College Football Week 9: Hot, Not & Really?

 

After week 9 of College Football, I'm working on introducing a new segment called "Hot, Not & Really"; which rather speaks for itself.  Hopefully this can be a continuing theme as the season goes on.  Without further ado, let's get to it.


WHO'S HOT:


Case Keenum: The Cougars signal caller threw for 534 yards and 9 touchdowns (NINE!!) against city rival Rice.  Keenum is the NCAA's all time leader in TD passes, and should soon be the all time leader in passing yards as well.  More importantly, Houston stayed undefeated.


Oklahoma State's Defense: This unit may have surrendered a lot of yards, but lead the nation in turnover margin.  They've now forced 12 turnovers in their last 3 games; I'd have included the 4 against Kansas, but that wasn't much of a contest.


Oklahoma Sooners: It might seem too soon, but the turnaround is hard to overlook.  After getting embarrassed in a loss to Texas Tech, the Sooners bounced back to crush the previously unbeaten Kansas State; completely dominating both sides of the ball.  They've earned it.


Ohio State Buckeyes: After an off-season they would rather forget, the Buckeyes are making the most of this season.  They blew a 21-point lead in a loss to Nebraska, but responded by handing Illinois their first loss, then soiled any BCS hopes that Wisconsin had, courtesy of QB Braxton Miller's late game heroics.


Nebraska Cornhuskers: The Big Red machine are currently riding a 3 game winning streak, after receiving a rude awakening in their Big Ten opener against Wisconsin.  Their latest antics involved a dominant performance against Michigan State, leaving both teams tied for 1st place (along with Michigan) in their respective division.


Oregon Ducks: They've reeled off 7 straight wins in dominant fashion.  Doesn't matter what they wear, or how they wear it, they just wear opponents out.


WHO'S NOT:


Wisconsin Badgers: Playing within the confines of Camp Randall Stadium, the Badgers carved out a 6-0 start, and were in the running for a national title.  Then came the next 2 games out of state, and after a couple of "hail marys", they're all but out for not only the national title, but the conference title as well.


Texas A&M Aggies: A 38-31 loss to Mizzou marked the 3rd time that the Aggies held a double digit lead (they led 28-17), only to lose the game.  This was a team that most people thought would factor in the national title discussion.


Clemson Tigers: They started off their season by defeating 3 ranked opponents - including defending champ Auburn - and seemed to control their own destiny as far as the national title was concerned.  The Tigers were done in by their inability to stop Georgia Tech's "triple option" attack.


Kansas Jayhawks: They're riding a 6 game losing streak and easily boast the worst defense in all of college football.  In their last outing against Texas, the Jayhawks could only manage 46 total yards (!!!).  I could go on, but there's no fun in flogging a dead horse.


Colorado Buffaloes: They're 1-8 (0-5 in conference).  Can someone please remind me why they moved to the Pac-12?


REALLY?

Tommy Tuberville followed up a signature win
with an embarrassing loss.

Texas Tech Red Raiders: Coming off consecutive losses, the Red Raiders put on a clinic in an upset win over Oklahoma.  Just when you thought that they were finally on track, they lay an egg against Iowa State.  Did I mention that this game was in Lubbock?  In a weird twist of irony, they trailed 24-7 at the half, and conceded 41 total points; a complete reverse from the previous week when they led 24-7 at the interval, and scored 41 points.


Marquel Wade, Arkansas: The Razorback wide receiver delivered "The Cheap Shot Heard Around The World" while covering a punt that was about to be fielded by Vanderbilt's Jonathan Krause.  Wade arrived early and put a hit on Krause before he could even field the ball.  Wade was subsequently ejected from the game, and is suspended for the game against #9 South Carolina.  He has since issued an apology, and you can expect him to have learnt from this episode.

Red River Rout.

Prior to the season kickoff, many people speculated that this year's version of the Red River Rivalry would be a mismatch in favor of Oklahoma, who at the time were ranked #1.  


Despite the fact that Texas managed to generate some positive buzz going into the game, casting some doubt on earlier predictions, Oklahoma ran riot in a 55-17 win.  A few things still held true; the game was a mismatch after all, and the Longhorns aren't really that much improved from last season's 5-7 debacle.

