We were a 17 point dog.
New year, new teams, yada yada; I get that. But still.....
New year, new teams, yada yada; I get that. But still.....
The last time we played Bama
- Thread starter veritas59
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I looked like an OU cheerleader in front of my TV throughout that game. Cartwheels, high jump splits, hand stands, the whole enchilada. I'm ready to do it again.
And the game was played against an Alabama team still reeling from its "kick six" loss to Auburn that knocked them out of a championship. I did not see a good effort by Alabama that night.They looked like they wanted to be somewhere else and didn't seem very focused.
Just the same, Trevor Knight had the greatest bowl game by an OU QB ever.
Just the same, Trevor Knight had the greatest bowl game by an OU QB ever.
I was at the game, and it was so much fun. Early on, all the Bama fans around us were kind of patronizing, saying things like "You guys had a heck of a year" and "Bob Stoops really did well to get this much out of your team". Until we took a 31-17 halftime lead. the n they wouldn't talk to us. They walked around the outside of the suite we were in all red-faced and sputtering. It was awesome!
Last time we played Bama we had a defensive line that could get pressure on the QB. Eric Striker played awesome that night. Hopefully we can get pressure on the QB this year. If not, it might be a long night on defense.
Yeah, that's been the company line but I've never bought it. Alabama came out of the gates with their hair on fire. What folks may have misinterpreted for "lack of effort" was doubt. We were supposed to submit to them early, and the long run by Henry should have set that in motion, but it didn't. We matched them blow for blow and they got frustrated. Thus, the body language. Agree on Knight. A couple of the throws he made were perfectly covered by the defense, but zipped through a keyhole by TK9. That wasn't lack of effort on Alabama's part, it was execution on ours.
No one will ever convince me that Alabama, on a national stage, wasn't charged up and ready to play Oklahoma. I mean come on, we're Oklahoma; not Utah, or the Citadel, etc..
They just weren't ready for the Oklahoma that showed up that (K)night.
JMO
It's my perception, aside from some "company line", that Alabama did not bring its "A" game that night.....not to the extreme that OU did against USC in 2005 or Clemson in 2014.....and this was fallout from the "kick six" loss to Auburn and perhaps being a huge favorite over OU. Mark May on the pregame show, shrewdly predicted a 48-10 Alabama win.
Three fumbles, 2 interceptions doomed Alabama against an OU team that played like it had nothing to lose....and with a QB who had a "Cinderella" performance that he never repeated again.
It was clearly OU's best non-championship-at-stake bowl win. A great effort by OU for sure.
Three fumbles, 2 interceptions doomed Alabama against an OU team that played like it had nothing to lose....and with a QB who had a "Cinderella" performance that he never repeated again.
It was clearly OU's best non-championship-at-stake bowl win. A great effort by OU for sure.
I've watched that game on my computer on many a long haul flight since 2014. Bama came out hot and scored in like 50 seconds. Bama was not expecting an offense that torched their defense purely by pace of the game. Bama's D was a read and react type D. OU gave them no time to read and little time react. Bama got out coached and out played that night. I don't think Auburn had a thing to do with that loss. Saban would not allow that to happen. Our two scores before the half did not break their backs. Bama completely dominated the third quarter. OU got some Big Mo and the offense answered the bell.
Scoring first by Alabama may have worked against them
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Bama put 516 total yards on us and AJ had a 180 QBR.....the Sooner defense had two interceptions and recovered/caused two fumbles . Bama came to play and did very well other than the turnovers....
"And aside from that, Mrs. Lincoln, what did you think of the play ?".
Come on, CT, don’t pee on our rug with that same old story. What difference does it matter. We kicked their ass. We will have a chance to do it again at the Orange Bowl, and if we do, it will mean a hell of a lot more this time around. BOOMER!
I will bring over my stain remover.
I'm thinking whatever Trevor Knight did, Murray can do better....and he will have to in order to win.
Key to the game is if OU can hold Bama's offense in check.
Nahh it'll be can the O outscore the other guys...
