need to do was pour some bourbon on it, and then if it ever stops burning, apply pressure on it with a kitchen towel. Hell, it'll have to stop bleeding pretty soon. I was wrong.

 

4-For-4 – Good times indeed.

 

Just the Opinion of One Mildly Interested Guy

 

Buddy Putty

The Overweight Armchair Sooner

4-For-4 - Part 1

 

I was at the University of Oklahoma from 1984-1988. During that time, the Sooners never lost to Texas or Nebraska. Equally cool, is the fact that in each of the 4-wins over the Cornhuskers, there was a play so memorable that it has a name. So, in honor of the renewed Oklahoma - Nebraska rivalry this weekend, I thought I’d go back 38-years and 50-lbs ago … to relive 4-for-4.

4-For-4 - Part 1

THE STAND - 1984

#6 Oklahoma (7-1-1) @ #1 Nebraska (9-1)

November 17^th, 1984

 It was my freshman year at OU and I watched the game with my Delt pledge brothers at Jeff Posey’s apartment in Norman.

Barry Switzer’s 6^th ranked Sooners, who went into Lincoln having lost three in a row to the Cornhuskers, were a blend of young and old. The Sooners wishbone attack was driven by senior QB Danny Bradley. Freshman Lydell Carr, who lined-up at fullback, was flanked by junior Spencer Tillman and senior Jerome Leadbetter at the halfback positions. The OU defense was spearheaded by precocious freshman linebacker Brian Bosworth and junior tackle Tony Casillas.

Nebraska, ranked #1 and the owners of a 27-game conference win streak, were led by QB Travis Turner, fullback Tom Rathman, halfbacks Doug DuBose and Jeff Smith, and the top ranked defense in all of college football.

With nine-minutes to go in the game and trailing 10-7, Nebraska took over at their own 11-yard line and methodically marched down inside the OU 10-yard line. On third and goal from the Oklahoma 2, senior fullback Scott Porter was stopped just inches short of the goal line by linebacker Dante Jones and tackle Richard Reed, setting up a crucial 4^th down, season defining decision by Husker head coach Tom Osborne. Having watched his kicker miss 3-field goal attempts on the day, Osborne never hesitated.

The play, as we now know, was called "49 pitch," which was a quick pitchout to tailback Jeff Smith. As Smith ran toward the edge, OU senior cornerback Brian Hall came up strong, shed a block and dropped Smith for a small loss, giving Oklahoma the ball back with just 5:32 to play. It was the second time that the defense had stuffed the Huskers in the shadows of their own goal posts – and it is now forever known as … The Stand.

 

THE REVERSE

#2 Nebraska (9-1) @ #5 Oklahoma (7-1)

November 23^rd, 1985

 

It was a gray, late November day, picture-perfect for football.  I was sitting halfway up section 28, which was the student section … and don't tell my mom, but I was hammered. It’s hard to fathom now, but in 1985, you could actually bring a backpack into the game. Needless to say, if you were to take a peek inside mine, you weren’t going to find Einstein’s The Meaning of Relativity, not unless somebody stuffed it inside a Coors Light 12-pack carton. While there was about a 10-15% chance that someone might check for contraband, it dropped to 0% if you handed the guy $10.00. Man, those were the days.  

 

On the Sooners second possession of the game, they broke the huddle looking at second and 7 from their own 12-yard line. What happened next is now known simply as … The Reverse.

 

The Sooners would go on to win 27-7, a final score that doesn’t do justice to the way Oklahoma dominated the game. A stat from that game that always jumps out at me is the fact that the Sooners only threw the ball 4-times that day, completing 1, for 38-yards. Can you imagine in today’s college football, completing 1-pass all day – and still beating the #2-ranked team in the country by 20?

 

I also remember the tradition of bringing oranges to the game – which we would launch onto the field after OU scores – symbolic in that the winning team was most likely going to the Orange Bowl. That tradition backfired on me one time, however. After the game, as we were storming the field to go tear down the goal posts in the south endzone, I got nailed by an orange thrown from the stands. It hit me so hard it knocked me down (my lack of motor skills and sobriety may have also played a part in me going all Humpty-Dumpty at the 42-yard line). The funniest part was the next day you could literally read part of the word Sunkist on my forehead. Backpacks, oranges, and The Reverse - Good Times!

 

Part 2 Next

Just the Opinion of One Mildly Interested Guy

 

Buddy Putty

The Overweight Armchair Sooner

*Gary McKnight - this font size is for you!

Oklahoma 33 Kent St. 3

 

The Sooners improved to 2-0 on the season with their 33-3 victory over Kent State. Hey, don’t take being 2-0 for granted … there are more than a few preseason top 15 teams – like Texas, Notre Dame, Baylor, LSU, Texas A&M, Florida and Oregon - who would love to say the same. Then there is Nebraska …wow. The Sooners go to Lincoln next and face a Cornhuskers team that just lost to Georgia State and had their head coach fired. Talk about messing with a wounded animal.

Dillon Gabriel

I’m not gonna bull-shit you – before he transferred to OU, I wouldn’t have known Dillon Gabriel from Roman Gabriel, Peter Gabriel, Matt Dillon or Marshall Dillon.

-       Positives – He’s been accurate, seems to possess above average arm strength, appears to be comfortable in Lebby’s offense – and by all-accounts  - has stepped up as one of the team leaders. 

-       Concerns: He seems to have a proclivity to stare down his intended target too often. Which, to be honest, is something I’m also guilty of doing. The difference is –when I’m staring at a bottle of bourbon, I’ve yet to have the bartender read my eyes and jump the route for a pick-6

Shades of Gray

·       No one has asked, but if they did, I would not use Eric Gray as the starter or feature back. I would go with Major or Barnes, with Gray being more of a 3^rd down back.  Hey, my ability to second guess people who have risen to great heights within their given profession –well, it’s a gift that needs to be shared. You’re welcome.

