SB Nation - Brody Eldridge

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.

Mark Mangino's Nebraska Strategy: Hold On Every Play (Good vs Evil Edition)

Cobby — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:23:10 -0000

Late last night in Lawrence, Kansas, a large man is wracking his brain for answers.....

So.... how you going to handle them?

Who?

Don't pretend. I know what you're thinking.

I don't know what you're talking about.

Fine, we'll play it your way. Ndamukong Suh and Jared Crick, Nebraska's defensive tackles. 14 sacks, 23 tackles for loss between them. Best set of interior linemen in the nation. What are you going to do about them?

We'll move Reesing around, double-team Suh when we can, keep in a blocker, run some screens and draws. We can deal with it.

Have you seen what these guys have done? Blaine Gabbert hasn't been the same since Suh squashed his ankle, that Sheffield kid from Tech is missing games because of a foot injury, and last week Oklahoma lost two players for the season, including their best blocker Brody Eldridge. How are you going to handle them?

Hell, I don't know. Got any suggestions?

Hold them on every play.

We can't get away with that.

Sure you can. Why not?

The penalties will kill us.

Ha!!!! Big 12 refs have barely called holding on these guys all year, why would they start now?

But....

Plus, you have a good reputation for penalties. If they start calling it too much, you remind them how swell your guys are.... and how nasty Pelini can be.....

What's going on here...?

Nothing.
Nothing.

I can read his mind too, you know. This sounds a little.....

A little....?

..... a little like cheating.

Cheating? It's only holding if they call it. Everybody holds. Right coach?

...

Besides that..... he's protecting the health of his players.

That's a rationalization. People do that all the time.... do something they know is wrong, but rationalize it away. You really wouldn't do that would you, Coach Mangino?

pssst... you ever notice how angels kind of look like pastry?

Yeah..... pastry...... (inhales sharply, angel disappears)

Whoaaaaaa, took care of that problem!!!!

What were you saying.... how can we get away with this?

Q & A With Crimson And Cream Machine

Beergut — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:37:39 -0000

We preview our game with the Oklahoma Sooners by asking a few questions of Crimson and Cream Machine, SB Nation's excellent Oklahoma blog. Thanks to moderator ccmachine for his answers and insight into the Sooner program.

1. I thought after the 2005 season, Stoops would have learned his lesson, and y'all wouldn't have to go through a wholesale 'rebuild' season where you suffer a serious dropoff from previous seasons. Granted, you can't win the Big 12 every single year, and three in a row is a nice run, but do you have any thoughts on why Stoops & Staff weren't able to have adequate replacements ready to step up this season, particularly on the offensive line?

This seems to be more of a question of ignorance than anything else. What lesson was Stoops to learn from `05 that would have prepared him for the rash of injuries in `09? With yesterday’s injury to offensive lineman Jarvis Jones, making him doubtful for Saturday, the Sooners have now lost over half of their offensive unit to injury. What coach has a contingency plan for that?

Sam Bradford was the one who took most of the reps in preseason camp and this season was supposed to be spent prepping Landry Jones for next year. Instead Bradford is done and Jones has been thrown into the fire. The guy that was supposed to be behind Bradford transferred to Michigan State after losing out on the starting position which left just freshmen in the fold after Joey Halzle graduated last season. We knew the linemen wouldn’t be as good as last year but it also appears that not all 4-Star recruits are as good as advertised. That goes for receivers as well. Adron Tennell was a highly touted 4-Star guy coming out of high school. Now we know why he’s been riding the pine for his entire career.

2. Injuries have ravaged your team, with All-Americans Sam Bradford and Jermaine Gresham being lost for the season. Brody Eldridge and Auston English are now out for the season after the Nebraska game. Is it just bad luck this year, or do you think there is an issue on the S&C program that is leading to more injuries this year?

We call it the curse of Andre Ware! It has nothing to do with the strength and conditioning program. Bob Stoops has never suffered a rash of injuries like this and his strength and conditioning system has been in place since 1999.

