SB Nation - Mike Balogun

SB Nation Big 12 Roundtable -- Week 6

TB — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 13:02:31 -0000

This week's Roundtable is hosted by Husker Mike at Corn Nation. Excellent questions this week, and I'm sorry we didn't get our answers posted in time for the recap.

1. I'm sure everybody had preseason predictions for their team. Now that we're a few games in, revise your predictions with your best and worst case scenarios (being reasonable on both sides), and then revising your prediction for the season result.

TB: My preseason prediction for K-State was 6-6, with a 3-5 conference record. The overall record projection should be adjusted downward at least one game because of the loss to Louisiana in the non-conference schedule. I think 3-5 is still attainable in conference after the win over Iowa State. We have home games against Colorado and Texas A&M remaining. Neither will be easy wins -- nothing will come easy for this team this year -- but neither of those teams is very good.

BracketCat: Well, I sipped the Kool-Aid a little bit back in August and said 7-5 (+/- 1), but that was before Brandon Harold and a host of other players got hurt. At this point, things definitely are shaping up for a 5-7/6-6 type season, but there's no denying that considerable progress has been made over last year, even if the record ends up the same. And I still think if things continue to progress for the next month as they have over the last month, we could jump up and bite somebody nobody thinks we will (hopefully, the Jayhawks) and maybe squeak out that seventh win after all.

2. In 2010, the Big 12 will send it's 7th place team to play in a new bowl game to be played at Yankee Stadium, replacing the Independence Bowl in Shreveport. What's your take on this move? Is it a good move for players? Is it a good move for the conference? Is it a good move for fans?

TB: From a media standpoint, this is probably a good move. It's the biggest city in the country, which could provide some extra exposure for the conference. Certainly it's better than some non-descript town along I-20 in northwest Louisiana in this area.

I have no idea whether this is good for the players or not. They get to play in Yankee Stadium, which may or may not be cool to them. I would think that playing somewhere like The Rose Bowl would be a bigger deal, but Yankee Stadium is almost certainly better than whatever crappy stadium Shreveport had for them.

For fans, this has its positives and negatives. I've never been, but it seems to me that you either love or hate New York City. My wife, a very sensible person, did not enjoy it at all. With a lot of schools in the Big 12 sporting fairly rural fanbases that consider $7 an outrageous sum to spend on a beer at a sporting event, this may not be good. The City is big, crowded and expensive, and those from that don't like cities will probably hate it. I'd probably go once if K-State was playing, but whether I would return would depend on my experience that first time.

BracketCat: I'm cool with it. For the seventh-place team, it will feel like Christmas and New Year's rolled into one. I mean, let's not pretend that Shreveport is any kind of attractive destination for fans. Yeah, New York might be a little more expensive to get to, but at least you can fly into a major airport and there are plenty of places to stay. I might be a little biased because my aunt lives just across the way in New Jersey and I'd have a free place to crash, but with our luck, we'd probably get rematched against my uncle's team (Rutgers), and have to face a hostile Yankee Stadium and get plowed again. The big benefit will be to the conference; a bowl game in ESPN's backyard can't hurt our media profile at all.

3. Oklahoma is now 2-2, with one of those victories coming against a winless 1-AA team. Will all be well in Soonerland once Sam Bradford returns?

TB: No. Oklahoma has reached the point where it expects to contend for a national title every year, and that hope is gone this season. The Sooners' worst year since 1999 was 2005 when they lost two games in the non-conference (sound familiar?). If OU loses to UT in Dallas in a few weeks, the season will officially be over, because even the Big 12 title will be off the table. At that point, I wouldn't be surprised to see an official "mail-it-in" effort from OU over the rest of the year. An 8-4 record would not be surprising at all.

BracketCat: No, because they're still without Mike Balogun, Ryan Broyles, Juaquin Iglesias, Manuel Johnson, Jermaine Gresham, Phil Loadholt and three other starting offensive linemen from last year. Even before the season, I thought OU might lose at Miami, to Texas, at Kansas, at Nebraska and/or at Texas Tech. Now that the BYU loss has been added to the ledger, and the Sooners have shown a severe lack of mental fortitude in dealing with the adversity that has been slung at them, a 7-5 "collapse" is a realistic possibility, given how balanced the rest of the conference is.

