Here Today - Gone Tomorrow

 It was December of 1973. I was 8-years old and next in line to have a word with Santa at Richardson Square Mall. Currently residing in the big man’s lap was my 4-year-old sister but judging from the hysterical fit she was throwing, she wasn’t enjoying it – at all. It was a moment that I doubt Santa was relishing either considering the fact it took two elves to pry my sisters hands lose from the stranglehold she had on his beard and right ear.

“Come on up young man, have you been a good boy? Uh-oh.  My only hope at this point was that Santa hadn’t done his homework, “Yes,” I mumbled. “And what would you like Santa to bring you for Christmas this year?” “Santa, I want a bike for Christmas. But not just any bike,” I blurted out. “I want a Huffy Thunder Road Bike. The one with the padded front bar, grip handles, number plate and metal fenders" I added. “I’ll see what I can do kid, next…” he replied.

When Christmas morning finally arrived, I remember running down the hall and rounding the corner into our dining room, a room that looked like the 70’s had thrown up on it. But sitting in the middle of the lime green shag carpet was a beautiful sight - a Huffy Thunder Road Bike! To be honest, I didn’t notice that there was something wrong at first. I was too busy checking out all the awesome amenities of the bike. But as I made my way over to mount up – I stopped in my tracks. “Wait, there’s no seat! Where is the padded huffy seat. I can’t ride a bike without a seat!,” I shrieked. “Well, Bud, there was a problem,” my mom said. “Santa had some turbulence over China, had to make a sharp turn, which caused the seat to come off your bike and fall over-board,” she explained sans conviction. “But he promised to get us a new one by early next week.”

I was devastated. My first thought was that if this dude can land a herd of dear and a sleigh on roofs and slide down millions of chimney’s all over the world in one night, then surely he could’ve circled his fat-ass back around and picked up my bike seat. But then it clicked, the dude had looked into my claim of good behavior and now this is my punishment. Dang it!

It’s a story not to unlike the one currently involving Sooner QB Jackson Arnold and the Sooner Nation.

Jackson Arnold, out of perennial Texas 5A powerhouse Denton Ryan, was the #1 rated quarterback in the 2023 recruiting class. Despite the Sooners 6-6 record (before bowl game) during Brent Venables first season at the helm, the 2022-2023 Gatorade Player of the Year never wavered on his commitment. Yes, Christmas had come early for the Sooner Nation. OU had their QB, but we’d have to wait. 

Yes, Arnold spent his freshman season backing up returning starter Dillon Gabriel, then made his first start for the Sooners against Arizona in the 2023 Alamo Bowl, when Gabriel opted out. In retrospect, Arnolds 3-interception, 1-fumble performance in San Antonio that night turned out to be a prologue for the 2024 season. Our new QB had a flaw.

Look, there is no doubt that Jackson Arnold was delt a bad hand from the get-go this season. OU’s top 5 receivers have been huddling together for rehab not SEC opponents and the offensive line he plays behind may very well be the worst in Oklahoma football history. Throw in the fact that the Sooners first year in the SEC has them playing what is arguably the toughest schedule in the country – and you can see where this season might be a daunting task for any QB. I would’ve even been tempted to go as far as saying that those three factors are the majority of the reason that Arnold hasn’t played well all year, if not for one thing … that 2023 Alamo Bowl.

Just like a 9-year-old looking at a bike on Christmas morning – Sometimes you see what you want to see right up to the time it gut punches you. I didn’t want to ‘remember the Alamo’ as a game where OU’s heir apparent at QB was a turnover machine with a ridiculously bad mustache and a propensity for holding onto the ball way too long. Who wants to spend an offseason with that bad taste in their mouth? So instead, I chose to believe that what I saw that night was a 5-star recruit, who in his first start threw for 345 yards and showed a willingness to stand in the pocket. Three INT’s and a fumble? No Big Deal. Holding on to the ball too long? Nah. “Be patient, it was his first start, he’ll learn from it, and be better for it next season.” Be patient, just like the bike seat will be here next week and all will be fine.”…

But things haven’t been fine in 2024.  Far from it.  But Saturday night’s game against Missouri in the SHOW ME state, Jackson Arnold had a chance to SHOW his teammates, his coaches, and the Sooner Nation that his recent improvement was real. That there was still a chance he could become the QB this team needs him to be. But instead …

·    Jackson Arnold showed that he still can’t execute an RPO, a common staple of the Sooners offense. On OU’s first drive of the second half, the Sooners were faced with 4^th and less than a yard from their own 40-yard. Venables elects to go for it – and Finley calls an RPO (Run/Pass Option), a play that they’ve run 100 times or more this season. If Arnold reads it properly and keeps the ball, this paragraph wouldn’t be in my blog. But he didn’t, and as a result, Taylor Tatum got stuffed like a holiday turkey for a one-yard loss.

