Alright guys, this week is so unique for me because I don't have a lot of standout thoughts, so this may twist and wind a little bit but at the end of the day, I'll present you with something to be mad about - I'm just sure of it.
***Spencer Rattler's weird year...
At the start of this calendar year Rattler was an Oklahoma commit that many felt was underrated and was just generally overlooked out in Arizona.
Well this year overlooked is the least of Rattler's problems. He has set the state's all-time record for passing yardage, which put him in some national online publications. He has become a five-star on Rivals, and now has his weird page-turning news on Wednesday.
First can I talk about the fortuitous timing of that breaking news? Look at the timestamp it broke NINE MINUTES before chat from a local newspaper (I've mentioned that Richard Obert does as good a job covering high school sports in his area as any sportswriter in the country) and within 10 minutes...I had literally dozens of questions about what this meant for Oklahoma and what he'd done.
Want to know something?
The chat was the first I'd heard of this. hahahaha.
I'd been putting Lanie to bed and came down stairs, flipped on chat and my first thought was 'guys, his injury isn't that big of a deal that his status with OU is changing'.
Just a look behind the curtain there.
But the rumors of what happened have all been based on high school debauchery and whatever may have happened I do not get the impression that Oklahoma is that concerned about the situation after he and Lincoln Riley had a chance to talk about it before the news broke.
And no, I won't be quoting Riley on his take from the conversation. And in the same vein, Oklahoma won't suffer any consequences from some lackluster understanding of how recruiting is covered. If anything it's a self-reported deal (which is just a sad reality if it comes to pass as OU literally did nothing wrong) and OU gets a stern finger wagging. Don't lose sleep Spencer Rattler will sign in December, play in the Army Bowl in January (I'm planning to send him a few hundred pounds of bubble wrap to make sure he protects himself and is good to go in San Antonio), and then report to Oklahoma next June.
***Big changes from the defense, or not?
So there has been all this buzz that the Sooners made a big step forward and while I bought into it somewhat I'd conversed with some people and there were still very legitimate concerns from both those who are looking at it from an Xs and Os standpoint.
But those things are sometimes hard to quantify, but the efficiency experts also had real concerns about what Oklahoma did defensively...
Now those things being said? I think you saw better use of personnel and in turn between that (and fewer plays faced) you saw a defense that was better tackling if for no other reason than they were more fresh. I also thought you saw a defense that wasn't running mentally tired and just reacted to what their eyes told them.
I think this week will tell us more about what Oklahoma's defense is as you've got the style of offense that can challenge Oklahoma rather than one, TCU, who wants to be something that it just doesn't have the personnel to be right now. (You may remember someone telling you that Shawn Robinson was not 'that dude'.)
Kansas State isn't special offensively but it will show how well Oklahoma can adjust from week to week in their simplified air. It also helps Oklahoma that they haven't had to show much with that trip to Lubbock on the horizon.
That will be the game to tell you if there is real change or if this is simply a product of Oklahoma's offense doing more to take pressure off the defense.
And as I said on Saturday, you've got to think Mike Stoops is wondering where the seven minute drives were for his defense. Did Oklahoma suddenly come to the idea that the defense was going to have to be protected or...what?
***Screw that guy in South Carolina.
So I'm sure you either went to bed last night or woke up this morning to the realization that you were a new near billionaire.
Last night @Carey Murdock said something like 'I hope like 20 people hit on it' and I thought at the time 'that seems harsh'. Well now that I'm facing the alternate reality? I'm with him, this stinks. That was my money and if the jerk at the gas station would have hit the buttons correctly, I'd have been the winner - DAMN YOU CONOCO WORKER, YOU GAVE MY MONEY AWAY.
And to show you how recruiting/sports minded I am? My first thought after learning it was a South Carolina native that was the winner?
'I wonder if it's Clemson or South Carolina that just got their new Boone Pickens'.
I'm not a big lottery guy, I don't get involved until it's obscenely high (350m plus) but that being said @Tiffany_M and I have had multiple conversations on just what we'd have spent our money on.
Our top three:
1) A massive vacation...destination unknown (ruby, ruby, ruby, ruby soho) with a nanny. Yeah we're passing that parenting buck off while we're gone. Don't get me wrong, kids get to come but they are staying in a separate wing of the manor we have purchased.
2) For me? The most obscene Audi money can buy, I LOVE those things and could live with that expense but buying some grotesque Maybach/Ferrari/etc. I don't think I could get there... For Tiffany (who could absolutely get there) I'm willing to allow for her the Mercedes Benz G-Wagon things.
3) A new house the question for us would be, living in Houston (though I'd make a strong case we'd be rectifying that error in our lives) would we want to buy on the water or buy the big ranch setup that we've always wanted?
So many questions that CAN'T BE ANSWERED BECAUSE OF THE GUY AT CONOCO. Oh well, I'll have to live with tonight's Powerball win.