4. This week, Missouri and Nebraska face off on an ESPN Thursday night broadcast at 8 pm. Last Thursday, Colorado lost to West Virginia. Missouri and Colorado both have played Friday night road games. What's your take on non-Saturday games?

TB: I've laid this out pretty extensively in the past, but the short answer is that they're a terrible idea for K-State as home games. When your school is in a town of 45,000 people, and the nearest population centers are Topeka (50 miles, 120,000 people), Kansas City (120 miles, 2 million people) and Wichita (120 miles, ~400,000 people), you're not going to draw a good crowd for a game on Thursday or Friday. If it's a road game, it might not be a bad idea, but it doesn't work in Manhattan. I will be shocked if you ever see a Thursday game in Manhattan.

BracketCat: Four words: Louisville on a Wednesday. Four more words: I f***in' hate 'em. And I am glad Bill Snyder never will consent to playing another one. They're great to watch other people like Colorado flop in, but I despise watching my team do the same.

5. It seems everybody is in agreement that the bottom three teams in the North are the bottom three teams in the conference. Is the gap growing, and which of these teams is going to break out of the cellar first. Or is it hopeless?

TB: The gap is pretty wide, but it's clearly grown over time. Are the bottom three teams in the North in 2009 appreciably worse than the bottom three teams in the North were in 1998? Yes, given that MU and CU were 8-4 that year and were clearly the third and fourth best teams in the North. This year, K-State, Iowa State and Colorado are likely to range from 2-10 to 5-7 (at best). That's clearly a step back.

On the other hand, I'd hold off on announcing those three teams as the undisputed worst in the conference. This week's result against Arkansas makes clear that Texas A&M is not nearly as improved as we thought. The loss of Robert Griffin also likely relegates Baylor to the level of the ignominious three from the North.

Finally, no, nothing is hopeless. If a team with 500 losses can hire an assistant coach from Iowa and come within one quarter of playing for a national title 10 years later, nothing is hopeless. If you're old enough, think back to KU under Terry Allen and MU under Larry Smith. Did any of those fans have any hope of achieving anything resembling the success they've had recently? If they say they did, ask them if they still thought that while K-State was beating them 64-0 and 66-0, respectively.

BracketCat: I think the gap is narrowing, actually, and for two reasons. One, Baylor and Texas A&M appear to be more at our ("our" being CU/ISU/KSU) level than at any other. Two, I see week-to-week improvement in Iowa State and Kansas State. These teams are playing solid ball; they just lack depth and talent. Colorado, not so much, but that's the only truly putrid team we have. As for breaking out of the cellar, I have to be a homer and say us since we're already 1-0 in the North and get CU at home. First past the post, baby!

6. Rank all of the division 1 football conferences from top to bottom. Not just the BCS conferences (ACC, Big 12, Big 10/11, Big East, Pac 10, SEC), but the others (MAC, Conference USA, WAC, Mountain West, Sun Belt) as well. Who's the strongest conference, and who's the pretender?

TB: I punt. I'll take a page out of T. Kyle King's book and just avoid the conference wars.

BracketCat: 1. SEC -- "King of the Hill" for all eternity now that ESPN has become its pimp.
2. Big 12 -- Overrated, but still better then the others. Texas is a stud; rest of the conference is more balanced than last year. Ties the SEC with six ranked teams.
3. Pac-10 -- USC is not as good as previous years; Cal is a fraud; Oregon got bitchslapped by Boise State. But Stanford is pretty good and there is a lot of balance.
4. Big Ten -- Solid, but unspectacular. Iowa, Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State all have given reason to believe they're not worthy of Top 25 status, and Indiana and Purdue are beyond awful.
5. Mountain West -- Yeah, I put 'em here. Should have three ranked teams and deserves a BCS bid more than the Big East. Colorado State is pretty good, too.
T6. ACC -- Other than Miami and Virginia Tech, still a wallowing puddle of mediocrity and suckyness. Virginia might be the worst BCS team with a single win. Oh, wait, forgot about Duke.
T6. Big East -- Cincinnati and the seven dwarves. Still not buying USF, because FSU is awful. WVU, Pittsburgh and Rutgers haven't done shit. Louisville and Syracuse are just plain bad.
8. WAC -- Not just Boise State. Fresno State remains a dangerous program and Nevada looked pretty damn solid against Missouri.
9. Conference USA -- Houston's obliteration at the hands of UTEP knocked them out of 8th place. Tulsa is way down and ECU is solid, but getting no media love.
T10. MAC -- Normally would have sole possession of 10th, but Ball State went from first to worst, Buffalo has returned to its old ways and there is no premier program this year other than Central Michigan, and even it looks a little down from the last two seasons. If not for Toledo destroying Colorado, would anyone even notice the MAC's existence this season?
T10. Sun Belt -- Probably going to be here until the end of time. Welcoming Western Kentucky to the ranks sure didn't help.