Jones had a school record 17th career 300yd passing game

Landry Jones passed for over 300 yards and 3 touchdowns; all before halftime.  With the Sooner offense matched up against a young and inexperienced Longhorn secondary, there could really only be one outcome.  


Jones has come a long way since that October day when he had to replace (yet again) Sam Bradford, who re-injured his throwing shoulder following a hit on a blitz by Texas corner Aaron Williams; it was to be Bradford's last ever play for Oklahoma.  


Playing behind a patchwork offensive line and no running game (the Sooners racked up negative yardage), the weight of delivering a victory were placed upon Jones' shoulder.  Even though he had seen some significant playing time, the Longhorns were a whole different monster.  Jones showed occasional flashes of brilliance, but threw 2 costly interceptions late when the game was still within reach for the Sooners.

Flemming returning one of the Sooners 3 defensive TDs

And while the offense will get the credit that's due them, it was the Sooners' defense that had their fingerprints all over this one.  Turning in yet another fine performance - and probably their best in the season yet - the Sooners raked in 8 QB sacks, 15 tackles for lost yardage and 5 turnovers (3 INTs and 2 fumble recoveries); 3 of which were returned for touchdowns.

Besides putting constant pressure on Longhorn QBs Case McCoy and David Ash, the Sooners showed a lot of discipline by staying on their defensive assignments.  Texas tried to run a couple of gadget plays that seemed worked wonders against teams like BYU and Iowa State, but the Sooners weren't taking any mess.

Texas seemed to get a little momentum going when Foswhitt Whittaker returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown to cut the margin 27-10.  Oklahoma snatched it right back though, marching 83 yards in 7 plays ending with a Kenny Stills 14 yard touchdown reception.


Ryan Broyles and Kenny Stills played brilliantly, but a worthy mention goes to Jazz Reynolds who finished with 92 yards on 6 receptions.  Reynolds came through making a big catch for a 1st down when it was "3rd & 25".  Jones found Broyles in the end zone a few plays later. 


For those of you who may not remember, Reynolds was dismissed from the team days leading up to this very fixture last year for improper conduct (I'm only putting it lightly).  Given another opportunity, he's definitely making the most it.

Whaley had 117 total yards & 1 TD

The next item up for discussion: what more does Dominique Whaley have to do in order to get a scholarship?  The man appeared from nowhere and has taken the Sooner nation by storm.  He had a game-high 83 yards rushing, most of it coming on a 64 yard sprint.  FOX announcer Gus Johnson has been campaigning hard for Whaley to get a scholarship, and I'm sure he echoes the sentiments of many fans.  I think Whaley has surely paid his dues.


Up next for Oklahoma is a trip to Lawrence to face a Kansas team that is fresh off a 70-28 mauling at the hands of Oklahoma State.  The Jayhawks defense is ranked next to last nationally, and you can understand why most people will be predicting another blowout win for the Sooners.

Oklahoma wards off Tiger upset bid.

The last time Oklahoma faced off against Missouri, they were ranked #1 in the newly released BCS rankings, but were left picking themselves off the mat after the Tigers sprung an upset in Columbia, MO.  It was the third successive week in which the top ranked team fell on the road; Alabama lost to South Carolina a fortnight earlier, and Ohio State followed up with a loss to Wisconsin the week after.


This time around, Oklahoma made sure not to stumble, despite a slow start in which they trailed 14-3, ending the 1st quarter at 14-10 after a Ryan Broyles touchdown catch.  In the absence of Kenny Stills and Trey Franks, Jazz Reynolds and DeJuan Miller had to step up and fill the void.  Both receivers were starters at some point earlier in their careers, but due to various issues (Miller suffered a season ending knee injury, while Reynolds was suspended due to violation of team rules), they had been firmly supplanted by the aforementioned duo.  Reynolds came up with a huge 39 yard reception in the 2nd quarter that possibly shifted the game's momentum in favor of the hosts.


Oklahoma was eventually able to wear down their opponents with a short passing game, and running the ball taking time off the clock.  Also defensively, they made enough plays to hold off the Tigers until the game was beyond reach.  It may not have been the most satisfying performance, but a win's a win, right?


