@BPrzybylo - Oh, Bedlam. Been bouncing back and forth as to how to realistically expect this game to unfold between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State on Saturday night in Stillwater.
Nobody would argue that the Sooners at their best beat the Cowboys at their best. But when, during the course of the first 11 games, have we seen OU at its best?
Bits and pieces, sure. The second half vs. Texas. Majority of the win vs. Texas Tech. However, a full game? And if it hasn’t happened yet, why would it occur during the most important moment of the year?
Taking the OU side of things, you can absolutely mention the flu bug going through the team in the last two weeks. We’ll never fully know how much that disrupted preparation and personnel for Baylor and Iowa State, but it was clearly some sort of factor.
This game – no excuses. The team is healthy. The flu is long gone. No reason for Caleb Williams and the offense to not get going again.
Unless OSU’s defense is just that good. That might be what we really learn. Is this a smoke-and-mirrors defense like we’ve seen in the past from like Michigan only to get demolished by a real offense like Ohio State? Or is it, seriously, one of the best in the country?
It’s imperative for OU to get some success on the ground, but not necessarily from Kennedy Brooks. You’d love if Brooks is involved, but this is the type of game where Williams has to trust himself and trust what’s there and make something happen.
And the weekly argument is opposing players make plays vs. OU that they simply don’t make against other teams. That needs to be OU this time around, especially at wide receiver.
If OU doesn’t get a fluky-ish touchdown, don’t see the Sooners winning. Whether that’s a defensive score or special teams or like a 70-yarder or more, something that alleviates the challenge of being at your best at all times.
The game stays close because OSU’s offense is not explosive, and if there’s any unit that could turn this game on its head, it’s the OU defensive line.
But will it? Simply put, there are just too many questions that OU hasn’t answered all season, and it ultimately ends with a disappointing loss and the inability to defend the Big 12 championship.
OSU 27, OU 24.
@Eddie_Rado - I want to do it. It's that time of the week afterall. I've talked myself into thinking not only is it a great Bedlam but Oklahoma finds a way to win. They've done it 90 times before. I want to pick Oklahoma. But I can't. I promised myself I wouldn't. There's too many reasons not too.
First and foremost I keep expecting this team to put it together. A balanced attack that so many of us expected all season. A high-powered offense matched with as stifling defense. "They'll put it together this week". Seems like we've said that 11 times this season. Yet here we are Week 12 waiting for that elusive complete game.
Why now? Why would it all come together in the final game of the regular season?
Perhaps it's too much for this team. Perhaps it's crazy on us for continually expecting it to happen. It's not that this team isn't talented. It's not that this team isn't well coached. I mean, they are 10-1 afterall. But can't it? And why hasn't it come together?
And now it's expected to all come together in front of a national television audience on the biggest stage of the year? I think that's more of a hoping thing than it is reality.
But here's the thing. That's why they play the game. Oklahoma has made some jumps on the defensive side of the ball over the last month and that's reason enough to see a path to victory in Stillwater. 22 tackles for loss over the last two weeks. Eight forced turnovers in the last three games. There's a recipe there for success. But can Caleb Williams and the Oklahoma offense do it's part? Gulp. That's a tough ask. Putting it all together against one of the best defenses in the country seems like more than just a tough ask. It seems damn near impossible.
I'll leave you with this before I make you throw up. In three games against Jim Knowles Oklahoma has averaged 8 yards per play. The rest of the Big 12 has averaged just 5.4 yards per. Perhaps Lincoln Riley is Jim Knowles worst nightmare? That seems like more hope than a reality.
Oklahoma State 28
Oklahoma 24
@Josh_M - Everything I think I know about these teams in this game tells me that it will be a tight one that Oklahoma just makes a few too many errors to win.
But at the same time there are few times in recent memory where you can talk about Oklahoma being this heavily picked against and not coming out and putting a pretty big performance on the field.
That is probably my biggest hesitation when I look at things in this situation. Whatever else Oklahoma has been they have been a very good program when doubted.
However, does that apply to this team after we saw the way they responded to the rankings against Baylor?
For the game itself, I think Oklahoma's offense is far more capable of putting a strong performance on the field than Oklahoma State but at the same time the Cowboys defense has been more consistently dominant than Oklahoma's unit that has played quite well over the last few weeks.
Again, everything I see points to this being a close game but something about this Oklahoma team and their apparent lack of maturity makes me doubt they can answer the bell in a night game against the best opponent they've seen this season.
I noticed some of you it feels like I've been down in Oklahoma all week and honestly if this game was in Norman or a neutral site I would probably pick Oklahoma to win this game but night in Stillwater for a Young quarterback that has looked shaky on the road just feels like an error to is nearly inevitable.
And now that I've sat here and said all of this, I keep coming back to one thought that I just can't escape. Do I really trust Spencer Sanders?
