SB Nation - Trent Ratterree

Q & A with Crimson and Cream Machine

Seth C — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:04:23 -0000

Much thanks to ccmachine at Crimson and Cream Machine for taking the time to answer a few questions for DTN. Updates on the OU injury front, how to get to QB Landry Jones, why the offense struggles to run, etc.

The Sooners have been severely bitten by the injury bug this year, can you give us a quick run down of the injured starters we can expect to see out against Texas Tech and how have their replacements fared thus far?

QB Sam Bradford – Landry Jones has been solid but not spectacular in replacing Bradford. To be honest he looks a bit like Bradford did in `07 with the exception of not reading through his progressions as well as he should. Every young quarterback makes mistakes and bad throws it’s just that Jones has made some really, really bad ones. A lot of Sooner fans aren’t over the 5 interceptions he threw against Nebraska yet. A good performance on the road could help out a lot with that.
TE Jermaine Gresham – Oklahoma still hasn’t found a replacement for him which is natural when you lose the best tight end in the nation. However, you’d think that they would have someone at capable of getting regular reps. Walk on Trent Ratterree leads all tight ends with 6 catches for 51 yards. It should go without saying that we (the fans) expected a lot more from that position than anyone else.

OL Brody Eldridge – Brody is quite possibly the best player on Oklahoma’s roster. He’s started at center, tight end and right guard. He regularly graded out as Oklahoma’s best offensive lineman and wasn’t too shabby at the tight end position either.

OL Brian Simmons – Simmons actually returned to practice this week and while its unclear if he’ll play or not it certainly is clear that the Sooners need him.

OL Jarvis Jones – He’s out for the remainder of the season with a foot injury.

Oklahoma’s offensive line has been a hodge-podge of personnel this season anyway but now depth is a real concern. There have been so many different lineups on the line that I’ve really lost count. The one silver lining in the lack of depth is that the guys who are in there now have the ability to build some continuity.

DE Auston English – At one time in his career English was the Big 12 sack leader but he’s been hampered by injuries every since. The good news here is that Oklahoma is very deep in talent at the defensive end spot and Frank Alexander was able to fill the role very well last week.

More after the jump.

Is QB Landry Jones still trying to find his way as a quarterback and if so, what does he do well and what still needs work?

I think that it’s still a learning process for Landry. He had to battle freshman Drew Allen for the backup position but in reality this was supposed to be Sam Bradford’s farewell tour as a Sooner and Jones had to be thrust into battle in game one. He’s getting a better grasp on the offense but still struggles under pressure, gets rattled easy, doesn’t go through his progressions and looks very uncomfortable in the pocket. Basically all the things that make us OU fans very uncomfortable just about on every pass play.

The OU defense, especially the pass rush has been outstanding this year. I haven't seen a ton of Sooner football this year, how have the Sooners been getting to the quarterback? Simple 4-man rush, blitzes, stunts, etc.?

Oklahoma’s front four have been extremely successful at getting to the quarterback without the need for blitzing but their success as also made blitzing that much more difficult to pick up. Brent Venables has done an outstanding job most of the season at bringing a linebacker or defensive back on the blitz and even dropping defensive ends back into coverage. It’s a variety of schemes that are used to pressure the backfield but it all starts with the success of the tackles and ends.

The rushing offense has been tremendous in wins for the Sooners, but relatively poor in losses. Is it the opponents that were causing those tough rushing efforts or was it a symptom of the beat-up offensive line?

I think that it’s a little bit of both but mostly the offensive line. DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown were both 1,000 yard backs last season and they have 592 and 608 yards respectfully this season through 10 games. This line is doing an okay job at pass blocking but I’d still give them a big FAIL when it comes to run blocking. I’d even go so far as to say that the success in running the ball this year has come more on the talent of Murray and Brown than the blocking of the line.

Complete the following: "The Sooners will win if __________ happens and the Sooners will lose if __________ happens."

The Sooners will win if they can run their offense. Defensively this is one of the best teams of the Bob Stoops era but offensively its one of the worst. In Oklahoma’s four losses they’ve only averaged 12.25 points which we both know won’t be enough to beat Tech this Saturday.

They’ll lose if something crazy happens again. Seriously, going to Lubbock is like entering the Twilight Zone for the Sooners, something strange always happens. In 2005 it was the phantom first down and the iffy touchdown that gave the Red Raiders a win. I know, I know, you say he was in and I say he wasn’t so let’s just leave it at that. In 2007 Sam Bradford gets a concussion and Joey Halzle gets pressed into service but is unable to pull off a comeback. If none of those type things happen and Oklahoma is able to run their offense then I like their chances.

Mizzou Links, 10-29-09

Bill C. — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:52:51 -0000

MU-CU Links!

The Trib (Dave Matter): Behind the Numbers: Missouri-Colorado

The matchup across the line of scrimmage doesn’t figure to be as challenging this week, though it all depends on which Colorado defense shows up on Saturday. Some of the statistical disparity the Buffs’ run D has produced this season is simply baffling. To wit, here are some of the yards-per-carry averages opponents have produced against the Buffs: Toledo, 7.1; West Virginia, 6.1; Texas, 1.8; Kansas, (minus-0.4); Kansas State, 4.9.

Colorado smothered Kansas’ running game, holding a hobbled Jake Sharp to 29 yards on 13 carries and turned the Longhorns one-dimensional, keeping Cody Johnson to just 20 yards on nine carries. But then there are these big running performances against the Buffs:
* DaJuane Collins, Toledo: 20 carries-160 yards
* Noel Devine, West Virginia: 22-220
* Daniel Thomas, Kansas State: 20-145

Colorado’s ability to defend the run appears to be a common thread in its two wins this season. In their two victories, the Buffs held Wyoming and Kansas to 1.2 yards per carry and 34.0 yards per game; in their five losses, those averages inflate to 5.0 and 196.0, respectively.
The Trib: Hawkins vows to fight on at Colorado
The Trib: Behind the Stripes Webcast: Episode 12, Pt. 1
Post-Dispatch: Colorado searches for consistency
KC Star: Mizzou faces a Colorado team in disarray
PowerMizzou: Powered Up: The most important game
Atomic Teeth: Swapping horses midstream
Boulder Daily Camera: Stubborn streak still big problem for Buffaloes (gee, sounds familiar)
Boulder Daily Camera: Tyler Hansen eager to put pressure on his shoulders

Then, he was the wet-behind-the-ears rookie, the kid who was looking for answers, not providing them. He knew the plays -- but he didn`t know how to react. He found himself walking to the sidelines when the offense left the field, soliciting advice and support.

Now the dynamic has changed. After leading the Buffs to a win over Kansas -- and even after last weekend`s disappointing loss at Kansas State -- the difference isnoticeable. Now, Hansen`s teammates listen when he speaks. His voice has command in the huddle and he no longer finds himself caught up in the whirlwind.

Now he belongs, and now, his teammates listen. They know what he`s capable of producing, they have confidence in his abilities and they look to him for leadership.

"It`s changed a lot," Hansen allowed. "Now, guys are asking me what to do. They`re asking me about the game, asking me about the week, asking me what to expect.

"It`s a lot different than last year, that`s for sure."
Boulder Daily Camera: Mizzou still boasts weapons on offense
Boulder Daily Camera: CU football players hold meeting

Tulsa Game Position Grades

ccmachine — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 05:28:19 -0000

More photos » by ALONZO ADAMS - AP

Browse more photos »

I have to admit, I expected a much tighter game against Tulsa last Saturday. I didn't think it would be the kind of game to be won by a field goal or anything but I did expect the Golden Hurricane to at least score. To say that the Sooners played good is an understatement and to say that Tulsa was a Top 25 caliber opponent is an overstatement. However, TU should have been a stronger test for the Sooners and their inability to impress had a lot more to do with OU than it did with us touting an opponent too highly. Good Grades are in abundance this week!