But don't you worry your pretty heads, we're convinced we couldn't quit work: "you wouldn't know what to do if you weren't checking that board" - @Tiffany_M expressing her love for you all.
***Spencer Rattler's weird year...
At the start of this calendar year Rattler was an Oklahoma commit that many felt was underrated and was just generally overlooked out in Arizona.
Well this year overlooked is the least of Rattler's problems. He has set the state's all-time record for passing yardage, which put him in some national online publications. He has become a five-star on Rivals, and now has his weird page-turning news on Wednesday.
First can I talk about the fortuitous timing of that breaking news? Look at the timestamp it broke NINE MINUTES before chat from a local newspaper (I've mentioned that Richard Obert does as good a job covering high school sports in his area as any sportswriter in the country) and within 10 minutes...I had literally dozens of questions about what this meant for Oklahoma and what he'd done.
Want to know something?
The chat was the first I'd heard of this. hahahaha.
I'd been putting Lanie to bed and came down stairs, flipped on chat and my first thought was 'guys, his injury isn't that big of a deal that his status with OU is changing'.
Just a look behind the curtain there.
But the rumors of what happened have all been based on high school debauchery and whatever may have happened I do not get the impression that Oklahoma is that concerned about the situation after he and Lincoln Riley had a chance to talk about it before the news broke.
And no, I won't be quoting Riley on his take from the conversation. And in the same vein, Oklahoma won't suffer any consequences from some lackluster understanding of how recruiting is covered. If anything it's a self-reported deal (which is just a sad reality if it comes to pass as OU literally did nothing wrong) and OU gets a stern finger wagging. Don't lose sleep Spencer Rattler will sign in December, play in the Army Bowl in January (I'm planning to send him a few hundred pounds of bubble wrap to make sure he protects himself and is good to go in San Antonio), and then report to Oklahoma next June.
***Big changes from the defense, or not?
So there has been all this buzz that the Sooners made a big step forward and while I bought into it somewhat I'd conversed with some people and there were still very legitimate concerns from both those who are looking at it from an Xs and Os standpoint.
But those things are sometimes hard to quantify, but the efficiency experts also had real concerns about what Oklahoma did defensively...
Now those things being said? I think you saw better use of personnel and in turn between that (and fewer plays faced) you saw a defense that was better tackling if for no other reason than they were more fresh. I also thought you saw a defense that wasn't running mentally tired and just reacted to what their eyes told them.
I think this week will tell us more about what Oklahoma's defense is as you've got the style of offense that can challenge Oklahoma rather than one, TCU, who wants to be something that it just doesn't have the personnel to be right now. (You may remember someone telling you that Shawn Robinson was not 'that dude'.)
Kansas State isn't special offensively but it will show how well Oklahoma can adjust from week to week in their simplified air. It also helps Oklahoma that they haven't had to show much with that trip to Lubbock on the horizon.
That will be the game to tell you if there is real change or if this is simply a product of Oklahoma's offense doing more to take pressure off the defense.
And as I said on Saturday, you've got to think Mike Stoops is wondering where the seven minute drives were for his defense. Did Oklahoma suddenly come to the idea that the defense was going to have to be protected or...what?
***Screw that guy in South Carolina.
So I'm sure you either went to bed last night or woke up this morning to the realization that you were a new near billionaire.
Last night @Carey Murdock said something like 'I hope like 20 people hit on it' and I thought at the time 'that seems harsh'. Well now that I'm facing the alternate reality? I'm with him, this stinks. That was my money and if the jerk at the gas station would have hit the buttons correctly, I'd have been the winner - DAMN YOU CONOCO WORKER, YOU GAVE MY MONEY AWAY.
And to show you how recruiting/sports minded I am? My first thought after learning it was a South Carolina native that was the winner?
'I wonder if it's Clemson or South Carolina that just got their new Boone Pickens'.
I'm not a big lottery guy, I don't get involved until it's obscenely high (350m plus) but that being said @Tiffany_M and I have had multiple conversations on just what we'd have spent our money on.
Our top three:
1) A massive vacation...destination unknown (ruby, ruby, ruby, ruby soho) with a nanny. Yeah we're passing that parenting buck off while we're gone. Don't get me wrong, kids get to come but they are staying in a separate wing of the manor we have purchased.
2) For me? The most obscene Audi money can buy, I LOVE those things and could live with that expense but buying some grotesque Maybach/Ferrari/etc. I don't think I could get there... For Tiffany (who could absolutely get there) I'm willing to allow for her the Mercedes Benz G-Wagon things.
3) A new house the question for us would be, living in Houston (though I'd make a strong case we'd be rectifying that error in our lives) would we want to buy on the water or buy the big ranch setup that we've always wanted?
So many questions that CAN'T BE ANSWERED BECAUSE OF THE GUY AT CONOCO. Oh well, I'll have to live with tonight's Powerball win.
But don't you worry your pretty heads, we're convinced we couldn't quit work: "you wouldn't know what to do if you weren't checking that board" - @Tiffany_M expressing her love for you all.
