@Joe_DuVall -
No other road trip in the Big 12 feels more like visiting an alien planet than the trip to West Virginia. It begins with a flight into Pittsburgh before a trek through the Appalachian Mountains, a scenic red carpet that leads to a hilly town that is unmistakably Morgantown.
The people are a lively bunch and possess the generosity to share a beer from their 30 rack or even jello shots made from moonshine.
Once inside Milan Puskar stadium, before any festivities began, an instructional video of why you shouldn't burn couches is shown, a practice that I feel confident saying is unique only to West Virginia home games.
This year Oklahoma will face a more energized Mountaineer team than ever before, with a crowd at full capacity - not on holiday break, and weather conditions that are projected to make London seem like a tropical paradise.
A top-10 match-up (according to the AP and Coaches) in cold, rainy weather at one of the Big 12's most spirited venues is just what the doctor ordered for @Eddie_Rado's favorite conference.
And despite its hostility, Morgantown has done little to slow down an OU offense that has averaged 47.5 points per game in its two games at West Virginia - both done with Josh Heupel at offensive coordinator. The elements will be a challenge and Tony Gibson has the Big 12's No. 1 scoring defense playing as well as ever in the Holgorsen era, but something tells me Lincoln Riley, Baker Mayfield, Dede Westbrook, Joe Mixon, and Samaje Perine find a way to do their part.
The main question will be can Mike Stoops' defense perform on the road against West Virginia the way they have versus Kansas, Iowa State, and Baylor. Although sparked by the quality play of freshmen Caleb Kelly and Jordan Parker, games like this generally come down to how your leaders set the tone. Jordan Evans, Jordan Thomas, Steven Parker, and Ogbo Okoronkwo can really affect the trajectory of this game if they're able to stifle a marginal Mountaineer offense led by Skyler Howard (No. 6 in Big 12 passing touchdowns)early. Holgorsen, like his mentor Mike Leach, will get hyper aggressive if they feel a game starting to slip away, something that Oklahoma would welcome, because they are at their best when Okoronkwo is able to pin his ears back and be disruptive against one-dimensional offenses.
For all the pomp, circumstance, and pageantry around this game, it will likely come to old, simplistic football truths.
The team that takes care of the football and doesn't make the big mistake will have the best chance to win.
Who blinks first?
Predictions
- The offense struggles catching passes outside of Westbrook, the tailbacks, and Flowers.
- Westbrook scores a TD that's not a reception.
- This thing is close or the Sooners trail after three quarters.
- West Virginia's offense runs out of gas.
- Mixon hits a big play and Perine closes it out on the ground.
- If Oklahoma does win, whoever has the better game between Westbrook and Mayfield will get the Heisman focus. If they both shine, OU may be smart to go with a dual-campaign to get them both in NYC.
- UPSET PICK: Carey drinks moonshine, but Eddie doesn't.
OKLAHOMA 45
West Virginia 31
@Eddie_Rado -
Primetime national television audience. Chance of snow. Morgantown. Big 12 title implications on the line. How much further do I need to go? This is a big one.
West Virginia wide receiver Shelton Gibson even poured a little gasoline on the fire over night.
Thank ya Shelton! Thank ya Zack! That's exactly what this game needed. I love my college football with a little trash talk. Spicy, indeed.
Since the Mountaineers addition to the conference the two schools have met for some classics. Expect another on Saturday, especially at the epicenter of two gems.
There was Tavon Austin's antics in 2012 ended with a Kenny Stills game-winning touchdown in the final seconds. A late Brennan Clay touchdown run in 2013 to ice the game. The return trip in '14 provided dramatics of its own with Samaje Perine's coming out party.
We could sit here and breakdown the Oklahoma offense vs. the West Virginia defense. This stat and that stat. We'll keep this simple, and you can get back to drinking.
Oklahoma finds more success on the ground. Getting Samaje back in the mix a week ago was a good thing. Look for Joe Mixon to find success in the screen game. Defensively, Oklahoma takes advantage of a couple West Virginia turnovers. Turnovers are a funny thing. The Sooners couldn't sniff one to open the season. Slowly but surely they started to appear. Sometimes it pays to be in the right spot at the right time.
I'd be astonished if Oklahoma came out flat defensively. That's a hot sports opinion. I think they play well. (Can't wait for the fire in postgame, when wrong).
Game predictions:
* There's a pregame scuffle/shenanigans (say it again Farva!) between the two teams ... hopefully I'm there to get it on video
* Mark Andrews has three or more 3rd down receptions
* Emmanuel Beal is the best former Lackawanna player on the field
* Mykel Jones finds the endzone
* I drink more Redbulls than Dana Holgorsen on Saturday
Oklahoma 38
West Virginia 34
@josh_m -
OK, so let's talk about the dangers of perception and reality.
