SB Nation - Brandon Caleb

Breaking Down Bedlam

ccmachine — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 08:16:33 -0000

There are so many things that could go right or wrong for Oklahoma in today's Bedlam football game that I really have no idea what to expect. On one hand you consider how well the Sooners play at home and you think that they have an outstanding chance to win. Then you consider how bad they've played in their five losses and add the fact that the competition at home hasn't been that great and suddenly there's a huge knot in your stomach because you realize the realistic possibility that the nation's longest home winning steak very well could come to an end.

The roles are already reversed coming into the game. O-State is the ranked team with a shot at going to a BCS Bowl. Regardless of what the final score is the Cowboys are going to finish ahead of the Sooners in the Big 12 standings and will get a better bowl invitation. The only thing left to happen is for OSU to actually win the game and they come in as a legitimate favorite and for OU to avoid losing their sixth game of the season they must win one of the game match-ups that they're not supposed to.

Quarterbacks

Landry Jones is completing 58% of his passes this year and has 23 touchdowns to 13 interceptions. At times he's look exceptional and then at other moments he's look completely out of his element. The knocks against him are that he's not stable in the pocket and doesn't read through his progressions.

Zac Robinson has completed 63% of his passes with a touchdown to interception ration of 15 to 7. Robinson is a dual-threat quarterback who has rushed for 302 yards this year but has also been known for turning the ball over on a big hit when he runs.

Robinson's experience and leadership give him a clear advantage over Jones but there's the chance that he may not play due to injury or that he'll be playing at less than 100%.

Advantage: OSU

Running Backs

Chris Brown and DeMarco Murray are averaging 4.3 and 4.4 yards respectfully with 12 touchdowns between them but they are a far cry from the dynamic duo that we saw them become last season. After rushing for over 1,000 each last season the two have a combined 1,251 yards this year. The problem has been getting them in space to make plays and clearing holes for them to run in between the tackles. That's on the line and not necessarily the running backs.

Keith Toston is the Big 12's second leading rusher with 1,130 yards. He's averaging 5.5 yards per carry and has crossed the goal line rushing the football 11 times. He's a powerful runner with good speed and is one of only two players (KSU's Daniel Thomas) to average over 100 yards rushing per game.

Toston has clearly had the better season of these three backs and despite Murray having the added dimension of being Oklahoma's second leading receiver the Sooners don't have a rushing threat like Toston has been this season.

Advantage: OSU

Receivers/Tight Ends

Ryan Broyles is one of the most electrifying receivers in the country. He's averaging 12.9 yards per reception and has 861 yards with 12 touchdowns. He's on target to break 1,000 receiving yards this season and it would go a long way for the Sooners if he surpassed that mark today. Behind Broyles is a massive drop off as Brandon Caleb has almost 40 fewer receptions and only 2 touchdowns. Dejuan Miller is coming on and is has pretty much inserted himself as Oklahoma's #2 receiver.

O-State was dealt a huge blow when the NCAA took Dez Bryant away from them. Since then Hubert Anyiam has become the Pokes' top receiver. He's caught 39 passes for 482 yards and 3 touchdowns.

After Anyiam the Cowboys don't have another receiver playing in this game with more than 15 receptions. Conversely the Sooners have four receivers with more than 20 receptions. What's a tight end?

Advantage: OU

Offensive Line

I don't have the words to describe how disappointing Oklahoma's offensive line has been this season. Now this unit has become decimated with injuries and literally a walking triage unit. The latest victim is Trent Williams who may have to sit out today's Bedlam game due to a head injury. Oklahoma has given up 12 sacks this season.

Oklahoma State has only given up 7 sacks this year and is much stronger in both run and pass blocking than the Sooners are. The have a future NFL All-Pro in Russell Okung as their anchor.

Advantage: OSU

Defensive Line

Oklahoma's defensive line against OSU's offensive line is the match-up that could determine the game. Jeremy Beal is third in the conference in sacks with 11 and third in tackles for loss with 16. Gerald McCoy is fifth in the Big 12 in tackles for loss with 14.5.

Ugo Chinasa has 4 sacks for the Pokes and 6.5 tackles for loss. However, you have to go all the way down to 11^th O-States leader board for tackles to find Chinasa, a defensive lineman, listed.

Advantage: OU

Linebackers

Travis Lewis is third in the Big 12 in total tackles with 99 and Keenan Clayton is 39^th with 58. Oklahoma will be without Ryan Reynolds who is a field general for the Sooners defense and that may hurt the Sooners more than missing his 67 tackles. In his place Austin Box will step in and try to get a head start on taking over the middle linebacker position full time next season.

Donald Booker leads the Cowboys in sacks with 5 and tackles for loss with 7. He and Patrick Lavine lead the team in tackles with 80 and 67 tackles respectively. Lavine also leads the team in interceptions with 5.

Both team's linebacker units attack down hill and are solid run stuffers. O-State is second in the conference against the rush (82.6 yards per game) and the Sooners are third (91 yards per game)

Advantage: Even

Secondary

Oklahoma is second in the conference against the pass by holding opponents to just 197.5 yards per game. The OU secondary has a combined 11 interceptions led by Brian Jackson's 4. Jackson and Dominique Franks are one of the best corner duos in the conference and safety Quinton Carter is a hard hitter who's second on the team in tackles with 76.

Perrish Cox is not only the best athlete in Oklahoma State's secondary he's most likely the best athlete on the team. He has 32 tackles and 4 interceptions but as a whole the Cowboys are 9^th in the conference in pass defense.

Advantage: OU

Special Teams

Oklahoma State is last in the Big 12 in kickoff return average (18.6 yards per return) and while the Sooners aren't sitting pretty at #10 (21.2 yards per return) at least they're not last. Punt returns are a different issue for the Sooners where their 14.3 yards per return average are tops in the Big 12. OSU isn't too far behind at 13.9 yards per return which places them 3^rd in the Big 12.