·       The Saturday night, Arnold finished the game 15-of-24 passing for 74-yards. Yes, you read that correctly. 74-yards. To put that into perspective, that is only 30 more passing yards than the OU punter had. On more than one occasion, Arnold had receivers running wide-open – all they needed was the football. Didn’t happen, but then again, wide-open receivers can be hard to see when your eyes are locked onto the Mizzou defensive lineman. How bad was Arnold throwing the ball on Saturday night? In the 4th quarter, with the game on the line, it was deemed a better option to have Arnold catch the ball than it was for him to throw it.

·       The cardinal sin of a QB is not protecting the football. Saturday night, Jackson Arnold cost his team another football game because he continued his season long practice of giving away balls like he was Bruce Jenner. His first two fumbles, which occurred on 2 of the first 3 drives of the game – crushed any opportunity the Sooners had of building an early lead.  His third fumble of the game – cost OU the game.

His performance earned him a QB rating of 30.3 – which was the worst rating for any QB in the country last Saturday, and not by just a little. His rating for the season is 42.4, which ranks him dead last in the SEC and 102^nd in the country. Yes, Jackson Arnold is getting us beat.

Bottom line - The Sooners have tried to wait patiently for Jackson Arnold to mature, to protect the ball, and to stop making the same mistakes over and over. They’ve been waiting for him to show that he can read an RPO correctly, to show that he is capable of getting the ball out on time to avoid disaster. They’ve been waiting for him to show that he could look downfield, locate an open receiver, and then deliver an accurate pass. They’ve been waiting for Jackson Arnold to be the reason they win games, not lose them. But unlike my bike seat, which showed up as promised, the promise that once surrounded Arnold, has not. For Brent Venables and the Oklahoma football program, they can no longer afford to view him as a viable solution to ride with at QB going into 2025. For BV to think otherwise, well, that will take him from the ‘hot seat’ to the unemployment line.  

 

Just the Opinion of One Mildly Interested Guy

Buddy Putty

The Overweight Armchair Sooner

From Sooner Magic to Meltdown

Last Saturday night, the Sooners had a chance to make a statement in the SHOW ME state. A night game, on the road, against a ranked, but wounded and short-handed opponent was the perfect stage to SHOW not just ME, but the entire Sooner Nation that they were getting better as a team and could play a complete game against a real team.

It was a chance for Jackson Arnold to SHOW he was still the future at the QB position and for the defense to SHOW that maybe they should be considered elite. It was a chance for Interim OC Joe John Finley to SHOW himself to be someone who should be considered for the position full-time and it was a chance for Brent Venables to SHOW that he is capable of making important in-game decisions.

There was also a lot on the line Saturday night.  A win would also make the Sooners bowl eligible. Would I be excited about watching OU play Rutgers in a meaningless game in mid-December, or the opportunity to add a Zaxby’s Wingz & Fingerz Bowl Game shirt to my collection? Maybe, maybe not, but that isn’t the point. 

In today’s era of college football, the importance of being in a bowl game for any team isn’t about getting a free Walk-Man or a Pop Tart Bowl Game watch, it’s about gaining something much more valuable – which is the extra two weeks of practice that comes with playing Utah State in the Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl. 

Bottom line, the Sooners need one more win to be bowl eligible … and with games against Alabama and a trip to Baton Rouge to play LSU as the only games left on the schedule, there was a lot on the line last Saturday night against Mizzou.

With a little over 2 minutes to play, Sooner Magic had seemingly struck again. Following an OU drive that covered 75-yards in 12-plays to tie the game, Missouri running back Jamal Roberts coughed up the ball like he was an OU quarterback. Two rather fortuitous bounces and 43-yards later, OU safety Billy Bowman was taking a bow in the Mizzou end-zone. The Sooners lead by 7 with 2:00 to go in the game. For the Sooner Nation it should’ve felt like déjà vu … remember Auburn? Good, now forget it, because that is where the similarities come to a crashing end. I guess you could say the lead was to big a Burden, because OU simply crashed and burned. Sadly, with a minute to go in the game combined with having watched every second of this teams season, I made a prediction.

Bill … “there is still a minute left and we have two timeouts, maybe we can get into field goal position. Schmidt has already hit from over 50 tonight.” Me … “Sure, and maybe tomorrow I’ll start training to run in the Cowtown Marathon on Thanksgiving Day. Look, I’ve seen nothing from this team all year that gives me hope that they can go 40+ yards in a minute, especially with the game on the line. Unfortunately, a minute is also probably too much time to just take a knee. But you know what 1:00 is the perfect amount of time for? For Jackson Arnold to make a game ending mistake. I just hope the coaches see this situation like I do and try to play for overtime”  Well, screw me.