3. All Aggies are familiar with DeMarco Murray, Chris Brown, and Ryan Broyles. We've watched Landry Jones attempt to replace Sam Bradford's production in the OU offense. Who is an offensive player we might not know about who could be a key contributor on Saturday?

DeJuan Miller (#24) has really come on lately. I have not idea why he didn’t play against Texas but since he entered into the starting lineup against Baylor the Red River Shootout is the only game where he didn’t receive a significant amount of playing time. He’s slowly moving his way up the ladder in receiving yards and earning the trust of Landry Jones as the second option at receiver.

4. Who is the A&M player you are most worried about on offense or defense?

On offense you can’t ignore what Jerrod Johnson is doing. He is quietly putting together the best season of any Big 12 quarterback by completing over 60% of his passes with a Big 12-best 21 touchdowns to just 4 interceptions.
Just as impressive on defense is Von Miller who leads the Big 12 in sacks with 15.5. He’ll be going up against a hodge-podge offensive line and will no doubt live in Oklahoma ’s backfield.

5. What does A&M need to do to pull the upset?

All they have to do is score more points. Yes, I realize that is a plain answer but its also a simple plan. The Aggies will struggle against Oklahoma ’s defense but conversely Oklahoma ’s offense is really hurting and may still struggle to score despite the Aggies being dead last in the Big 12 when it comes to scoring defense.

6. OU has been ridiculously tough at home under Bob Stoops. What do the Aggies need to do to take the crowd out of the game?

OU fans are already disgruntled with the offense so the longer the Aggies can keep Landry Jones and company at bay the more you’ll see and hear grumbling from within the stadium.

7. Score prediction.

OU’s offense is bad but A&M’s defense is worse. I like the Sooners 27-10.

Corn Flakes: NU's Offense- Just like a sick 2 year old!

JLew — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:37:46 -0000

Seems that my son CLew may have mono. Only in little kids it doesn't make them tired, just unable to go to school and have a high temp. The Sports Guy was right, having kids sucks, but you get just enough awesome moments to make it worth all the suck. That's kinda like NU's offense... New tagline- "Nebraska's Offense- Just like having a sick 2-year old!"

Lots more happening today-

Kansas vs Nebraska Tale of the Tape - Rock Chalk Talk
Kansas vs Nebraska Tale of the Tape. KU's offense looks way better but has been struggling the last few games

Life in the Red's Blog | West earns Blackshirt

Life in the Red's Blog | Three keys versus Kansas
Physical offensive play (I-Formation); Watch out for broken plays (Reesing to Meyer); No letdown (Texas Tech style)

Omaha.com - The Omaha World-Herald: Big Red Today - KU is flat without Sharp
KU also knows what it's like to lose their starting RB. But even with Sharp can KU run the ball?

For KU seniors, season is not what they hoped it would be - KansasCity.com
This really seemed to be KU's year. You have to wonder what they can do once this senior class is gone.

Can Nebraska become the new D-Line U? - Nebraska Football
BRN wonders if this may be coming. It does seem like this is how Bo wants to build the defense and the team.

The HeismanPundit.com Heisman Poll, 11/10
Ndamukong Suh comes in at #7. We all know he can't win it, but a top five finish would be good, eh? - CB

Life in the Red's Blog | Suh a Lott semifinalist
Almost forget this link, he's getting so many it's hard to keep track of them all.

What to watch in the Big 12, Week 11 - Big 12 - ESPN

4. Kansas redshirt freshman starting guard Trevor Marrongelli: He’ll get his second career start against Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. It will be a tall order against Suh, who had 12 tackles, three tackles for losses and 2.5 sacks last season against a blocker with far more experience for Kansas. Suh even added a rushing touchdown late in the game last year to punctuate his breakout game. His candidacy for the Outland Trophy, other individual awards and maybe even the Heisman Trophy might hit overdrive Saturday competing against such a novice opponent.

