USA Today Snap Judgments: "OKLAHOMA COULD BE THE BEST TEAM IN THE BIG 12"
- Thread starter bullsbro
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Soonersincefitty
Sooner starter
Damn, too early for this 'sugar plum fairy' crap.
I'm just as hopeful as anyone but, (excuse me, got to have sip of Crimson Koolaid) I'll hold off before I go buy the case of high end Champagne.
Fifty, the prediction itself starts out with "OK, this is a stretch." 
Soonersincefitty
Sooner starter
Fifty, the prediction itself starts out with "OK, this is a stretch."
Oh I know, I'm being extreme and incendiary, and it isn't landing well BTW.
I hope everyone keeps talking about Baylor and TCU. We play much better with a chip on our shoulder
If Baylor doesn't fire anybody or suspend any players between now and then, I think it will be tough. Their defensive line is at least as good as we saw last night, and I am pretty certain it will take at least a number in the high 30s to hang with them. If all their penalties are called, then we'll have a chance, but especially when they play in Waco, most of it tends to be overlooked. It surely was against TCU last year. And their on regular season loss, when it all got called, they lost while committing over 200 yards in penalties.
The officials in the XII tend to take care of the higher ranked teams in November. Between now and then, Baylor hosts Rice, goes to Tech and Kansas and hosts Iowa State and West virginia. Then on the first Thursday in November, they go to Manhattan, which means they have two extra days preparation.
If my theory is true, that means OU needs to be undefeated to have a chance when we visit November 14.
Between then and now, we host Tulsa and West Virginia. play Texas in Dallas and go to Manhattan. The only break of any kind is in two weeks after Tulsa. Then a trip to Lawrence is sandwiched between hosting Tech and Iowa State. We have to win them all. The week after Baylor, we host TCU.
Who stays healthy will mean something. But OUr offense has a lot of growing up to do.
The officials in the XII tend to take care of the higher ranked teams in November. Between now and then, Baylor hosts Rice, goes to Tech and Kansas and hosts Iowa State and West virginia. Then on the first Thursday in November, they go to Manhattan, which means they have two extra days preparation.
If my theory is true, that means OU needs to be undefeated to have a chance when we visit November 14.
Between then and now, we host Tulsa and West Virginia. play Texas in Dallas and go to Manhattan. The only break of any kind is in two weeks after Tulsa. Then a trip to Lawrence is sandwiched between hosting Tech and Iowa State. We have to win them all. The week after Baylor, we host TCU.
Who stays healthy will mean something. But OUr offense has a lot of growing up to do.
Like the early season polls, this article is interesting, but invalid at this time.
OU has a lot of improving to do....plus, just how good is Tennessee ?....a team that yielded 557 yards and 30 points to Bowling Green in its first game. That won't be known until late October after the Vols play at Florida, home with Georgia and at Alabama.
OU has a lot of improving to do....plus, just how good is Tennessee ?....a team that yielded 557 yards and 30 points to Bowling Green in its first game. That won't be known until late October after the Vols play at Florida, home with Georgia and at Alabama.
I like the ranking we have now and I would prefer that we continue to be out of the top ten until after we play TCU. Obviously, a win over TCU would jump us into the top ten, but I think our chances are best as a decisive underdog when we play TCU. I agree with Plaino, Baylor is going to be tough and I think the Bears are a better team than TCU right now.
The longer that we stay the "lower ranked team" the better we are. Coach Stoops' teams play so much better when it is "us against the world" than when favored!
they haven't looked great...yet..mayfield is a winner! o- line needs work.
IF OU wins the next 7 games, and from this perspective it appears possible, then among OU, Baylor, and TCU the Sooners will have the best credentials prior to game 10. There isn't anyone to fear too much in the conference outside of those teams and OSU in the whole conference, and OU would have the road win at Tennessee, while Baylor and TCU would have wins over nobody of consequence outside of conference play.
