Gundy spawns funny stuff

Well, it appears that Gundy's press conference has spawned some fun for the advertisers (and wannabes). Here we go with some goodies off of YouTube.

Haitus

I know its a bit odd to take a break so soon into starting a blog, but to be honest, I just don't feel like doing it anymore. It has a little bit to do with the Colorado loss, a little bit to do with a lack of sleep and a lot to do with not wanting to work on the computer when I get home from a full day of working on a computer. I may get back on the bandwagon if things slow down or they actually hire someone to help me.

Something resembling a schedule

Okay, I think I have this figured out well enough to put down a weekly schedule. It could still change and flukes like playing on Friday will almost always cause some major upset. By the way, my weeks always begin on Saturday during football season. I say, get it out front and enjoy it. Saturday – Randomness but little content. After all, I'm watching football. Sunday – "Sunday Roll-call," a short review of some of the games from the previous day. Monday – "News Update," a few links to interesting or relevant news stories from around college sports. Tuesday – In-depth review of the last game. Wednesday – ?? Thursday – "Dear Coach," an open letter to a head or assistant coach who has done something to draw my attention. Friday – Preview of the upcoming game. Preview of something else on bye weeks.

Dear Coach: Mike Gundy

Dear Coach, When you took over from Les "Don't let me speak to the media" Miles, I thought State had made a turn for the better. Over the last two seasons you have provided evidence that, while still building, the Pokes can be a force to be reckoned with in the Big 12. You took a program that was succeeding on the field (but floundering off of it) and gave it new direction. You were not afraid to require that players respect the authority of the city of Stillwater and the rules of the campus administration. I gained great respect for you when you refused to tolerate any behavior that compromised the reputation of your school or your program. I don't need to tell you this, but it took guts to kick off the players you did. You realized that to build, you needed a solid foundation; to step out of the shadow cast by the other schools in your division, you will need to build very tall, indeed. That is why is was slightly disappointed and more than a little surprised by your press conference last week. I refuse to call it a "rant" or "tirade" like so many media outlets are, but it was very puzzling behavior coming from a man who had a reputation for being so level-headed. I understand that Jenni Carlson crossed a line by attacking the character of Reid, and I understand that you had just ridden the emotional roller-coaster of a late upset win. That does not excuse you, however, from taking responsibility for your actions. Just for a moment, let's trade places. For this brief time, let me be the coach and you the promising young man. Don't let your pride get in the way of realizing when you have made a mistake; don't try to shy away from the repercussions of your words. Instead, take this opportunity to prove that Oklahoma State made the right choice when they promoted you to head coach. Prove to the entire world that you are not only the leader of your team on the field, but also off of it. Show that you still have those guts and offer an apology to Jenni, her editor and The Daily Oklahoman. You have proven to your team and your fans that you will defend the student-athletes that have been placed in your care, now prove to the world that you have the moral character to shape them to be men as well.

Lack of Updates?

Yeah, sorry about that, but Halo 3 came out... Updates will commence again shortly and should be going in full swing next week.

News Update

• Jenni Carlson's article starts a firestorm – After Oklahoma State eked out a victory over Texas Tech on Saturday, you would expect Mike Gundy to be happy during his press conference. Normally, Gundy would extol the virtues of his assistant coaches, praise the poise and confidence of his quarterback and receivers, or at least address how his secondary could give up 646 yards of passing. Instead, he did this: Now, I've read the article that he's talking about, and I agree that it was unnecessarily harsh on poor Bobby Reid. That's not too surprising, though, as Jenni isn't known for liking State. She's also not known for being a good writer, or doing research, or in any way being a good journalist. If you analyze her evidence, it's all based on "the rumors and the rumblings" she has heard around campus. Of course, when you consider that she lives in Oklahoma City you kind of have to wonder when Jenni's even been on campus, let alone when she's had time to hear rumors there. Does that condone Gundy's reaction? Not really. Did Jenni deserve getting called out for writing a crappy piece? Yes, but not like that. Gundy should have had State's marketing department write him something and then make a formal press release. I'd also really like to know what, exactly, the inaccuracies that he mentioned are. Unfortunately, he's not talking about what they are. I imagine that more of the details will come out as the weeks pass. I just hope, for Gundy's sake, that none of those rumors were true.
• Other Big 12 Coaches Agree With Gundy – In an interesting move, ESPN not only decried Gundy's press conference, but also printed the supporting words of other coaches in the Big 12. Stoops, Mack Brown, Dan Hawkins, and Bill Callahan all agreed that sometimes the media is a little rough on student athletes. I was surprised to hear that none of those five coaches read newspaper articles about their teams. I guess that makes sense, as the coach would know a lot more about what is happening on his team than any reporter, but it still seems a bit odd.
• Men's Basketball Tickets On Sale Tuesday – It's almost that time again. Also, the women's team released their full schedule.