7. PowerPoll time. Rank 'em 1 to 12 based on who you think would be the victor on a neutral field.

TB:

1. Texas -- Nothing to add here.
2. Missouri -- By simple attrition, the Tigers move up to this spot. We'll see if they deserve it against Nebraska on Thursday.
3. Nebraska -- Justified in my mind, because Nebraska narrowly lost to a Virginia Tech team that spanked the Miami team that beat Oklahoma. Comparative box scores don't tell the whole story, but for now their resume trumps the Sooners'.
4. Oklahoma -- Failed their big test in Oklahoma and it will be interesting to see if they bounce back or mail in the rest of the season. Get the nod over the No. 5 team because they've played a much better schedule and have been overwhelmingly good in their two wins.
5. KU -- If you're feeling slighted as a KU fan, you'll have your chance against all four of the teams in front of you. As of now, the resume is not as impressive as those teams.
6. Oklahoma State -- Nobody behind them was overly impressive, so the Pokes stay here.
7. Texas Tech -- Not overly impressive against New Mexico, but the team in front of them was far worse, so they move up a spot. Something has happened to that defense since the game in Austin.
8. Texas A&M -- Was annihilated by Arkansas, but nobody behind them did enough to justify a bigger drop.
9. K-State -- No, beating Iowa State is not really that impressive, but I can't justify any of the other bottom-dwellers here, so the Cats land at No. 9.
10. Iowa State -- Not really based on anything. They were slightly better than Baylor in beating Kent State, so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.
11. Baylor -- Proved they can still win a game without Griffin. The problem is that the opponent was Kent State.
12. Colorado -- Gashed by West Virginia in a game that wasn't really as close as it looked. Without a doubt, K-State's best shot at another win this year is when CU visits Manhattan.

BracketCat: So if things hold pat, it's Kansas State vs. Texas for the Big 12 Championship, right? LOL!

1. Texas
2. Kansas
3. Missouri
4. Nebraska
5. Oklahoma
6. Texas Tech
7. Oklahoma State
8. Texas A&M
9. Baylor
10. Kansas State
11. Iowa State
12. Colorado

Bad JuJu, I Hate You!

ccmachine — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:14:47 -0000

Andre Ware A.K.A The Prophet of Doom for OU Football

It's looking more and more like Andre Ware is a Prophet of Doom when it comes to the Oklahoma football program. Back in August the former Heisman Trophy winner from Houston predicted that OU would finish with an 8-4 record, including a season opening loss to BYU. The Sooners are halfway to Ware's prediction of four losses (something that's only happened twice under Bob Stoops) but even more alarming to me is how his comments regarding how injuries could direct the path of Oklahoma's season are ringing true.

"My question really is how are they going to protect Sam Bradford," Ware said. "They are talented, but with DeMarco Murray, that hamstring is bothering him again. Injuries may take a toll. But up front can they open holes for some talented running backs and can they protect Sam Bradford the way they have?"

Bad JuJu Timeline

August 15^th - Linebacker Mike Balogun's eligibility comes in question.

August 18^th - Andre Ware declares his prophecy of doom on the Sooner football program.

August 20^th - Linebacker Tom Wort tears an ACL and is done for the season.

September 2^nd - Tight End Jermaine Gresham suffers a torn meniscus and is done for the season.

September 4^th - Mike Balogun's lawyer, Woody Glass, announces in an email that he doesn't believe that the linebacker will be reinstated.

September 5^th - Quarterback Sam Bradford suffers an AC Joint sprain in his throwing shoulder and his shelved for what is still an indefinite period of time. Sooners lose 14-13 to BYU.

October 3^rd - While being tackled following a 37-yard reception Oklahoma's leading receiver, Ryan Broyles, fractures his left shoulder blade and will be sidelined 2-4 weeks.