Landry Jones to Ryan Broyles seems to be the key to get this offense going.  In their previous match against Florida State, they hardly connected much after the opening drive.  Jones went over 400 yards passing (AGAIN!!) and Broyles had yet another 10+ reception, 100yd receiving game; numbers that seem to be pedestrian to these two guys.

Despite giving up a lot of yards, OU's defense clamped
down when it mattered the most.

It was nice to see coaches try to get Roy Finch involved, including him in the kickoff return unit.  With Brennan Clay and Dominique Whaley getting the lion's share of the carries in the running game, the only time Finch gets to see the field is while on the sideline.  It would be nice to get him more touches, but that's really up to the coaches.


This was clearly not Oklahoma's best defensive showing.  They gave up 532 yards and two big scoring plays; L'Damian Washington's catch and run for 45 yards & score, as well as Henry Josey who ran 48 yards for a touchdown off an option pitch.  They didn't force any turnovers either, but you can credit Mizzou for protecting the ball.  The defensive unit played really well in between the 1st and 4th quarters, so that's a positive. 


At the end of the day, Oklahoma got the result that it wanted, and it's a lot easier to fix any errors - be they mental or tactical - after a win than a loss.

OU vs Tulsa: The review

In their first season opener at #1 since 2003, Oklahoma did what they had to do against an overmatched opponent, they dominated.  Not that Tulsa is a "run of the mill" kind of team, but the last time the Golden Hurricane visited Norman in 2009, they were on the receiving end of a 45-0 mauling.  Landry Jones was making his 2nd start in an unexpected, yet speedy acceleration to the reins after Sam Bradford's injury in the season opener a fortnight earlier.

Dominique Whaley was the toast of the town.

It took a while for Oklahoma to kind of settle into the groove, but I guess that's just the result of running a "no-huddle" offense.  It might be just me, but sometimes it seems like the players are on the same field, just not on the same page.  Everything settled down once the points started rolling in.


A major improvement of course was in the run-blocking.  Last season, Oklahoma started off well trying to establish the ground game, but kind of went away from it, favoring the aerial attack more.  That really hurt them in during their 2 losses to Missouri and Texas A&M.  Granted, Faurot Field and Kyle Field aren't exactly easy venues to play in, but Oklahoma's offense became a tad predictable.  That will need to change this season.  They'll need to run the ball a lot more efficiently especially on the road.  Translation?  Let's hope it doesn't come down to Landry Jones having to throw 62 passes just to give the team a chance to win.

I know Bob ain't looking forward to seeing
li'l brother Mark so soon.

The redzone issues are still prevalent, but not as much as last season, when Oklahoma settled for field goals when it seemed easier to score touchdowns.  The Sooners won some close games - that should have never been that close to begin with -, and lost games because they were unable to impose themselves in the redzone.  Considering how many offensive plays the team runs, you can understand why the redzone dominance is a big deal.


When it comes to defense, there's a few loose ends that will need to get tied.  It was great to see them shut down Tulsa's offense for majority of the game, but Hurricane QB GJ Kinney was still able to complete some deep passes.  Some of those went for long gains and one of those resulted in a touchdown.  Tulsa receivers were also able to get open and make catches without a crimson jersey in sight.  Seminoles' QB EJ Manuel is just as athletic if not more than his Tulsa counterpart, and that could pose problems for the secondary.


All in all, it was great start to the season.  The team being able to run 100+ snaps on offense without a single penalty is a huge plus and they'll need to carry that momentum with them against Florida State.  The team will put in some more work and you can expect them to be ready in a couple of weeks.

A Whale of a time.

After the departure of DeMarco Murray to the NFL, many among the Sooner faithful wondered who was going to fill the shoes of the multi-purpose, record setting running back.  Not that there is lack of talent or depth at the position, but we're talking about someone who scored more touchdowns than Steve Owens and Billy Sims (two Heisman trophy winners, I might add).  You just don't replace that kind of production overnight.


