That was a long weekend and not in a fun way. But we're back.
And we roll.
Robert Frost - you're up
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood...
"He told us this game is either going to do one of two things to this team. It’s either going to tear us apart or bring us together. He also told us we have a lot of football in front of us. We still have the things we want to accomplish in front of us. It’s really important we put this game to bed and attack the practice field next week and do the things we need to do in order to finish as strong as we can the rest of the season." - Delarrin Turner-Yell
I think we hear that same line after every loss. But being so late in the season, whew, you just wonder. Does this team have the ability to bounce back like a team that would lose in October and then fix it the rest of the way?
It's like you couldn't even get mad as an OU fan Saturday b/c the Sooners never showed they deserved to win that game. Never started to function like a real team for an extended period of time. Just blah.
"I like to let Coach Riley handle the stuff after the games. I may talk to a couple of guys here and there, but I'm not really a big speech after a game kind of guy because most of the time it's going to go in through one ear and out the other. Everybody's in their own personal minds. Emotions are still high. So when things settle, we get back to Norman and get back to what we do on Monday, I'll definitely have a talk with the team." - Jeremiah Hall
I know most were listening to Lincoln Riley and Alex Grinch after the game, I went with players to try to get the pulse of the team. I left knowing, well, knowing absolutely nothing about what the rest of the season holds. Nothing like the fire before from guys like Creed Humphrey and Kenneth Murray in 2019 at KSU. Nothing like Baker Mayfield and that epic speech after the 2016 loss to Ohio State. Just a lot of "well, we hope" type of attitude.
Go from one Monday knowing OU controlled its college football playoff destiny. To now? One loss, and we're dangerously close to a Baylor-Oklahoma State rematch in the Big 12 championship game.
Whew.
You know I'm the snap guy. Yep, Pat Fields, DTY and Justin Broiles played all 71 snaps. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
***
OKPreps don't care about my plans
Can't wait to watch Del City vs. Choctaw this week in the semifinals. Wait, Del City lost at home to Sand Springs. Oh, and Deer Creek got Choctaw? Ohh, OK.
Wild week and a terrible one for top-ranked kids.
Gentry Williams and Booker T. lost to Stillwater.
Talyn Shettron and Santa Fe lost to Mustang.
Chris McClellan and Owasso lost to Broken Arrow.
Where does that leave us? To Mustang vs. Jenks on Friday night. Broncos must be a different team from the one I saw vs. Norman way back when, and I don't mind watching Jacobe Johnson in a competitive environment, in a game where he has to deliver for his team to have a chance.
And you guys know I love Jalyn Stanford.
Josh is gonna check out Union vs. Broken Arrow to finally see Jayden Rowe and watch Robert Spears-Jennings one more time.
I went a month without checking out an OKPreps game. I feel refreshed, ready to roll for Trojans and Broncos.
***
To Myrtle Beach we go
A couple of leftover goodies from Porter Moser and the blowout win vs. UTSA.
C.J. Noland?
Consistency. He had 8 points on 4 shots. He had some rebounds, he had a couple assists, no turnovers, a steal, thought he guarded well. His practice habits have been one of the best on the team of just getting better every single day. I think he really listens. He’s a sponge. He wants to be good. That’s the sign of a great player, guys that want to be good and are learning and are just open to learning, open to everything and then trying to carry that over on the court.
Myrtle Beach Invitational?
We've got East Carolina first. We're going to dig into that, probably tomorrow morning. We're going to enjoy this one tonight. We got a break. Last time (after Northwestern State), we had to get right after it. We only had two days to go. We have East Carolina coming up, and that's going to be our main focus. Whether you're home, on the road or neutral, you've got to defend, rebound and play the right way. But it is (valuable). It's the first time we're doing something like this with our team, but you play the same way. That was a big Rick Majerus thing. You've got to play the same way, our standards offensively and our standards defensively. You talk about a laser-like funnel anyways. We're going to dive into East Carolina, and that's going to be our main focus. I know they won tonight, so they're undefeated too. We're looking forward to getting ready for that.
I would assume we get a Zoom with Moser either Tuesday or Wednesday.
I get Utah State isn't bad, but man, you have to believe OU can run the table here. Would be a major shot in the arm for Moser in the first month.
***
Bonus
Kansas-Texas. What a moment.