Sunday Roll-call

• Oklahoma — I have to say, it was very odd watching OU football on a Friday night. Apparently, the high school coaches in the Tulsa area were very peeved about ESPN usurping their normal game night. They ended up playing most HS games on Thursday so that their kids could both play and watch two of the in-state options. I'm sure most of them were more impressed by Oklahoma's performance than Tulsa's. The defense did more or less what I expected. They slowed down Tulsa's passing game by completely destroying any attempts to run the football. Three picks (though no returns of them) were the result. Also, Murray's kickoff return was amazing...guess I picked the wrong to have a big night on special teams. I'll live with it. The only disappointment was that Hartley missed his field goal and had an XPT blocked.
• Tulsa — Even though they got blown out, at home, in front of a hostile crowd, the Golden Hurricane really accounted well for themselves. Nine different players caught passes for Tulsa. Smith put up 350 yards on Oklahoma's defense and generally looked like a very good QB. Tulsa did, however, prove me right that the rushing numbers they had accumulated earlier in the season were all smoke, mirrors, and bad defenses.
• Michigan — Well, it wasn't pretty, but it was a win. Mallett actually made enough throws to get a good feel for his ability as a quarterback. He'll do okay after a year or so, but Henne needs to get well for them to salvage this season. Mike Hart, however, looked like a complete and total bad-ass...as usual.

That's actually all the football I watched for the whole weekend, sorry.