Which is the long way to say that if OU is unbeaten after 9 games, they won't be outside the top 10, and probably won't be prohibitive underdogs against Baylor, and if it's still a really important game, against TCU.
(edit: fixed typo)
Which is the long way to say that if OU is unbeaten after 9 games, they won't be outside the top 10, and probably won't be prohibitive underdogs against Baylor, and if it's still a really important game, against TCU.
(edit: fixed typo)
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True if OU is kicking everyone's ass up to the TCU game.
You are correct if OU goes 9-0 before TCU. I'm not as confident of that possibility just yet especially with Darlington's injury. The OL must improve first in order to have a better than average chance. If OU loses one game of the seven, the Sooner aren't likely to be in the top ten when they play TCU. I guess it would depend on the date of the loss and to who did they lose. Regardless, losing a game isn't the end of world as long as the team continues to improve and peak late in the season. Beating TCU would make up for any previous loss if TCU is still ranked in the top 4. West Virginia will test OU.
You are correct if OU goes 9-0 before TCU. I'm not as confident of that possibility just yet especially with Darlington's injury. The OL must improve first in order to have a better than average chance. If OU loses one game of the seven, the Sooner aren't likely to be in the top ten when they play TCU. I guess it would depend on the date of the loss and to who did they lose. Regardless, losing a game isn't the end of world as long as the team continues to improve and peak late in the season. Beating TCU would make up for any previous loss if TCU is still ranked in the top 4. West Virginia will test OU.
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There is literally zero chance OU is in the top 10 prior to the TCU game with a loss. I would lean the one game that would have hurt OU the least was if they had just lost the damn close game to Tennessee. But even the Vols I believe completely dropped out of the top 25 with losing such a close game. It would have had about the same effect on OU and no chance of going from unranked to top 10 with beating the teams on OUs schedule between now and TCU.
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I tend to agree with you BillyRay. OU's schedule doesn't appear to have teams that even if we win would be considered quality wins until TCU and Baylor. It's not like 2000 where we beat quality teams in October and November. The Big 12 just hasn't shown that it is eavy with quality thus far, and I don't see the Sooners winning in such a convincing manner that would place them in the Top 10 unless several current T10 teams fall (upsets). OU has yet demonstrated that they can play 4 quarters at a high level. This is not a knock, because they weren't expected to be a contender this year except for Herbie's playoff team prediction. So far his picks haven't looked that great. Arizona State has lost and OU's offense struggled at Knoxville. However, the Sooners showed tremendous grit by continuing to play hard and pulling it out at the end the way they did. If they continue to play hard, I will be very happy with whatever the record is at the end of the season. I'm hopeful. And I like this team a lot.
That's true if there is a ton of teams that start dropping games OU could sneak in the top 10 that way. But it would take so many teams losing so many games I just don't think its feasible to think it would could happen. Heck there are plenty of teams up there that even with a loss would still be ranked higher than an undefeated OU, much less an OU with a loss.
But as far as OU not playing 4 complete qtrs and not appearing to be a playoff contender.....and I will start off by saying this is about as close to sunshine pumping as you will ever see from me. But...I was reminded the other day about just how unimpressive OU looked in the season opener against UTEP in 2000. If I read it right, UTEP gained more overall yards than OU did in that game. OU came out of that game with Bob admitting they had a ton of work to do to play at the level he expected them to. And we all know how that season eventually turned out. But I dunno Oklabama, I read that and reminded me about how many seasons we have seen Bob's teams get better and better week after week. So let's hope the offense starts to click and starts to turn into a scoring machine. At the same time let's hope the defense keeps playing like they did the other night. It could turn into a really special season. OU just needs to show up and not over think things and just win.
There won't be 10 undefeated teams come Week 10 (or whatever week we start our last three game stretch).
So if we're one of those that are, there's almost absolutely no way we AREN'T in the top 10.
Still a lot of football to come before I worry about that, though.
So if we're one of those that are, there's almost absolutely no way we AREN'T in the top 10.
Still a lot of football to come before I worry about that, though.