Quarterback A

Let's hear it for the Big 12's Offensive Player of the Week! Landry Jones completed 25 of 37 passes for 336 yards and a school record 6 touchdowns. He did throw two interceptions on two really bad passes and he still seems to occasionally lock in on a receiver without reading through his progressions so there is room for improvement but we must applaud the effort.

Running Backs A+

DeMarco Murray averaged 6 yards per carry and Chris Brown 4.6. Neither back scored on the ground but Murray made and amazing touchdown catch in which he spun around twice and flipped into the end zone. Murray had two catches for 38 yards and a score. In mop up time Jonathan Miller, for the second week in a row, looked stronger and faster than Jermie Calhoun. As a team the Sooners rushed for 193 yards.

Receiver/Tight End A

Adron Tennell's dropped touchdown pass was surprisingly not shocking based on his on field productivity so far this season. Trent Ratterree also joined Tennell in dropping a touchdown pass and while this has been a recurring theme for Oklahoma this season it was only a subplot on Saturday while Brandon Caleb having his breakout game was the main story. Caleb hauled in 5 passes for 104 and two touchdowns to become the perfect complement to Ryan Broyles who added 128 and three touchdowns on 11 catches. Landry Jones also found his tight ends on his record day as a Sooner. Jones completed passes to James Hanna and Eric Mensik.

Offensive Line A

No one is ready to anoint this group as championship ready but they've come a long way since opening night. The line gave up no sacks on Saturday afternoon and helped Oklahoma to an average of 6.5 yards per play on offense. This line looks more mentally focused than they've been all season which is good because they are about to face a stretch in which the level of their success will define the rest of Oklahoma's season.

Defensive Line A

Oklahoma's defensive line had Tulsa quarterback G.J. Kinne running for his life all day long. Jeremy Beal had three sacks and a forced fumble, Adrian Taylor recovered a fumble and Oklahoma ran a plethora of players through the line.

Linebackers A+

Ryan Reynolds let the team in tackles with 13 and was followed by Keenan Clayton who had 11. Travis Lewis added 7 tackles to the linebackers totals giving the starters 31 total tackles. Reynolds also had two sacks and Lewis had one.

Secondary A+

This was a physical game for Oklahoma's secondary and it needed to be. As we stated in our pregame coverage, Oklahoma's secondary making sure tackles and big plays would be the key to shutting down the Tulsa offense. Brian Jackson and Quinton Carter responded with 9 tackles and an interception each. Sam Proctor also added 5 tackles.

Special Teams A

The chief criticism with this unit was the missed field goal but as a whole they had a very solid game. I guess we could also call out the partially blocked punt. However, OU averaged 42 yards per punt and held Tulsa without a return. They also held Tulsa to just 21 yards per kickoff return while taking their lone kickoff return 32 yards.

Are The Sooners Looking To Jaz Up The Offense?

ccmachine — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 01:54:58 -0000

More photos » by Sue Ogrocki - AP

Unfortunately this has been the theme for Oklahoma's wide receivers in `09 as dropped passes have been in abundance. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Browse more photos »

The answer to Oklahoma's struggles at the outside receiver position could have been under everyone's noses all along. The Daily Oklahoman brought up a great point about possibly playing Jaz Reynolds because he hasn't been moved to the scout team and is still working out with the receivers. I have to say that I agree with them! In a worst case scenario Reynolds could drop passes just as good as Adron Tennell has. However, in a better case scenario Reynolds' 6-3 frame and speed could wind up being the compliment to slot receiver Ryan Broyles that is so desperately needed. The thing is, though, is that he's got to be able to catch the ball.

Oklahoma Receiving Stats
	Name	G	Rec	Yds	Y/G	Avg	Lng	TD
	Ryan Broyles	2	11	181	90.5	16.5	51	4
	Brandon Caleb	2	5	71	35.5	14.2	18	0
	DeMarco Murray	2	4	50	25.0	12.5	27	0
	Chris Brown	2	3	36	18.0	12.0	17	0
	Jermie Calhoun	2	2	22	11.0	11.0	17	0
	Adron Tennell	1	2	20	20.0	10.0	13	0
	Dejuan Miller	2	3	18	9.0	6.0	8	0
	Cameron Kenney	1	1	15	15.0	15.0	15	0
	Trent Ratterree	1	1	12	12.0	12.0	12	0
	Mossis Madu	2	2	8	4.0	4.0	4	0

Coming out of high school Reynolds ran a 4.5 forty and had a 37 inch vertical. The problem is that Oklahoma has a several guys on their roster who have good size and speed but when the lights come on and a defender lines up across from them they suddenly develop hands of stone. That's where Reynolds could have the opportunity to step up and be an impact player as a true freshman.

"You don't want to waste the year, but I think he's close to being in the mix," Wilson said. "With this week and then the open date, I think he either gets in or you look to that redshirt." - Offensive Coordinator Kevin Wilson on Jaz Reynolds

One of the arguments against such a move would be not wanting to burn a redshirt on a guy with promising potential when you've got juniors and seniors on your two deep. However, there isn't a single one of those guys who hasn't been hit in the breadbasket and dropped the ball. At this point Oklahoma needs a tall speedy receiver who can catch the ball on the field more than they need a freshman with potential to redshirt.

The other issue with a potential move like this is whether Reynolds can catch the ball or not. We won't know the answer to that he isn't given the opportunity to try. Like I said earlier, the worst case scenario is that he drops passes the same way that the other guys have. With all due respect to Adron Tennell and Brandon Caleb, there appears to be a reason they've been buried on the depth chart their whole careers at Oklahoma. Now as upperclassmen they've been given two opportunities to step up and have bombed. They don't even have to be the go-to guys either because Oklahoma already has one of those in Ryan Broyles. They just need to be guys who can make a catch and take some heat off the go-to guy.

Jaz Reynolds received 9 scholarship offers coming out of high school. I'm assuming that it wasn't because he has a tendency to drop passes.

'The Sooners Go to the Hospital': a dramatic re-enactment

ghtd36 — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 17:00:28 -0000

This is the fourth installment of the "Sooner Disrespect Chronicles." For background, please read the previous installments:

PART ONE: ‘The Sooners Have a Gift Exchange’

PART TWO: ‘The Sooners Ride an Airplane’

PART THREE: ‘The Sooners Have a Chat’

SCENE: The Sooners, fresh off their 14-13 season-opening loss to BYU, sit in a room at Norman Regional Hospital.

SAM BRADFORD: Con sarn-it! Dang it all to heck! Crap, crap, crap!

JERMAINE GRESHAM: (lying in a hospital bed) Whoa, Sam, take it easy! You never swear like this!

BRADFORD: I know, but I’m just so tooting mad that we lost and that I got hurt! Now I’m not going to be able to play for at least three weeks, and it could be as many as six! Stinkin’ sassafras!

GRESHAM: (sitting up) Trust me, I know how you feel. My knee is killing me, but what hurts even more is that I’m out for the season! This really is the pits.

BRADFORD: And now that we lost to BYU fair and square, I’m not sure we’ll get a chance to get back to the national championship game. Geez Louise, that’s the worst!

GRESHAM: Now, we don’t know that, Sam. You could come back healthy, and who knows? Maybe our backups can...

/door flies open

BOB STOOPS: (limping in on crutch, meekly) Hi guys.

BRADFORD: C-Coach Stoops? Oh my heavens, what happened?

/team gathers around Stoops

STOOPS: It was terrible. One minute, I’m writing prayer notes to cloister nuns, and the next… (swallows hard)…the next minute, I’m…I’m lying face down on the floor, with my ankle injured beyond belief.

FRANK ALEXANDER: (looking up from playing a far-too-violent rendition of the "stop hitting yourself" game with a helpless 8-year-old leukemia patient) WHAAAAAAAT? WHO DID THIS TO YOU, COACH?!? WHO DISRESPECTED YOU LIKE THIS?!?