In punting average the Sooners have a 39.6 (Best in the Big 12) to 37.5 advantage. Oklahoma's place kickers have missed seven field goal attempts this season while the Cowboys have missed five.

If this game becomes a field goal kicking contest then I'm not sure that I like Oklahoma's chances. However, in the battle for field position OU's special teams units are outperforming O-State's in just about every category.

Advantage: OU

Q&A With An Oklahoma Sooner Expert

Jon Johnston — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:00:29 -0000

by Sue Ogrocki - AP

OU receiver Ryan Broyles is the Sooner's most dangerous playmaker. Shutting him down will be a key for the Huskers' Blackshirt defense.

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No one knows more about the Sooners than someone who follows them on a regular basis, so we asked Matt at the SB Nation site Crimson and Cream Machine to answer some questions about this weekend's Oklahoma vs Nebraska game.

I took my kids trick-or-treating with the Sooners rolling over Kansas State. I came back, and it's 35-30. What happened?

I'm not sure what happened there and I was watching it. OU jumped out 21-0 and then they just took their foot off the gas, so to speak. I have a theory that Bob Stoops has enough respect for Bill Snyder that he had the offense go ultra conservative in order to prevent an absolute blowout of his former mentor but that would have only worked if the defense was able to continue doing what it did through the first fifteen minutes when the score was 21-0. However, when the OU offense went into a shell (for whatever reason) the K-State offense came to life and was unstoppable for about two quarters.

The Sooners woke back up again in the fourth quarter but not before being given a legitimate scare. Landry Jones was 10-for-10 passing in the final quarter and after he led a scoring drive to push the lead to 35-23. Brandon Banks returned the kickoff 98 yards to bring it back to a 35-30 game. Fortunately Jones and company had one more drive left in them and scored again in the fourth for the final 42-30 outcome.

In the preseason, there was quite a bit of debate whether Ndamukong Suh and Gerald McCoy was the best d-lineman in the Big XII, yet we've hardly heard much about McCoy this season. Is this because Mister Suh (as ESPN/ABC has given up trying to pronounce Ndamukong) is dominating the headlines, or is McCoy not playing up to expectations?

McCoy is in no way having a bad season and both are exceptional players. Gerald McCoy lives in the opponent's backfield. He has 12 tackles for loss but has been overshadowed a bit by defensive end Jeremy Beal who has 13.5 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks.

With 5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss, Suh has certainly lived up to his expectations this season but to think that for some reason McCoy hasn't is a bit of a stretch.

The Sooner offensive line has struggled this season. Is this due to a lack of players, inconsistent line up, or what's happening there? Would you put most of the problems with Oklahoma's offense on this unit?

I think that there are several things that you could pin Oklahoma's offensive woes upon but it all starts with the line. Before the season even started Bob Stoops said that Oklahoma's offense would only be as good as the line allowed them to be and that has certainly been true. That was also before injuries took Jermaine Gresham and Sam Bradford away from this unit as well. The line does a decent job at pass blocking but the two main struggles have been picking up blitzes and run blocking. Then there are the mental errors (false starts) and acts of desperation (holding penalties). Watching Oklahoma's offensive line really is a comedy of errors.

Keep in mind that OU's offense is scoring a respectable 33.1 points per game. Its just when you compare it to last year's pace it just isn't the same and its not what we expected this year either.

Other than Ryan Broyles, who is the most consistent receiver? Who's the most dangerous?

How about no one for an answer? Ryan Broyles is the most dangerous receiver and there really is no one else! Brandon Caleb has been solid and Adron Tennell has come on as of late but they've both struggled with the drops this season. Dejuan Miller had a breakout game against Kansas State but we'd like to see some more consistency from him. DeMarco Murray also catches passes out of the backfield and occasionally from the slot. The tight end position is pretty much non-existent so basically what we have is a quarterback's second option done by committee.

Would you like to see the Big 12 change scheduling so that Nebraska - Oklahoma play on a yearly basis, or does this ex-rivalry mean much to Sooner fans?

Like many fans I grew up on the Oklahoma/Nebraska rivalry and would love to see it return to yearly game, and I would want it put back in its rightful Thanksgiving weekend spot. I know there has been some talk about pursuing this but I just don't see how it would work out for the benefit of the conference. And as well all know if it doesn't benefit the conference it most likely isn't going to happen.

Prediction?

I don't see this being anything like last year's game. With two dominating defenses I think that it will be a close game decided by special teams and turnovers. I favor Oklahoma in that because our freshman quarterback has played in every game this season and started five of them while yours is just making his second start. OU will be able to pressure him more than Baylor did which will put him under fire for the first time this season. Landry Jones has already been up against Texas and Miami defenses and while the Huskers will bring tons of pressure it will be something that Jones has already experienced on multiple occasions.

OU 17 - Nebraska 10

Post Baylor Game Quotes And Thoughts

ccmachine — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 06:17:11 -0000

More photos » by Sue Ogrocki - AP

2 months ago: Oklahoma's Cameron Kenney, left, bobbles a pass in front of Baylor defender Tim Atchinson, right, in the first quarter of an NCAA college football game in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

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Quotes From Bob Stoops

"It was a good solid win here today. Our compliments to Art Biles and Baylor. They really played disciplined, good football. They are in a bad position. I thought their quarterback did a really good job but obviously he doesn't have the experience their other quarterback has. We caught a break that way, but overall I think they have done a good job all year."

Reading between the lines Bob Stoops is saying that it nice to finally be the team playing someone else without their starting quarterback instead of being the team without the starting quarterback.

Baylor's Nick Florence completed 53.7% (22/40) of his passes for 220 yards with one touchdown and one pick. Unfortunately for the Bears he was Baylor's only source of offense as the Bears were held to just 7 net rushing yards. Baylor's offense was so bad that I couldn't tell how much of their futility had to do with the Sooner defense and how much was attributed to the ineptness stemming from not having Griffin.

