Crimson And Cream Machine :: An Unofficial Oklahoma Sooners Blog

It's pretty simple for Oklahoma this weekend. They need to win to get into the conference tournament. They are fighting for their lives against O-State. A sweep by Oklahoma State in the Bedlam Series this weekend would most likely mean that OU is left out. We all need to be Kansas Jayhawk fans this weekend as well. A Kansas sweep over Kansas State would be huge but OU would still have to watch out for Texas Tech if they weren't able to score any Bedlam wins.

Game 1: Friday 7:30 p.m.
Game 2: Saturday 7:35 p.m.
Game 3: Sunday 4:00 p.m.

The first two games of the series can be seen live on Fox Sports Southwest (Cox Ch. 37 in OKC) with Chad McKee calling the play-by-play and Dave Garrett on color analysis.

On Saturday, the Sooner Sports Network will televise game two from AT&T Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City. The game can be seen live on Cox Ch. 7 in OKC and Cox Ch. 3 in Tulsa. Brian Brinkley and Kenny Mossman will provide the on-air talent. The game will also be shown live in Enid (KXOK), Lawton (KSWX), Ponca City (KTEW), Woodward (KOMI) and in Kansas City (Metro Sports).

Okay this may not mean beans to anyone else but my son will be heading to OU in three weeks for football camp. We got all of his registration and papers completed and he'll be in quarterback camp. He played quarterback for his junior high football team last fall as a 6th grader and we are looking forward to seeing his progress this fall.

Hopefully I'll have some good photos and stories to pass on after he starts camp.

The most irritating I hear from Sooner fans and haters alike is that Bob Stoops is overrated and that the name "Big Game Bob" came way too prematurely. Well let's think about that for a minute. Since taking over the OU football program in 1999 Stoops' Troops have averaged 11 wins to just two losses per season. He's piled up 5 Big 12 Championships (more than any coach in the conference) and has made 6 BCS bowl game appearances (again more than any coach in the conference).

However four consecutive BCS Bowl losses have fans questioning Coach Stoops' merit and that is what irks me the most. Not the fact that OU has suffered consecutive BCS losses to LSU, USC, Boise State and West Virginia but because a small minority of the fan base want to know what's wrong with the coach and some (the mentally unstable) have even suggested it might be time for a change.

I'm not naïve enough to say that the coaching staff doesn't need to look at how they are preparing for bowl games but I think there is a different issue here. Sit back get a tall glass of ice tea and let this sink in for a minute. OU's coach hasn't changed as much as the fan's expectations have! As Sooner fans we are one of the most radical fan bases in all of college football and when a coach gives us a BCS Championship in just his second season and then a Rose Bowl win in his fourth to end a string of three consecutive bowl wins we absolutely go nuts!

In our mind every game should be a win and losing is simply unacceptable. When we adopt that mentality a loss can quickly overshadow the accomplishments of the season as a whole. Let's look at 2007 as our most recent example. The season ended in disaster with the 48-28 loss to West Virginia. That was a bad loss in a big game and there was plenty of blame to go around but if we are going to put sole responsibility on the shoulders of the coaches then we have to give them full credit for getting the team there.

Was the Miami game in Norman not a big game? We all thought it was going in but after OU dismantled the Hurricanes 51-13 many fans chose to take credit away from the Sooners and say that Miami wasn't a quality opponent anymore. I wonder if they'll be thinking the same thing when the Sooners return the trip to South Florida?

What about the Texas game? Coming off a 27-24 loss to Colorado in the first conference game of the season it was do or die for the Sooners going into the Cotton Bowl. Bob Stoops put Mack Brown back in his place with a 28-21 win over the Longhorns to win for the 6th time in 8 years and pave the way for another South Division Title.

The next week Missouri came to town in a match-up that most people around the country were rightly calling a preview of the conference championship game. Wasn't that game big? OU established itself as the best team in the conference with a 41-31 win over the Tigers.

How about Bedlam? Don't tell me that isn't a big game because it would be huge if the Sooners lost it. You can't have it both ways! Sooners run over the Cowboys 49-17!

Then there was Oklahoma's biggest game in 2007. No, not the Fiesta Bowl. I'm talking about the Big 12 Championship Game. It was a rematch against Missouri and all the talk coming from the Tigers was that the first game in Norman was a fluke. Missouri was the #1 team in the country and Oklahoma cruised to their second consecutive conference championship (first Big 12 team to ever do so) with a 38-17 win.

