Sorry guys, but this isn't about Lincoln, or the DC or lazy players or any of the conventional views of embarrassment for losing back to back to KState and Iowa State.
This is mostly about losing a ton of players, whose experience would have helped a bunch in a year where there was no spring ball, very limited summer work, and an uneven practice time in August.
Think of all the guys that we expected to have this season, that we don't have. Among the highest on the list would include
Tre Sermon
Kennedy Brooks
Rhamondre Stevenson
Trejan Bridges
Jadon Haselwood
A fully healthy Theo Howard
EJ Ndoma-Ogar
Ronnie Perkins
Jalen Redmon
Except for N-O, all were major contributors previously as players. Howard was at UCLA.
We also have several more than a little overrated experienced players. I've never been particularly impressed with Deshaun White. Now he's in a place
where he should be an achiever and team leader. Instead, he seems to most often be a disappointment. And just about everybody in the OLine fills that description, especially the center, whom I've been told is a first round draft pick. I've never viewed our offensive that way.
Same thing with just about anybody in the secondary. That includes our defensive team captain.
OUr scheme against ISU last night, produced at least four, not too challenging chances for an interception. Somehow, we don't have anybody back there who can catch the damn ball.
I've said it for twenty years here. Players make plays, or they don't. Last year's senior class including early departures had a whole lot of guys who made players. Several weren't highly rated hs players. At least a couple of were walkon's. But they made plays.
I can think of maybe two experienced players on the defense who more than occasional players in their OU history. Brown has. But he's offset it by mostly being a petty lousy cover guy. Has OUr Dcaptain ever had a pick? If so, it's not many.
Perkins and Redmond were play makers. Bonito shows promise there. But without preparation, new guys have precious little chance to be prepared. I can't explain how KState and Iowa State were so lousy in week one. But they were damn sure better than us when it counted in the last two weeks. Having experience at quarterback was a big factor.
Right now, Rattler looks like a very talented freshman, who plays just enough like a freshman to make critical mistakes in crunch time. And his overrated OLine is a complicating factor, along with inexperienced running backs, too small to block a linebacker. And while I really like Drake Stoops, playing him because of all the missing WR's, isn't close to what we need to be a great football team.
I don't gamble, but if I did, and OU as a betting favorite against Texas stays, I'd find that a great way to make some money. This OU team looks like it will have to improve a lot to finish with fewer than four losses, unless the NCAA suddenly decides to let suspended players back on the field. And maybe even if they do.