Preview – Oklahoma at Tulsa

While by no means a rivalry on the scope of Bedlam or the Red River Shootout, there are still quite a few people where I grew up in north-eastern Oklahoma that get really fired up about this game. Historically, the Golden Hurricane have had a lot of trouble with the Boys from the South(-west). History Me and my crew, we stay true, old skool or new Many were called, but the chosen were few Oklahoma and Tulsa have played 22 times and the Sooners own a two-thirds advantage in wins. The two schools met for the first time in 1914 (OU won 26-7). Of the last nine meetings, the Sooners have won eight. Tulsa's new head coach has never played against OU and Stoops has passed all three of his tests. The last time these teams met, Oklahoma scored 37 points and shut Tulsa out. Offense vs. Tulsa We rep the South, so what you talking about? I'm not running off my mouth, I know this without a doubt In their two wins, Tulsa has given up an average of 301.5 passing yards (including 537 to Brigham Young). When you consider that Oklahoma is ranked 12th nationally in passing yards and has the 3rd best quarterback by passer rating in the nation, you are looking at a major advantage for the Sooners. Tulsa is also giving up more than 180 yards per game on the ground, which stacks up poorly against Oklahoma's number 13 rushing offense (240+ ypg). Unfortunately for Tulsa, the numbers alone don't tell the whole story. Remember that Tulsa played a very long game on Saturday (almost four hours). Combined with the short week, you're looking at a defense that will not be at its most fresh. OU on the other hand, rested their starters for most of the second half against Utah State. Bradford and Kelly will likely both have career days again. Expect to see right around 12 catches for Kelly with probably 3 touchdowns. Iglesias will have fewer touches, but not many, and he also will probably get some chances to run the ball on reverses and long laterals. Bradford may break his own school record for yards in a half and if he plays until the final shotgun blasts (doubtful), he'll definitely re-write the books for yards in a single game. Expect Patrick to get the nod as starter, but Murray will get a lot of shots as well. Right now, of course, starting running back is just a name-only thing. Madu will get his share, as will Brown. We definitely won't go another game without a rushing touchdown. Defense vs. Tulsa Boom! Here comes the Boom! Ready or not, here comes the boys from the South! This is where the game gets scary. Tulsa's pass offense is over 70 yards per game better than ours and is ranked 6th in the nation. You're talking a very serious air attack. No surprise since Tulsa is only two years removed from playing in the pass-happy WAC. Of course, Oklahoma's secondary is well-ranked too: 14th nationally in passing defense and 9th in opposing passer's efficiency. This will be the first real test of the skill of our defensive backs, but I'm sure they'll be up to the challenge. A lot of that confidence comes from Tulsa's under-powered rushing attack. Possibly another hold-over from their years playing teams like Hawaii and Fresno State. Tulsa averages a respectable 160 yards per game on the turf, but they did most of that damage against UL-Monroe's cellar-dwelling D (110th against the run, 105th against the pass, and 112th overall). On the other side of the ball, you have a defense that is giving up less than 45 yards per game. OU has a dominant and deep defensive line that is backed-up by a solid linebacker core. If we make Tulsa one-dimensional by either shutting down their run or getting on top early (both very, very likely) the Sooners will be able to lock down Tulsa's receivers with cornerbacks while keeping a safety or two over the top to pull down any errant passes. I figure we'll pull in at least three picks, one will go back for a touchdown and Tulsa's passing juggernaut will be slowed down (but not stopped). Special Teams vs. Tulsa I know you know. I see you smiling at me. Well, it's alright! It's alright! Three names, then I'm done: Iglesias, Hartley, Groza Final score: Oklahoma 51, Tulsa 14 Lyrics: P.O.D. - Boom!

What is wrong with A&M?

I'm sitting here watching the Miami (FL)/Texas A&M game and I can't figure out what's wrong with the Aggies. Come on, two fumbles on consecutive plays? That's not A&M football. Oh well, it doesn't matter to Oklahoma's ranking in the long run as long as we beat them both. By the way, no post for Wednesday because I went to the State Fair. Stay tuned for a preview of the OU/Tulsa game. This whole short week is really making it difficult to get a schedule set up.