This. Bama came to play. They scored first too. OU just flat out out played them. The talk of a 'kicking 6 issue' was the SEC media tag line line to throw shade for the SEC.
I have seen Alabama play much better in the years I've watched them since the Orange Bowl against OU in 1963, but that doesn't take away from OU's being better prepared and focused and more deserving of the 45-31 win. OU did indeed outplay Bama. That's obvious.
Saban probably watched OU's 33-24 win over O-State in which OU scored three of its four touchdowns on a punt return, a fake FG and a fumble return as time expired and believed OU wouldn't pose much of a threat on offense.
What OU had then were some big play defensive players. I'm hoping that the West Virginia and Texas games this season showed there are some on this year's team.
West Virginia was the last Big 12 team Alabama played in 2014, Bama winning 33-23. But Alabama has not played against an offense like OU's probably since Johnny Manziel and ATM beat them in 29-24 at home (2012) and then Bama surviving a shootout in College Station a year later 49-42. As good as ATM's offense was with Manziel, Murray's offense is in a league by itself.
If OU wins it all this year, the old saying of "defense wins championships" should never be said again because I believe this 2018 Oklahoma offense is the greatest offense in CFB history.
Saban probably watched OU's 33-24 win over O-State in which OU scored three of its four touchdowns on a punt return, a fake FG and a fumble return as time expired and believed OU wouldn't pose much of a threat on offense.
What OU had then were some big play defensive players. I'm hoping that the West Virginia and Texas games this season showed there are some on this year's team.
West Virginia was the last Big 12 team Alabama played in 2014, Bama winning 33-23. But Alabama has not played against an offense like OU's probably since Johnny Manziel and ATM beat them in 29-24 at home (2012) and then Bama surviving a shootout in College Station a year later 49-42. As good as ATM's offense was with Manziel, Murray's offense is in a league by itself.
If OU wins it all this year, the old saying of "defense wins championships" should never be said again because I believe this 2018 Oklahoma offense is the greatest offense in CFB history.
I think that old saying is still applicable. It's only not applicable if you are lucky enough to have the greatest offense in college football history. Outside of that, you still need a defense. lol
Agree...my remark was stated tongue-in-cheek.I think that old saying is still applicable. It's only not applicable if you are lucky enough to have the greatest offense in college football history. Outside of that, you still need a defense. lol
Well the flip side from defense wins championships is "the best defense is a good offense."
I would like to see Trevor Knight be invited to the Orange Bowl Showdown as a guest of The Team, and then be asked to give them a Pre-Game Motivational 'Go! Fight! Win!'...
Trevor Knows!
Trevor Knows!
I would like to see Trevor Knight be invited to the Orange Bowl Showdown as a guest of The Team, and then be asked to give them a Pre-Game Motivational 'Go! Fight! Win!'...
Trevor Knows!
Yes Trevor was on top of the mountain that night. Time for Kyler to channel that spirit and prove why he is the Heisman QB. He will have all his weapons healthy and ready to rake the Bama D.
They are a different team when playing in games that matter. And compared to the rest of us, that's all they ever play in. Since Saban's been there have only played in four meaningless bowl games and that's the last time you played them. Gonna have to score a ton to beat them and like last year, it still may not be enough. Good luck!
If Alabama regarded the 2014 Sugar Bowl as a game that did not "matter", then Saban and his staff and players, cheated the Alabama fans and the game of college football.
And for a coach to be paid $8.3 million a year and yet play a bowl game (or ANY game) with his team unfocused or butt-hurt from a previous loss is flat out inexcusable.
As for the bowl games, yes, there are too many these days. But as long as the bowl system continues to make money, bowl games are not going away.
Most bowl games give a team a reward at season's end for the hard work and long schedule and give the players, most of whom never traveled too far from home, a nice vacation.
Finally, throughout history, teams like Oklahoma, Alabama, Notre Dame and Ohio State have played in bowl games with no national championship on the line which were among the greatest bowl games ever played.
OU 45, Alabama 31. If Alabama was not focused to play that game that's not Oklahoma's problem. That is on Alabama and if it's true, Saban cheated his profession.