Take a Heisman Trophy winning quarterback, an All-American tight end and the leading receiver off any roster will suddenly make that team very average. That's the best description that I can come up with for this OU squad at the present time.

The Sooners are two points away from being undefeated but even at that you could argue that they're two points away from actually earning the right to be a Top 25 team. I believe that at this point the Sooners are ranked only because of their name as their performance against other Top 25 teams has shown them to be inferior. I know that stings a little to us Sooner fans but truth is truth. At full strength the outcomes of the BYU and Miami games most likely would have been very different and OU would still be in the middle of the BCS talk. However, the Sooners aren't at full strength and won't be the rest of the season.

Speaking of average, loss of talent can make a coaching staff look very average as well. Kevin Wilson has been ripped apart, and some of it rightfully so, but let's keep in mind that his offense last season was the most prolific attack in the history of college football. When parts are missing from the engine the Ferrari doesn't run as well. No one hated the conservative calls more than me on third down but when your line is missing blocks, your quarterback is missing receivers and your receivers are dropping passes how many options do you really have? I still say that there had to be something in the arsenal other than a draw play but I can also understand where Wilson was coming from.

Bad JuJu is just a part of football. Sometimes you can see it coming but often times you are blindsided with it like a Kentucky linebacker on Tim Tebow. It's safe to say that the only person in the world who saw this storm coming was Andre Ware, the Prophet of Doom.

Mike Balogun Most Likely Not Returning To Sooners

ccmachine — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 03:58:58 -0000

"I do not believe the certification staff recommended certification," Woody Glass wrote in an e-mail. "I have not been provided anything in writing setting forth their position. I am trying to get that information."

I’m completely speechless on this. The NCAA has reached an entire new level of stupidity. Here’s how you can tell the NCAA what you think about it. While you’re dropping them a line ask them how the Reggie Bush investigation is going.

General Preview: BYU vs. Oklahoma

sroufe — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 21:09:25 -0000

2009 Season Opener

Oklahoma Sooners vs. BYU Cougars

Dallas Cowboys Stadium - Arlington, Texas

5:00PM MST, September 5, 2009 (ESPN)

SB Nation: Cougars vs Sooners coverage

Crimson and Cream Machine (OU blog at SB Nation)

Quotes

"The first word that comes to mind is speed, and I'm starting with the defensive line," he said. "Their front four are able to get pressure on the quarterback. The teams we've struggled with in the past are teams that could get pressure on the quarterback without having to use blitzes. (Oklahoma is) certainly capable of doing that. I think they would start from that point. Knowing, as they study our film, if you're able to get pressure on our quarterback and get sacks without having to send extra rushers, then you reduce the risk. Because we're very good at throwing the ball in between zones and moving the chains kind of methodically, if they don't have to pressure, they don't need to." - Bronco Mendenhall on the Oklahoma Sooners

"Overall, we're looking forward to the challenge this weekend. We're starting against a really good BYU team, a team that has a great history of success and a great tradition. Our players and our program have been aware of that since we have had this game scheduled. The recent success under Coach (Bronco) Mendenhall and the success they have had over the last four or five years is really notable. They're an excellent team, winning conference championships, winning 10 or 11 games almost every year. We understand it's a big challenge, our players have known that all year." - Bob Stoops on the BYU Cougars

Injury Report

Oklahoma: Out - MLB Mike Balogun (Eligibility); TE Jermaine Gresham (Knee); MLB Tom Wort (Knee/ACL); Probable - C Ben Habern (Back; RB Demarco Murray (Hamstring);

BYU: Out - OL Houston Reynolds (Knee); OL Jason Speredon (Shoulder); Probable - CB Brian Logan (Hand); QB Max Hall (Finger); RB Harvey Unga (Hamstring); DB Scott Johnson (Concussion); DB Andrew Rich (Groin); OL Matt Reynolds (Hand); DE Vic So'oto (Ankle); RB Manase Tonga (Eligibility).

Overview

Since 1950, Oklahoma has won 32 conference championships and 7 national championships. They’ve won the Big 12 three years running and already have one national championship this decade (and nearly another last season). Because I shy away from war metaphors or Biblical parallels (i.e. David v. Goliath) it will serve to simply say the Oklahoma Sooners fit the definition of a college football powerhouse. So much so that OU doesn’t really need much of an introduction or preview from VTF. What are we going to tell you about Sam Bradford that you’re not already aware of? Bradford, by the way, is excellent – Heisman Trophy, No.1 NFL pick excellent. Unfortunately for the Cougars the rest of the team is excellent as well.