All Murray did during his 4 year career was rack up 65 total touchdowns, a number that is made impressive when considering a couple of things: 

1. He suffered season ending injuries during his freshman and sophomore years, and was severely limited by a high ankle sprain during his junior year.
2. In the Bob Stoops era, Oklahoma has been more committed to passing; a completely different mindset from the famed "wishbone" offense that was a staple for the Sooners for almost two decades (from the 1970s and 80's).

The names familiar to fans were the "usual suspects"; Brennan Clay, Jermie Calhoun, Roy Finch (who wowed the crowds during spot appearances last fall), and Brandon Williams (a highly touted freshman).  However, word got out that there was guy named Dominique Whaley who was making waves during spring and summer drills.

Whaley, a walk-on and Lawton, OK native, wasn't even a starter during a stint at Langston University.  At night's end, his numbers were: 18 carries for 131 yards and 4 touchdowns.  Here's just a few of the things he accomplished.

1. 1st walk-on running back to rush for 100 yards in 36 years (Jim Culbreath in 1974) 
2. Most rushing touchdowns by a walk-on in a single game
3. 2nd Sooner to score 4 touchdowns in their debut (DeMarco Murray in 2007)
4. His 100+ rushing effort on his debut saw him join a list that includes names such as Adrian Peterson. 

Simply put, Whaley walked on to campus, onto the football field, and right into school history books.  Given that Oklahoma's running game wasn't exactly a strength last season, it will be interesting to see how other running backs get in the mix, now that we know Oklahoma will employ a "running-back by committee" format.

Oklahoma have the weekend off as they await their September 17th showdown against Florida State.  Until then, take a bow Dominique Whaley, you've earned your spot in the limelight.

The Lon Ranger

He's been a Wildcat (and remains one at heart).  He's been a Gator, a Fightin' Illini, a Runnin' Rebel and now, he's a Sooner.  On Monday, Lon Kruger was formally introduced as the head coach of the Oklahoma Sooners men's basketball team.

Whether or not he was Oklahoma's first option doesn't really matter.  What matters is that Oklahoma has a proven coach who's been known to revive or turn programs around.  No other coach has ever taken Kansas State to 4 straight NCAA tournament appearances.  Frank Martin, the current coach at K-State, might just do it; but he's rumoured to be headed to Miami.

Lon Kruger also helped put Florida basketball on the map when he led the program to a 1994 Final Four appearance.  Florida might have the athletes, but since we're being honest, they really didn't have much of a basketball history prior to that.  Not only is Florida a football school, but the state of Florida is all about football.  Don't believe me?  3 NFL teams compared to 2 NBA teams?  10 national titles in college football as compared to 2 in college basketball?  3 Super Bowls compared to 1 NBA title?  More players in the the NFL Hall of Fame as opposed to the NBA Hall of Fame?  I think you get my point.

Why Kruger's hire is being considered as a good move nationwide, is that he's won just about everywhere he's been; feel free to discount his time with the Atlanta Hawks.  It's very hard to win in the pro ranks, and there aren't that many college coaches who've had any success there.  Other than that, he's a proven winner.

While basketball takes a backseat to football, Oklahoma actually has a decent basketball history.  26 NCAA tournament bids that include 4 Final Four appearances and 2 national title game appearances.  The Sooners at one time held the nation's longest streak for appearances in post-season play (25 seasons); a streak that ended in 2006-07 season, Jeff Capel's first season.  Also, it's been more than 40 years since the school endured back-to-back losing seasons.  With that much history, you can see why Kruger had to re-think the offer before eventually taking the job.

Nobody is asking Kruger to beat Kansas every year; even though winning the conference title would be wonderful.  He's not being asked to get the school to the Final Four every year, or win the national championship every other year.  All he has been tasked with is to make the school relevant again.  Get the program back on the map.  Win games, get the fans back in the seats.  Above all else, keep the program out of the NCAA's radar.

A Kansas native, born in Silver Lake, Kruger starred for the Kansas State Wildcats in the early 1970's.  He was named Big 8 player of the year in both 1973 & '74.  He played in an era when the Wildcats were actually winning more than the Jayhawks.  Based on his time as a player and coach in Manhattan, KS, Kruger is no stranger to these parts of town.