STOOPS: I really have no idea, Franklin my son. Well…except for…

ALEXANDER: (still yelling for some reason) EXCEPT FOR WHAT?!?

STOOPS: Well…as you know, I have a lot of security cameras in my house. And…well, I think I captured the assailants on camera. Here…(pulls photo out of pocket)…take a look.

BRADFORD: (sighs) Coach, stop it. That photo is clearly pho…

ALEXANDER: Z-O-M-G THATZ TEBOW AND COLT MCCOY! THEY’RE THE ONES WHO DISRESPECTED YOU!

STOOPS: Is it them? But why would they do such a thing?

ALEXANDER: RAAWWWWWWWWWRRR! DISRESPECT!

/goes "One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest" on the leukemia kid, whose name is Steven, still isn’t ejected

GRESHAM: Coach S, I’m not sure that’s a real photo.

STOOPS: (dropping crutch, walking normally over to Gresham) Are you calling me a liar, Jordache?

GRESHAM: It’s Jermaine, coach. And no, I’m not calling you a liar…I just…I just think…

STOOPS: THAT IS REAL! I don’t even own Microsoft Paint! How could I do such a thing? That’s a little ridiculous, don’t you think, Johnson & Johnson?

GRESHAM: But coach…

ALEXANDER: (unusually calm) Jermaine, I think what coach is trying to say is that no longer will he (voice raises to full throat) TOLERATE YOUR DISRESPECT!!!

/pokes Gresham in the bad knee

/Gresham weeps silently

BRADFORD: But now you’re walking, coach…how are you…

STOOPS: Listen boys. We’ve sustained some serious injuries over the past week. Sad Sammy Brads over here is out for God-knows-how-long. Our tight end Jennifer Grabass is completely useless to us. And now I’ve been struck by a devastating injury to my ankle.

/skips over to the doorway

STOOPS: But luckily, we’ve got backups. Great backups. Guys that can lead the way.

BRADFORD: (suddenly feeling better about the situation) Yeah, that’s right! We do have great backups! They can lead the way!

STOOPS: That’s right, Navajo Joe!

LANDRY JONES: (standing up) Well, coach, Sam’s got big shoes to fill, and I’m at a distinct disadvantage because…well…I’m devastatingly white. But I’m going to do my best!

TRENT RATTERREE: (standing up) And now that Locks of Love finally took my donation, I feel like I can definitely help out in place of Jermaine!

BRADFORD: Yeah! You guys can do it!

STOOPS: What? No. What are you guys even still doing here? I thought I cut you. Go play with Billy Sims.

RATTEREE AND JONES: Aw man

/both sulk outside, with "BOOOOOOOOOOOOOMER" echoing through the hospital halls

/team looks around, confused

STOOPS: No, guys, I’ve gone out and recruited the best backup players that…um…savvy recruiting can…um…what’s another word besides "buy", Frankie?

ALEXANDER: (skimming through thesaurus) OBTAIN?!?

/eats thesaurus whole

STOOPS: Yeah, that’s it. Obtain. Boys…meet your new quarterback.

/door flies open

TOM BRADY: Hey guys. I’m taking time out of my busy schedule of playing for the Patriots and knocking up models before leaving them for even more beautiful models, so let’s hurry up and win this championship or whatever.

/pounds a Samuel Adams

BRADFORD: Coach, I’m pretty sure Tom Brady is totally and completely ineligible to…

STOOPS: And meet your new tight end.

/door flies open

KIMBO SLICE: Kimbo’s ready to roll, bitches.

BRADFORD: Now that’s just ridiculous. Coach, we can’t play with a mixed-martial artist. He doesn’t know anything about football!

/Slice pokes Bradford in the bad shoulder

/Bradford writhes in pain

/Slice and Alexander high-five

STOOPS: We can overcome this DISRESPECT, guys! BYU DISRESPECTED us in Arlington, and now it’s time to go beat Idaho State so we can get another shot at my assailants!

BRADFORD: (yelling) STOP IT!

/room, stunned by Bradford’s uncharacteristic outburst, falls silent

BRADFORD: Guys, c’mon! Injuries happen! It’s part of the game! But we can’t use that as an excuse to blame our coach’s fake injuries on Colt McCoy and Tim Tebow. And we can’t use that as an excuse to bring in the most bizarre ringers ever!

ALEXANDER: BUT…BUT…YOUR SHOULDER….HIS KNEE….DISRESPECT!!!

BRADFORD: It’s not disrespect, Frank. It’s football. Guys, we’re still a great team. We don’t need to constantly play the disrespect card! We’ve got great backups who can hold their own until we’re back at full strength. So what do you say? Can we end all this nonsense and just go play football?

/room, still silent, thinks

SLICE: (standing up, reading from script) I heard Tim Tebow, Colt McCoy, Bronco Mendenhall and that guy fromIdaho State all hate white people.

STOOPS: OMG HOW UNEXPECTED!

ALEXANDER: RAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWRRRRRRRRRR!!! DISRESPECT!!!

/burns down every potato farm in Idaho

AUSTIN BOX: That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you guys!

TOM BRADY: Whatever.

/watches "Good Will Hunting" thee times, chugs thirty Samuel Adams

/door flies open

RATTEREE: Does this guy ever freakin’ stop?

BILLY SIMS: BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMER!

BRADFORD: God, the Lions sound so good right now.

Big 12: BTBS Box Scores

Bill C. — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:48:53 -0000

I'm already ready for conference season, when I only have six box scores to produce instead of 12...this took forever to throw together. That said, hopefully it's worth the wait. And if you hate numbers, just skip down to the words. We start with the most surprising outcome of Week One...

BYU (14)		OU (13)
	% Close = 100%
35.3%	Field Position %	47.4%
61.8%	Leverage %	70.2%

	TOTAL
68	Plays	57
21.2	EqPts	13.8
36.8%	Success Rate	38.6%
0.31	Points Per Play (PPP)	0.24
0.680	S&P (Success + PPP)	0.629

	CLOSE GAME ONLY
same	Plays	same
same	EqPts	same
same	Success Rate	same
same	PPP	same
same	S&P	same

	RUSHING
2.0	EqPts	5.7
30.8%	Success Rate	46.7%
0.08	PPP	0.19
0.385	S&P	0.656
2.67	Line Yards/carry	2.67

	PASSING
19.2	EqPts	8.1
40.5%	Success Rate	29.6%
0.45	PPP	0.30
0.862	S&P	0.598
10.5%	SD Sack Rate	0.0%
8.7%	PD Sack Rate	7.1%

	STANDARD DOWNS
42.9%	Success Rate	47.5%
0.31	PPP	0.25
0.738	S&P	0.725

	PASSING DOWNS
26.9%	Success Rate	17.7%
0.32	PPP	0.22
0.586	S&P	0.401

	TURNOVERS
4	Number	2
19.2	Turnover Pts	9.7
-9.5	Turnover Pts Margin	+9.5

0.471	Q1 S&P	0.960
1.188	Q2 S&P	0.552
0.373	Q3 S&P	0.619
0.745	Q4 S&P	0.360

0.536	1st Down S&P	0.707
0.536	2nd Down S&P	0.721
1.029	3rd Down S&P	0.278

-2.1	Projected Pt. Margin	+2.1
+1	Actual Pt. Margin	-1

Again, a refresher...

Field Position % = the percentage of plays you ran in the other team's field position. The higher, the better.
Leverage % = the percentage of plays you ran that were Standard Downs instead of Passing Downs. The lower the %, the more tough situations you were in.
SD Sack Rate and PD Sack Rate = Standard Downs Sack Rate and Passing Downs Sack Rate. PD Sack Rate will usually be higher. I average the two together for an "Adjusted Sack Rate" figure you see from time to time.
Projected Pt. Margin = Adding together EqPts and Turnover Pts Margin, you can get an idea for how the game should have unfolded. For instance, in this game Mizzou outgained Illinois by 12.3 EqPts and held an 8.7-point Turnover Points Margin, leading to a projected +21.0 pt. margin.