Oklahoma is currently ranked No. 3 in the AP and USA Today polls. This team should compete with Texas for the Big 12 championship - yet again - and the National Championship again with teams like Florida, USC and Alabama. The Sooner offense is phenomenal. I expect Bradford, Murray, Gresham and co. to put up big numbers against every team this season and that includes the Cougars. They have too many weapons and the offensive line, say what you want about lack-of-experience, will be exceptional. Even when their O-line falters Bradford isn't exactly a statue at quarterback. With several newcomers in the secondary, a largely unproven group of linebackers and a number of minor injuries, BYU will have their work cut out for them on Saturday.

Across the LOS the Sooner D-Line - led by Gerald McCoy and Jeremy Beal - is arguably the nation's finest. Without Matt Reynolds' expected return it was going to be a long day for Max Hall. It could be anyway. The linebackers, including Travis Lewis, are very solid. What the Sooner defensive secondary lacks in experience they should make up for in talent and athleticism. CB Dominique Franks is terrific. All that said - BYU's offense is good as well and I expect them to put some nice numbers on the scoreboard.

Don’t expect the Cougars to be able to hold the Sooners below 35 points. Actually, if the Cougars were to hold OU below 50 I’d still be excited about BYU’s chances of winning the MWC this season. Last season’s defense would not have held the Sooners below 50. This game will should be an indicator of how BYU’s defense will matchup latter in the season against Florida State, TCU and Utah.

I also don’t expect OU’s defense to shut BYU down offensively. It might take a few adjustments after some initial stops, but eventually I think Anae’s game plan and Hall’s experience will allow BYU to be competitive.

I’m calling it Oklahoma 48, BYU 31.

Biased Analysis

Do they know who've they scheduled? This isn't the Cougars of 2003 or 2004. This is Maximus Decimus Hallius we're talking about and OU is in trouble. Hey Bradford, the time for honoring yourself will soon be at an end...

BYU 41, OU 38

Oklahoma Sooners 2009 Season Previews

- Crimson and Cream Machine Preview
- (CC Machine) OU Defensive Secondary Preview
- (CC Machine) OU Special Teams Preview
- CBS Sports - OU's Biggest Questions
- Scout.com Oklahoma Offense Preview
- Scout.com Oklahoma Defense Preview
- The Quad Countdown: No. 4 Oklahoma (NY Times)
- CNN-SI: No. 3 Oklahoma
- College Sports-Fans: Oklahoma
- ESPN Preview/OU Team Page
- Sporting News - Oklahoma No. 3

Other Quotes

"They execute very well," he said. "There are a lot of teams around the country that have really good athletes just like Oklahoma. But they just execute. Sam Bradford runs that offense the way it's supposed to be run, and he does an incredible job." - Jans Jorgensen, BYU DE

"They're quick up front. McCoy is very talented, very hardworking. It's a great opportunity. When you have someone that talented, you really have to use your technique and play hard. If we're technically sound, I think we'll be OK. If we don't play our technique and start doing things as an O-line that we're not supposed to do, he'll definitely exploit that." - Terence Brown, BYU OG

"They're the best team I will have ever faced in my career. With a Heisman quarterback, a great offense and a defense that returns all of their starters except for the two safeties, we have a lot of work ahead of us. But, at the same time, I like our team. I like our chances. We're going to go down there and fight." -Max Hall, BYU QB

Sam Bradford Photo via blog.pennlive.com

Sooner Sports Notebook - September 2nd

dishingoutdimes — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:05:24 -0000

With college football season starting tomorrow, and plenty of Sooner news headlines from now to the end of the semester, I've decided to renew my quasi-daily "Sooner Sports Notebook". For football season I'll probably have the bulk of the information about the football team, and then a section at the end about other Sooner sports.