Perception:
Oklahoma's defense is awful, West Virginia's is really solid.
Reality:
Pass Defense -
Oklahoma: 297.1
West Virginia: 253.8
Rush Defense -
Oklahoma: 132.4
West Virginia: 156
Total Defense -
Oklahoma: 429.5
West Virginia: 409.8
So this gulf of difference comes out to just over 20 yards per game and frankly, if you take out the outliers, the best and worst performances for each defense?
West Virginia: 409.4
Oklahoma: 408.75
Don't get me wrong, that Texas Tech game will live in infamy forever but it also skews the numbers in a major way.
I mean we're talking about the same defense that, at home, gave up almost 450 yards of offense to KANSAS?!?!?! For comparison's sake? Oklahoma, also at home, allowed the Jayhawks to just 170-yards of offense.
But back to West Virginia...
Watching this team for Under The Hood (even still a work in progress) I see a very solid unit as far as the ability to tackle and space and a group that is very, very aggressive with it's blitzes and trying to force a team into mistakes. But do I see a bunch of difference makers? No, in fact I would argue West Virginia's 2015 version was considerably more talented from a personnel standpoint.
So if you consider the defenses even close to a wash, then you go back to the offenses.
And at that point, the comparisons fall apart - I won't bore you with more @Joe_DuVall-isms (err, stats) but there isn't an offensive category that Oklahoma doesn't have a considerable lead in - save for rushing offense (where Oklahoma still has a near 10-yard PG edge).
In the end, West Virginia's best odds will be for a game with ugly weather to force Oklahoma into a one-dimensional game and help put less pressure on Skyler Howard (who is currently under 2:1 in TD:INT ratio). But barring that I just like how Oklahoma is playing right now and think they've got more of the kind of talent who makes the plays to win games like these.
Predictions:
*Someone, not named Baker Mayfield throws a touchdown pass.
*Dimitri Flowers logs another receiving touchdown.
*Obo Okoronkwo gives left tackle Adam Pankey absolute fits flushing Howard toward Caleb Kelly and allowing the freshman his first career two sack game.
*Howard throws a pair of interceptions, including one late to ice the game.
Oklahoma 34
West Virginia 27
No other road trip in the Big 12 feels more like visiting an alien planet than the trip to West Virginia. It begins with a flight into Pittsburgh before a trek through the Appalachian Mountains, a scenic red carpet that leads to a hilly town that is unmistakably Morgantown.
The people are a lively bunch and possess the generosity to share a beer from their 30 rack or even jello shots made from moonshine.
Once inside Milan Puskar stadium, before any festivities began, an instructional video of why you shouldn't burn couches is shown, a practice that I feel confident saying is unique only to West Virginia home games.
This year Oklahoma will face a more energized Mountaineer team than ever before, with a crowd at full capacity - not on holiday break, and weather conditions that are projected to make London seem like a tropical paradise.
A top-10 match-up (according to the AP and Coaches) in cold, rainy weather at one of the Big 12's most spirited venues is just what the doctor ordered for @Eddie_Rado's favorite conference.
And despite its hostility, Morgantown has done little to slow down an OU offense that has averaged 47.5 points per game in its two games at West Virginia - both done with Josh Heupel at offensive coordinator. The elements will be a challenge and Tony Gibson has the Big 12's No. 1 scoring defense playing as well as ever in the Holgorsen era, but something tells me Lincoln Riley, Baker Mayfield, Dede Westbrook, Joe Mixon, and Samaje Perine find a way to do their part.
The main question will be can Mike Stoops' defense perform on the road against West Virginia the way they have versus Kansas, Iowa State, and Baylor. Although sparked by the quality play of freshmen Caleb Kelly and Jordan Parker, games like this generally come down to how your leaders set the tone. Jordan Evans, Jordan Thomas, Steven Parker, and Ogbo Okoronkwo can really affect the trajectory of this game if they're able to stifle a marginal Mountaineer offense led by Skyler Howard (No. 6 in Big 12 passing touchdowns)early. Holgorsen, like his mentor Mike Leach, will get hyper aggressive if they feel a game starting to slip away, something that Oklahoma would welcome, because they are at their best when Okoronkwo is able to pin his ears back and be disruptive against one-dimensional offenses.
For all the pomp, circumstance, and pageantry around this game, it will likely come to old, simplistic football truths.
The team that takes care of the football and doesn't make the big mistake will have the best chance to win.
Who blinks first?