"That was Jared, wasn't it?!?"
And we roll.
Robert Frost - you're up
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood...
"He told us this game is either going to do one of two things to this team. It’s either going to tear us apart or bring us together. He also told us we have a lot of football in front of us. We still have the things we want to accomplish in front of us. It’s really important we put this game to bed and attack the practice field next week and do the things we need to do in order to finish as strong as we can the rest of the season." - Delarrin Turner-Yell
I think we hear that same line after every loss. But being so late in the season, whew, you just wonder. Does this team have the ability to bounce back like a team that would lose in October and then fix it the rest of the way?
It's like you couldn't even get mad as an OU fan Saturday b/c the Sooners never showed they deserved to win that game. Never started to function like a real team for an extended period of time. Just blah.
"I like to let Coach Riley handle the stuff after the games. I may talk to a couple of guys here and there, but I'm not really a big speech after a game kind of guy because most of the time it's going to go in through one ear and out the other. Everybody's in their own personal minds. Emotions are still high. So when things settle, we get back to Norman and get back to what we do on Monday, I'll definitely have a talk with the team." - Jeremiah Hall
I know most were listening to Lincoln Riley and Alex Grinch after the game, I went with players to try to get the pulse of the team. I left knowing, well, knowing absolutely nothing about what the rest of the season holds. Nothing like the fire before from guys like Creed Humphrey and Kenneth Murray in 2019 at KSU. Nothing like Baker Mayfield and that epic speech after the 2016 loss to Ohio State. Just a lot of "well, we hope" type of attitude.
Go from one Monday knowing OU controlled its college football playoff destiny. To now? One loss, and we're dangerously close to a Baylor-Oklahoma State rematch in the Big 12 championship game.
Whew.
You know I'm the snap guy. Yep, Pat Fields, DTY and Justin Broiles played all 71 snaps. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
***
OKPreps don't care about my plans
Can't wait to watch Del City vs. Choctaw this week in the semifinals. Wait, Del City lost at home to Sand Springs. Oh, and Deer Creek got Choctaw? Ohh, OK.
Wild week and a terrible one for top-ranked kids.
Gentry Williams and Booker T. lost to Stillwater.
Talyn Shettron and Santa Fe lost to Mustang.
Chris McClellan and Owasso lost to Broken Arrow.
Where does that leave us? To Mustang vs. Jenks on Friday night. Broncos must be a different team from the one I saw vs. Norman way back when, and I don't mind watching Jacobe Johnson in a competitive environment, in a game where he has to deliver for his team to have a chance.
And you guys know I love Jalyn Stanford.
Josh is gonna check out Union vs. Broken Arrow to finally see Jayden Rowe and watch Robert Spears-Jennings one more time.
I went a month without checking out an OKPreps game. I feel refreshed, ready to roll for Trojans and Broncos.
***
To Myrtle Beach we go
A couple of leftover goodies from Porter Moser and the blowout win vs. UTSA.
C.J. Noland?
Consistency. He had 8 points on 4 shots. He had some rebounds, he had a couple assists, no turnovers, a steal, thought he guarded well. His practice habits have been one of the best on the team of just getting better every single day. I think he really listens. He’s a sponge. He wants to be good. That’s the sign of a great player, guys that want to be good and are learning and are just open to learning, open to everything and then trying to carry that over on the court.
Myrtle Beach Invitational?
We've got East Carolina first. We're going to dig into that, probably tomorrow morning. We're going to enjoy this one tonight. We got a break. Last time (after Northwestern State), we had to get right after it. We only had two days to go. We have East Carolina coming up, and that's going to be our main focus. Whether you're home, on the road or neutral, you've got to defend, rebound and play the right way. But it is (valuable). It's the first time we're doing something like this with our team, but you play the same way. That was a big Rick Majerus thing. You've got to play the same way, our standards offensively and our standards defensively. You talk about a laser-like funnel anyways. We're going to dive into East Carolina, and that's going to be our main focus. I know they won tonight, so they're undefeated too. We're looking forward to getting ready for that.
I would assume we get a Zoom with Moser either Tuesday or Wednesday.
I get Utah State isn't bad, but man, you have to believe OU can run the table here. Would be a major shot in the arm for Moser in the first month.
***
Bonus
Kansas-Texas. What a moment.
"That was Jared, wasn't it?!?"