Which brings me to my next point, recruiting.  There was a time when the best high school basketball players in the state played college ball in-state (Wayman Tisdale, Stacey King).  Since then, we've seen some good players, McDonald's All-American players, head north to Lawrence, KS (J.R. Giddens, Xavier Henry) or far east to Durham, NC (Shelden Williams).  Blake Griffin was just one of those "once in a lifetime" moments, where the player opted to stay home rather than take his talents elsewhere.

The good thing about having being in the NBA, albeit a short stint, is that Kruger knows what it takes to compete at that level, both physically and mentally.  He's not that bad of a recruiter either.  So it may not be long before some big names start heading toward Norman.

While searching for a new coach, Oklahoma made it clear that their intention is to "win now!!"  Hiring Lon Kruger is definitely a huge step forward toward achieving that goal.

In Ellenberg we trust.

At season's end, Oklahoma will bid farewell to senior guard Danielle Robinson; a player who's had as big an impact as any to have come through the program.  Robinson has been a great leader for the team; especially in the last couple of seasons, following the the departures of the Paris twins (Courtney and Ashley).  Anyone who's followed Robinson's career will appreciate what she's meant to Oklahoma.  In my opinion, she can be a starter for ANY team in the country, right now.

In Aaryn Ellenberg, the future is here.  The OU vs Baylor game was the first time I really got to watch her play.  I'll admit it, I haven't watched a lot of women's basketball this season.  However when I watched that game on Sunday afternoon, I saw a player that was poised and fearless.  She may be a freshman, but she sure didn't play like one.


Ellenberg and Robinson; the present and the future



Whenever Oklahoma needed a spark from anyone beside Danielle Robinson, Ellenberg stepped up to the plate.  She made key baskets that kept Oklahoma in the game whenever Baylor seemed to run away with it.  Ellenberg and Robinson finished with 25 points each (tied for the team lead), and the Sooners might have won the game had Robinson's lay up at the buzzer fallen through the hoop.  She and Robinson were also the only OU players that were on the court for the entire game.

Ellenberg, who was highly rated out of high school, chose Oklahoma over Baylor, Arizona State, California and Connecticut.  Not a bad group, especially when you consider that Connecticut was in the mix (and everyone knows that UConn don't just recruit anybody).  After watching her play, I can now see why her talents were in such high demand.

There is no doubt that we'll miss Danielle Robinson dearly.  Ellenberg certainly offers hope for tomorrow as Oklahoma continues its quest for a national championship.  I'm very confident that she will be for this team tomorrow, what Robinson is today.  And hopefully when her time in Norman is up, she will have led this team to that increasingly elusive next level.





The State of O...M...G!!

There is a chance that for the first time since 2007, both Oklahoma and Oklahoma State will miss out on March Madness.  What on earth has happened to basketball in the State of Oklahoma??

OSU found the going tough against A&M

Oklahoma State who started the season with an 11-1, record have gone 5-9 since.  Their last win was over Oklahoma in Bedlam Showdown.  Quite frankly, there had to be a winner in that game, so it doesn't really tell you much, if anything at all.

The Cowboys have been a "Jekyll and Hyde" kind of a team this season (okay, maybe all the time, but you know what I trying to get at here).  They are quite capable of playing with the best of them (they beat #17 Kansas State convincingly, and also beat #15 Missouri).  At other times, they look clueless and seem to have no fight at all (blowout losses to Texas, Texas A&M; a loss to Nebraska??).

Good thing is that they have a winning record, but to play in the big dance, they'll need to win the Big 12 tournament.  They might be lucky to even earn an NIT berth; a tournament which they played in from 2006-2008, but failed to make it past the first round in each trip.


The going hasn't been any easier for Oklahoma


Oklahoma started off 3-0, then went on a 5 game losing streak that was highlighted by a loss Chaminde, a Division II school.  They are currently riding a 5 game losing streak and by this time next week, it will probably be up to 7 (OU play Texas A&M and Kansas on Wednesday and Saturday, respectively).

Anybody following OU basketball is wise enough to know that this team won't be going places this year.  However, they will appreciate the effort of this squad compared to last year's squad that featured Willie Warren, Tommy Mason-Griffin and Keith "Tiny" Gallon; three players who embodied the "me, first" persona to perfection. 