Thoughts and more games after the jump.

OU's defensive line put up very strong stats, but their secondary had some pretty untimely letdowns. Can't really complain about a defense that only gave up 14 points to BYU, however...this one's on the offense.
OU faced fewer Passing Downs (despite the deluge of offensive line penalties), ran more plays in opposing field position, and benefitted by 10 points on turnovers...but BYU still outgained and outplayed them because OU was consistently shooting itself in the foot with a deluge of offensive line penalties (Cory Brandon alone had, I believe, SIX penalties...SIX).
The BYU front seven showed more than I thought they would--they deserve a TON of credit for, if nothing else, holding the Sam Bradford-led OU offense to just 10 points in the first half. They clamped down on the Landry Jones-led offense in the second, but that was less impressive to me. Between the OL struggles that we knew could be a factor (then again, I didn't think they'd be this much of a factor) and the lack of any sort of standout play from the receivers, Bradford was having to do more than he should have, and when he got hurt, OU had no leadership whatsoever on the field. They abandoned the run, which hadn't been amazingly impressive, but still would have been a nice complement for a young QB, and nobody else stepped up.
My boy Trent Ratterree had a catch! He almost had a huge catch on the third down play at the end, but for whatever reason, he and Brandon Caleb were way too close together on a couple of patterns late, and Caleb dove in front of Ratterree like he was taking a bullet for him...and the ball ended up going by both of them.
Bradford or no, OU still really, really should have won this game.

Georgia (14)		OSU (24)
	% Close = 100%
20.0%	Field Position %	39.4%
70.0%	Leverage %	65.2%

	TOTAL
60	Plays	66
11.8	EqPts	19.3
36.7%	Success Rate	37.9%
0.20	Points Per Play (PPP)	0.29
0.563	S&P (Success + PPP)	0.671

	CLOSE GAME ONLY
same	Plays	same
same	EqPts	same
same	Success Rate	same
same	PPP	same
same	S&P	same

	RUSHING
5.2	EqPts	8.7
42.9%	Success Rate	45.5%
0.18	PPP	0.20
0.613	S&P	0.652
3.29	Line Yards/carry	3.23

	PASSING
6.6	EqPts	10.6
31.3%	Success Rate	22.7%
0.21	PPP	0.48
0.519	S&P	0.709
5.6%	SD Sack Rate	0.0%
7.1%	PD Sack Rate	0.0%

	STANDARD DOWNS
45.2%	Success Rate	48.8%
0.24	PPP	0.35
0.691	S&P	0.835

	PASSING DOWNS
16.7%	Success Rate	17.4%
0.10	PPP	0.19
0.265	S&P	0.365

	TURNOVERS
3	Number	0
14.7	Turnover Pts	0.0
-14.7	Turnover Pts Margin	+14.7

0.717	Q1 S&P	0.420
0.286	Q2 S&P	0.294
0.553	Q3 S&P	0.828
0.541	Q4 S&P	0.607

0.580	1st Down S&P	0.412
0.500	2nd Down S&P	0.855
0.689	3rd Down S&P	0.798

-22.2	Projected Pt. Margin	+22.2
-10	Actual Pt. Margin	+10

Like Mizzou-Illinois, we'll see what this game truly means later on, when we find out how good Georgia's offense really is. As it stands, Oklahoma State dominated this game statistically and, considering they also won the battle in the return game, were pretty unlucky to not win this one by three touchdowns.
OSU's offense did next to nothing until the second half, while Georgia completely fizzled after the first quarter. Both teams were pretty much hapless on Passing Downs, but Georgia also wasn't very good on Standard Downs. Again, we'll see how much of this was due to OSU's defense or Georgia's offense (or the flu that Joe Cox had last week) down the line, but perceptions are everything, and OSU's defense earned quite a bit of respect Saturday. We knew that new defensive coordinator Bill Young is really good at his job, but you just never know how long it will take a defense to click with a new D.C. That said, if OSU shuts down Houston this coming week, look out...Houston can score on anybody, and if OSU slows them down a lot, they are a legitimate Big 12 (and therefore national title) contender.
Both teams were terrible on first downs. Not sure what to make of that.
The OSU offensive line certainly lived up to its billing, not allowing a sack while posting a pretty good line yardage figure against a solid Georgia defensive line. Zac Robinson certainly didn't look amazing, but he lost a lot of practice time due to his bad hammy in the last month, and if the O-line continues to perform well, he'll get things together pretty quickly.

Baylor (24)		Wake (21)
	% Close = 92.1%
52.5%	Field Position %	41.5%
73.8%	Leverage %	66.2%

	TOTAL
61	Plays	65
25.1	EqPts	17.7
49.2%	Success Rate	36.9%
0.41	Points Per Play (PPP)	0.27
0.903	S&P (Success + PPP)	0.642

	CLOSE GAME ONLY
same	Plays	55
same	EqPts	11.9
same	Success Rate	34.6%
same	PPP	0.22
same	S&P	0.561

	RUSHING
12.9	EqPts	8.7
60.6%	Success Rate	44.8%
0.39	PPP	0.25
0.996	S&P	0.698
4.10	Line Yards/carry	3.44

	PASSING
12.2	EqPts	9.0
35.7%	Success Rate	23.1%
0.44	PPP	0.18
0.794	S&P	0.409
6.3%	SD Sack Rate	6.3%
16.7%	PD Sack Rate	11.1%

	STANDARD DOWNS
57.8%	Success Rate	46.5%
0.44	PPP	0.33
1.022	S&P	0.792

	PASSING DOWNS
25.0%	Success Rate	18.2%
0.32	PPP	0.17
0.571	S&P	0.348

	TURNOVERS
1	Number	4
5.22	Turnover Pts	17.13
+11.91	Turnover Pts Margin	-11.91

1.115	Q1 S&P	0.601
0.373	Q2 S&P	0.658
1.752	Q3 S&P	0.687
0.605	Q4 S&P	0.570

1.077	1st Down S&P	0.521
0.761	2nd Down S&P	0.644
0.736	3rd Down S&P	0.630

+19.3	Projected Pt. Margin	-19.3
+3	Actual Pt. Margin	-3

What a great win for Baylor. Not only does bowl eligibility now squarely fit into the equation for 2009, but so does pure respectability. Never mind how bad the ACC looked in week one--this was still huge for them. And since Rock M Nation basically serves as a blog for not only Mizzou but also anything Robert Griffin-related, I wanted to mention that.
This was another game where the Big 12 team actually should have won by a lot more than it did, and in the end I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. Wake Forest's biggest strength is simply hanging around and winning the battle of intangibles, but Baylor really should have won by more. Oh well. A win is a win is a win.
I cannot stress this enough: play-calling will make or break Baylor this season. I realize you could say that for anybody, but for Baylor in particular, success on first downs will dictate whether Baylor will be bowling this year. The play-calling worked for the most part, but while we all love Hot Tub Griffin III to death, his is not an offense that will thrive facing passing downs. That does not suit his strengths. But if Baylor is getting yards on first down and therefore opening up a ton of options on second and third down, they will be pretty unstoppable against just about anybody. This being the case, don't be surprised if they get completely shut down a couple of games while looking completely unstoppable on others.
That said, the Baylor defense looked pretty consistently great against an admittedly conservative-by-nature Wake Forest offense. Wake thrives by not making mistakes, and Baylor forced quite a few (see: four turnovers), and their pass defense was especially outstanding.

