“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 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 1st 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 3rd
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 3rd 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
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