This OU team is still too young (Cade Davis, pictured above, is the lone senior on the team), and it's not really where it needs to be; so for those of you calling for Jeff Capel's head, you gotta have some patience.  Players like Blake Griffin don't just show up to your door everyday. 

I guess when it's time fill in my March Madness bracket, I won't have to worry about being biased toward OU or OSU.  Not good, but, oh well.

Fiesta indeed



When Oklahoma was matched up with Connecticut, we already knew two things would happen; the Sooners would end their 5 game losing streak in BCS games, and it would also be a blowout against an over-matched opponent.  They delivered on both accounts.



Fleming's return that effectively iced the game.



Oklahoma executed on both offense and defense, delivering a win that was long overdue.  When Landry Jones found Cameron Kenney in stride for 59 yard touchdown, followed by Jamell Fleming's interception that he returned 55 yards for a score on the next series, it pretty much put the game out of reach for Connecticut; who returned the subsequent kickoff for a touchdown.  I'll give the Huskies credit though, for hanging in and trying to make the scoreline respectable.

Connecticut hadn't scored an offensive touchdown in 7 quarters of football, and even though the outcome of the game was no longer in doubt, Oklahoma still had enough gas in the tank to stuff Jordan Todman on a 4th & goal from the 2 yard line.  The way the Sooners played, you'd have thought that game was in Norman.  They moved the ball really well on offense, seeming at will sometimes, and their defense played as good as they could have at anytime this season in their run to another Big 12 Championship.

Immediately after the game, UConn running back Jordan Todman declared for the NFL draft.  The next question becomes whether OU stars Ryan Broyles and Travis Lewis will follow suit.  Broyles has set just about every receiving record at Oklahoma.  I've said this time and time again; he is the second coming of Mark Clayton.  Lewis has been a standout at the linebacker position that has featured names such as Rufus Alexander, Curtis Lofton, Lance Mitchell, Teddy Lehman, Rocky Calmus & Torrance Marshall et al.  Whether they return or not, it is likely that Oklahoma will be a preseason top 5 team.  They have a lot of returning starters on both sides of the ball, who were key players this past season.



Offensive MVP, Landry Jones

Landry Jones, along with the MVP honors, became the 3rd quarterback in the Stoops era to win a BCS game, joining Josh Heupel (2001 Orange Bowl) and Nate Hybl (2003 Rose Bowl).  He also joins Nate Hybl (who started in 2002 Cotton Bowl) as the only QB's in the Stoops Era to win 2 bowl games.  While his play has been sometimes superb and sometimes shaky, he can only get better as Oklahoma prepares for a run at the national championship next season.

While Jones played exceptionally well, my personal MVP of the game was receiver Cameron Kenney.  A juco transfer, Kenney was the culprit behind a number of dropped passes last season and this season; that saw him move down the depth chart.  He redeemed himself, making crucial catches in the Bedlam and Big 12 championship games and he closed out his OU career with 154 yards and a touchdown on 7 catches; a career night indeed.  Way to go, Kenney!!

The good thing is that now, we don't have to hear about that losing streak in BCS games anymore.  The bad this is that we'll always hear about how Connecticut should have never been in this game to begin with.  I guess that just comes with the territory.


Third time's a charm; Glendale here we come!!!

Hopefully, we have all by now got over the fact that Oklahoma will be playing the Connecticut Huskies, the Big East champions.  I don't think I'm wrong in assuming that most OU fans were hoping for a rematch with Stanford (from last year's Sun Bowl), or maybe a showdown with Ohio State or Arkansas.  What we got instead, was a team with an 8-4 record and is ranked #26 in the BCS standings (I didn't know that they went that far).

Before I get on the "Oklahoma's going to blow out UConn" bandwagon, you'd be surprised at how much these two teams have in common on their road to Glendale, AZ.  Both teams were written off after losing 2 conference games.  They both put in strong defensive performances down the stretch, to go along with a combined 9 game win streak (4 for Oklahoma, 5 for UConn).  They both won their last conference games by a field goal (UConn beat South Florida 19-16 on last minute field goal, while Oklahoma beat Nebraska 23-20).