Next Game

Oklahoma Sooners vs. BYU Cougars
Dallas Cowboys Stadium - Arlington, Texas
6:00PM CDT, September 5, 2009 (ESPN)
Cougars vs Sooners coverage | Vanquish The Foe (BYU Blog)

Injury Report (source)

For Oklahoma: MLB Tom Wort is Out For Season (Knee/ACL), MLB Mike Balogun is Ineligible (NCAA). For BYU: OL Jason Speredon is Out For Season (Shoulder), OL Houston Reynolds is Out (Knee), CB Brian Logan is Probable (Hand), QB Max Hall is Probable (Finger), RB Harvey Unga is Probable (Hamstring), DB Scott Johnson is Probable (Concussion), DB Andrew Rich is Probable (Groin), DL Vic So'oto is Probable (Ankle), OL Matt Reynolds is Probable (Hand), RB Manase Tonga is Probable (Academics).

Quotable

"He [Brody Eldridge] is as good as the guy that played last year [at center], right now," [Offensive Coordinator Kevin] Wilson said. "He blocks those big guys we got who are as good as anybody we’ll see, right now."

The Pundits

(link) CBS Sports previews the Sooners' first game.
(link) Sports Illustrated power rankings.
(link) The Oklahoman September 1st practice report.
(link) Brody Eldridge will be playing with two numbers, two jerseys and two shoulder pads.
(link) Sooners need not worry.
(link) Not surprisingly, BYU is focused on Sam Bradford.

Today's Thoughts

I'm not surprised that the Sooners are playing Brody Eldridge at center. They have long been raving about his blocking. Plus, with Gresham as more of a receiving threat who has put in hard work this offseason improving his blocking, that position is getting a bit more crowded. James Hanna is another guy who will see the field behind Gresham who is built out of a similar mold. I'm not worried about Brody starting at center.
Everyone will obviously be worried and anxious to see how Sam Bradford opens up the season. However, I see no reason why this won't continue to be a very balanced attack. Offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson usually mixes things up fairly well. I see the first couple of drives being more conservative with lots of bubble screens and runs. The good news is that the Sooners have so many versatile players that they could line up in several different positions. I think we'll also have good pace and keep their defense on the field if we can rack up the first downs.
Broyles is moving back to the slot, which is great news because that's where I thought he was best anyways. I'm excited to see Cam Kenney who is one of the fastest players on the team and he has a 40" vertical. I think he could be one of the better deep threats we've had in awhile. I have heard Dejuan Miller has been improving and obviously Adron Tennell is a veteran, so I think we'll be better than expected at receiver.

That's all for now. It's a brief notebook today with perhaps some more meat and potatoes tomorrow.

Five Questions With Crimson and Cream Machine

Jeremy Mauss — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 11:00:42 -0000

The football season is just around the corner, and throughout the non-conference season here at the Connection and we will be interviewing various bloggers with five questions about the upcoming game. This first blog up is Crimson and Cream Machine which is an Oklahoma Soonner blog. Also, check out their site for my answers to the five questions later this week.

How seriously are the Sooners taking BYU?

If you’re asking if the Sooners are overlooking BYU then the answer is emphatically, no! OU learned the hard way in 2005 what happens when you overlook a season opening opponent when TCU came to Norman and shocked 85,000 screaming fans. This is a big game for Oklahoma as it will be nationally televised and the last time the nation saw them Tim Tebow was stuffing Gator down their throats. Florida is playing Nobody State School of the Lame and Blind and Texas won’t be televised so Oklahoma needs to come out poised, focused and make a statement to the nation.

If you’re asking if this game rivals the OU/Texas game, the OU/Oklahoma State game or the Big 12 Championship then once again the answer is emphatically no! Mike no mistake, this is a big game for the Sooners but it won’t be the biggest game they play in this year.

The offensive line seems to be the only area of inexperience how confident are you of the line being able to protect Sam Bradford?

I’m pretty confident that they’ll be okay. You are right in the fact that they lack experience but they aren’t completely in experienced. Offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said that left tackle Trent Williams is the best offensive lineman that he’s ever coached, left guard Brian Simmons is a senior and saw action in all 14 games last year, center Brody Eldridge was impressive enough to be moved from tight end, right guard Jarvis Jones saw action in seven games as a freshman at LSU and right tackle Cory Brandon saw action in nine games last year. So it isn’t like the Sooners are throwing five guys out there who’ve never played a down of college football before.

What is the plan of attack of the Sooner defense against BYU's offense?