Then they go to Glendale with three starters on defense and two of their main offensive weapons missing and lose to the Big East Champions. It begs the question, what did OU really lose that night? They didn't lose the Big 12 Championship. They didn't lose to the number one team in the country. They didn't even lose the biggest game of the season. In the end there was nothing at stake and all they really lost was the Fiesta Bowl to a very good team. I would even challenge that the Colorado and Texas Tech losses were worse.

Bob Stoops has elevated the Oklahoma football program back to the point where they are playing the best teams in the country in post-season bowl games. When you reach that point you run the risk of facing teams that are better than you. Should the reputation of a coach be tarnished for that? After all it does take a big game coach to get you there!

I hate this time of the year! Living with the anticipation of the upcoming football season, followed by the hope of basketball and then the current disappointment with Sooner baseball can drive a person insane. That said there is some pertinent news out there about Oklahoma athletics but just enough for a few comments and not a full post.

I mentioned on Monday that Keith Nichol should look into transferring to Michigan but Eric Pate of the Detroit Free Press disagrees. Coincidently he paints Nichol as being a drop back passer and not necessarily a scrambling quarterback.

ESPN breaks down the Big 12 South pointing out the fact that spring ball answered questions about the secondary, Ryan Broyles and Keenan Clayton. It also raised questions about Sam Bradford, defensive identity and Ryan Reynolds at middle linebacker.

As the 2008 football season approaches (at a snail's pace) three more Oklahoma football players have been added a postseason award watch list. Defensive end Auston English, defensive tackle DeMarcus Granger and safety Nic Harris were among 88 players named to the watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, given to college football's defensive player of the year.

Despite missing three games with a fractured ankle English led the Big 12 in sacks last season.

Granger had 35 tackles and earned second-team All-Big 12 honors. Don't get me started on him not playing in the Fiesta Bowl!

Harris was first-team All-Big 12 after recording 74 tackles, forcing two fumbles and intercepting two passes.

Reader E-Mail: CC Machine,
What does this weekend's win over Kansas State in baseball mean for the Sooners in regards to Oklahoma making the Big 12 Tournament? I guess what I'm asking is, are they in?

Mike L.
Tulsa, OK

The OU baseball team scored a 2-1 series win over the Kansas State Wildcats this past weekend and if the season ended today would make the Big 12 Tournament as the 8th seed. Unfortunately the season doesn't end today and the Sooners are still very much in danger of missing the conference tournament.

Because the Sooners didn't sweep the Wildcats there is still a freaky scenario in which Oklahoma would be watching instead of playing in Bricktown in two weeks. Oklahoma (8th place) is only separated by one game from Kansas (7th place) and Kansas State (9th place). That means if OU is swept by O-State and the Wildcats win just one game against the Jayhawks or if the Sooners take a game against the Cowboys and Kansas State takes two from Kansas the Sooners are left out.

Bottom line is that OU must stay a game ahead of the Wildcats in the final weekend of conference play. That means that for every game the Sooners win Kansas State must win two. The only way to guarantee an entrance into tournament is to win two of three from the Cowboys. The worst case scenario would be for a Bedlam sweep by the Cowboys and unfortunately that seems like the most likely scenario.

The weekend news of Keith Nichol's plan to transfer shouldn't really be a shock to anyone. Despite being extremely athletic and highly touted Nichol wasn't just behind Bradford at the quarterback position, he was way behind. He didn't really gain any ground this spring either.

Keith Nichol leaving tells us two things. 1) He really wants to play and came to the realization that it wasn't going to happen at OU. 2) The coaches are very high on freshman Landry Jones.

Nichol was expected to at least compete for the second-string job this spring but after failing to move up from third-string and being pushed by newcomer Landry Jones the writing was pretty much on the wall. Playing time at Oklahoma was a long way off for Nichol. For those reasons I really don't blame him for looking to find another place to play.

As to where he'll go from here Nichol says that "it's wide open" where he will transfer but I would suggest that he look no further than his home state of Michigan. As it stands right now the Michigan Wolverines would most likely enter the 2008 college football season with a senior walk-on at quarterback.

Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez was the mastermind behind West Virginia's spread attack that shredded OU in the Fiesta Bowl. For him to achieve the same success in the Big 10 that he enjoyed in the Big East Rodriguez needs two things. He needs speed at tailback and a quarterback who can make quick decisions, find an open receiver and also tuck the ball and run for 10-15 yards. Maybe I'm crazy but if all the hype surrounding Nichol is legit I think he could be that guy. All he needs is the opportunity for more reps. It looks like Michigan is the place for that to happen.