That being said, if there was anytime that Oklahoma needed to end its 5 game losing streak in BCS games, this would be it.  Oklahoma however is in a "no-win" situation.  If they win, well, they were supposed to.  If they lose, then it's another BCS bust.  Oklahoma's last BCS win was against a Washington State team that has gone 35-61 since that Rose Bowl.  Since then, Oklahoma has been the punchline to many a joke in Baton Rouge, Los Angeles, Boise and Morgantown.

Last time Oklahoma was in a "no-win" situation like this one, it was against a Boise State team that was making it's first appearance in a BCS bowl game.  In defense of the Broncos, they had posted a record of 85-16 (4-2 in bowl games) going into that match-up.  They were a well coached team and knew how to execute; and I really don't have to tell you how the game ended.

Then came West Virginia.  A team that had lost their coach 3 weeks before playing OU.  Prior to that, they had fallen a game short of playing in the National Championship game.  So you'd be forgiven for thinking that they would be lacking any inspiration or motivation going into the Fiesta Bowl against a red-hot Oklahoma team.  What many people overlook is the fact that the Mountaineers were riding a 32-5 record (2-0 in bowl games), and were very much a championship calibre team.  So they had EVERY reason to show that they still had some fire left.  And did they show up ever!!!  Playing the way they did, they could have beaten ANY team that night.

So in this third trip, I'm sure that Oklahoma will look at where they've failed in their past trips to the Fiesta Bowl.  Whether it may be conservative play calling, execution on both sides of the ball, over confidence; I really don't know.  Even though they'll be highly favored against Connecticut, Oklahoma will be playing with a chip on its shoulder.  And that is when they play best.

Battle of the Big Red: One night only!!!

When I think of Oklahoma vs Nebraska, I think of 2 great programs who are rivals not out of hatred, but out of deep respect for one another.  2 tradition rich and dominant programs that co-existed in the same conference, since the days of the Big Eight and even beyond.

Throw in the numbers if you'd like.  12 National Titles, 86 Conference Titles, 8 Heisman Trophy winners, over 100 consensus All-Americans.  Games of the Century I & II.  Sooner Magic.  Switzer and Osbourne roaming the sidelines.  How can you not love this, the amount of respect that these 2 teams have for each other.  Even the fans can't help but throw friendly jabs at each other every now and then.

So it was only fitting that Nebraska and Oklahoma got together one more time, to close the chapter on the Big 12 Conference.  For one night only; where people can reminisce about the time when it was these 2 teams running the show.  None was 2nd best to the other, and everyone else was playing for the scraps.

You never really quite knew what to expect with this Nebraska team.  First, they blow out Kansas State (who in turn blew out Kansas), then come back 2 weeks later and lose to Texas.  They didn't even get an offensive touchdown.  The next week, they go to Stillwater and Taylor Martinez puts on a passing clinic against Oklahoma State.  They then followed that up with some less than convincing performances against Iowa State, Kansas and Texas A&M before bouncing back to beat Colorado.  It was becoming rather hard to know what to expect from this team.

I doubt any of us thought that OU would be trailing 17-0 midway through the 2nd quarter.  Especially after Nebraska's 2nd touchdown was set up by a Landry Jones interception (yeah, I know we're still trying to forget the 5 he threw last year in Lincoln).  I was starting to wonder where this Nebraska team was when they played both Texas and Texas A&M.  

However, Oklahoma had a little Sooner Magic up its sleeves.  Against one of the better defenses in the nation, especially against the pass, Oklahoma was able to go deep a few times and got some results.  Nebraska neutralized Oklahoma's short passing game (which at times has been rather annoying), and their pass rush forced Landry Jones into making some throws early or just throwing it out of bounds altogether (where's Broderick Brown when you need him).

Earlier in the season, had Oklahoma been trailing 17-0, especially on the road (coz that sure ain't happening in Norman), it would have been understandable if you wrote the team off.  Something happened to Landry Jones along the way, and aren't we glad it did.  He was on the money on those attempts, and Oklahoma outscored Nebraska 23-3 in that span.  He just stayed with it and it paid off.