Blogpoll Roundtable 3.2

Even though I'm not a part of the poll (you have to be around for 6 months before you can join), I thought I'd give my hand at filling out the Roundtable discussion as originally posted at Burnt Orange Nation. It seemed like a fitting thing to do since I have no idea what other columns I'm going to end up putting on this blog. That said, here we go: 1. Handicap your team's chances to win your conference championship. If your team is not the favorite, who is? To echo the blog that originally posted these questions, it all hinges on the game in Dallas. Historically, if we win the Red River Shootout (I refuse to use the PC name that the phone company cooked up) we end up winning the division. To be exact, since the inception of the Big 12 in 1996, we've won the Shootout six times and represented the South four of those years. Of the other five years, we've gone once. Since OU has won four out of five times we've gone to the game, we're looking pretty good to bring home the title...assuming we can beat the boys in orange and white. The actual percentages, however, tell a different tale giving OU only a 53.6% chance of bringing home the bacon. Of course, I really didn't enjoy statistics in college. 2. Outline the (realistic) best case and worst case scenarios for your team. Best case: From the performance of the team so far against (apparently) sub-par competition, I would say we have a fair shot at an undefeated season. Our schedule is extremely friendly with only four (yes, four) road games. The first is at Tulsa this Friday, so I'll have a better idea of our chances on Saturday. Of the remaining three, two are against the North division (ISU and CU, so probable wins) and the last is against Texas Tech. I'd call the TT game a probable win too, but we all remember what happened the last time we traveled to Lubbock. So, looking at what is actually on our schedule and considering the competition, I'd say 11-1 with a berth in the Fiesta or Rose Bowl. I fully reserve the right to change this to a national championship prediction if we beat Texas by three or more touchdowns. Worst case: We lose to Texas in Dallas, Tech in Lubbock, and Missou surprises us (and the world) at home. It's possible to go 9-3 in which case we'd miss the conference championship game and probably play Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl (again). 3. We're only three games in to the season, but teams and storylines are starting to take shape. Compare your team to a character or theme from a fable or children's tale. I guess it's not a fable, but Oklahoma could be compared to Alexander the Great and his conquest of Persia. We're an unstoppable horde that looks hell-bent on destroying everything in our path, even if it means delaying for seven months just to make sure we don't leave an enemy at our backs. The only thing with a chance of bringing us down at this point is either a revolt by the troops (O-line) or some mysterious disease that suddenly wipes out our leader (Bradford). 4. Imagine you're the coach of your team. Give three specific changes you'd implement immediately which you think would have the biggest impact on improving the team. Put a redshirt on Nichol – We're not going to need him this season as both Halzle and McEachern are decent replacements. If you keep leading him on with the promise of maybe starting a game this season, you could end up with a situation like Notre Dame finds themselves in. Also, recent evidence shows that having a young QB run the scout team for a year really improves their performance when it comes to games (White, Thompson, and Bradford to name three). Involve the tight ends and fullbacks in the passing game – This is less of a change from early this season and more of from last season. So far, the coaching staff has used Gresham and Finley very well, they even tossed a touchdown to Zaslaw against Miami. I have always felt that involving your backs in the passing game slows down the linebackers and defensive ends. The concept (at least with fullbacks) is similar to a screen: if you get four yards on a completion to the FB because the 'backer let him go to try and get a sack, the opposing defense can't be as aggressive. This in turn gives your receivers more time to break off the DBs and get down-field for the long bomb. Which in turn opens up the running game, forcing the linebackers to get more aggressive...you see where I'm going, I bet. Offer Venables the equivalent of a head coach's salary – Obviously, you can't pay him as much as Bob gets, but maybe as much as Mike? Seriously, this man has been the heart and soul of the Oklahoma defense for nine years. If we lose him to an HC job somewhere, will we still have a kick-ass defense? Yes. If we keep him could we win four national championships in a row? Yes. I am not trying to pull anyone's leg here. If we keep Bradford for three years, get Nichol experience on the scout team and keep Venables in charge of the defense, we could contend for at least a share of the next four titles. To do this, we'll have to keep him from being snapped up in the post-season feeding frenzy that is college coaching changes. To do that we'll probably need to be ready to beat any offer from any other program (including Oklahoma State, Georgia, and possibly Michigan). If it means you have to put off expanding the stadium for a few more years, fine, just keep Venables on the sidelines. 5. USC, LSU/Florida, and Oklahoma have established themselves as the frontrunners in the early going. Which other team or teams are you eyeballing as potential BCS party crashers? If Texas wins in Dallas, they have a legitimate shot at forcing all kinds of wacky stuff to happen. Florida also has a valid chance to beat LSU (that same day, by the way) and USC could still lose to three or four teams in conference play. Expect someone from the Big East to make a go again (after all, they have to send someone); Rutgers or West Virginia probably, but don't rule out South Florida. Boston College out of the ACC looks strong too. Surprisingly, I can't think of a team in the Big 10 that I think will actually challenge for the national championship game this year. Penn State will probably win the conference and make it to the Rose Bowl, but I just don't see them being strong enough to pick up the votes needed to make a fuss over. That's the curse of being a program that people expect to do reasonably well: when you do but don't win every week, no one really notices.

News Update

• OU Basketball holds open try-outs – Well, we knew they were a little short on people after the majority of our big-name recruits bailed after Sampson-gate hit. I hope they pick up some good players, 'cuz Capel is a pretty good guy (for a Dookie).
• Women's volleyball on FSN Wednesday – It is good to see the ladies getting some attention. It seems like women's volleyball is one of the least-appreciated NCAA sports, but it's damn fun to watch. I'd suggest you give it a look and, if you enjoy it on TV, go see a few games.
• Boren opens his mouth again – He's talking about OU's chances of winning their appeal of the vacation of the eight wins from the 2005 season. Apparently he thinks it's even money. I was only slightly surprised to see that he brought up USC. You know, for a retired politician, he can be very blunt when he wants to make a point, too bad the powers-that-be are so dense.
• Bradford gets on some Heisman lists – While he's sure to get some votes come December, don't put money on him pulling off what Peterson couldn't. If he keeps up like he has been, he'll be invited to New York, though.