"It was pleasing to win a good football game. I thought it was pleasing to go in at half, 14-7, and come back in the second half and play so well and so solid throughout the game. Anytime you have an offensive day when you have no turnovers and fewer penalties, you rush the ball for over 200 yards and throw for near 400 yards and you are doing things that are positive. I was disappointed in the drops, but again I think a lot of that is inexperience. We have all kinds of yardage and big plays, if we just catch the ball better. I'm hopeful and I believe the ability is there. It's just time and time on the field to make improvement and to make those plays when they are there to make."

Sam Bradford might have had a career day had it not been for the drops. I know that frustrations were high with them. There were several murmurs in the crowd, screaming from the coaches and even a little body language from Bradford himself. This has been an issue troubling the Sooners all season long but has never been on display more than it was on Saturday when just about every skill position player on the field dropped a ball.

"Defensively in particular, I thought in the first half even though we held them to seven, there were some plays we could have definitely played them a little bit better and been in better position, and we did in the second half. Anytime you hold someone to six yards rushing, that is positive, and hold them to seven points with as a wide open offense they have, and formations and adjustments they give you. I thought in the second half we really settled in and played good disciplined football to be where we needed to be."

It's a lot easier to hold a team scoreless when you don't have the type of coverage breakdowns that led to Baylor's first and only score. Yes, it was only better but it should be noted that the Bears were averaging 36.2 points per game coming into Norman and had it not been for one defensive breakdown in the first half this might have been Oklahoma's third shutout of the season.

Quotes From Offensive Coordinator Kevin Wilson

(Discussing the Red Zone) "We had a couple of drops a couple of times that got us into some third-and-eights. We tried to stay in some spread stuff instead of some big guy stuff when it came to our approach. We got down there quite a lot and other than finishing the drive, I thought that our guys played pretty solid. So we will look at what we are doing and look to find how to finish things off."

At least we didn't see any draw plays on third and long. As much grief as we gave Wilson last week it has to be said, this week, that its awful had to call plays when your receivers are dropping passes all over the field.

"We have to work our way into some positive momentum. We had to force it in today and when the guy dropped it, we would throw it right back to him the next play. We have to stay positive and stay aggressive and for the most part we did. The run game will come in time, they were a little committed to load the box. We had a fair amount of pass yards, but we have some inconsistency right now and we have to play through it. I thought our kids battled as hard as they did all year and I was proud of them."

Oklahoma had 25 rushing yards at the half and ended the game with over 200. That's not a bad turnaround. As long as receivers are dropping passes Oklahoma's opponents are going to stack the box and force them to win through the air. As soon as they are able to find success in their air it will open up on the ground as well. Saturday was a perfect example of this.

Quotes From Defensive Coordinator Brent Venables

"I thought that we responded really well in the second half. I thought that they made a few plays on us obviously in the first half. They threw up some balls in the first half and did a good job competing for it and we had a couple of breakdowns. The guys came back and played a lot better in the second half."

"Outside for the most part, when they scored, we had a couple of things during that drive that happened. Overall, I thought that they played pretty well."

In addition to holding Baylor to 29 points below their season average the Sooners also put the brakes on the Bears' running game. Baylor was averaging 196.2 yards per game on the ground which only makes the 7 yards that OU held them to even more impressive. However, like last week the breakdowns in the defensive secondary were costly.

Individual Performances

Travis Lewis - Led the defense in tackles with 7
Brian Jackson - 2 pass breakups, 1 interception
Jordan Lake (Baylor) - This kid has his name called all afternoon! Finished the day with 14 total tackles.
Jimmy Stevens - 4/4 on field goal attempts, 2/2 on extra points
Brandon Caleb - 7 receptions, 139 yards
Sam Bradford - 27/49, 389 yards, 1 touchdown
DeMarco Murray - 17 carries, 82 yards, 4.8 average

Oklahoma vs Baylor Game Thread

ccmachine — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 18:30:15 -0000

More photos » by David J. Phillip - AP

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Game Information

Date: October 10^th

Location: Norman | Live Radar

Stadium: Oklahoma Memorial Stadium

TV: ABC

Radio: Sooner Sports Radio Network

Satellite: Sirius Satellite Channel 152 | XM 105

Team Comparison	OU	Baylor
Points Per Game	35.5	36.2
Total Offense Per Game	424.8	393.2
Passing Yards Per Game	239.2	197
Rushing Yards Per Game	185.5	196.2
Points Allowed Per Game	8.8	19.8
Total Yards Allowed Per Game	253	330.8
Rushing	65.5	164.8
Passing	187.5	166
AP Rankings	19	NR

Baylor Players To Watch

Running Back Jay Finley - 22 Carries, 212 Yards, 9.6 YPC, 1 TD

Running Back Jarred Salubi - 24 Carries, 197 Yards, 8.1 YPC, 2 TDs

Receiver Kendall Wright - 24 Receptions, 314 Yards, 13.1 YPC, 2 TDs

Linebacker Antonio Jones - 40 Total tackles, 3 Tackles for loss, 1 Sack

Oklahoma Players To Watch

Quarterback Sam Bradford - 71% Completion percentage, 96 Yards, 1 TD

Running Back DeMarco Murray - 55 Carries, 408 All-Purpose Yards, 5.4 YPC, 4 Total TDs

Receiver Brandon Caleb - 14 Receptions, 201 Yards, 14.4 YPC, 2 TDs

Linebacker Travis Lewis - 39 Total tackles, 3.5 Tackles for loss, 1 Sack

Five Reasons For Concern Against The Baylor Bears

ccmachine — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 05:04:40 -0000

More photos » by Jose Yau - AP

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We can all breathe a collective sigh of relief going into Saturday's game against the Baylor Bears because it isn't a big game and it isn't away from Norman. Like Oklahoma the Bears have suffered a devastating injury and are learning to adjust without a key element of their offense. Baylor has never beaten Oklahoma in Big 12 football and while that has to change sometime its not likely that it will be this year even though they enter this contest with a better record than the Sooners. I think that at the end of the day we'll wind up saying that it was just Baylor but it doesn't mean that there isn't cause for concern heading into this weekend's game. Here's five reasons to stay alert Saturday afternoon.