CSU (23)		Colorado (17)
	% Close = 96.6%
47.5%	Field Position %	40.0%
71.2%	Leverage %	65.0%

	TOTAL
59	Plays	60
25.2	EqPts	15.9
33.9%	Success Rate	36.7%
0.43	Points Per Play (PPP)	0.27
0.767	S&P (Success + PPP)	0.632

	CLOSE GAME ONLY
same	Plays	56
same	EqPts	10.5
same	Success Rate	33.9%
same	PPP	0.19
same	S&P	0.527

	RUSHING
11.1	EqPts	5.8
30.0%	Success Rate	33.3%
0.28	PPP	0.22
0.578	S&P	0.549
2.62	Line Yards/carry	2.82

	PASSING
14.1	EqPts	10.2
42.1%	Success Rate	34.2%
0.74	PPP	0.18
1.164	S&P	0.519
0.0%	SD Sack Rate	3.9%
22.2%	PD Sack Rate	16.7%

	STANDARD DOWNS
35.7%	Success Rate	48.7%
0.42	PPP	0.36
0.775	S&P	0.852

	PASSING DOWNS
29.4%	Success Rate	14.3%
0.45	PPP	0.08
0.747	S&P	0.224

	TURNOVERS
2	Number	2
7.58	Turnover Pts	8.74
+1.16	Turnover Pts Margin	-1.16

1.116	Q1 S&P	0.415
0.650	Q2 S&P	0.305
0.315	Q3 S&P	0.997
0.922	Q4 S&P	0.688

0.877	1st Down S&P	0.854
0.658	2nd Down S&P	0.516
0.701	3rd Down S&P	0.329

+10.5	Projected Pt. Margin	-10.5
+6	Actual Pt. Margin	-6

You know, I've spent half my offseason saying Colorado was probably overrated, and I still didn't think they'd lose to Colorado State. But there they were, literally getting doubled-up in terms of Passing S&P, allowing the Rams' new starting quarterback to light them ablaze, while their own embattled QB, Cody Hawkins, stunk on ice yet again. A 0.519 Passing S&P? Really? 0.224 on Passing Downs? Are you kidding me? There's bad, there's terrible, and there's Cody Hawkins.
At halftime, Colorado State's S&P was 0.883. Colorado's? 0.360.
I've started looking at Passing Downs as almost the Quarterback down. First down is the Playcalling down, second down is the "reacting to first down" down, and third down is the "QB needs to make a play" down. I realize that logic has plenty of holes in it, but it works for me. And it works here, as CU and their supposedly offensive-minded coach put up a respectable 0.854 S&P on first downs. Third downs? 0.329.
And did I mention that Darrell Scott barely played?
And that I just don't think that ~~Nick Nolte~~ Dan Hawkins is a very good head coach?
Seriously, I think ~~Taylor~~ Tyler Hansen just asked for a redshirt so he'd have three years remaining with the next head coach.
The only encouraging aspect I can find here for Colorado is that their run defense was pretty solid. We'll see if that's a strength, or if CSU just doesn't rush the ball very well.

Now we get to the games that didn't tell us nearly as much...the "cupcakes and 1-AA" games. NU could have shown us something by not dominating Florida Atlantic, but they took care of business. Meanwhile, K-State likely showed us something, but in a different way.

FAU (3)		NU (49)
	% Close = 48.1%
35.5%	Field Position %	45.6%
71.1%	Leverage %	75.4%

	TOTAL
76	Plays	57
15.2	EqPts	38.5
39.5%	Success Rate	50.9%
0.20	Points Per Play (PPP)	0.67
0.594	S&P (Success + PPP)	1.184

	CLOSE GAME ONLY
34	Plays	30
8.0	EqPts	16.7
38.2%	Success Rate	40.0%
0.23	PPP	0.56
0.617	S&P	0.956

	RUSHING
4.7	EqPts	23.3
35.7%	Success Rate	40.0%
0.14	PPP	0.33
0.492	S&P	0.732
3.20	Line Yards/carry	3.27

	PASSING
10.5	EqPts	15.2
40.0%	Success Rate	40.0%
0.30	PPP	0.78
0.704	S&P	1.181
0.0%	SD Sack Rate	0.0%
0.0%	PD Sack Rate	0.0%

	STANDARD DOWNS
48.2%	Success Rate	53.5%
0.25	PPP	0.73
0.727	S&P	1.266

	PASSING DOWNS
25.0%	Success Rate	44.4%
0.12	PPP	0.57
0.368	S&P	1.019

	TURNOVERS
3	Number	1
12.3	Turnover Pts	3.5
-8.5	Turnover Pts Margin	+8.5

0.466	Q1 S&P	0.590
0.808	Q2 S&P	1.201
0.517	Q3 S&P	1.795
0.626	Q4 S&P	0.988

0.815	1st Down S&P	1.428
0.376	2nd Down S&P	0.798
0.533	3rd Down S&P	0.852

-31.7	Projected Pt. Margin	+31.7
-46	Actual Pt. Margin	+46

NU dominated this one through field position and rushing. Actually, they won this one just by being a lot better than the Fightin' Schnellenburgers. As you would expect when your head coach is a former defensive coordinator, the Huskers pounced on FAU's offense on passing downs and were just faster and more athletic than the Owls on offense.
As I said, there would be more to say here if NU actually struggled, but after a slow offensive start in Q1, they rolled. They circled the wagons in the third quarter on the way to an easy win.

UNM (6)		ATM (41)
	% Close = 52.6%
38.1%	Field Position %	49.4%
66.7%	Leverage %	69.7%

	TOTAL
63	Plays	89
10.3	EqPts	38.9
33.3%	Success Rate	50.6%
0.16	Points Per Play (PPP)	0.44
0.497	S&P (Success + PPP)	0.943

	CLOSE GAME ONLY
39	Plays	41
5.3	EqPts	17.1
30.8%	Success Rate	41.5%
0.14	PPP	0.42
0.444	S&P	0.831

	RUSHING
1.9	EqPts	17.0
10.0%	Success Rate	44.4%
0.05	PPP	0.55
0.154	S&P	0.990
1.55	Line Yards/carry	3.70

	PASSING
8.4	EqPts	22.0
37.9%	Success Rate	39.1%
0.16	PPP	0.31
0.544	S&P	0.706
4.0%	SD Sack Rate	3.9%
20.0%	PD Sack Rate	5.3%

	STANDARD DOWNS
40.5%	Success Rate	58.1%
0.17	PPP	0.40
0.577	S&P	0.985

	PASSING DOWNS
19.1%	Success Rate	33.3%
0.14	PPP	0.51
0.335	S&P	0.848

	TURNOVERS
2	Number	0
10.0	Turnover Pts	0.0
-10.0	Turnover Pts Margin	+10.0

0.235	Q1 S&P	0.761
0.589	Q2 S&P	0.885
0.671	Q3 S&P	1.080
0.507	Q4 S&P	0.978

0.494	1st Down S&P	0.707
0.549	2nd Down S&P	1.145
0.419	3rd Down S&P	1.192

-38.6	Projected Pt. Margin	+38.6
-35	Actual Pt. Margin	+35

This is another "We'll see" game. This is either a sign that ATM could put together a nice run for a bowl bid in Mike Sherman's second year...or a sign that New Mexico might in fact be gawd-awful. Or, technically, both.
All-world freshman Christine Michael (now THERE's a girl's name for you, Orson...) did well in his debut, leading ATM to a very nice Rushing S&P, which anchored their overall performance. Honestly, the passing game didn't click along quite at the level that I expected, but when you're running the ball well and embarrassing your opponent on the defensive end, your passing game gets some leeway.
And embarrass the Lobos, ATM did.