5. Which Nebraska quarterback emerges against Kansas? Cody Green struggled in five three-and-out possessions against Oklahoma before he was pulled by Bo Pelini. Zac Lee wasn’t much better, but the Cornhuskers moved the ball well enough to score 10 points with him in control to claim the gritty victory. Will Pelini go back to Lee after starting Green for the last two games? Or will he continue to start the more athletic Green, who should be able to run better against the less-imposing Kansas defense than against the Sooners. Whoever starts will be vital as the Cornhuskers attempt to claim their fourth straight conference road game for the first time since 1999-2000 and take another step to their first Big 12 North title since 2006.

Redshirt freshman vs Suh? I'd be excited but I assume that a double team will take care of him....

Big 12 predictions, Week 11 - Big 12 - ESPN
Nebraska 21, Kansas 16: Back in the summer, this was one of the most highly anticipated games of the conference for this season. Kansas’ recent four-game losing streak has diminished that excitement, but the Cornhuskers still need to win to keep their title hopes alive. Nebraska struggled offensively against Oklahoma, but likely won’t be tested as much in this game. Todd Reesing’s recent turnover binge has been the primary culprit in the Jayhawks’ recent skid, and they’ll be facing perhaps their toughest defensive challenge of that gauntlet when the Cornhuskers visit.

Huskers pick up juco tight end in wake of OU win
Not a big position of need, but when a player like this is available you take him. He has 3 years to play 3. DXP has been slacking and doesn't have anything up about him yet.

Nebraska nabs five commitments after impressive weekend win
We got a bunch of new recruits after Oklahoma....... Chase, Tobi, Jay, Joshua, and Jake. - CB

Griffin Earns Spot in ESPN Top Five
Kelsey Griffin was recognized as one of the nation's top five power forwards by ESPN.com.

Make a Wish Radio-Thon - CD 105.9 Classic Rock - KKCD-FM Omaha, Nebraska
No radio appearance for me this week as Steve King will be doing a show to raise money for Make A Wish Thursday/Friday. - CB

A Bad Season Gets Worse - Two More Major Injuries

Brody Eldridge and Auston English will be out for the season for OU. These are the 3rd and 4th starters that have had their seasons cut short, and the 8th and 9th starters that have been injured for the Sooners this season.

Playing Nebraska continues to take a toll on our opponents. We could put a list together on the number of players injured during or after our games.... someone want to volunteer? - CB

Boise State Broncos go public with athletic program, will sell stock shares to anyone, everyone

Boise State Broncos to sell shares of athletics program to the public. Are you in?

What do you guys think of this? Obviously.... a fundraising gimmick, but does it turn you off? or on? - CB

Janzen Jackson, Nu'Keese Richardson, Michael Edwards Arrested on Charges of Armed Robbery
Bad things happened in Tennessee. Armed Robbery? Wow..... that's about as stupid as you can get. eeesss eeeee cccccc!!! - CB

Two News Links For Tuesday

Beergut — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:47:27 -0000

UPDATE: Per Crimson and Cream Machine, DE Auston English is now also out for our game, and the rest of the season, with a ruptured tendon in his ankle.

A lifeless loss to Kansas State. An inspiring win at Texas Tech. A dominating win against improving Iowa State. A fourth-quarter meltdown against lowly Colorado.

Texas A&M (5-4, 2-3 Big 12) has produced puzzling results in the last month, flashing Top 25 potential at times and sputtering at key moments in others.

Apparently, Chris Duncan of the Associated Press thinks we're inconsistent. It amazes me that members of the sports media can't make the connection between playing lots of freshmen and inconsistency. One of the hallmarks of youth in sports is that you're going to get inconsistent results. I guess it is asking too much for Duncan or other writers to actually thnk before they write, though. The irony is that we didn't lose the Colorado game because we are inconsistent, this team has been fairly consistent in that they have a stellar offense and a poor defense. We lost to Colorado because we failed to do the little things that make sure you don't lose the game, like protect the football. Two turnovers in the fourth quarter ultimately doomed us.

