I know, another Lebby thread. Look, he should've ran more on 1st down, and absolutely sucked at clock mgmt. But, did he cause the miscues below? No. Those player miscues cost OU 10 to 17 points. And JL has an average and bipolar QB1. A QB1 who can't handle pressure. And JL engineered 28 pts and 300 yds in one quarter..that's insane. Imagine what he'll do with a really good QB? Congel's bad snaps also killed timing all night, and Raym being out hurt the run game.

Lebby definitely deserves criticism, but failing to acknowledge player miscues is ignorant.

These plays weren't on Lebby:

1. Willis fumble cost OU 7. It was 21 to 0 at that point. OSU wouldn't have stopped OU there.

2. DG INT cost OU 3 before half. DG also missed Freeman early in the flat. Freeman just had one man to beat and if he does he could've been gone.

3. Farooq had 3 drops, 2 which would've been first downs.

4. Phantom hold on Harrison stole a great 3rd down conversion.

5. Congel hurt the running game and his bad snaps really hurt the timing.

OFFENSE:

QB: Dillon Gabriel - 63 - How can you be that good to start and that awful the rest of the way?
RB: Eric Gray - 87 - He didn't have as much room in this one but was steady when he got opportunities.
WR: Drake Stoops - 84 - How did he have that first quarter and never get a real look again?
WR: Marvin Mims - 81 - Made some nice plays early on but was another guy that seemed like he went forgotten.
WR: Jalil Farooq - 45 - So many drops, how is he supposed to make me look smart playing like that?
TE: Brayden Willis- 74 - Thought Willis got some looks but not enough good ones.
OT: Anton Harrison - 86 - Thought he was one of the few bright spots for an offensive line that wasn't consistent.
OG: McKade Mettauer - 60 - Again, just didn't see enough.
C: Robert Congel - 40 - Snapping was just awful and hurt OU's quick passing game.
OG: Chris Murray - 67 - Thought he struggled with some of the size of Oklahoma State at times.
OT: Wanya Morris - 73 - Actually thought he was putting in some nice work before going out.

Offensive Average: 69.1 (760)


DEFENSE:

DE: Reggie Grimes - 72 - Thought he showed some good things, recognized some underneath passes.
NT: Jeffrey Johnson - 70 - Honestly didn't see anything that caught my eye.
DT: Jalen Redmond - 86 - One of his better games as a Sooner came up with some huge plays.
DE: Ethan Downs - 78 - I need to watch more from down to down but felt like he was creating pressure with some frequency.
LB: Danny Stutsman - 76 - He had a few scramble plays that were just baffling but his pass defense is improving rapidly.
LB: David Ugwoegbu - 82 - Ugwoegbu had a very strong game, loved how he attacked some of the screens in front of him.
CH: DaShaun White - 90 - White was everywhere, again.
CB: Woodi Washington - 82 - The pass interference was weak but you just can't visibly grab up high. Still though, very solid.
CB: C.J. Coldon - 84 - I really like what Oklahoma is getting out of him right now. He's not elite but he's very steady.
S: Justin Broiles - 73 - I rarely even saw Broiles.
S: Billy Bowman - 87 - I feel like Bowman is really finding his role in this defense and is going to have some turnovers this year.

Defensive Average: 80 (880)


SPECIAL TEAMS:

K: Zach Schmit - 75 - He wasn't asked to do much for the Sooners.
P: Michael Turk - 96 - Man, he may have been Oklahoma's most important player.
KR: Billy Bowman - N/A
PR: Marvin Mims - 85 - Big return on the quick pass.

Special Teams Average: 85.3 (256)


Key Reserves:

RB: Jovantae Barnes - 88 - Averaged 9.8 yards/carry and...he gets 6 stouches.
DE: Jonah Laulu - 81 - Made some big plays and like some others really looked ready for the screen game.
DT: Isaiah Coe - 84 - Really good in the run game, made some key plays in the fourth.
DT: Jordan Kelley - 87 - Kelley was arguably Oklahoma's most dangerous pass rusher on the day.
S: Key Lawrence - 80 - I didn't see as much flash but he was definitely in the right place repeatedly.


