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Reality time.....

CTOkie

Sooner starter
Sep 20, 2001
16,081
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Portland Ct.
I think we all got too optimistic about how much Venables could accomplish his first year.
OU has less talent than last season. Plain and simple. The 2022 Sooners are a team in transition and are going to hit some bumps in the road as it did tonight.
We need to be patient...... and I hope entry into the SEC is 2-3 years away, because OU will not be ready for that competition until 2024 or 2025.
Until then we will have to take the good with the bad as Venables builds HIS team.
 
Lack of soundly coached game really is a mystery. Skyler Thompson passed the baton to Martinez who held to three basic plays. The Martinez scramble...TE/FB pass...and of course some Vaughn mixed in. K-State historically used this attack to beat the Sooners. The lack of a vertical pass game should have concentrated the focus even more on this. Seemingly not something caught by anyone or executed on D. Really blah game for defense. Quite disappointing to see mistackles and poor positioning raise its very ugly head again. Coaching was a big thing and we lost that battle.
 
I would have preferred linebackers holding to spy/contain the midget and Martinez but who knows if that would have worked either; throwing 6 at the LOS every time sure didn't. Pass rush was just a total failure. But let's give some credit where it is due here: Martinez played the game of his life and should have had 5 more completions but for drops - that scramble to his right where he lobs a small bomb that came down directly over his WR (and was dropped) was a thing of beauty. Any decent team whose QB is playing light's out is going to be problem; it happens. Hell UGA struggled with the other KSU.

Offensively, adjustments I'd like to see:
Gabriel was nails on the deep ball, but for some reason we didn't max protect and air those out in the 2nd half. His short/intermediate passes started sailing because he's 5'11" and once he had a tipped ball his trajectory went up. Roll his ass out already with scramble options and Willis dragging as a safety valve. And my gawd teach him to throw the ball away already.

The offense is easily fixable and if that was the best D we'll face...be heartened by 34 points in a subpar outing.

Defense has put a worm in my drink....but I thought I was drinking Kool-Aid, not rancid tequila. Grimes and Stutsman have essentially disappeared 2 weeks in a row - WTF?
 
This is going to be a really odd year in the Big 12. If ever there was going to be five teams tied for first place with 5-4 conference records, this is the year.
 
Who'd ever thunk Kansas would be on top in the conference standings, in fact when was the last time they were? I'm thinking under Mangino.
 
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