Had it not been for Nebraska's defense, this game might have been a blowout.  How often does a team turn over the ball 4 times, get completely shut out in the second half and lose only by 3 points?  The second half turned out to be a retro Big 8 match up; smash mouth defense ruled the day and neither team would budge, save for a couple of long gains and those didn't come easy.  Sometimes, the beauty of a masterpiece lies not in the result but in the struggle.

Despite the result, this game will surely go down as one of the good ones in this storied rivalry.  The next Oklahoma-Nebraska is scheduled in 10 years, unless they meet in a bowl game.  Until then, thank you for all the memories.  It sure was fun while it lasted.

Maybe now they'll understand.

In the wake of the Bedlam showdown last Saturday, I'm sure some Oklahoma State fans haven't quite yet come to terms with the outcome.  It's not hard to understand why.  They were flying high and their star couldn't have shone any brighter; picking up landmark wins against Texas Tech, Kansas State and Texas.  It had also been forever and a day since they last went undefeated on the road in conference play.  Meanwhile Oklahoma had faltered along the way, with losses to Mizzou and Texas A&M.


This certainly had to be the year; they had vanquished Texas and the only thing standing between them and a Big 12 Title game, was Oklahoma.  All the pieces seemed to fit.  Playing at home against a team, whose struggles on the road have been well documented; and a prime time television audience to sweeten the deal.  Just about every analyst out there had picked Oklahoma State to win; you can thank Lee Corso for that (by the way, he says, "you're welcome!!").


When all was said and done, the result was another Oklahoma win and this is maybe why, if possible, you should tell Lee Corso to never pick your team.  As an OU fan, I've witnessed it enough times to know that there's not a lot of good that comes out of him wearing the mascot head of your school.  That being said, believe it or not Cowboy fans, but in some weird, twisted way, Oklahoma fans can kind of relate to how you were feeling after Saturday night.  I know it sounds crazy, but just stay with me and I'll take you on a trip down memory lane.


In 2001, #3 ranked Oklahoma headed into that Bedlam showdown, needing a win to book their place in the Big 12 Title game in Dallas (the irony).  They were the defending national champions and, despite a loss to Nebraksa (more irony), there were still in a good position to play in the Rose Bowl (the site of that year's championship game).  Oklahoma was riding a 19 game win streak in Norman and were hosting a 3-7 Oklahoma State team.  How hard could it be, right??  Not to say that they underestimated OSU; but c'mon, a 3-7 team coming to your backyard?


If only games were won on paper.  Even though Oklahoma scored early, they didn't have much going for them.  Oklahoma State sacked quarterback Nate Hybl about 7 times (maybe more), intercepted him 3 times (including a late desperation heave to seal the game) and shut down running back Quentin Griffin; in the process, they held Oklahoma to negative yardage in rushing.  In the meantime, the Cowboys were slowly but surely chipping away at the lead.


Then in the 4th quarter, with about 1:43 (or something like that) left in the game, Josh Fields threw a fade to the corner of the end zone, that was caught by receiver Rashaun Woods for a touchdown, giving OSU their first lead of the game.  I could have sworn I heard a pin drop in Owen Field at that moment.  With that touchdown, everything was gone!!  A shot at a Big 12 title, a trip to the Rose Bowl to defend their national title.  It was gone!!  Out the window.  I couldn't begin to tell you how much that really hurt.  It did.  


In Austin however, Texas players and fans were celebrating like they had just reclaimed the Alamo.  They had just clinched the south division title, courtesy of Oklahoma State, and an outside chance to play in the national championship game.  All they had to do was win the Big 12 title and hope for some weird scenarios to take place.  Well, Texas lost to Colorado in that game, but that's not the point I'm trying to make.


Back to Bedlam.  Even though Oklahoma has been to three other national championship games (they lost all three, but that's not the point either), that 2001 Bedlam loss was one that was just a little too hard to swallow.  In some ways, it was "the one that got away".  There are certain things in sports that you can never quite understand, until they happen to you.  And until Oklahoma State was in the same position, on the brink of something special, even historic, only to have it taken from you right under your nose, you'd never quite understand.  Maybe now you will.