#5 - The Offensive Line Still Has Significant Issues: We learned Saturday night in Miami that the offensive line hasn't progressed the way that we hoped it had. Under pressure they are prone to forget the snap count, miss a block or commit a hold. The Bears aren't likely to provide the type of pressure to cause a 4^th and 40 type meltdown but their attack will be somewhere between what we last week in Miami and Tulsa the week before. Without getting pressed into pressure situations the o-line will show enough improvement to provide that dreaded false sense of security and we all know who next week's opponent is.

#4 - The Sam Bradford Watch Is Growing Tiring: The decision on whether or not Bradford will play has been delayed until sometime today but my concern isn't in the delay of an announcement but the delay in #14 getting back on the field. He's been cleared by doctors and reports are that coaches say he's throwing like the Bradford of old. All indications are that this is Bradford's decision and Bob Stoops isn't saying much about it anymore. On Monday he let Sam have his own press conference to speak for himself and Thursday's announcement about Friday's announcement came from Kenny Mossman and the media relations department. With each passing week that Bradford doesn't play you have to wonder at what point you just cut your losses and make this Landry's team.

#3 - Sooner Psyche May Be Blown: How long has it been since the Sooners were out of the BCS championship race before conference play even started? Better yet, how long has it been since Baylor had the better record going into a football game against Oklahoma? We need to see a Sooner team that comes out of the locker room hungry and with a chip on their shoulders but we could wind up getting a team that's lethargic and just goes through the motions.

#2 - Oklahoma Can't Afford Any More Injuries: You have to wonder at what point the curse of the injury bug is finally going to let up and give Oklahoma a break. I have no idea what the worst case scenario is for Bob Stoops and his offensive coaches but I would think that Landry Jones under center, Brody Eldridge as the #1 tight end option and Brandon Caleb as the leading active receiver is pretty close. The Sooners are pushing the limits of how many players can be injured and still have an effective offense.

#1 - We're Back To Unproven At The Wide Receiver Position: Yes, I do know that Brandon Caleb is working his way through a fairly solid season but his success has come along with the success of Ryan Broyles. Now with Broyles out the opposing defenses don't have to focus their attention on stopping him and can focus now on Caleb. Can Caleb handle being the #1 option? Who becomes #2 now? To help this situation, look for the Sooners to do a few things. First, look for DeMarco Murray to spend some time in the slot. That would force the defense to give same type of attention to that position as they did when Broyles was playing there, as long as he's able to catch the ball and make a play. Second, look for Adron Tennell to get another chance to stretch the field. This really is a move of necessity more than anything else and once again will only work if he's able to catch the ball. Third, look for Cameron Kenny's role to increase. He's steadily seen more snaps and has made more plays over the last three games and with Broyles out the need for him to contribute has never been greater.

Meltdown In Miami – Sooners Play Familiar Tune In South Beach

ccmachine — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 05:04:10 -0000

More photos » by Wilfredo Lee - AP

Thinking that they were just playing two hand touch the Oklahoma defense enjoyed being on the field with Miami running back Javarris James (5). (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

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Frustration levels are going through the roof as we are discovering that this OU football team isn't up to par to the Big 12 Championship teams from the past three seasons. Oklahoma once again leaves South Florida scarred, bruised and with a loss. We can't blame this loss on the absences of Sam Bradford, Jermaine Gresham and Ryan Broyles because none of them play for a defense that allowed Javarris James to run for 148 yards on 15 carries (9.9 yards per carry). In what has become typical fashion for the Sooners in a big game Oklahoma had their share of meltdown moments. They featured 7 penalties, a blown assignment in the defensive secondary, a missed block and a very crucial fumble.

The crux of the meltdown came in the first 10 minutes of the 3^rd quarter where OU saw their 10-7 halftime lead turn into a 21-10 deficit. From that point on the Sooners were playing from behind the rest of the way and couldn't make the offensive or defensive plays when they were needed most. We learned that this team still lacks leadership and big play ability on offense but more importantly we learned a few other things that are cause for concern heading into conference play.

The offensive line hasn't improved very much - In what was proof positive that the Idaho State and Tulsa games were nothing but smoke and mirrors for covering up the short comings of this line they were once again exposed. Landry Jones was sacked twice but spent a considerable amount of time running for his life and the line struggled to open holes for the running backs.
Regardless of what they say, Bob Stoops and Kevin Wilson can't call the same plays for Landry Jones as they do Sam Bradford - I've never seen more draw plays and delayed hand offs on 3^rd and long situations. Perhaps it was an issue with Broyles being out or maybe a protection issue with the line but the reality is that the plays being called for Bradford and the plays being called for Jones are not the same.
Landry Jones is no Sam Bradford - Come on, we really knew this already but maybe some needed this game to verify that. Jones is a good quarterback but he's still a ways away from a Bradford caliber quarterback. I can still see Brandon Caleb wide open along the sideline in what could have been a back breaker for Miami and a 17-0 lead for OU.
The defense isn't as good as advertised - In addition to James' insane rushing average there's the matter of Dominique Franks getting lost in the secondary. When OU needed a stop against BYU it didn't happen and when they needed one against Miami either.
This team appears to be mentally weak - The meltdown occurred immediately after Brody Eldridge missed a block allowing Landry Jones to get blindsided resulting in a fumble. Over the next four minutes and seven seconds OU surrendered 14 points and committed two personal fouls. At one point OU faced a 4^th and 40.

The race for the BCS Championship is over for Oklahoma but the race for another conference championship starts this Saturday. By having their weaknesses exposed and being undressed twice on national television the Sooners have moved from one of the frontrunners to a long shot. The bad news is that there is still plenty of work to be done for this team but the good news is that they've got 8 more games to get it worked out.