ULM (20)		Texas (59)
	% Close = 45.3%
48.5%	Field Position %	52.4%
68.2%	Leverage %	77.4%

	TOTAL
66	Plays	84
19.7	EqPts	40.8
36.4%	Success Rate	53.6%
0.30	Points Per Play (PPP)	0.49
0.662	S&P (Success + PPP)	1.022

	CLOSE GAME ONLY
29	Plays	39
10.1	EqPts	20.1
37.9%	Success Rate	53.9%
0.35	PPP	0.52
0.726	S&P	1.054

	RUSHING
7.3	EqPts	19.1
38.9%	Success Rate	57.9%
0.17	PPP	0.42
0.555	S&P	1.002
1.56	Line Yards/carry	2.19

	PASSING
12.3	EqPts	21.7
36.4%	Success Rate	50.0%
0.64	PPP	0.60
1.008	S&P	1.103
0.0%	SD Sack Rate	4.4%
0.0%	PD Sack Rate	7.1%

	STANDARD DOWNS
35.6%	Success Rate	53.9%
0.32	PPP	0.50
0.677	S&P	1.035

	PASSING DOWNS
38.1%	Success Rate	53.9%
0.25	PPP	0.45
0.630	S&P	0.977

	TURNOVERS
3	Number	3
16.5	Turnover Pts	14.2
-2.3	Turnover Pts Margin	+2.3

0.552	Q1 S&P	0.988
0.857	Q2 S&P	1.001
0.334	Q3 S&P	1.052
0.928	Q4 S&P	1.063

0.752	1st Down S&P	1.036
0.627	2nd Down S&P	0.911
0.548	3rd Down S&P	1.190

-23.4	Projected Pt. Margin	+23.4
-39	Actual Pt. Margin	+39

it's always a big "eff you" to the underdog when the highly-ranked, favored home team not only beats you on offense and defense, but special teams as well. With a surprising 75-yard touchdown pass, UL-Monroe had cut the Texas lead to 21-10 when freshman speed demon D.J. Monroe returned the ensuing kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown. It's just inconsiderate to dash the underdog's hopes that quickly.
It's probably not smart to read too much into a game in which Texas led by 28 at halftime, but thanks in part to the aforementioned 75-yard touchdown, ULM managed to post pretty decent passing stats. Of course, take that play away and ULM's QB goes 13-for-29 for 122 yards. Not as good. So we'll chalk this one up to small sample sizes.
Even with Brandon Collins facing eligibility issues, Colt McCoy had no trouble finding receivers, completing 72% of his passes and two touchdowns. Nineteenth-year senior Jordan Shipley was the primary target, nabbing eight for a whopping 180 yards.
Reason for slight concern: the offensive line gave up a couple of sacks and only managed 2.19 line yards per carry...against UL-Monroe. Those numbers MUST improve, or Texas will be vulnerable to a slip-up along the way.

UMass (17)		KSU (21)
	% Close = 75.2%
23.7%	Field Position %	40.5%
57.6%	Leverage %	63.5%

	TOTAL
59	Plays	74
10.5	EqPts	24.0
32.2%	Success Rate	36.5%
0.18	Points Per Play (PPP)	0.32
0.500	S&P (Success + PPP)	0.690

	CLOSE GAME ONLY
41	Plays	59
6.0	EqPts	22.8
29.3%	Success Rate	40.7%
0.15	PPP	0.39
0.439	S&P	0.793

	RUSHING
4.6	EqPts	12.8
35.7%	Success Rate	42.1%
0.15	PPP	0.31
0.308	S&P	0.728
3.46	Line Yards/carry	3.02

	PASSING
6.0	EqPts	11.3
25.9%	Success Rate	38.1%
0.14	PPP	0.53
0.404	S&P	0.911
6.3%	SD Sack Rate	0.0%
0.0%	PD Sack Rate	7.1%

	STANDARD DOWNS
35.3%	Success Rate	40.4%
0.23	PPP	0.36
0.578	S&P	0.760

	PASSING DOWNS
28.0%	Success Rate	29.6%
0.11	PPP	0.27
0.395	S&P	0.567

	TURNOVERS
2	Number	3
7.2	Turnover Pts	16.8
+9.6	Turnover Pts Margin	-9.6

0.430	Q1 S&P	0.662
0.519	Q2 S&P	1.280
0.640	Q3 S&P	0.272
0.229	Q4 S&P	0.480

0.474	1st Down S&P	0.683
0.626	2nd Down S&P	0.499
0.369	3rd Down S&P	0.950

-3.9	Projected Pt. Margin	+3.9
-4	Actual Pt. Margin	+4

Thanks to turnovers and special teams, K-State almost managed to give away a game against UMass. Ouch. That's really all there is to it. The Minutemen offense did next to nothing, but the K-State offense was only okay, and thanks to a blocked punt and two fumbles lost, UMass cut the lead to four with 14:01 left but couldn't get any closer. As you see, the KSU defense clamped down with the game on the line.
Big reason for concern: aside from a burst in the second quarter, KSU was almost nonexistent on offense. Sure, Daniel Thomas and Keithen Valentine combined for 193 yards on 34 carries, but when KSU needed to move the ball, they very much could not.
Another reason for concern: UMass averaged 3.46 line yards per carry and allowed only one sack. Their starting RB had 107 yards on 19 carries.

No. Col. (3)		KU (49)
	% Close = 46.4%
30.4%	Field Position %	66.7%
53.6%	Leverage %	78.3%

	TOTAL
56	Plays	69
10.4	EqPts	41.9
32.1%	Success Rate	59.4%
0.19	Points Per Play (PPP)	0.61
0.507	S&P (Success + PPP)	1.201

	CLOSE GAME ONLY
20	Plays	38
3.9	EqPts	22.6
30.0%	Success Rate	57.9%
0.20	PPP	0.60
0.496	S&P	1.174

	RUSHING
3.6	EqPts	27.0
30.0%	Success Rate	60.9%
0.10	PPP	0.52
0.402	S&P	1.132
1.59	Line Yards/carry	4.52

	PASSING
6.8	EqPts	14.9
30.0%	Success Rate	53.3%
0.29	PPP	0.71
0.591	S&P	1.239
5.9%	SD Sack Rate	0.0%
11.8%	PD Sack Rate	0.0%

	STANDARD DOWNS
36.7%	Success Rate	61.1%
0.20	PPP	0.61
0.562	S&P	1.216

	PASSING DOWNS
26.9%	Success Rate	53.3%
0.17	PPP	0.61
0.443	S&P	1.147

	TURNOVERS
2	Number	0
8.7	Turnover Pts	0.0
-8.7	Turnover Pts Margin	+8.7

0.656	Q1 S&P	1.041
0.140	Q2 S&P	1.234
0.649	Q3 S&P	0.898
0.474	Q4 S&P	1.606

0.408	1st Down S&P	0.920
0.564	2nd Down S&P	1.578
0.592	3rd Down S&P	1.079

-40.2	Projected Pt. Margin	+40.2
-46	Actual Pt. Margin	+46

Yawn.
This was a pretty good "We don't need you as much as you think" message to Dez Briscoe, I would say. Even without Briscoe, KU managed an easy 1.239 Passing S&P and 1.147 Passing Downs S&P. Yes, it was against Directional Mountain State University, but still.

