@BPrzybylo - Please, no more talk about wakeup calls. Please. But, seriously, we could be on our way to another of those type of events for Oklahoma where something bad must happen first before something good can occur.
Because nobody knows what Texas Tech is gonna look like with Sonny Cumbie running the show, it could be another long afternoon for the Sooners defense.
Could be.
If the Red Raiders just decide to chunk it up all over the yard and see what happens, you could see them surpassing 30 points in this one.
Luckily, there’s a belief that OU’s offense can overcome it. However, for just one game, wouldn’t it be nice to leave it feeling good about things? Outside of Texas, there hasn’t been a game like that.
Maybe it would start with getting some guys back like Jalen Redmond or Delarrin Turner-Yell or D.J. Graham. Get them back, make a statement early and have Cumbie’s club playing from behind.
Let Caleb Williams get going early, feed Kennedy Brooks and don’t limp to the bye week finish line but go in strong toward getting some rest.
Williams accounts for four touchdowns, and Brooks goes over 100 yards again. The question is whether OU can get an interception, feels like forever ago since that went down.
This could easily be a three-, four-score difference type of game, but sadly, it probably sticks around that 7-10-point range for far too long.
OU moves to 9-0 but doesn’t answer the questions just yet.
OU 38, Texas Tech 27.
@Eddie_Rado - If someone can explain to me what is going on with Oklahoma football in the year 2021 it would be greatly appreciated. Who is this team? How are they undefeated yet so flawed? Perhaps they just haven't played anyone. Perhaps as Lincoln Riley said earlier this week, 'it is what it is'.
Gross. I refuse to believe that. But it's not to say this ship doesn't have many leaks. That's obvious.
Jalen Redmond, Delarrin Turner-Yell and D.J. Graham should return to the starting line up this week. That's a positive. A bye week is on the horizon. That's another positive. But what's happening on the back end? I can't explain it. We've been outspoken in our critiques of the Sooners secondary. Mostly because none of it makes sense. But do I expect anything to change? No. Do I expect to see Key Lawrence moved from safety (after being the best player in Lawrence!)? Yes. Again. Someone help make sense of it all.
As for the offense, the Caleb Williams show continues. Kennedy Brooks should be able to get whatever he wants against a Texas Tech defense that is ... well ... a Texas Tech offense.
Find ways to get off the field on third down and Oklahoma could look like Oklahoma. At some point the joke is on us to think it's going to change over night.
Oklahoma 49
Texas Tech 38
@Josh_M - There are two key things fighting in my brain on this one.
The first is that we've all seen what usually happens after a coaching change, a team comes out inspired and puts together a pretty strong effort. Now they may not be talented enough to do the job they are tasked with but they tend to come out full guns blazing. And for Sonny Cumbie to be Texas Tech's head coach he needs a win like this, so you can bet he'll be thinking of an onside with the opening kickoff. He's playing with house money he'll try EVERYTHING.
The second is that I think Oklahoma is getting three pieces back that were catalysts to this defensive free fall we've watched since the Texas game. I think DJ Graham is one of the better corners in the Big 12 and can severely limit Tech's options. I think Delarrin Turner-Yell has become the clear leader of this defense (captaincy or not) on the field. And I think Jalen Redmond is the engine that makes it all go for the Sooners up front. Having all three of those guys back just might help Oklahoma's defense match the anxious energy that Tech will roll out on the field early on Saturday.
The flip side is that Tech has let some offenses run absolutely wild and I'd guess the Sooners try and make this an up front game to try and wear Tech down while taking some of the pressure off of Caleb Williams.
I still think this team will play a lackluster first half - it's just what they seem to do. But I do think it won't be nearly so ugly as last week and they'll find their feet a bit faster this time around.
And as my form of protest...my starting lineup on defense...
DE - Isaiah Thomas
DT - Jalen Redmond
NT - Perrion Winfrey
RUSH - Nik Bonitto
MIKE - Danny Stutsman
WILL - Brian Asamoah
NB - Billy Bowman
CB - DJ Graham
CB - Latrell McCutchin
S - Keyshawn Lawrence
S - Delarrin Turner-Yell
Oklahoma 44
Texas Tech 27
Because nobody knows what Texas Tech is gonna look like with Sonny Cumbie running the show, it could be another long afternoon for the Sooners defense.