I think that initially the plan is to use the defensive line to overpower what should be an outmatched BYU offensive line to both stuff the run and put pressure on Max Hall. If Oklahoma’s d-line can continually push the Cougars back up front then Hall will be under pressure all night and the linebackers will be clear of blockers to clean up the run plays.

If the Sooners aren’t allowed to get pressure on the quarterback with the front five then look for a myriad of blitzes from all over the field. Defensive coordinator Brent Venables is a master at disguising coverage and blitzers. He’ll mix it up and have Max Hall second guessing all night. If he can also get Hall on the run then it’s a huge advantage for OU.

Is LB Mike Balgoun not playing going to affect the defense?

What the NCAA is doing to Mike Balogun is just ridiculous but it shouldn’t have an impact on the game unless staring middle linebacker Ryan Reynolds goes down. Balogun is a reserve linebacker who received playing time and even started the BCS Championship due to injuries to both Ryan Reynolds and Austin Box.

What need to happen for BYU to upset Oklahoma?

In my mind the only way the Cougars win this game is if Oklahoma comes out and falls on its face offensively. The Sooners are going to be very stout on defense and although I don’t expect them to shutout BYU I don’t see the Cougars winning unless the Oklahoma offense gives them a few gifts.

Cougars Hurting At Cornerback

ccmachine — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 05:26:58 -0000

Much has been made of BYU’s personnel struggles along their offensive line which isn’t great news considering the strength of Oklahoma’s defense is the line but the Cougars are also struggling in another crucial area as well. As they prepare to face Sam Bradford and OU’s high flying offense that is sure to stretch the field there seem to be struggles at the cornerback positions.

Starting corner Brian Logan broke his finger in practice Saturday. BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall said that Logan would play but admittedly he’s not sure how.

"How that works, I'm not certain. He had a similar injury in junior college and was able to play and perform. He's assured me that it won't affect him. When you see him, it will make you nervous because it's wrapped right now from his (fingertip) to the elbow. But I've been assured that he'll be able to play and he's excited to play."

Logan was listed as the starter because Robbie Buckner, who was originally pegged as the starter at the start of camp, has struggled with a hamstring injury and is currently listed at second-team and is still struggling with the injury.

The boundary corner is still an open competition which reading between the lines means that no one has yet to step up and win the position.

"It's about dead-even between Brandon Bradley and Lee Aguirre. By Thursday we hope to have an announcement made there," Mendenhall said.

Another cornerback, Corby Eason, is suffering from Mike Balogun syndrome and is waiting to be cleared by the NCAA before he can strap it up. Unlike Oklahoma and the Balogun case the Cougars have been assured that they’ll have a response from the NCAA before they head to Dallas.

In one other bit of corner conundrum, Garett Nicholson didn’t make kind of grades that would allow him to participate on the field so he’s actually not even in school right now. All of this can’t add up to great news for the Cougars as they are now very shallow in two of the positions most critical to pulling an upset on Saturday night.

As NCAA Procrastinates Balogun Won't Play On Saturday

ccmachine — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 01:43:39 -0000

The ongoing saga of Mike Balogun will officially continue into the season as his attorney announced on Monday that the NCAA won't be making a decision regarding his eligibility before Friday. This means that Balogun won't be playing on Saturday night nor will he be traveling with the team.

What baffles me about this is that last week's hearing was taken off the docket because an apparent "out of court settlement" had been reached. What doesn't baffle me is the way the NCAA has screwed this deal up. There is virtually no evidence to state that Balogun played after turning the age of 21 and yet one sworn affidavit after another has been submitted to backup Balogun's statements.

As is usual for the NCAA, the powers that be are showing how out of touch with reality they are. The stubbornness being demonstrated goes well beyond the level of stupidity here which again is typical for this governing body.

Unless we haven't been granted access to all of the information here then this should be a no-brainer. By choosing to stand with hearsay and ignore the actual facts presented the governing body of major college athletics is doing nothing to refute the prevalent mind set out there that the NCAA is a joke.

The thing is the NCAA doesn't care what you think. In fact they don't care what anyone thinks. They are still going to net millions of dollars this year and could care less that their reputation is tarnished more than a Mid-80's SMU football team. There is virtually nothing at stake here for the NCAA but the same can't be said of Mike Balogun who's football career hangs in the balance by an organization that could care less.