NDSU (17)		Iowa St. (34)
	% Close = 86.0%
33.9%	Field Position %	42.2%
73.9%	Leverage %	71.8%

	TOTAL
65	Plays	71
21.2	EqPts	28.6
36.9%	Success Rate	45.1%
0.33	Points Per Play (PPP)	0.40
0.696	S&P (Success + PPP)	0.854

	CLOSE GAME ONLY
55	Plays	62
20.6	EqPts	26.6
38.2%	Success Rate	45.2%
0.37	PPP	0.43
0.757	S&P	0.881

	RUSHING
12.5	EqPts	13.7
41.9%	Success Rate	43.8%
0.38	PPP	0.37
0.798	S&P	0.812
3.16	Line Yards/carry	3.71

	PASSING
8.7	EqPts	15.0
33.3%	Success Rate	46.7%
0.37	PPP	0.49
0.703	S&P	0.954
5.0%	SD Sack Rate	4.8%
27.3%	PD Sack Rate	0.0%

	STANDARD DOWNS
37.5%	Success Rate	49.0%
0.31	PPP	0.45
0.685	S&P	0.939

	PASSING DOWNS
35.3%	Success Rate	35.0%
0.37	PPP	0.29
0.728	S&P	0.637

	TURNOVERS
2	Number	2
10.4	Turnover Pts	8.8
-1.6	Turnover Pts Margin	+1.6

0.778	Q1 S&P	0.733
0.894	Q2 S&P	0.757
0.663	Q3 S&P	0.975
0.466	Q4 S&P	1.062

0.762	1st Down S&P	1.034
0.670	2nd Down S&P	0.615
0.606	3rd Down S&P	0.810

-9.0	Projected Pt. Margin	+9.0
-17	Actual Pt. Margin	+17

Positive: The ISU offensive line looked good, averaging 3.71 line yards per carry and allowing just one sack.
Positive: A 0.954 Passing S&P is nothing to scoff at.
Positive: When the game got a little too close for comfort, ISU stepped it up and won the game.
Negative: North Dakota State's first-half S&P was better than ISU's.
Negative: The projected point margin was a lot closer than the actual margin, suggesting this game was a lot closer than the final score indicated.
Negative: NDSU averaged over three line yards per carry.
Negative: NDSU outperformed ISU on passing downs.
Negative: Now's a good time to remind you that North Dakota State is an FCS team.

UND (13)		Tech (38)
	% Close = 81.3%
37.5%	Field Position %	68.7%
64.3%	Leverage %	67.2%

	TOTAL
56	Plays	67
10.7	EqPts	33.6
32.1%	Success Rate	44.8%
0.19	Points Per Play (PPP)	0.50
0.512	S&P (Success + PPP)	0.949

	CLOSE GAME ONLY
37	Plays	63
5.2	EqPts	29.1
21.6%	Success Rate	42.9%
0.14	PPP	0.46
0.356	S&P	0.890

	RUSHING
5.1	EqPts	6.4
12.5%	Success Rate	29.4%
0.08	PPP	0.33
0.207	S&P	0.625
2.15	Line Yards/carry	1.70

	PASSING
5.6	EqPts	27.2
28.6%	Success Rate	47.8%
0.18	PPP	0.51
0.470	S&P	0.988
7.7%	SD Sack Rate	3.3%
5.9%	PD Sack Rate	0.0%

	STANDARD DOWNS
33.3%	Success Rate	46.7%
0.18	PPP	0.41
0.508	S&P	0.872

	PASSING DOWNS
30.0%	Success Rate	40.9%
0.22	PPP	0.70
0.519	S&P	1.108

	TURNOVERS
1	Number	3
5.3	Turnover Pts	13.8
+8.5	Turnover Pts Margin	-8.5

0.438	Q1 S&P	1.140
0.366	Q2 S&P	0.908
0.531	Q3 S&P	0.710
0.663	Q4 S&P	1.030

0.520	1st Down S&P	0.731
0.457	2nd Down S&P	0.978
0.522	3rd Down S&P	1.334

-14.4	Projected Pt. Margin	+14.4
-25	Actual Pt. Margin	+25

Taylor Potts threw THREE second-quarter interceptions, and Tech's margin of victory was higher than the projected point margin, meaning this too was a closer game than the final score indicated.
Luckily for Tech, the defense wasn't messing around, and UND never actually had a chance to threaten because of it.
Tech fell into WAY too many passing downs for this caliber of opponent. Potts' three interceptions came on 3rd-and-15, 2nd-and-13, and 3rd-and-15. Granted, he should really learn what passes he should and shouldn't make, but...a 29.4% rushing success rate? Against North Dakota? That MUST improve, and immediately. Tech is obviously not tremendously likely to beat Texas or OSU on the road, and they'll certainly be underdogs against OU at home, but with poor line play and no threat of a run, suddenly trips to Houston and Nebraska become dicey (especially against NU's defensive line), as do home games against Kansas and Baylor. You have to figure Tech will go 8-4 like they almost always seem to do, but if they can't even pretend to be capable of running the ball, then they're in trouble.
Of course, they didn't have Baron Batch, so we'll see what happens when...oh wait, they did have Baron Batch? Nine rushes for 30 yards? Huh.
A quick look at the per-down S&P figures tells the story. Tech was still quite good on 2nd and 3rd downs, but they got nowhere on first downs, and something has to improve there. They shouldn't struggle much with Rice, but the back-to-back trips to Austin and Houston could be dicey if they don't get it together on the handoffs.

Game Preview: BYU Defense

sroufe — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 07:21:27 -0000

View full size photo »

BYU’s offense matching up against the Sooner defense has already been discussed at length, whether it be over at Crimson and Cream Machine, or elsewhere. Maybe it's because Oklahoma's offense is considered (arguably) to be the best in the nation and BYU's defense (arguably) among the worst - but with the Gresham injury the Cougars without a doubt caught a break. Of course, while replacing an All-American isn't easily, Bob Stoops' program should be expected to fill in for Gresham nicely. For starters, Brody Eldridge could fill Greshams' spot and is an outstanding blocker (OU Offensive Coordinator Kevin Wilson called Eldridge the Sooner's "most consistent" offensive lineman - which includes standout LT Trent Williams). However, expect Gresham to be replaced by sophomore James Hanna or walk-on TE Trent Ratterree. The question remains then, what (else) has to happen for the BYU defense to keep the Sooner offense from exploding?

Mendenhall told Greg Wrubell this week that two coaching relationships aided in the preparation for Saturday's contest: 1 - Gary Patterson; and 2 - Urban Meyer. In their 2005 season opener, Patterson's TCU upset Oklahoma - in Norman. Last season the Frogs lost to OU in Norman, but held the Sooners to 35 points without forcing any turnovers. Obviously, Meyer's Gators were able to beat OU in last season's National Championship. Florida picked off Bradford twice and stuffed the Sooners at the goal-line on two separate possessions (once on a 4th and goal from the 1, the other with Bradford being intercepted at the 3 yard line).

Friends, that's some fine networking skills. Under Mendenhall the Cougars have traditionally run a 3-4, whereas the Gators normally run a 4-3 (sometimes using a nickel back however). Patterson's team in Ft. Worth has run an extremely successful 4-2-5. Still, don't expect Mendenhall and Hill to change their system. They may throw some tricky formations at the Sooners a bit, but BYU's 1) seemingly lack of depth on the defensive line and 2) lack of experience at linebacker will prohibit some of this. Certainly, Bronco and his staff have been able to take some things from Meyer, Patterson and some other recent OU game tape that they can use to their advantage. Because of the game being first on the schedule - and such a marquee contest for the Cougars - the BYU staff is assumingly well prepared in terms of defensive stratagems.

Here's the projected defensive depth chart for Saturday's game:

LE: Brett Denney, Matt Putnam
NT: Russell Tialavea, Romney Fuga, Tevita Hola
RE: Jan Jorgensen, Vic So'oto

Jorgensen is BYU’s most notable defensive player and the only Preseason All-MWC selection. He has lost some weight in an effort to improve his agility and subsequently increase his sack totals in 2009. He will be solid. Denney and Tialavea are also veterans though without the stats or name recognition of Jorgensen. Both are good in terms of the MWC, but neither would be even close to starting for the Sooners. Depending on which side Denney and Jorgensen match-up, one of them will be going against Trent Williams – and that will be a very tough task. Tialavea will likely go head-to-head with Eldridge. It will be interesting to see So’oto’s transformation from TE to LB and finally to DE. He has the athleticism to perform well, but I’m not counting on him to come up big against the Sooners. Putnam is a real stud and should see plenty of action against OU.