Could be.
If the Red Raiders just decide to chunk it up all over the yard and see what happens, you could see them surpassing 30 points in this one.
Luckily, there’s a belief that OU’s offense can overcome it. However, for just one game, wouldn’t it be nice to leave it feeling good about things? Outside of Texas, there hasn’t been a game like that.
Maybe it would start with getting some guys back like Jalen Redmond or Delarrin Turner-Yell or D.J. Graham. Get them back, make a statement early and have Cumbie’s club playing from behind.
Let Caleb Williams get going early, feed Kennedy Brooks and don’t limp to the bye week finish line but go in strong toward getting some rest.
Williams accounts for four touchdowns, and Brooks goes over 100 yards again. The question is whether OU can get an interception, feels like forever ago since that went down.
This could easily be a three-, four-score difference type of game, but sadly, it probably sticks around that 7-10-point range for far too long.
OU moves to 9-0 but doesn’t answer the questions just yet.
OU 38, Texas Tech 27.
@Eddie_Rado - If someone can explain to me what is going on with Oklahoma football in the year 2021 it would be greatly appreciated. Who is this team? How are they undefeated yet so flawed? Perhaps they just haven't played anyone. Perhaps as Lincoln Riley said earlier this week, 'it is what it is'.
Gross. I refuse to believe that. But it's not to say this ship doesn't have many leaks. That's obvious.
Jalen Redmond, Delarrin Turner-Yell and D.J. Graham should return to the starting line up this week. That's a positive. A bye week is on the horizon. That's another positive. But what's happening on the back end? I can't explain it. We've been outspoken in our critiques of the Sooners secondary. Mostly because none of it makes sense. But do I expect anything to change? No. Do I expect to see Key Lawrence moved from safety (after being the best player in Lawrence!)? Yes. Again. Someone help make sense of it all.
As for the offense, the Caleb Williams show continues. Kennedy Brooks should be able to get whatever he wants against a Texas Tech defense that is ... well ... a Texas Tech offense.
Find ways to get off the field on third down and Oklahoma could look like Oklahoma. At some point the joke is on us to think it's going to change over night.
Oklahoma 49
Texas Tech 38
@Josh_M - There are two key things fighting in my brain on this one.
The first is that we've all seen what usually happens after a coaching change, a team comes out inspired and puts together a pretty strong effort. Now they may not be talented enough to do the job they are tasked with but they tend to come out full guns blazing. And for Sonny Cumbie to be Texas Tech's head coach he needs a win like this, so you can bet he'll be thinking of an onside with the opening kickoff. He's playing with house money he'll try EVERYTHING.
The second is that I think Oklahoma is getting three pieces back that were catalysts to this defensive free fall we've watched since the Texas game. I think DJ Graham is one of the better corners in the Big 12 and can severely limit Tech's options. I think Delarrin Turner-Yell has become the clear leader of this defense (captaincy or not) on the field. And I think Jalen Redmond is the engine that makes it all go for the Sooners up front. Having all three of those guys back just might help Oklahoma's defense match the anxious energy that Tech will roll out on the field early on Saturday.
The flip side is that Tech has let some offenses run absolutely wild and I'd guess the Sooners try and make this an up front game to try and wear Tech down while taking some of the pressure off of Caleb Williams.
I still think this team will play a lackluster first half - it's just what they seem to do. But I do think it won't be nearly so ugly as last week and they'll find their feet a bit faster this time around.
And as my form of protest...my starting lineup on defense...
DE - Isaiah Thomas
DT - Jalen Redmond
NT - Perrion Winfrey
RUSH - Nik Bonitto
MIKE - Danny Stutsman
WILL - Brian Asamoah
NB - Billy Bowman
CB - DJ Graham
CB - Latrell McCutchin
S - Keyshawn Lawrence
S - Delarrin Turner-Yell
Oklahoma 44
Texas Tech 27