Light Show – Eventually

Saturday nights 6:00 PM kickoff meant the unveiling of the new LED stadium lights at Owen Field. It took longer than expected, but eventually we all learned that the lights can be used in a celebratory fashion.

After a Marvin Mims touchdown finally gave the Sooners the lead, the banks of bright lights around the stadium went dark like there was a power failure, then seconds later flashed back on in strobe like fashion.  The cool moment caught many Sooner fans by surprise … and by cool moment I meant the touchdown. Oh, the light show was pretty neat-0 too.

Another note on the LED lights – every time the lights were mentioned, all I could think about was the exorbitant cost. I steal them from my parents’ house, otherwise I’m not sure I’d be able to afford them without taking an early distribution from my retirement account. I’m surprised that the cost didn’t force them to consider doing one section of the stadium at I time – like I’m doing in my master bathroom. Btw – LED lights don’t make you look thinner, just so you know.

(Did You Know)

The Sooners are now 2-0 against teams that display their local area code on their helmets. The (915) played a prominent role on the UTEP helmet design, while Kent St went with the more subtle (301) in front center facemask area. For more information on this ridiculous trend, please hang up and dial 411

Is it Golden Flash, or Gold Flashes, or Golden Flashes or …

Regardless of moniker, if not for the ultimate prevent defense employed by Kent State at the end of the first half, the Sooners were in grave danger of going to the locker room losing 3-0 to some form of yellowish flicker.

Defense

The Sooners defense will face a significant step up in competition soon, but don’t sleep on the Kent St. skill position players. Their QB is a gamer. They also have an NFL ready receiver and a running back that punished would be tacklers.

Love the effort of the entire defense.  There are some kinks to work out – but that is to be expected. Early standouts are Downs, Grimes, Stutsman and Bowman.

Oklahoma held Kent State to less than 300 yards of total offense, 3.2 yards per carry, and just 6.23 yards per attempt through the air. They collected 14 tackles for loss and three sacks as a unit, led by Danny Stutsman's 12 tackles (9 solo), four tackles for loss, and a sack by Grimes.  Last year through two games the Sooners had 17 tackles for a loss, this season they have 23-sacks through 2-games.

 So, you’re telling me …

… that there is nobody else on the entire roster that is capable of returning punts besides starting wide-receiver Marvin Mims? Other than driving the Schooner, there isn’t a more dangerous job on the field than punt returner. Lose Mims = Lose Games.

Just The Opinion of One Mildly Interested Guy

Buddy Putty

The Overweight Armchair Sooner

The 2022 Oklahoma Sooners - It's a Math Thing

Frankly, I hate math. Always have, always will. In my opinion, math is arrogant, a little too full of itself. “You couldn’t survive without math,” Mrs. Ashmead told me in fifth grade. “Maybe, maybe not,” I countered. “But I’m pretty sure that if I make another C, math could very well be the reason my dad kills me.” 

 Another reason I don’t like math is because of all the rules associated with performing it. You have to carry the one, you have to find a common denominator, you can’t cheat off of Julie Fodge. Well, this may come as a shock to some of you, but turns out, I’m not much of a rule follower. To me, rules are more like strongly advised suggestions. Look, I realize that wearing a seat belt is in my best interest and that not doing so is against the law. But that said, there are times that I refused to buckle up until that f-ing bell stops chiming (takes about 5-min btw and other people in the car love it). So, if I’m willing to chance being thrown through my windshield because I won’t be told what to do by an annoying noise, then it should come as no surprise that I struggle with following ‘the order of operations’ necessary to solve a math equation. Hell, even when by some miracle I did come up with the correct answer, I would get penalized for not ‘showing my work.’ Guess I should’ve written, “See Julie’s Paper” under my answer to each question. F-you math. 

Math also likes to taunt me. Like when I hear someone say, “Last Saturday, I ran in the annual “I Exercise While You Eat Donuts 5K.” Okay, let’s pretend for a second that I actually care … Am I supposed to know what or how far a K is? If I was bragging about how many donuts I ate, I wouldn’t say, “Yep, while you were out acquiring shin-splints on your way to finishing 377th in your age group, I was on the couch knockin’ down 800 kg’s of jelly filled and 138 picograms of apple fritter.” For the record, I’m more easily impressed with an accomplishment when I don’t have to use a conversion chart to understand it. Just sayin’. 

 Speaking of letters … Why are there letters and symbols involved in math? Who thought this was a good idea, U2? When I learned to count to ten, I didn’t use my fingers and toes to recite 1, 2, R=3, 4, (5-X), -6, X7, 8, (9), /10. 

 But as much as I hate math, there is no getting around the fact that the 2022 Oklahoma Sooners team will be judged by all the additions and subtractions the program has experienced since last November. With change comes the unknown, and that unknown has leant an air of excitement and interest to the upcoming season that is unmatched by any in recent memory. But the unknown can also be tricky, fickle, and hard to embrace – especially if it doesn’t produce immediate results. On Saturday, the Sooners will take the field against UTEP. It will mark the end of one of the most emotional 9-month periods in program history, while simultaneously signaling the beginning of a new era. With a new head coach on the sideline and a new QB taking the snap – ‘the order of operations’ necessary to solve the looming equation will begin. Every Saturday, the Sooners will get a little closer to finding the answer. There will be rules to follow, and of course they’ll be required to show their work – usually to about 80,000 +. 

Oh, one last thing – don't expect any help from Julie Fodge … turns out she is an Oklahoma State fan.

FINALLY ... It's Football Time in Oklahoma

Just the Opinion of One Mildly Interested Fan

Buddy Putty

The Overweight Armchair Sooner