Predictions
- The offense struggles catching passes outside of Westbrook, the tailbacks, and Flowers.
- Westbrook scores a TD that's not a reception.
- This thing is close or the Sooners trail after three quarters.
- West Virginia's offense runs out of gas.
- Mixon hits a big play and Perine closes it out on the ground.
- If Oklahoma does win, whoever has the better game between Westbrook and Mayfield will get the Heisman focus. If they both shine, OU may be smart to go with a dual-campaign to get them both in NYC.
- UPSET PICK: Carey drinks moonshine, but Eddie doesn't.
OKLAHOMA 45
West Virginia 31
@Eddie_Rado -
Primetime national television audience. Chance of snow. Morgantown. Big 12 title implications on the line. How much further do I need to go? This is a big one.
West Virginia wide receiver Shelton Gibson even poured a little gasoline on the fire over night.
Thank ya Shelton! Thank ya Zack! That's exactly what this game needed. I love my college football with a little trash talk. Spicy, indeed.
Since the Mountaineers addition to the conference the two schools have met for some classics. Expect another on Saturday, especially at the epicenter of two gems.
There was Tavon Austin's antics in 2012 ended with a Kenny Stills game-winning touchdown in the final seconds. A late Brennan Clay touchdown run in 2013 to ice the game. The return trip in '14 provided dramatics of its own with Samaje Perine's coming out party.
We could sit here and breakdown the Oklahoma offense vs. the West Virginia defense. This stat and that stat. We'll keep this simple, and you can get back to drinking.
Oklahoma finds more success on the ground. Getting Samaje back in the mix a week ago was a good thing. Look for Joe Mixon to find success in the screen game. Defensively, Oklahoma takes advantage of a couple West Virginia turnovers. Turnovers are a funny thing. The Sooners couldn't sniff one to open the season. Slowly but surely they started to appear. Sometimes it pays to be in the right spot at the right time.
I'd be astonished if Oklahoma came out flat defensively. That's a hot sports opinion. I think they play well. (Can't wait for the fire in postgame, when wrong).
Game predictions:
* There's a pregame scuffle/shenanigans (say it again Farva!) between the two teams ... hopefully I'm there to get it on video
* Mark Andrews has three or more 3rd down receptions
* Emmanuel Beal is the best former Lackawanna player on the field
* Mykel Jones finds the endzone
* I drink more Redbulls than Dana Holgorsen on Saturday
Oklahoma 38
West Virginia 34
@josh_m -
OK, so let's talk about the dangers of perception and reality.
Perception:
Oklahoma's defense is awful, West Virginia's is really solid.
Reality:
Pass Defense -
Oklahoma: 297.1
West Virginia: 253.8
Rush Defense -
Oklahoma: 132.4
West Virginia: 156
Total Defense -
Oklahoma: 429.5
West Virginia: 409.8
So this gulf of difference comes out to just over 20 yards per game and frankly, if you take out the outliers, the best and worst performances for each defense?
West Virginia: 409.4
Oklahoma: 408.75
Don't get me wrong, that Texas Tech game will live in infamy forever but it also skews the numbers in a major way.
I mean we're talking about the same defense that, at home, gave up almost 450 yards of offense to KANSAS?!?!?! For comparison's sake? Oklahoma, also at home, allowed the Jayhawks to just 170-yards of offense.
But back to West Virginia...
Watching this team for Under The Hood (even still a work in progress) I see a very solid unit as far as the ability to tackle and space and a group that is very, very aggressive with it's blitzes and trying to force a team into mistakes. But do I see a bunch of difference makers? No, in fact I would argue West Virginia's 2015 version was considerably more talented from a personnel standpoint.
So if you consider the defenses even close to a wash, then you go back to the offenses.
And at that point, the comparisons fall apart - I won't bore you with more @Joe_DuVall-isms (err, stats) but there isn't an offensive category that Oklahoma doesn't have a considerable lead in - save for rushing offense (where Oklahoma still has a near 10-yard PG edge).
In the end, West Virginia's best odds will be for a game with ugly weather to force Oklahoma into a one-dimensional game and help put less pressure on Skyler Howard (who is currently under 2:1 in TD:INT ratio). But barring that I just like how Oklahoma is playing right now and think they've got more of the kind of talent who makes the plays to win games like these.
Predictions:
*Someone, not named Baker Mayfield throws a touchdown pass.
*Dimitri Flowers logs another receiving touchdown.
*Obo Okoronkwo gives left tackle Adam Pankey absolute fits flushing Howard toward Caleb Kelly and allowing the freshman his first career two sack game.
*Howard throws a pair of interceptions, including one late to ice the game.
Oklahoma 34
West Virginia 27