SB Nation Big 12 Roundtable – Our Heart Goes Out To Baylor Edition

ccmachine — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 04:41:23 -0000

Lots of love goes out to the guys at Rock M Nation for making this Big 12 Roundtable happen. Just wanted them to know that they were appreciated and maybe, just maybe, if I suck up a little they'll include a quote or two from CC Machine in the recap.

Now, on to this week's questions. How are you feeling about the loss of Robert Griffin? Keep reading to see my thoughts (Hint: I feel a lot worse for Baylor than I do the Big 12) but we want to know yours on all the questions and not just this one. Let us know by using the comments section.

Is it time for the Big 12 to collectively pour one out for the departure of Baylor quarterback Robert "Hot Tub" Griffin? Even if your team benefits from his injury, are you sad to see one of the conference's premier playmakers done for the season?

Yes! I hated to see his injury and even worse to know that it was season ending. The Big 12 will be fine without Griffin because there is no shortage of players with star caliber around the conference but the Baylor Bears won't be fine without him. Without Griffin the Baylor Bears are reduced to being...well...the Baylor Bears. They are on a direct course to a last place finish in the Big 12 South and they hype of a possible bowl appearance will die a miserable death. I have little to no confidence that Blake Szymanski will lead them to the type of bigger and better things Griffin was expected to.

In a freaky ironic twist the Bears picked up a verbal commitment from Robert Griffin on Tuesday.

2. Play the role of Mythbusters for us. If you could dispel one national perception of your team, what would it be?

Well, the national perception of Oklahoma is that they are a great team that plays very well in the regular season, wins lots of conference championships but just can't seem to win a bowl game. How am I supposed to dispel that?

I guess that I could point out that Bob Stoops and his team did win the 2000 BCS Championship 13-2 over Florida State in the Orange Bowl, or the 2002 Cotton Bowl, or the 2003 Rose Bowl or even the 2005 Holiday Bowl. I just don't think those answers would suffice. Oh...wait...you mean the actual team on the field?

Well there is the perception that the offensive line if horrible and un-cohesive. I can dispel that very quickly by telling you to look at the last two games. Sure I realize that the competition was Idaho State and Tulsa but the issues with this line weren't physical they were mental. The last eight quarters of Sooner football have shown this unit to be mentally focused to reach their physical potential.

3. Give us the name of one player on each side of the ball on your team that everyone else in the conference may not know about or fully appreciate.

Who doesn't know the names on Oklahoma's offense? Even the backup quarterback was named the National Player of the Week. However, Brandon Caleb looks to be a name that you'll want to keep up with. Much of the attention in the receiving corps is going to Ryan Broyles who leads the nation in touchdown receptions but Caleb is quietly having a solid season himself. In Oklahoma's last game, against Tulsa, he caught 5 passes for 104 yards and 2 touchdowns.

On defense Ryan Reynolds is making a name for himself again. The kid is literally making plays all over the field. Tackles behind the line of scrimmage, quarterback sacks, interceptions and smashing hits have been the norm for this kid in the first three games of the season. Against Tulsa he had 10 tackles in the first half.

4. OU vs. Da U: Who ya' got?

You're just going to have to keep reading this week to find out the answer to this question.

5. Give us your Offensive Player of the Week, Defensive Player of the Week, and Storyline of the Week for last week.

Offensive Player of the Week: Danario Alexander (WR Missouri) - 9 catches, 170 yards, 2 touchdowns.

Defensive Player of the Week: Earl Thomas (S Texas) - 2 INT's

Storyline of the Week: The pirate ship is sinking at Texas Tech. The Red Raiders have lost two in a row (coaching can be questioned in both losses), offensive lineman Brandon Carter has been suspended indefinitely and Twitter has been banned. Sounds like someone needs a come to Jesus meeting.

6. Power Poll! Rank the teams 1-12 based on who would win on a neutral field.

1. Texas

2. Oklahoma

3. Kansas

4. Oklahoma State

5. Nebraska

6. Missouri

7. Texas Tech

8. Texas A&M

9. Kansas State

10. Baylor

11. Iowa State

12. Colorado

The State of Oklahoma: OU Travels to Miami

TheElusiveShadow — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:00:20 -0000

More photos » by Steve Helber - AP

Jacory Harris would like to forget last Saturday.

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I've been thinking lately that people should start competitions on accurately predicting the Top 25 before the season, similar to how we do NCAA brackets for the March basketball tournament. As last weekend showed, nobody really knows anything. Texas, Florida, and Alabama cruised, but everyone under them went for a wild ride on a wooden raft. Some survived that ride, and others, well, went under. We'll see if they resurface anytime soon.

One of the teams that went down was the Miami Hurricanes, riding high after two impressive wins over Florida State and Georgia Tech. They were #9 Saturday morning, with some arguing they had the best resume through the first three weeks. By Sunday, they had plummeted to #21 in the Coaches Poll and #17 in the AP. Unlike other ranked teams, they did not lose to an unranked foe, with Virginia Tech coming into the game at #11. However, nobody expected the whipping the Hokies gave them, scoring the first 21 points and ultimately finishing with a 24-point victory. While it is possible for Miami to win the rest of their games, the margin by which they lost probably cost them any chance at a national title. Ouch.

Oklahoma, on the other hand, moved right on up the polls... by resting. They probably watched the carnage on TV and stuck their middle fingers out at all the analysts who made fun of them for falling against BYU. Make no mistake, the Sooners are now very much alive, and winning this weekend at Coral Gables may vault them back into the Top 5 if teams ahead of them falter again. The stakes this game are still high, and may even be higher (arguably) than if both teams came in undefeated. If Oklahoma loses one more, they are done as national title contenders. If Miami drops this one at home, they more or less fall off the radar. With the Horns off this week, this would be a good game on which to focus your attention.