Slow week. At least no one was arrested.

Sunday Roll-call

In this (hopefully) weekly column, I'm going to discuss the performance of a few of the major teams from around the NCAA. Most of the time, I've watched these games, though sometimes I've seen only a few minutes. So, here we go:

• Oklahoma State — While I never really bought the marketing hype about the Pokes having the best offense in the nation this year, I did feel that they could be very, very good. What I, and everyone else, apparently forgot to think about was the fact that defensive players need to be able to tackle...at least a little. I don't think that we can chalk this up to inexperience as much as it looked like a complete lack of effort on the defensive side of the ball. Add to that an enormous number of dropped passes by some usually very good receivers (*cough* Adarius Bowman *cough*) and you end up with a lop-sided loss to possibly the best team in the Sun Belt Conference this year.
• Notre Dame — What can I say here? They absolutely sucked. Clausen was horrible, so was the rest of the offense. Their defense looked hopeless and completely over-matched. If I was a domer, it would have been painful...
• Michigan — ...fortunately, I'm not. Michigan looked like they were back in force. Their performance was definitely enhanced by the fact that Notre Dame was horrible, but I still think they may have turned it around. I'm not going to pick them to win the Big 10, though, that's going to be Penn State, but they could end the season with only 4 losses. That should redeem Lloyd Carr's name enough that he can retire with grace, especially if they end up beating Ohio State this year.
• That other school that wears orange — I have to say that I'm not sure how Mack Brown pulled this one off. For the third straight week, they had a big scare against what should have been an inferior opponent. McCoy looks to be firmly in the grasp of the Law of Averages, which bodes very poorly for short-horn fans. Their running game leaves a lot to be desired as well, though Charles did look good late as did their third-down back Ogbonnaya.
• USC — I was as unimpressed this time as I was when they blundered past Idaho. Now, I'll admit that I did not watch the whole game. I actually only saw the first and fourth quarters (so when Nebraska was playing well) and nothing of the other two. I understand from reading that they have finally decided which of their four million running backs they are going to start. Really, I think this is mostly just reaction against the media (and especially Herbstreit) practically creaming themselves every time they mention the University of Spoiled Children. They're a good football team, but these folks are gushing so much you'd think that they could hold their own against an NFL team and that the rest of the NCAA should just go ahead and forfeit the entire season and let Carrol claim another national championship they didn't earn (no, I'm not bitter, I swear). Anyway, they won, but it wasn't as impressive as LSU dominating VT last week and if I had a vote they'd probably be #4 on my ballot.
• Oklahoma — I almost feel guilty writing about this game. I didn't go and I didn't want to pay more than the cost of a ticket to get the pay-per-view. I did, however, listen to it on the radio. We won, it was impressive, Utah State was not a test. Basically the same story as the last few weeks. The only constructive things I have to say are these: 1) Bradford looks like the best choice the coaches could have made, 2) I'm glad Nichol isn't the starter and 3) damn...our defense rocks! Also, Bob Barry and Marv are probably the funniest play-by-play/color combination in all of sports radio...too bad it's not on purpose.

Well, that's the column. Give me some criticism (constructive or otherwise).

It's ON!

Here we go, I'm throwing my hat into the sports blog world. I hope to have analysis of Oklahoma games, previews of opponents, and hopefully some intelligent thoughts about the state of college football in general and the Big 12 in specific. As a more personal introduction, I graduated from the University of Oklahoma in Norman with a Bachelor's of Business Administration in Management Information Systems in 2005. I'm married, own two dogs and a cat, and I live in Oklahoma City.