Look, you know what happened next. You don’t need me to rehash it any more than you need me to come over and tell your young children that there is no Santa Claus. I've also never wished to have been wrong more in my life ... or at least that day, but I wasn't. The Sooners turned the thrill of victory into the agony of defeat. From Sooner Magic to Meltdown – the result of which, by all intent and purposes, brings an end to Oklahoma’s quarter century long bowl streak.

Somebody who likes to put stupid quotes on plaques or knit them onto pillows once wrote … “A loss is not a total loss, if you learn from your mistakes so that they don’t happen again.” While I’m more of a Lombardi “Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing” kind of guy – for the sake of conversation, let’s say stupid quote guy is right. What did we learn Saturday in the loss to Missouri? Well, I'm glad you didn't ask, because I’ll SHOW YOU next.

UP IN A COUPLE HOURS …

Part II: Here Today – Gone Tomorrow

Just The Opinion of One Mildly Interested Guy

Buddy Putty

The Overweight Armchair Sooner

The OAS 2024 Name All American Team

 

Hello, I'm Buddy Putty.

While its true that my birth certificate reads Weldon Reagan Putty III, the only people who have ever referred to me as such are those who want money from me ... Namely the IRS, credit card companies, and divorce attorney's. 

There have been some who tried to change my name. When I was hired for my first job out of college, I was told by the man who hired me that my employment was contingent on my name now being Reagan. I didn't like it, but hey .... A guy's got to eat. 

The mother of Plaintiff #2 (second ex-wife) also insisted on calling me Reagan, which is why I insisted on ignoring her when she did. To her credit, she also ignored me when I addressed her as bitch.

Yes, I've always been Buddy Putty. It's a nickname that originated with my grandfather, who had 7-older sisters. Evidently, he followed them around to the point that they were never without their little buddy. My dad also went by Buddy Putty, but I suspect that when you're 6'4" people are less obvious with their jokes and laughter.

To be honest, the name Buddy Putty has never really bothered me, it's just who I've always been. In fact, I didn't even know people would find it to be funny until I got to first grade ... but then I seemingly never went a day without it being brought to my attention that it was. 

My second grade teacher refused to call me Buddy because she thought I was making it up, even sent me to the office. That was no longer the case after a visit from my father. 

I had a phone operator hang up on me when she asked my name for the collect call I was trying to make. Then the inevitable jokes like Silly Putty, got to be old hat. Make fun if you must, but be original is all I ask.

But those laughs and taunts resulted in my arrival at an early crossroads in my life. I was either going to have to be funny - or really tough. The realization that funny hurt a lot less than tough made for an easy decision. As Terry Bradshaw once said, "I might be dumb, but I'm not stupid."

Over the years, I've learn a few things that have helped me with the moniker. For instance, I never just introduce myself as Buddy. To do so invites the new acquaintance to inquire ... and your last name is? Oh Lord, here we go. 

After I introduce myself, occasionally, if I feel the situation warrants, I'll throw in a - "It's Buddy like your friend, Putty like you put in a window" or "I'm probably the only Buddy Putty you're going to meet today." I've also learned that when I get zero reaction at all, the person I just met either doesn't listen or doesn't give a shit what my name is, which can be some handy information in some circumstance. 

Buddy Putty is also a name that is recognizable and a bit hard to forget ... and maybe forgive. Like the time when I was in high school and we were playing our main rival the Hugo Buffaloes. During a timeout, midway through the fourth quarter, the Hugo Band started chanting "Kill Buddy Putty" "Kill Buddy Putty", which I thought to be a bit harsh. My friend Hood Baldwin looks at me, smiled and said, "it's either (A) the 4-td passes you've thrown tonight, (B) you didn't call that Hugo baton twirler back like you said you would - but I'm guessing (C) - all of the above."

The one time that I can remember pushing back on my name was my freshman year in college at OU. We were having a party at the Delt House when a young coed approached me ... Is your name really "Buddy Putty?" "Yes, yes it is." I said firmly. "Is that a problem?" 

Her eyes noticeably bulged and instantly got a little teary ... "Sorry, I just wanted to introduce myself. My name is Sandy Beach ... and I have two sisters, one named Pebble and another named Sandy ... but now I'm sorry that I bothered because you're an asshole." Yes, for me, funny is a much less painful way to go. 

So it is with great pleasure and qualification that I introduce to you the The OAS 2024 Name All American Team. 

May I just say - gentleman, I feel your pain

Just the Opinion of One Mildly Interested Guy

The Overweight Armchair Sooner

- Buddy Putty

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