Last Week's Fun

While Oklahoma was chilling, Miami was busy crapping the bed against Virginia Tech. I won't spend much time talking about the game; needless to say, despite their assurances to the contrary, the 'Canes were NOT ready for the weather and let turnovers kill them. In fact, the folks over at Gobbler Country seem to think the rain was the player of the game, so to speak. Of course, it didn't help that the Hokies dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball and hammered Miami with Ryan Williams. Oh, and they blocked a punt for a TD, too.

To get an idea what Pouring Rain + Good Pressure does to an offense not prepared for it, let's take a brief look at Miami's high and mighty offense. Before this game, the Hurricanes averaged 465 yards of total offense at 7.27 yards per play. Jacory Harris averaged 328 yards per game at 11.12 yards per attempt, completed 69.5% of his passes including a 20-25 performance against Georgia Tech, and threw for 5 touchdowns to 2 interceptions to earn a passer rating of 184.07. In the pouring rain against V-tech, with his trusty receivers having a bad case of the butterfingers, Harris was an abysmal 9/20 for 150 yards and one interception and a passer rating of 78.4. While Graig Cooper had a decent day running the ball, the 'Canes as a team averaged a terrible 1.74 ypc on the ground after averaging 4.7 against Georgia Tech. Other than their one scoring drive right after halftime, which was the result of a shorter field due to a good kickoff return, Miami was frighteningly bad on offense, gaining an average of 3.5 yards per play as a whole.

Defensively, Miami wasn't that much better. Tyrod Taylor did nothing in the passing game save a 48-yard touchdown, but there was no need for him to; the Hokies ran the ball on Miami, and then ran it again. They piled up 272 yards on 55 carries, and Miami couldn't get a whiff of Ryan Williams at the line of scrimmage and then made things worse by tackling poorly at the second level. It was a sharp difference from their performance against Georgia Tech.

It is difficult to say how much we can take from this. Obviously, everyone has their bad games, and the conditions of the game were not normal. However, I'm not sure how much you can blame getting manhandled at the line of scrimmage on the pouring rain. Maybe it made their jerseys heavier? In any case, Jacory Harris was not good but he didn't get any sort of help from his O-line or his receivers. A very painful day for the 'Canes.

Oklahoma and Miami Key Matchups

And with that, we move on to this week's game, which probably isn't looking nearly as good for Miami as it did a week ago. I'll briefly discuss a few key matchups:

Oklahoma's D-line vs. Miami's O-line

I'll be blunt: If Miami's offensive line plays anything like they did against Virginia Tech, Oklahoma is going to beat them and probably beat them badly. Even given better conditions that will help the passing game, Jacory Harris is going to have a steady diet of Gerald McCoy, Auston English, and Jeremy Beal if that happens again. V-Tech has a good defense, but I would put OU's defensive line over theirs. If OU quickly dominates in this area, Graig Cooper is going to have a rough day and Harris will have an even rougher day.

This unit was identified in the preseason as the weak link to the offense, lacking both experience and depth. Before Saturday, optimism reigned. After Saturday, pessimism "rained" (okay, bad joke). While Virginia Tech only got two sacks, they were on Harris all game. Jake Fox, the senior at left tackle, will have to play well against Oklahoma, and their new guards will have to hold their own against the monster that is Gerald McCoy. Cooper is one of their best players and they have to give him a chance to succeed this week.

Miami's D-line against Oklahoma's O-line

On the flip side, Oklahoma still has questions on their offensive line. They have eliminated some of the mistakes we saw against BYU and changed personnel a bit to try to find a good mix of players. Brody Eldridge, the best center in OU history, moved back to TE while Ben Habern took his spot. Cory Brandon lost his starting job at right tackle with Jarvis Jones sliding over from right guard. To replace Jones at RG, freshman Tyler Evans got the nod. This unit looks improved, but it's hard to judge much from victories over Idaho State and Tulsa. If Miami wants any hope at success, they need to test this line as BYU did.

Miami didn't get any sacks against Virginia Tech, but I don't look too much into that because Taylor only threw nine times. The Hurricanes have some speedy pass rushers that will need to be ready, because Oklahoma will most definitely throw more than that with Bradford or Landry. Still, Oklahoma is not deficient at running the football, and no doubt they saw Virginia Tech's success on the ground against this defense. Miami's defensive line was supposed to be a great strength of this team, and it has not quite lived up to that hype, although to be fair, a couple guys were out against V-Tech. Guys like Allen Bailey and Eric Moncur will need to have big games, among others. Miami has the requisite speed to pass rush; the issue will be in the middle, with an undersized guy in Bailey and a relative disappointment in Marcus Forston, a 2008 Freshman All-American. Forston was not active against V-Tech due to injury, but he did not produce as much as expected the first two games. I am not sure if he will be available against Oklahoma. If not, it doesn't help the situation.

Oklahoma will not run with the same style as Ryan Williams and the Hokies, but with Chris Brown and Demarco Murray, they are capable of doing damage in their own way. Not only that, Oklahoma possesses a much more dangerous passing game, so this line needs to make Landry Jones look like a freshman again or otherwise make Sam Bradford wish he stayed on the bench if he indeed comes back.

Miami's receivers vs. Oklahoma's secondary

Miami's receivers just seem to ooze talent and potential. This unit has speed, size, and big-play capability. Let's take a look at the main guys:

Travis Benjamin: Texas fans, meet Miami's version of D.J. Monroe, except his touches come primarily through the passing game. He stands at 5'10 and weighs a smallish 170 pounds, but boy, he can move it, even rumored to run a sub-4.3 forty. Whether or not you believe that is true, the point is taken: He's got speed and lots of it. The problem, however, is consistency; he was nowhere to be found against Virginia Tech, having zero catches including a drop. He also has not had too much success in the return game. The conditions will be better for him this Saturday, so Miami needs to do a better job finding ways to get the ball in his hands in space.

Aldarius Johnson: Johnson was supposed to be their stud receiver this season and he looks the part, listed as 6'3, 215 pounds and drawing comparisons to some guy named Andre Johnson. Unfortunately, [he pulled his groin against FSU and has been inactive], so right now, he's been a big disappointment, whether or not it's actually his fault. However, if it's time for a breakout game, now is the time to do it.