Yes, I know that it is only May 9th and it seems that football couldn't be more distant on the horizon but then you run across an article like this and suddenly the excitement hits you like a cold splash of water on the face early in the morning.

Tom Dienhart, formerly of The Sporting News, is the new college football writer for rivals.com. He debuts with his early preseason top 10 and while I won't spoil the entire list for you I'll let you know that there are two Big 12 schools on the list and the Sooners are #4.

4. Oklahoma
With QB Sam Bradford and TB DeMarco Murray, the Sooners have the talent - and motivation after losing their past four BCS bowls - to get to their third BCS title game in six seasons.

First, I'd like to say thanks everyone who participated in the spring football roundtable. We had a total of 12 blogs participate and the answers were both informative and entertaining. Here are some of the most interesting and educational quotes from the roundtable discussion. To read the bloggers complete answers click the link following their quote.

1. Who are some of the new faces that emerged in the spring who could be serious playmakers for your team this fall?

Offense: For Texas fans, the question is especially relevant in light of the departure of its three top offensive playmakers to the NFL - Jamaal Charles, Jermichael Finley, and Limas Sweed. For the Sooners in the audience, that means Texas lost its top tailback, tight end, and wide receiver from a season ago.

As far as replacements go, I'm not one who believes there's much (if anything) to be learned from spring practice. With the depth chart supposedly wide open, we won't have a good grasp on who might best become a playmaker for Texas in '08 until late August at the earliest. More realistically, we won't know if Texas has a playmaker problem until conference play begins the first week of October. Players I'll frantically be watching for game-changing ability: John Chiles, DeSean Hales, Malcolm Williams, Vondrell McGee, and Foswhitt Whittaker.

Defense: I'm already in love with this Texas defense, both for how it sets up in 2008 and its potential for dominance in '09. The Longhorns will lose Brian Orakpo (DE), Roy Miller (DT), Aaron Lewis (DT), Rashaad Bobino ('MLB'), and Ryan Palmer (CB) after this year. Orakpo and Miller are potential All-Americans this season, but the rest are either already passed on the depth chart or about to be by younger, better players. By 2009, the optimist in me sees Deon Beasley ready to be a Thorpe candidate, the young Wells-Scott-Thomas trio at safety ready to shine, a terrifying (for opposing offenses) Kindle-Norton-Muck linebacking trio, plenty of talent at defensive end, and only one question mark - at DT. - B.O.N.

Surprisingly, the biggest newcomer was a walk-on. Keithen Valentine rushed for more than 100 yards in the epic, heart-stopping, nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat spring game that ended in a 3-0 White victory. In all seriousness, Valentine looks like a solid addition at running back, which is welcome after the departure of James Johnson. - Bring on the Cats

The biggest "new" face has to be wide receiver Curenski Gilleylen. It looks like it's easier to spell his name than catch him, as he's got speed to burn. If he can consistently catch the ball, he'll provide a deep threat that's been a rather rare commodity. An old face in a new place would be Cody Glenn, who moved from I-back to linebacker and basically won a starting job. (Of course, that's in part due to the lack of depth at linebacker!) Also making an impression at linebacker is senior walk-on Tyler Wortman, who might have been the star of the spring game on defense. And while he's not a "new" face, since we saw a glimpse of him last fall, Roy Helu is going to challenge Marlon Lucky for serious playing time. That might free up Lucky to line him up elsewhere on the field to take full advantage of his speed. - Husker Mike's Blasphmy

Left tackle. Rylan Reed, the starting left tackle for all of last year was injured in Texas Tech's bowl game victory against Virginia. The line struggled in the spring and I think the biggest part is that Reed wasn't in his normal spot. If Reed isn't able to come back then offensive line coach Matt Moore will shuffle the offensive line (at the very least moving Luis Vasquez from left guard to left tackle) to make it work, but it would work so much better with Reed in place at left tackle.
I'm also still concerned about the linebacking corp. I have confidence in certain players, but I'm still not sure the group as a whole has the necessary team speed to compete in the wide-open Big 12. This year is going to be a very big year for this relatively young unit. There's lots of options and I believe there will be plenty of opportunity for guys to step up if anyone struggles. - Double T Nation

The defensive front seven. Injuries and departures not to mention flat out inexperience plagues this bunch. Not to say they will be an entire liability, but they do need to step up. If Ndamukong Suh can come back and regain his former glory, that will help immensely along with the addition of incoming linebacker Will Compton who looks to vie for immediate playing time at MIKE. - Corn Nation

My concern ending last season was the lack of experience we have at offensive line. Four months later I'm still highly concerned about that unit. We have one player returning with more than 4 career starts. - T.A.M.B.I.N.P.O.