SLB: Jordan Pendleton, Grant Nelson
MLB: Matt Bauman, Brandon Ogletree
BLB: Shawn Doman, Terrance Hooks
WLB: Coleby Clawson, Jordan Atkinson

Hooks was projected to be the starter at BLB, but an injury caused him to miss most of Fall Camp. He should see significant field time in Dallas nonetheless. Pendleton is only a sophomore and is very highly regarded. Expect him to have a significant impact on Saturday – his first game as a starter. Of course, Bauman is the leader of the core, coming off of junior season in which he led the Cougars in tackles (108). Bauman isn’t a Muirbrook, Morris or even Cameron Jensen but he’s a hard-worker and a banger. Clawson was a JC transfer last season and ended up starting 11 games – look for him to improve with the added experience. As a whole this LB group isn’t as strong as previous years. They’ll have they’re work cut out for them with all of OU’s athletes, especially at the skill positions.

FC: Brian Logan, Robbie Buckner, Corby Eason
BC: Brandon Bradley, Lee Aguirre
Kat: Andrew Rich, Shiloah Te'o
Free: Scott Johnson, Craig Bills

As I've said before, expect BYU's defense as a whole to be improved. They won't be even close to the same realm as those teams mentioned above (Florida, TCU) but they should be respectable in the MWC. The defensive line is experienced and the linebackers decent. The secondary was atrocious in latter 2008 – but expect them to be improved as well. JC transfers – Logan, Eason and Aguirre – have added depth and athleticism, while Bills is a big-time play maker. Eason barely made the trip after the NCAA declared him eligible academically. The switch to FS for Johnson should help as well. As long as they can stay healthy they should be able to create more turnovers than 2008 and compete with OU and the teams that follow.

With Gresham out Bradford will likely look more toward a pair of outstanding WR’s. Ryan Broyles and Adron Tennell are each spectacular athletes and could provide serious problems for the Cougar secondary. Tennell is an experienced senior while Broyles, just a sophomore, is lightening fast – and returns punts as well. RB DeMarco Murray was an All-Big 12 selection last year, ran for over 1,000 yards in 2008, and is considered one of the best backs in the nation. So, even without Gresham, Bradford has plenty of weapons.

While BYU’s defense overall should be improved from 2008, it is highly unlikely they’ll be able to keep the Sooners below 35 or even 40. If BYU is going to be successful they must create turnovers like Florida did in the National Championship picking of Bradford twice. Last season’s Cougars wouldn’t have kept OU under 50. This season however BYU fans should be optimistic that that can be accomplished and that Hall and the offense can put up the numbers necessary to be competitive.

With A Injury To Gresham James Hanna Must Step Up

ccmachine — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 04:43:13 -0000

With Jermaine Gresham being out for an undetermined time Oklahoma will be in major need of another playmaker to step up and take his place. Offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson stated on Thursday that Brody Eldridge would remain as the team’s center which leaves Trent Ratterree and James Hanna as the tight ends on the two deep.

Ratterree joined the Sooners as a walk-on while Hanna was a highly touted recruit and yet it was Ratterree who was listed behind Gresham on the depth chart. While all the kudos in the world should be given to Ratterree for working hard to make it as far as he has you have to think that at some point it’ll be Hanna that becomes the more productive of the two.

We should see both players on the field against BYU and more than likely there will be times whew we see them on the field at the same time because OU has a few multi tight end sets. It may be easier to dig up information on Jason Bourne than Trent Ratterree. After searching several internet sites he’s what we know. He’s a sophomore, is listed at 6-3/225, wears jersey #47 and is from Weatherford, Oklahoma. He has no stats at Oklahoma and no bio is found on his profile.

Meanwhile, Hanna came to Oklahoma as a four-star recruit. He was ranked as the nation’s 11^th tight end by Rivals, 13^th by ESPN, 20^th by Scout and was the 32^nd overall player in the state of Texas by Rivals. He’s currently listed at 6-4/243. That’s only giving up two inches and fifteen pounds to Gresham. I’m not in any way suggesting that Hanna is a Gresham replica and match Gresham’s athleticism but he’s a long way from being a slouch. His senior year of High School he averaged 29 yards per punt return. In Oklahoma’s spring conditioning tests he bench pressed 355 lbs (the highest among the tight ends), ran a 4.56 forty (equal to Gresham) and has a 37.5 inch vertical (tied Brian Jackson for 3^rd highest on the team).

Being the second most athletic tight end on the roster doesn’t amount for anything if you can’t work your way onto the field. Hanna appeared in all but one of Oklahoma’s games last season as a reserve tight end and a special team’s player but there’s a reason that he’s behind Ratterree on the depth chart. Perhaps it’s a motivational ploy by the coaching staff or possibly Ratterree has legitimately beaten him out thus far. That doesn’t change the fact that Oklahoma needs someone to step up big to replace an injured star and James Hanna is the best candidate to do it.

Oklahoma's TE Gresham Out for Saturday

Layton — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 20:20:48 -0000

Phew! One less Sooner phenom to worry about...

View full size photo »

OU's starting tight end, Jermaine Gresham, injured his knee on Tuesday and will miss Saturday's game. Gresham is Oklahoma's all-time leading tight end touchdown and receiving yards leader, and had a phenomenal season last year with 66 receptions for 950 yards and 14 touchdowns. He was a Sporting News 1st Team All-American in 2008 and virtually an unanimous 2009 Preseason 1st Team All-American. Did I mention he's a Julius Peppers-esque freak at 6'6'' and 261 lbs?

This is a HUGE break for the BYU defense. Brody Eldridge, OU's projected starting center, will more than likely move over to tight end in Gresham's absence. If not, the position will be filled by sophomore backup TE, Trent Ratterree.

Official report, HERE and HERE.

Photo via Sports Illustrated

Jermaine Gresham Injured Will Not Play Against BYU

ccmachine — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 18:57:32 -0000

This is one of those rumors that unfortunately turned out to be true. Oklahoma tight end Jermaine Gresham has a knee injury (torn meniscus) that will keep him out of at least the BYU game but more than likely a few others as well. They are waiting on an MRI to determine if the injury can be healed by rest or if it will require surgery. As of now the prognosis is that he’s out three to six weeks but based on the results of the MRI that timeline could change for the better (please, please, please) or worse.

Again, this is a confirmed injury and can be changed from rumor to fact. I’m not sure how this affects Oklahoma’s lineup for Saturday night against BYU. Trent Ratterree is currently listed as the backup tight end but I would say that the odds of Brody Eldridge switching jerseys and pads and moving from center to tight end just significantly increased.

SB Nation - Trent Ratterree

Q & A with Crimson and Cream Machine

Mizzou Links, 10-29-09

Tulsa Game Position Grades

Are The Sooners Looking To Jaz Up The Offense?

'The Sooners Go to the Hospital': a dramatic re-enactment

Big 12: BTBS Box Scores

BYU(14)

OU(13)

Georgia(14)

OSU(24)

Baylor(24)

Wake(21)

CSU(23)

Colorado(17)

FAU(3)

NU(49)

UNM(6)

ATM(41)

ULM(20)

Texas(59)

UMass(17)

KSU(21)

No. Col.(3)

KU(49)

NDSU(17)

Iowa St.(34)

UND(13)

Tech(38)

Game Preview: BYU Defense

With A Injury To Gresham James Hanna Must Step Up

Oklahoma's TE Gresham Out for Saturday

Jermaine Gresham Injured Will Not Play Against BYU

BYU
(14)

OU
(13)

Georgia
(14)

OSU
(24)

Baylor
(24)

Wake
(21)

CSU
(23)

Colorado
(17)

FAU
(3)

NU
(49)

UNM
(6)

ATM
(41)

ULM
(20)

Texas
(59)

UMass
(17)

KSU
(21)

No. Col.
(3)

KU
(49)

NDSU
(17)

Iowa St.
(34)

UND
(13)

Tech
(38)