LaRon Byrd: Another big target who can run downfield, Byrd stands at 6'4 and weighs 215 pounds. He was held without a reception against the Seminoles but he had a big day against Georgia Tech, catching five balls for 83 yards and a score. He had 4 of Harris' 9 completions on Saturday.

Leonard Hankerson: Wait, are these receivers just all the same guy? It looks like it, as Hankerson is also listed at 215 pounds and stands at 6'3. Hankerson brings a lot of experience with him relative to the other receivers, and he is currently leading the team in receiving yards. His ceiling is not as high as the younger guys, but he's dangerous in his own right and provides a bit more consistency.

Dedrick Epps (Tight End): Tired of 6'3-6'4, 215 pounders? Well, here's a 6'4, 250-pound tight end. Epps is a quality player who can both block and catch the ball. He suffered an ACL injury before last year's bowl game and made it back for this season, albeit slightly slowed, but he's had decent production. Considering Oklahoma's troubles against BYU's tight ends, Epps will be a good target to look for.

Verdict: Oklahoma has not seen anything near this receiving corps. Oklahoma's secondary has played well after the BYU game, but even an offensively competent Tulsa has nothing like this. If Oklahoma's defensive line can be held in check, look for big plays from this group against Oklahoma's new safeties and average corners.

Other things to watch for

-Linebacker Sean Spence will need to have a strong game and do a good job of covering and tackling in space for Miami. V-Tech was way too successful on the ground after they cleared the line.

-Oklahoma is hoping that Brandon Caleb continues to step up, but keep an eye on the limited weaponry the Sooners have in the passing game. Miami doesn't have a great secondary, but Oklahoma's receivers aren't all that scary at the moment.

-Special teams. Miami can do some damage in the return game, though they might want to avoid getting another punt blocked.

-Miami has a fast defense, but perhaps an overly aggressive defense. Virginia Tech had success using misdirection plays, so look for OU to do the same.

-And of course, keep an eye on Sam Bradford. If he plays, that will be a big boost for the Sooners, even though Jones has played admirably in his place. Nonetheless, it will be a bit much to expect Bradford to return to form his very first game.

Useless Prediction

Before Miami got walloped by Virginia Tech, I was thinking that the Sooners might be in trouble. Now that Miami's O-line was exposed as the weak link it was thought to be in the beginning of the season, I'm not so sure. The game is at Coral Gables, which helps Miami a lot, but while I can excuse a poor passing day on the rain, I really can't excuse poor O-line play the same way. I like Miami's big receivers against Oklahoma's secondary, but that won't matter much if Jacory Harris can't get a clean look downfield. Harris, at the least, is a somewhat mobile quarterback, but he's not (pre-injury) Robert Griffin or anything.

In addition, the way Virginia Tech dominated the line of scrimmage on offense is concerning. Oklahoma does not have an elite offensive line, but if they have any sort of success on the ground, their more balanced offense can potentially do much more damage than the Hokies did. If Sam Bradford is back, he will still make use of Oklahoma's relatively average group of receivers and move on down the field.

Prediction time: I expect Miami's offensive and defensive lines to play much better, but their O-line will still not be good enough to keep Oklahoma's D-line out of the backfield on crucial plays. Due to this, Oklahoma will generate some turnovers, and they will have enough success running the football to keep the heat off of Bradford (assuming he plays) and put points on the board. Miami will have a few big plays to keep pace, but ultimately, Oklahoma will wear them down. Oklahoma wins a big road game, 31-21.

I obviously would not mind one bit if Miami proves me wrong :).

Poll

Who do you think will win between Oklahoma and Miami?

Oklahoma Sooners

461 votes

Miami Hurricanes

354 votes

815 votes | Poll has closed

SB Nation Big 12 Roundtable Week 4 – Are Early Conference Games A Good Idea?

ccmachine — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 04:38:50 -0000

This week's roundtable discussion is being hosted at Rock M Nation. As always feel free to add your own answers and let me know where you think I'm off. Check out Rock M Nation later this evening for the roundup.

1. The game between Texas Tech and Texas got the Big 12 in the national eye early in the season. If your team was approached with this opportunity (or for Tech and Texas, approached again), would you accept and reap the benefits of the exposure, or decline because of the potential pitfalls of playing a conference foe so early in the season?

I don't think that you have to play conference games early in the season to get exposure; you just have to play someone worth covering. Oklahoma State had no problem getting media attention by opening the season with Georgia. Oklahoma had plenty of coverage for the BYU game and will get even more for Miami. Nebraska was talked up heavily leading up to their tilt with Virginia Tech. If you don't schedule the directional schools for the poor, blind and mentally week then finding exposure won't be an issue.

This game, while entertaining, was bad for the conference because the late season drama that put the Big 12 Conference in the national spotlight won't happen again because one of the biggest games on the calendar has already come and gone and that's where it hurts. Late in the season when Texas and Texas Tech are fighting for national rankings and a possible BCS birth instead of playing each other the Longhorns are going to be playing Central Florida and the Red Raiders are off. The voters will have to be reminded of this game instead of having it fresh on their minds.

2. Some of the Big 12 teams are starting to become known quantities, but there are still a few teams that most of us can't quite measure. Which team in the Big 12 do you consider the biggest enigma right now?

I can't figure out Missouri. At times they look every bit as good as we've seen over the past two seasons but then there was that whole Bowling Green debacle. We'll find out soon enough though. After a trip to Nevada this weekend the next three for the Tigers are Nebraska, Oklahoma State and Texas.

3. What did you learn about your team in Week 3, and what questions has your team failed to answer at this point of the season?

It appears that Oklahoma has found another receiving target in Brandon Caleb. That is a big necessity for the Sooners who have the nation's leader in touchdown receptions in Ryan Broyles but needed another option to keep the pressure off. I would still like to see them use the tight end though and am hopeful that will come in the near future.