In other important news, Sooner left guard Brody Eldridge is out for the game Saturday after injuring his shoulder against Nebraska last Saturday. Per Bob Stoops and offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson, Eldridge has been OU's highest graded lineman this season. Hopefully, our interior DL will be able to get a push against OU, and put some pressure on Landry Jones. NT Eddie Brown had a sack against Colorado Saturday, his third of the season, so hopefully the light is beginning to turn on for him. Five of our seven sacks were by either DL or Jack linebackers(Von Miller had two sacks, Matt Featherston had one), so hopefully that bodes well for our defensive front this Saturday. Landry Jones doesn't appear to be as mobile as Tyler Hansen is, so hopefully we'll be able to get more pressure on him.

Mizzou Links, 11-10-09

Bill C. — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:46:03 -0000

No, I'm not linking to the "I quit you, Pinkel" column at the Maneater...when that dude grows up and actually learns something about how college football works, he's going to want to forget he wrote that, so I'll help him by further allowing it to disappear into the ether...

And we'll talk more about the "halftime adjustments" concept in the Baylor BTBS post later today...

Media Day Links

MUtigers.com: Official Release!
Blaine Gabbert threw for 468 yards and 2 TDs on the day, with the yardage total ranking as second-highest in MU single-game history – just 12 yards off the MU record of 480 set in 1992 at Oklahoma State by Jeff Handy. Gabbert’s main accomplice was Danario Alexander, who torched the Baylor defense for a career-high 13 catches for 214 yards, including a career-long 84-yard TD that helped stake Mizzou to a 27-16 halftime lead. Gabbert was 21-of-27 in the 1st half for 322 yards, and ended 30-of-51.

Alexander’s yardage total was the 4th-highest in MU single-game history, and it marked only the 5th 200-yard receiving game in Mizzou annals (the yardage record is 236, set twice by Justin Gage).

When Baylor was able to keep the ball out of Alexander’s hands, Jared Perry was the benefactor, as he got free for 7 catches for 145 yards of his own.

The 359 combined yards by the Alexander-Perry combo ranks as the most for a 1-2 duo in MU single-game history. That eclipsed the former mark of 314 yards set in 1992 (in the same Oklahoma State game where Jeff Handy set the single-game passing yardage mark) by Kenny Holly (15-158, 1 TD) and Victor Bailey (11-156).
MUtigers.com: Tigers Meet the Press
Lots of talk on Monday about in-game adjustments, especially with Yost and Gabbert. We'll touch on this topic more as the week continues, but here's how Pinkel addressed criticism of Missouri's halftime adjustments, or lack thereof: "I've always said this: If you’re waiting 'til halftime to make adjustments, you’re probably not a very good coach. We’re on headsets all the time. We’re talking to each other in-between every series. So, I’ve always said that’s very, very, very overrated. And I’ll stick with that."
Yost explained that making adjustments on the fly before and during a game are a never-ending process. He said Baylor played exactly the style of defense the coaches had expected and prepared for and made some very subtle adjustments in the second half that MU also expected and countered against. Yost also thoroughly explained his game-day routine from kickoff through halftime and up until the first kickoff of the second half. By the minute. And, like Pinkel, Yost faulted himself and said he needs to do a better job of game-planning and play-calling. He's exasperated with the second-half struggles and is trying to diagnose what's causing those breakdowns.
The Trib (Dave Matter): Tigers Meet the Press
The Missourian: Pinkel: Missouri football not waiting until halftime to make adjustments
PowerMizzou: Pinkel, Snyder break down the matchup
PowerMizzou: PMTV: Tigers answer the tough questions

Double-T Nation Daily Diatribe :: 11.10.09

Seth C — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:42:04 -0000

What's Cool and What's Not Cool: I'm working on a post (maybe tomorrow or Thursday) to let everyone know what you can and what you cannot use as far as subscription based material. I'll mention this later, but the basic rule is that if you're disclosing information straight from a subscription based service then you'd be doing me a favor in not posting it. If you can find information creatively or hear information on the radio or receive a text message then feel free to post.