OU 24
OSU 21
Nobody would argue that the Sooners at their best beat the Cowboys at their best. But when, during the course of the first 11 games, have we seen OU at its best?
Bits and pieces, sure. The second half vs. Texas. Majority of the win vs. Texas Tech. However, a full game? And if it hasn’t happened yet, why would it occur during the most important moment of the year?
Taking the OU side of things, you can absolutely mention the flu bug going through the team in the last two weeks. We’ll never fully know how much that disrupted preparation and personnel for Baylor and Iowa State, but it was clearly some sort of factor.
This game – no excuses. The team is healthy. The flu is long gone. No reason for Caleb Williams and the offense to not get going again.
Unless OSU’s defense is just that good. That might be what we really learn. Is this a smoke-and-mirrors defense like we’ve seen in the past from like Michigan only to get demolished by a real offense like Ohio State? Or is it, seriously, one of the best in the country?
It’s imperative for OU to get some success on the ground, but not necessarily from Kennedy Brooks. You’d love if Brooks is involved, but this is the type of game where Williams has to trust himself and trust what’s there and make something happen.
And the weekly argument is opposing players make plays vs. OU that they simply don’t make against other teams. That needs to be OU this time around, especially at wide receiver.
If OU doesn’t get a fluky-ish touchdown, don’t see the Sooners winning. Whether that’s a defensive score or special teams or like a 70-yarder or more, something that alleviates the challenge of being at your best at all times.
The game stays close because OSU’s offense is not explosive, and if there’s any unit that could turn this game on its head, it’s the OU defensive line.
But will it? Simply put, there are just too many questions that OU hasn’t answered all season, and it ultimately ends with a disappointing loss and the inability to defend the Big 12 championship.
OSU 27, OU 24.
@Eddie_Rado - I want to do it. It's that time of the week afterall. I've talked myself into thinking not only is it a great Bedlam but Oklahoma finds a way to win. They've done it 90 times before. I want to pick Oklahoma. But I can't. I promised myself I wouldn't. There's too many reasons not too.
First and foremost I keep expecting this team to put it together. A balanced attack that so many of us expected all season. A high-powered offense matched with as stifling defense. "They'll put it together this week". Seems like we've said that 11 times this season. Yet here we are Week 12 waiting for that elusive complete game.
Why now? Why would it all come together in the final game of the regular season?
Perhaps it's too much for this team. Perhaps it's crazy on us for continually expecting it to happen. It's not that this team isn't talented. It's not that this team isn't well coached. I mean, they are 10-1 afterall. But can't it? And why hasn't it come together?
And now it's expected to all come together in front of a national television audience on the biggest stage of the year? I think that's more of a hoping thing than it is reality.
But here's the thing. That's why they play the game. Oklahoma has made some jumps on the defensive side of the ball over the last month and that's reason enough to see a path to victory in Stillwater. 22 tackles for loss over the last two weeks. Eight forced turnovers in the last three games. There's a recipe there for success. But can Caleb Williams and the Oklahoma offense do it's part? Gulp. That's a tough ask. Putting it all together against one of the best defenses in the country seems like more than just a tough ask. It seems damn near impossible.
I'll leave you with this before I make you throw up. In three games against Jim Knowles Oklahoma has averaged 8 yards per play. The rest of the Big 12 has averaged just 5.4 yards per. Perhaps Lincoln Riley is Jim Knowles worst nightmare? That seems like more hope than a reality.
Oklahoma State 28
Oklahoma 24
@Josh_M - Everything I think I know about these teams in this game tells me that it will be a tight one that Oklahoma just makes a few too many errors to win.
But at the same time there are few times in recent memory where you can talk about Oklahoma being this heavily picked against and not coming out and putting a pretty big performance on the field.
That is probably my biggest hesitation when I look at things in this situation. Whatever else Oklahoma has been they have been a very good program when doubted.
However, does that apply to this team after we saw the way they responded to the rankings against Baylor?
For the game itself, I think Oklahoma's offense is far more capable of putting a strong performance on the field than Oklahoma State but at the same time the Cowboys defense has been more consistently dominant than Oklahoma's unit that has played quite well over the last few weeks.
Again, everything I see points to this being a close game but something about this Oklahoma team and their apparent lack of maturity makes me doubt they can answer the bell in a night game against the best opponent they've seen this season.
I noticed some of you it feels like I've been down in Oklahoma all week and honestly if this game was in Norman or a neutral site I would probably pick Oklahoma to win this game but night in Stillwater for a Young quarterback that has looked shaky on the road just feels like an error to is nearly inevitable.
And now that I've sat here and said all of this, I keep coming back to one thought that I just can't escape. Do I really trust Spencer Sanders?
OU 24
OSU 21