A lack of pride in what you're doing often ends with tragic consequences as one begins to be motivated solely by selfish gain regardless of the cost. It appears that this is the direction that the NCAA has chosen to go.

The Ryan Reynolds Effect

dishingoutdimes — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 19:26:59 -0000

Ryan Reynolds, as usual, being a beast. Image via ou.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com.

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I'm sure we all know how good Ryan Reynolds can be when he's healthy. The problem for Reynolds has been staying healthy while at OU. In 2005, Reynolds played almost exclusively on special teams as a freshman. In 2006, he missed the season after suffering an offseason knee injury, and he received a medical redshirt. He was a little dinged up in 2007 with a neck injury, and last year he tore his ACL against Texas.

How good is Reynolds when healthy? Here's an excerpt from my spring football preview:

Reynolds has been injured often in his career, and was knocked out for the season in the Red River Rivalry last year. Despite only playing in six games he was an honorable mention All Big 12 by the AP. When he's healthy he's a great player. He had 10 tackles against TCU and 14 tackles against Baylor. In fact, against Baylor he received Brent Venables' first ever perfect linebacking grade.

Many people thought that Reynolds' injury was a turning point in the Red River Rivalry, and that his absence might have sent the Sooner defense into disarray. Texas fans obviously poo poo this suggestion, while Sooner fans think it made a big difference.

So how big of an impact does Reynolds have on the defense? Find out after the jump!

Ryan Reynolds

#4 / Linebacker / Oklahoma Sooners

Height: 6-2

Weight: 225

Year: senior

It turns out that Reynolds has a pretty big impact on the defense. You can take the subjective approach and listen to his teammates:

"He's still the same Ryan," weakside linebacker Travis Lewis said. "He's making the checks. He's in the right place. He's covering up for my mistakes... Like yesterday (at the scrimmage), I was supposed to be inside and I was outside, and he just covered up for me. He's the Ryan of old."

Or his coach:

"He's doing well, real well," OU defensive coordinator Brent Venables said. "He hasn't had any limitations. Finds the ball every snap, is always in great position. He had 25-plus plays (in OU's recent scrimmage) and had seven or eight tackles. That's about par for the course for him."

Or you can take a more objective approach. I decided to take a look at the numbers from last season, as that was really when the Sooners defense started to rely on Reynolds as a major contributer, and really when Reynolds began to come into his own.

Reynolds only played in 6 games, and one was cut short by the torn ACL. Over the first five games, he averaged 8.2 tackles per game. This means that Reynolds accounted for 13.1% of the OU tackles over that timeframe. That's pretty impressive when you consider that he only accounts for 9.1% of the starting defense (1 out of 11 players) and the proportion dwindles when you consider defensive line rotations and substitutions, especially in the early blowout games. Basically, Reynolds was statistically one of the most active tacklers on the team. Similarly, over the first five games, he accounted for 11.6% of the defense's tackles for a loss (5 of 43).

The impact of Reynolds becomes more apparent when you remove him from the equation:

In First 5 Games Excluding FCS Chattanooga (Reynolds Played): The defense allowed 311.3 yards per game and 4.35 yards per play. Without counting penalties, the defense allowed 16.3 first downs per game.
In Final 9 Games (Reynolds Injured): The defense allowed 429.7 yards per game and 5.93 yards per play. Without counting penalties, the defense allowed 20.3 first downs per game.

Essentially this means that without Ryan Reynolds on the field, the defense gve up about 4 more first downs per game, and about a yard and a half more per play.

However, this year Reynolds is back and healthy, and according to all reports he is looking great in practice. He's a smart player and a good athlete and he should help solidify the defense. Additionally, he'll have the help of the 4th leading tackler nationally, Travis Lewis, and returning starter Keenan Clayton. This all bodes well for a strong linebacking corps. Regardless of what happens with Mike Balogun, there are still quality players for depth.

If Reynolds can stay healthy, look for a defense with a little more teeth this year. Opponents last year scored about two more touchdowns with Reynolds out of the games (13.6 ppg more). The scoring defense averaged in at 16.8 ppg with Reynolds on the field. With more depth, experience, and talent this year on the defensive side of the ball, if the Sooners can avoid injuries, they may only give up a couple of touchdowns per game.

And I'm sure that would be a welcome change in Norman.

Countdown To Kickoff

ccmachine — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 05:36:37 -0000