Reserves Average: 84 (420)

Team Average: 77.2 (2316)

My Overall Grade: 76


Breakdown: I'd like to give all the defense a bit more and dock the offensive work a bit more. But so much of what I saw had little to do with execution and simple game planning/clock management. Mistakes happen and things can go wrong at times but spending 20+ minutes of game action with (at least) a two score lead and doing nothing to ice it away once it was clear your offense had lost it's early mojo?

I've kind of thought that the Sooners need to give Jackson Arnold a serious look for the 2023 season but the more I watch Gabriel it's just clear he isn't the guy who can take Oklahoma where it plans to go. He's a good solid player who can do what the offense calls for but just isn't capable of making the throws when the chips are down.

Still though, i'd like to see his coordinator find some easier throws for him it feels like there is a LOT of third down throws where a receiver is having to work well after the route to find some space.

I really loved what Oklahoma's defensive front did on Saturday night and now it's just about continuing to build on that momentum.

But more important than everything? Tonight got Oklahoma more practices, that's just incredibly crucial.



Scoring Standard:

100-82: Playoff Contender
82-74: Big 12 Title Contender
74-65: Bowl Game Participant
65-0: 'I'll be hoooome for Christmas

I would expect EA Sports to start dropping some game stills and misc. news pertaining to the upcoming game release next Summer. What "game mode" did you guys enjoy playing most? Dynasty, Heisman, Road to Glory, Create a School, etc.?

Every July on its release date, I would beeline straight to GameStop/Best Buy/wherever to snag it early, and then proceed to spend the entire day going through OU's roster, naming each player one-by-one and putting on the right "accessories" (armbands, visors, etc.) from what the players wore the previous year. I would do that for the OU roster before even playing the game - zero shame here. So ready for this game to be back - only downside is having to get a new console solely for this game but will be worth it.

UPDATED Note: I just wanted to mention that it's complete BULLSHIT during it's time away we've had two Heisman winners (who probably would have been the cover athlete's) and now that we're rebuilding, they bring it back. "First World Problems" I know but I really want a Sooner on the Game Cover.

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The Oklahoma Sooners move to 6-5 and make themselves bowl eligible with a win over Oklahoma State Saturday night on Owen Field. It was also senior night and Drake Stoops was one of the brightest offensive stars of the night. But the offensive stars took a backseat the defense which intercepted four passes from Spencer Sanders and kept getting big stop after big stop even when the offense wasn't helping. And the offense wasn't just not helping, they were actually hurting the defense but going three-and-out and not taking enough time off the clock. For all the blame we've lobbed on players for not seeming to care about their performances this season, it was the coaching staff that stood out the most in Bedlam as they failed to control the clock on offense and kept opening the door for Oklahoma State to make a comeback. Carey and Eddie discuss it all in this Bedlam victory edition of the Eskridge Lexus Postgame Podcast.

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Great to see OU defense in position, calling out plays before the snap, tackling better, playing more physical and with confidence and intent….

Part of that is the opponent (Ok State tucks their stuff when they play OU) - that’s just facts.

But, make no mistake ….. the players are prepared and buying into and taking coaching.

Going forward - I’m bullish on the defense.

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Could mean anyone for any team. Any speculation on it being about OU?

Hearing you can expect 1Oklahoma and Crimson and Cream to be joining forces under one roof, per se.

This is massive news and a step in the right direction.

I think you all should be very pleased with this news. Very, very positive development on the NIL front.

I'd look for announcement to come before Bedlam kickoff ... but with everyone under one roof (as I predicted earlier this week) I think this truly can be force that is used for good.

More from this weekend here:

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Enjoy

Oklahoma head coach Porter Moser speaks with the media ahead of the Sooners trip to Orlando for the ESPN Events Invitational. OU opens vs. Nebraska on Thursday. 4p.

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Does anyone know if he’s signing in December?? @Josh_M

It’s no secret the defense has had its struggles this year, but was Bedlam the most dominant defensive performance since 2017 Ohio State? I can’t recall a game where the defense dominated a game from start to finish the way they did Saturday. Maybe I’m forgetting one. OU controlled the game the whole time and the only reason it felt closer than it was was because the offense kept giving them chances not because the defense was opening the door.

Why did Major not play yesterday? Honestly, watching the two, I would prefer Barnes anyway.

Who keeps refreshing every 10-15 minutes??? Me, that's who


BOOMER

UPDATE: 10:13p - OK guys, final update for the night, apparently making fun of @Eddie_Rado's illness on last week's pod has earned me my comeuppance and I need to get a bit of rest.