I don't doubt that the Sugar Bowl was a bowl game that Bama just didn't have their heart into. Saban and the coaches maybe knew the importance, but I'm sure the players whom had their sights all year on winning a 3rd national title in a row saw it as a meaningless game. That goal of a three-peat was ripped from them in that Auburn game. That kind of loss would be pretty devastating to the mindset and motivation of a teams players. Even so, I'm just glad Saban didn't keep handing the ball to Henry.
They've won the national title 5 of the past 9 years. Something tells me that their fans are okay with it. And so would OU's if they had done the same.
I doubt if Alabama's fan base is "okay" with ANY loss....and who could blame them ? Especially when their team is heavily favored.
OUr Sooner fan base was NOT OK with this one...
The ONLY Good Thing about it was on a personal level. Try as he might, my husband could NOT find anyone who would take his bet...Everywhere we went, up and down Miami Beach, he tried, and Gratefully, Failed...
http://www.thesportsnotebook.com/under-the-radar-sports-history-the-1978-orange-bowl/
The ONLY Good Thing about it was on a personal level. Try as he might, my husband could NOT find anyone who would take his bet...Everywhere we went, up and down Miami Beach, he tried, and Gratefully, Failed...
http://www.thesportsnotebook.com/under-the-radar-sports-history-the-1978-orange-bowl/
I saw effort when Bama was winning, I saw it when they got an interception and I saw it off that big hit from special teams. They just got whooped. I think they prepared for Blake Bell and had no idea how special Trevor would be that game. Some of the passes ( if not all) were defended well he just put them on the money. It’s funny cuz no matter how ppl tried to spin it, oh Bama doesn’t want to be there...
everyone still picked Bama. It’s not like we wanted to be there either. Sure we were happy we made it but we would rather compete for titles
No they’re the same team. They just have a loser mentality and if I were a GM I wouldn’t want any kids like that on my team.
The last time we played Bama...Bama turned the ball over 5 times and we had 6 sacks. We have no Striker this year. And we were outgained 429 to 516.
I'm a fan of Tre Brown (he's at least usually in position to make a play) but the rest of the secondary is toast. Not sure what the hell we are going to do on D besides grin and bear it as usual.
My 3 biggest concerns going into the playoff game:
1. Blowing time outs because we can get plays off (all 3 1st half ones blown in the 1st Q vs UT???). How does this regularly happen to a hurry up offense?
2. Putting LBs on top WRs. Caleb Kelly was covering UT's best WR Lil Jordan Humphrey at least a few times, once on a successful short TD pass. WTF???
3. Running game was anemic vs UT (3.2 ypc) - Bama's DT Quinnen Williams is more disruptive than anyone we've faced this year. We run a lot of pulling OL/trap plays that take a bit to develop - those may get blown up more often than not. We may have to use the trap as play action and pitch it out for a quick bubble screen or have Murray drop back off of it (which we've done). Just don't see us getting consistent yards up the gut.
The bottom line is we just don't have enough decent DBs (and again, Kelly being used as a DB?) to even think about challenging Bama's deep WR corps. Hopefully Tua is hurt and/or we just blitz him; if Hurts, hopefully he reverts to form as a mediocre passer.
I'm a fan of Tre Brown (he's at least usually in position to make a play) but the rest of the secondary is toast. Not sure what the hell we are going to do on D besides grin and bear it as usual.
My 3 biggest concerns going into the playoff game:
1. Blowing time outs because we can get plays off (all 3 1st half ones blown in the 1st Q vs UT???). How does this regularly happen to a hurry up offense?
2. Putting LBs on top WRs. Caleb Kelly was covering UT's best WR Lil Jordan Humphrey at least a few times, once on a successful short TD pass. WTF???
3. Running game was anemic vs UT (3.2 ypc) - Bama's DT Quinnen Williams is more disruptive than anyone we've faced this year. We run a lot of pulling OL/trap plays that take a bit to develop - those may get blown up more often than not. We may have to use the trap as play action and pitch it out for a quick bubble screen or have Murray drop back off of it (which we've done). Just don't see us getting consistent yards up the gut.