3. Any major changes (philosophy, coaching or personnel) that you are concerned about?

No major changes that I have any concern about, just how this team responds to being the hunted rather than the hunter. Mizzou fed off of the "No Respect" card in 2007, and had their most costly loss of the season last year once their opponent could do the same. Last year's team was driven, focused and hungry, thanks primarily to the senior leadership of guys like Martin Rucker, Lorenzo Williams, and Pig Brown. Can guys like Daniel and Weatherspoon keep the intensity, drive and focus in the program? Whether or not they can will go a long way in determining if Mizzou stays nationally relevant into the future. - Rock M Nation

After going 5-7, most NU fans welcome anything new. On offense, things will be pretty consistent with Watson remaining in charge. Though, his brand of ball will be more physical, include some QB run game and more screen passes to wide receivers.
On defense, NU will look a heck of a lot like they did in 2003. This means a 4-3 base, cover 2 zone, and more creative or aggressive blitzes. Not only is Pelini in charge like 2003, but Marvin Sanders is also running the secondary again. You can expect NU defensive backs to be much more willing to play the ball in flight.
The thing that gives us some pause about this staff is recruiting. That was the one thing fans could hang their hat on under Callahan. So, we don't want to see it go away. NU has some good recruiters on staff. We are anxious to see them perform. - Big Red Network

The biggest change over the offseason was the loss of defensive coordinator Bill Young to Miami. However, his replacement, Clint Bowen, was the co-defensive coordinator last season, and rumor has it he actually called the majority of plays throughout the season. So, while there is a new face, the schemes figure to be very similar and there shouldn't be any major change in defensive philosophy.

That would make the change I am most worried about is how we will adjust to the loss of LT Anthony Collins. While we seem to have the athletes and players to compensate for the loss of Aqib Talib, almost every player figured to possibly replace Collins could have really used another year of development. The leader, right now, is freshman Jeff Spikes, with sophomore Ian Wolfe, senior Matt Darton and JUCO transfer Nathan D'Cunha all possible replacements. - Rock Chalk Talk

4. Looking over the 2008 schedule which home and away game are you most concerned about?

As far as home games go, the one that concerns me the most is Kent State, if for no other reason than it will set the early tone for the season. We really should handle SDSU, but a close game or loss to Kent State would likely spell bad news, while a big win could build momentum.
On the road, the UNLV game has the same effect. We could legitimately be 3-0 or 1-2 heading into Las Vegas. Gene Chizik may not even have a road win yet. The Rebs are still pissed about something, I think. The nonconference slate is very important this year if we're legitimately thinking postseason. - Clone Chronicles

Toughest question on the board. I am going to skip the first 8 because lets face it, 5 of the games concern me and they could lose all 5 play at Missouri, Florida State and Kansas and at home versus Texas and West Virginia. So let's say the Buffs are 3 - 5 or maybe 4 - 4 after 8 games. They will have 4 games remaining to get bowl eligible. I think they beat Texas A&M but it is in College Station so it could go either way. For arguments sake let's say they win. Iowa State should be a W. I am concerned about the last two games of the year as I seem them not only as games which get them into a bowl, but games they must win to keep momentum in Boulder and on the recruiting trail. Losing to the Pokes at home and Nebraska on the road would leave them on the outside looking in. This is truly a question that needs to be revisited after the West Virginia game. - The Ralphie Report

5. Time for your way too early predictions (Yes, you can change them in August). Rank how you see your division finishing up this coming season.

1) Oklahoma

Texas
Texas Tech
Texas A&M
Oklahoma State
Baylor

The Red Raiders own a three-game win streak over A&M; if they win this year's tussle in College Station, I see them as the next-in-line behind the South Division's top two teams.