Part of the reason I try to be so careful is that I'm merely an independent contractor with SBN, which means that although I have plenty of technical support, a tremendous platform to write, and I think the network would have my back on some issues, but should I get sued individually, I'm on my own. To get sued would be a stretch for this type of stuff and to be honest I have a good working relationship with the guys from RRS.com, but I'd really prefer not to have to hire an attorney and pay for a legal defense if it ever comes to that.

It's really about my own self-preservation more than anything else. DTN is a hobby in the purest sense of the word and I don't ever want to be involved in any sort of lawsuit for something that I consider fun. This is why it's just easier to delete stuff or constantly warn you guys about what I think is appropriate or not appropriate.

And last, but not least, one of the reasons I started DTN because I did not and still do not pay for any subscription. I wanted an outlet and I thought others might want an outlet too. The thing about information is that there will almost always be a first person to break the story, but in today's world, if the story is truly big, it's going to break much sooner than a few years ago. Personally, I'm willing to wait to find out the information for free. Sure, it would be great to know, but DTN has never broken any news and probably never will. If you're visiting DTN for breaking Texas Tech news and can't live without that information then you may want to join one of the services.

Starting QB a Super Secret: FWST's Dwain Price writes that head coach Mike Leach is being coy about who will start and play at quarterback this week:

"We’ll see how it is comes [today]," Leach said, when asked about having Sheffield back at practice this week. "It always is good to have more options. The more the merrier."

And Price talked with WR Alexander Torres who thinks that QB Steven Sheffield is still playing tentatively:

"I know Sheffield, his leg is still tentative," wide receiver Alex Torres said Monday. "I don’t know exactly the whole injury situation and what’s the deal with that, but right now I’m not too sure what [the starting quarterback spot is] going to look like."

Swinging Your Sword: LAJ's Don Williams and DT's Alex Ybarra both write about Captain Mike Leach's improvisation abilities in his appearance in Friday Night Lights (there's NewsChannel 11 video after the jump). Leach tried to improvise:

"It was kind of scripted and then it was kind of, ‘Well, here’s the scenario; do what you want,’ ’’ Leach said. "’Include this, this, this and this.’ Actually, in the original (filming), there’s stuff about Napoleon, Daniel Boone, grizzly bears, raccoons, a bunch of stuff. We covered a lot of bases, and they picked from what they wanted.’’

There's also the mention that Leach grabbed the burrito from the coach's hand, however, this did not make the cut. CB Jamar Wall said that Leach's speech to the coach in his truck lasted only 60 seconds, but the real deal can last for a while:

"We’ve definitely had that,’’ senior cornerback Jamar Wall said. "One meeting (this year), that’s all we did was talk about waving the sword one way or another. They just got a small taste of it. We got hours of it.’’

And Leach also talks about finding and testing your inner pirate:

"I think it’s always tested,’’ he said. "I think it’s tested in practice. I think it’s tested individually and team-wise. I think you’ve got to keep battling away. You don’t ever want there to be a level of resignation where (players think), ‘Oh well, that’s it.’

"If you don’t enjoy the battle, and if you don’t enjoy going from one point to the next, you’re kind of in the wrong business. Football’s just designed to have one obstacle after the next. That’s why it exists to begin with. There’s going to be ups and downs, but you’ve got to enjoy battling it every day, I think.’’

Many Love the Pirate: LAJ's Adam Zuvanich has a note book of sorts, but during yesterday's teleconference many coaches were asked about Leach's impact on the Big 12. Here's OU's Bob Stoops:

"I’m just excited for Mike," said Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops, who hired Leach to be his first offensive coordinator with the Sooners in 1999. "He has done a great job there with Tech, and he did a great job for us the first year he was here. I obviously felt he could be a head coach when I hired him, and that was my words to him: ‘If he did a good job at Oklahoma, he’d have the opportunity to be a head coach.’ But I didn’t know it would be the first year. He’s a done a great job, and all of us still keep in touch with Mike and we’re happy for him."