4. There aren't exactly a whole lot of marquee matchups in Week 4. Which Big 12 game this week not involving your team piques your interest the most?

The only game on the schedule featuring a Big 12 team is Texas Tech at Houston. The Cougar offense had their way with Oklahoma State and even though they surrendered 35 points to the potent OSU offensive attack but mounted a comeback by scoring three fourth quarter touchdowns to win 45-35. Texas Tech could be in for a dogfight. All the other games with Big 12 schools are dogs and should offer free admission.

5. Give us your Offensive Player of the Week, Defensive Player of the Week, and Surprise (team, individual, coaching decision, etc. Whatever you want it to be...) of the Week.

Offensive Player of the Week: Landry Jones (QB Oklahoma) - 25-37, 336 Yards, 6 TD's, 2 INT's

Defensive Player of the Week: Donald Booker (LB OSU) - 10 total tackles, 51 yard fumble return for touchdown.

Surprise of the Week: Texas Tech Defense

6. Power Poll! Rank the teams from 1-12 based on which team would win on a neutral field.

Texas

Kansas

Oklahoma

Texas Tech

Nebraska

Missouri

Oklahoma State

Baylor

Texas A&M

Iowa State

Kansas State

Colorado

SB Nation Big 12 Roundtable - Week 4

GhostofBigRoy — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 02:49:57 -0000

Hosted this week at Rock M Nation, BON is once again a little late jumping into the Big 12 Roundtable.

I think it probably depends on the complexion of the team that season. With an experienced, seasoned team like Texas has this season, it's not as much of a concern -- in fact, facing a new Texas Tech quarterback in his first road start was probably a big advantage for the Longhorns. And that's not a dig at Taylor Potts, who was outstanding during the game, but the Longhorns could have had much more trouble with a battle-tested Red Raider squad at the end of a tough four-game stretch later in the season.

If ESPN comes along next season with a similar plan, though, when the Longhorns will be breaking in their own first-year starter, it would probably make more sense to decline and play the game later in the season. A school like Texas doesn't need the exposure nearly as much as, say, some of the teams in the North Division, so it's probably not worthwhile to risk a conference loss early in the season that has a much better chance of being a win later in the year.

I think it might be Oklahoma. Brandon Caleb has emerged as a solid no. 2 receiver and the offensive line has cut down on their mistakes since the BYU game, but I don't think anyone really knows quite how good this team is right now. If Bradford comes back healthy, are they really one of the top teams in the country, as many thought heading into the season? Or will the lack of playmaking at receiver, the offensive line play, and the sub-par secondary end up haunting Oklahoma and resulting in three of four losses this season? I'm not sure if people who follow the team much more closely than I could answer that question.

3. What did you learn about your team in Week 3, and what questions has your team failed to answer at this point of the season?

The victory over Tech provided two major lessons about the current Texas team: 1) the Longhorns have a championship-level defense and showed much more playmaking ability than last season, and 2) the offense, as Mack Brown said after the game, is still a work in progress. The first lesson isn't a major surprise considering the expectations of growth from the entire unit, but the second is more surprising given the return of the great majority of the offense.

As far as a major question that the Longhorns still need to answer, I think that would have to be the running game. Once again, a running back who wasn't even on the depth chart to start the season has emerged as the starter -- Tre' Newton. It's a positive development given his versatility, but there are still some concerns about the scheme and the ability of the offensive line to consistently block well in the running game. A related problem? The fact that the counter is about the only running play Texas is consistently executing well.

4. There aren't exactly a whole lot of marquee matchups in Week 4. Which Big 12 game this week not involving your team piques your interest the most?

Easily Texas Tech against Houston -- that game could last about five hours with all the passing. Can Houston pull off another big upset against a Big 12 team? Is Taylor Potts really as good as he looked against Texas last week? I think the answer may be yes to both of those questions, but one thing there isn't a question about is that this will be an entertaining, high-scoring affair worth watching.

5. Give us your Offensive Player of the Week, Defensive Player of the Week, and Surprise (team, individual, coaching decision, etc. Whatever you want it to be...) of the Week.

Offensive Player of the Week --I spent some time trying to find someone other than Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones, but it looks like he really did have the best week of any offensive player in the conference. He broke the school record for touchdown passes with six -- no easy feat considering the numbers put up by Jason White and Sam Bradford -- and completed 67% of his passes for 336 yards. An impressive performance in only his second start at the college level and it looks like the Sooners will be in capable hands at the very least until Bradford returns from his shoulder injury. Plus, he's got an awesome mustache. Is it more impressive and/or dirtier than Taylor Potts' Doc Holiday 'stache? Now that's a tough question...

Defensive Player of the Week -- Gonna have to stay at home with this one -- Roddrick Muckelroy. The senior linebacker had perhaps his best game as a Longhorn, almost single-handedly stopping the Tech running game on his way to racking up 10 tackles (two for loss), a sack, two quarterback pressures, and a pass broken up. Perhaps one of the most underappreciated players not only on his own team, but also in the entire Big 12, Muckelroy is an exremely savvy football player who spends a ton of time in the film wood and can really lay some wood.

Surprise Player of the Week -- Uzoma Nwachukwu. The freshman wide receiver known around the A&M program as "EZ" certainly made scoring the football look easy against Utah State. Sure, it was Utah State, but scoring four touchdown on only four touches it isn't easy for any player against any level of competition. A tall, rangy ahtlete from Allen High School whom Texas considered until deciding to stick with Greg Timmons as the only receiver in the 2009 class, Nwakchukwu took advantage of the injury to star receiver Jeff Fuller by scoring on a 39-yard run and touchdown catches of 35, 16, and 50 yards. Talk about

6. Power Poll! Rank the teams from 1-12 based on which team would win on a neutral field.

Texas
Oklahoma State
Oklahoma
Kansas
Texas Tech
Missouri
Nebraska
Baylor
Texas A&M
Colorado
Kansas State
Iowa State