At any rate, one of the more enlightening conversations I had was with Colleyville (Texas) Covenant Christian Academy Rivals250 defensive lineman, and Michigan commitment, Enow Etta.

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The big man, spent some time around several big-time Sooner prospects over the weekend.

"It was really good actually. Staff was great and it was cool to see the other recruits like Jackson (Arnold) David (Hicks) and Peyton (Bowen) there," Etta said.

When asked if he had any insight on Bowen and Hicks he said, "I guess we'll see, NIL (is) crazy."

Now WHAT that NIL comment meant? I'm not 100-percent sure but I can say that in that regard it's my impression that OU has checked the boxes for both potential Texas 5-stars.

UPDATE: 9:56p - An interesting guy to hear from was one of Oklahoma's offers over the weekend, Katy (Texas) Paetow 2025 cornerback Deyjjhon the cousin of current Sooners commitment Jaquaize Pettaway and weekend official visitor Daymion Sanford as well as the teammate of five-star defensive line visitor David Hicks.

I asked him why he hadn't given me a heads up that he also would be coming and his answer spoke to his enthusiasm for the visit.

"Couldn’t pass up on this opportunity on seeing coach (Brent) V(enables) in action and the team win a rivalry battle," Pettaway said.

Again, there is some smoke that the Sooners made BIG in-roads at Paetow this weekend.

UPDATE: 9:21p - An interesting note that I kind of stumbled across is that Peyton Bowen and Heath Ozaeta spent a lot of time around each other this weekend.

That may seem an odd marriage between two guys that don't seem to have a ton in common but what one source told me is that a lot of it was about the realities of their situations. As Bowen's mother greatly respects the idea of Notre Dame's academics, so did Ozaeta's mother feel about Stanford.

Ozaeta seemed set on the Sooners from birth and convinced his mother that it was what he wanted and what was best for him. Meanwhile my impression is that Bowen is going through the same thing and the chance for the two families to be around each other may end up being something that is bigger than most realize in the future.

Just an interesting little substory.

UPDATE: 9:05p - I've spoken to a TON of guys today but we'll start with the chatter on a few guys that I've already forecasted in, Taylor Wein and Ashton Sanders.

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I spoke briefly with Sanders and he was a little late getting his flight out so we didn't get to have a full chat on the situation but based on what he and I have talked before nothing he did say today impacted my thinking at all. I still think it's Oklahoma and could happen fairly soon - though I don't think it's the next 24 hours at THIS point.

With Wein he has said NOTHING to anyone to my knowledge which I kind of see as an interesting reality. But I continue to hear that Oklahoma is in good shape.

ORIGINAL: OK guys, got some feedback starting to roll in from this weekend and it's safe to say that things went very, very well for the Sooners.

First off, I've had a few early conversations that would lead me to believe that the Sooners made a big impression on their two most highly rated non-Sooners commitments - Peyton Bowen and David Hicks.

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One source went so far as to say that the duo gave Oklahoma a fairly strong indication of their feelings and how those feelings would see the Sooners defensive class go from very good to elite in very short order.

Another conversation was very blunt about the situation with the nation's No. 3 (and probably rising) safety.

"(Oklahoma) is where (Bowen) wants to be," a source said before admitting that his mother and her relationship with Marcus Freeman won't be easily overcome.

I will say though in talking to a very good D/FW source there is some feeling that mom is increasingly more open to Oklahoma.

I can't put in a forecast for a committed player but if I could, I would be VERRRRY close to doing so for Bowen.

Now, with Hicks the conversation feels a little different as it feels like this was more about making sure everything is there for Hicks and my feeling is that the Sooners have done a lot in the last two months to put any of those concerns to bed. It feels like it's all there for Hicks, it's just a matter of will he walk through the door.

And again, someone told me this morning that it feels like that's exactly what he'll do.

I'll have more updates coming but figured those two huge bits, and the reality the Sooners have a chance to close two of the top 12 prospects in Texas down the stretch.

Terrible for the kid and Tennessee I’ve enjoyed watching him this year. Part of the game I hate besides Lebby’s clock management

is being broadcast. It maybe last season's playoffs. Not sure. But he looks like an absolute stud.

Sorry to not post this until the end of the 3rd quarter, but just found it.