And Mizzou's Gary Pinkel:

"We certainly stole some ideas six, seven years ago to try to build my program here at Mizzou," Pinkel said. "… He’s a great football coach, and the proof is the consistency with how he wins."

Oklahoma St. Cowboy and Big 12 Links: The Tulsa World talks with head coach Mike Gundy about Texas Tech . . . Crimson and Cream Machine's dishingoutdimes on Auston English and Brody Eldridge being out for the rest of the year . . . NewsOK's John Helsley with an OSU notebook . . . NewsOK's Brandon Chatmon writes that Oklahoma St. defensive coordinator Bill Young has had success in holding the Texas Tech offense . . . Tulsa World's Dave Sittler also writes about Bill Young and his effect on the Cowboys . . . LAJ's Adam Zuvanich looks back at Texas Tech's last visit to Stillwater . . . DT's Adam Coleman on the 2009 version of the Big 12 not being as glamorous the 2008 version . . .

Honoring Veterans: The opening game between Texas Tech and South Dakota is going to be honoring this country's veterans and first responders. I'm sure that you guys are anxiously waiting on my preview for this game, but you'll have to wait until Friday. I know, I'm a sorry S.O.B.

Promised video:

A Bad Season Gets Worse - Two More Major Injuries

dishingoutdimes — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:40:19 -0000

More photos » by Tony Gutierrez - AP

Brody Eldridge, shown here, was one of the Sooners' best blockers. He gets added to a long list of injuries for OU. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Browse more photos »

Brody Eldridge, considered OU's best all-around blocker, and Auston English, a standout defensive end, are both out for the season according to Bob Stoops.

In a cruel twist of irony, Eldridge wound up with almost exactly the same injury as Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Sam Bradford. The Oklahoman explains:

Eldridge suffered an AC sprain to his shoulder, similar to the injury that eventually knocked quarterback Sam Bradford out for the year. Eldridge tried to come back and play with the injury in the third quarter but only lasted a series.

Auston English, meanwhile, ruptured a tendon in his ankle in the first quarter. He will undergo season ending surgery on Tuesday morning.

This makes 9 OU starters that have been injured on the year, and four that have had their seasons cut short.

You hate to make excuses for poor performance, but this is just getting absurd.

Since OU Doesn’t Throw To Him Can Brody Eldridge Just Stay On The Line?

ccmachine — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 05:34:59 -0000

Brody Eldridge started at center for Oklahoma when they played BYU to open the season. In that game he recorded more knockdown blocks than any other OU lineman while delivering a performance that resulted in Oklahoma coaches calling him a star. Saturday against the Longhorns Eldridge once again returned to the offensive line by filling in for injured left guard Brian Simmons. Against the Longhorns the coaches said that he didn't miss a single assignment. Basically Oklahoma's two best performances on the offensive line have come from a converted fullback/tight end.

In between the season opener and last week's game against Texas Brody Eldridge started four games at tight end. As Oklahoma's starting tight end he's caught two passes for 19 yards. That's the same number of catches as Jermie Calhoun and James Hanna. I don't know, where do you think he's more useful?

Oklahoma's offensive line has been pathetic this season. They've given up seven quarterback sacks; they can't create holes for running backs to go up the middle. Inside the 10 yardline they get overpowered and instead of tough and physical they would probably be better described as finesse. Brody Eldridge seems to be able to bring the attitude and deliver the type of performance that's been missing from Oklahoma's offensive linemen. So why not just keep him there? Especially if he's only going to catch two passes!

Yes, I do understand that there is more to playing the tight end position than just catching the ball. As with all offensive positions blocking is essential. DeMarco Murray even commented about how much difference it makes having Eldridge out on the edge when he's running but in a spread attack like Oklahoma is prone to run you literally could run anyone out there and they could give the type of production that that Oklahoma's tight ends have. The same can't be said of Eldridge's contributions to the offensive line. If someone else could do it better then they would be by now.

Five Reasons For Concern Against The Baylor Bears

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

More photos » by Jose Yau - AP

Browse more photos »

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.