Texas' schedule increases in difficulty from a season ago, and though there exist too many quesion marks to pick the 'Horns for the South, I do like Texas to have a solid season, finishing the year a team no one is eager to play in '09. - B.O.N.

o    Oklahoma
o    Texas Tech
o    Texas
o    Texas A&M
o    Oklahoma State
o    Baylor
- Double T Nation

1.    Mizzou
2.    Kansas
3.    Colorado
4.    Nebraska
5.    Kansas State
6.    Iowa State
- Rock M Nation

1.    Missouri
2.    Kansas
3.    Colorado
4.    Nebraska
5.    Iowa State
6.    Kansas State
Mizzou is clearly the class of the North. Colorado could as easily finish in second or fifth. They were a weird team last year. Kansas State certainly didn't look impressive last year... - Clone Chronicles

Missouri
Who knows?
Who knows?
Who knows?
Who knows?
Who cares?
- Bring on the Cats

Missouri
Nebraska
Colorado
Kansas
Kansas State
Iowa State
- Corn Nation

Wow...way too early, indeed. Right now, we seem to think NU will be in the top part of the division. We have Missouri pegged at the top for good reason, with NU in the second spot. We have Kansas finishing third right now, followed by Colorado. Kansas State and Iowa State round out the North. - Big Red Network

Kansas :: Kind of a homer pick, but there is no way now, in the hopefulness of April, that I'm not picking us to win the division.

Missouri :: They are probably the most talented team in the North, and the game in Arrowhead will almost certainly decide this division.

Colorado :: I think the Buffs will be really good next year, actually. Not really sure why, just a gut-feeling I guess. And the really good recruiting classes.

Nebraska :: Bo Pelini won't ever be able to recapture the old glory days of Dr. Tom Osborne, but he should improve upon the historic lows of the Bill Callahan era.

Iowa State :: This has more to do with the fact that Ron Prince is the coach down in Manhattan than anything about the Clones.

Kansas State :: Their spring game ended with a score of 3-0. No joke. Seriously, how is this team not going to be in last place come November? Unless all of their JUCOS (I think there are about 398) mesh together quickly, they figure to struggle early. And late, I guess. - Rock Chalk Talk

Missouri - Chase Daniel and Jeremy Maclin...enough said.
Kansas - Its tough for me to think that they can do it again but the way Reesing played last year, its hard to vote against them. They did lose two playmakers at CB and WR. Once again, Kansas plays a cupcake non conference schedule with the exception of South Florida of who tailed off towards the end of the year in 2007.
Colorado - Yes, I think 7 - 5 or 8 - 4 will be good enough to be 3rd in the conference. The Buffs are still 1 - 2 years away from being on the top. Too hard of a schedule this year coupled with a lot of youth at key positions.
Nebraska - The Bo Pelini era will get off to a rough start. Not enough playmakers on either side of the ball to be very competitive.
Kansas State - Are going to need A LOT of JUCO's to pan out.
Iowa State - Did Todd Blythe finally graduate? - The Ralphie Report

Missouri (No duh... with all those players returning from a Top Five squad?)
Nebraska (Call me crazy, but I think Billy C is going to look even more inept this fall...)
Kansas
Colorado (Hawk Love has the Buffs on the move upwards)
Iowa State
Kansas State

- Husker Mike's Blasphemy

Big 12 South will be 1) OU, 2) texas, 3) TAMU, 4) tech, 5) OkSt, 6) Baylor - T.A.M.B.I.N.P.O.

(Sorry for the tardiness of the posting today. It was a crazy day from start to finish!)

Television and the kick-off time has been set for Oklahoma's trip to Seattle to play the Washington Huskies on September 13th. The game will air on ESPN and will kick-off, in primetime, at 6:45 PM. It will be the Sooners third game of the season and barring tragedy they should go into that game with a 2-0 record and ranked in the Top 10. An impressive performance on national television against the Pac 10 and the ESPN Hype Machine will be rolling in the Sooners' favor.

It has been said that it takes a big man to admit his mistakes and here I am to say that I made one. Last week I was invited to be a part of CFB Weekly's Spring Review/Season Preview in which I inadvertently mentioned that Texas A&M would be coming to Norman. Well, I could try to come up with some excuses as to why I did but I won't. It's on tape and I said it even though I was at the A&M game in Norman this last season. You can check out the entire interview at the link above. I start at the 27:20 mark of the show.

Well, since baseball sucks again and football is still three months away from getting really exciting it is becoming extremely difficult to come up with topics to post about here on the Machine. That is where you, the reader, come in! Send us your comments, questions and suggestions and we'll respond through a post about it. I can't promise that it'll be as entertaining as my man Strong Bad (above) but I'll do my best.

The Sooners drop the first game of their series to the Jayhawks 17-15 on Friday night. Now they are in the position where they must win Saturday and Sunday afternoon. Check out Rock Chalk Talk for a complete series breakdown and leave your thoughts both there and here.

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