The bottom line is we just don't have enough decent DBs (and again, Kelly being used as a DB?) to even think about challenging Bama's deep WR corps. Hopefully Tua is hurt and/or we just blitz him; if Hurts, hopefully he reverts to form as a mediocre passer.
We have almost 30 days (technically 3 week given Kylers absence with the award shows) to prepare not a week. I think we will be fine. Also, I’m glad we aren’t facing 6’6 receivers and honestly I think the ones we’ve faced Wallace, Wesley, Reagor, Colin Johnson, Lil Jordan etc. are collectively better than Bama receivers and harder to cover. Juedy is really good though a speed guy though not really over powering. It’ll be hard to stop their backs more so than receivers then biting on play action. The DBs aren’t the main problem this game it’ll be if the front seven can stop the run and if the safeties can provide run support... then if they don’t bite when Bama hits us with play action. Offensively I’m not worried... we will find a running game just like against UGA. I mean there’s no Rodney but still sermon still had good runs.
I call bullshit. Every game matters to Nick Saban so it matters to his players as well. Anyone that believes otherwise doesn’t know a damn thing about Alabama. Getting out played doesn’t mean that the team didn’t want to win the game or that the game didn’t matter enough. That night Oklahoma outplayed Alabama.
Yup and Saban was pissed after that game. He also was crying about hurry up offenses around that time too.
Saban WAS pissed. Lol. He was pissed before the game too. That was the year Bob Stoops talked down the SEC and Saban responded. So there was a little back and forth going on during the season then Saban whined about OU’s tempo. Thing is if Alabama hadn’t abandoned the run game too soon Derrick Henry would have helped Bama more than their QB. We couldn’t stop Henry but that may have been the last time OU had a great pass rush. Saban played right into OU’s strength and ignored our weakness by not using Henry, IMO. So to say that the game didn’t matter to Alabama is too funny.
I say BS too that bama did not show up. Maybe if you are playing a mediocre program you don't get up for it but I could see it in the players, the Coaches, A J McCarrons Mom and GF were on edge everytime it showed them on tv and it did a lot and so were the other fans, even the drunk bama momma lost her freakin mind lol because she wanted it too, they wanted that game bad, I will never believe otherwise. Who does not show up to play Oklahoma? Nobody thats who.
And I will add Saban hates losing more than he loves winning.
And I will add Saban hates losing more than he loves winning.
Yeah I forgot about the drunk woman in the stands. LMAO.
All I know is we kicked their asses that night and made women, kids, and some men cry. I'm good w/ that.
The funny thing tho is most bama fans will tell you their team did not show up, even had a few arkie fans tell me that we only won because bama did not show up. The other day a bama fan told me bama will destroy us. I said just like they did in the Sugar Bowl? His response, we wanted to be playing for the National Title not a Sugar Bowl Trophy and then went on to say that OU's biggest accomplishment in years and years was beating bama and that OU hangs its hat on beating a bama team that did not want to be there and didn't show up to play.
Cannot recall how many people told me before that game, even family members that are fans of other schools that bama was going to clean our clocks. After the game I brought it up what they said to me and right on cue, oh bama didn't show up to play. When you beat an sec team thats always the excuse they give, but every other day of the week they are the best teams in the best conference in America.
My own sister had a Meme of Bob Stoops that said "Running your mouth aout the SEC and finding out you get Bama in the Sugar Bowl!"
I brought up that on her fb page after the game and she unfriended me lol and she is not even a bama fan.
Cannot recall how many people told me before that game, even family members that are fans of other schools that bama was going to clean our clocks. After the game I brought it up what they said to me and right on cue, oh bama didn't show up to play. When you beat an sec team thats always the excuse they give, but every other day of the week they are the best teams in the best conference in America.
My own sister had a Meme of Bob Stoops that said "Running your mouth aout the SEC and finding out you get Bama in the Sugar Bowl!"
I brought up that on her fb page after the game and she unfriended me lol and she is not even a bama fan.
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