Recently, I was chatting with a friend of mine who is an Alabama fan and insider and the topic of the playoffs came up. He talked about how he’d love to see OU vs. Alabama in a rematch. But what was interesting to me was that he seemed so sure that Alabama would be in the playoffs. I mean, he talked about it like it was a certainty. I suppose coach Saban has given them plenty of reason to be confident but with some of the players they have to replace and the way they ended last season, I would have thought the confidence would at least be somewhat tempered.
Made me wonder how confident OU fans are that OU makes it to the playoffs this year?
28 Comments
I’d say I’m far too confident. I’m usually pretty tempered with my expectations, but my I’m excited and unreasonable this year. OU wins it all.
OU will be better than every team they face. But how do they avoid a melt-down once this season? I’m cautiously optimistic, but I think it’s a better than even chance they stumble somewhere along the way.
OU should be 11-1, if that isnt enough to get in the Playoff, a couple years of that and OU will be looking for a new conference.
OUr D is good enough, but my biggest question is whether or not our passing game is sufficient to allow our rbs to succeed and keep the chains moving. I believe in TK, but we have a lot of unproven receivers. If our offense can consistently move the sticks, then we roll straight to the playoffs.
I understand Bama being given some level of respect from past results. But, if analysts doubt that Trevor Knight is the real deal where does that leave Bama’s QB situation. All offseason we heard all this hype on the FSU transfer, now he has not beaten out the other guy Sims.
Defensively Bama played 4 good offenses last year and gave up a lot of points and yards to all 4. They lost Clinton Dix and Mosley to the NFL. I understand Bama has recruited incredibly well, but so much of the talent is unproven. Bama just has a lot of holes and to get past Auburn and others Bama will need more than QB who just hands off and the Bama D is just not what it was and the overall scheme/coaching has been exposed against no huddle spread offenses.
Still confused at the way Saban played Manziel. Chavis plays him with his mustang package and Saban decides to put out 4 big slow defensive linemen? Strange.
ATM last year had anything resembling a defense with a pulse, Bama loses that game by two tds. To me, it just looks like Saban’s scheme is so dependent upon down over down substitutions that he’s unable to adjust to speed offenses.
At times, it looks like he’s still playing old style Big Ten football, admittedly with the best athletes in the country.
Right now I just don’t understand how every other school gets a critical review at the QB position, but Bama gets a pass.
Perhaps Saban’s philosophy will stop most teams rather effectively that don’t have a dynamic QB (Trevor didn’t slice ’em up running or escaping). Reading a bit of his defensive playbook ( https://jimlightsfootballblog.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/95350469-2008-alabama-defense.pdf ), maybe that’s one of the few weaknesses on his defenses.
I never like to be too confident, the thing that annoys me is all the talking heads saying that Knight is unproven but yet still picking ‘bama to make the playoffs and even the NC. I don’t understand this.
I see unproven areas but certain ones don’t bother me. For example, when you’ve got 3 backs with the size and speed of Ross, Ford and Perine then the chances of at least one of those really doing something is pretty darn good. I think what I really like is the depth across both fronts. My biggest concern is still that inside LB position. But I still don’t see a loss on the schedule. But I’m an optimist by nature.
I think OU goes undefeated or 11-1…hope that’s enough to get us in!
I think OU has as good as chance and anybody. They have a great schedule, a chip on their shoulder, talented leaders, a hungry defense. My one concern is wide receiver. We have some amazing backs and I really think we will see some amazing things from them, but I want to see what happens when the opposing defense stacks the line and there is a need for WR’s to step up.
The homer in me says OU will run the table and win it all. The realist side knows there will be 2-3 of “those games” where things just aren’t clicking and it will take a strong dose of Sooner Magic to pull them out.
My biggest concern this year is with Heupel… Does he call plays like the bama game or is he gonna decide we need to throw 50 passes a game? I think if we are balanced on offense this year we go undefeated.
Honestly, I feel quite a few of the problems from last year stemmed from inconsistent QB play. Heupel is one of the best QB coaches in the country though, so I’m expecting quite a bit from Trevor this year. If he performs as expected, I think the play calling will work itself out. That said, I still wish Heup would go back to just a QB coach. When he got that promotion, Landry’s development stalled, and I think it was due to Heup focusing elsewhere.
I actually agree with you. I’d like to see him consistently call a good run game over the course of a few games.
I am hyped, this could be a special team. As for Bama, it is hard for fans not to just go ahead and pencil the team into the playoffs not because of Saban but because of espn. They have been pumping them all year and will continue to pump them. If Bama has 2 losses and does not play in the sec championship game espn will still be campaigning for them to be included in the playoff.
Your friend is a fan. Fans have short memories. Recent history and the incessant fawning by the media, which I’m sure your friend feels is justified would, of course, lead him to think they’re a shoo-in.
Every year at this time, buoyed by the glowing comments of the coaches about what a great off-season we had, and how everything is “coming together,” I am optimistic. This year is no different. I know that there are a great many ways for games to go awry and it will take some kindness from the injury gods, and a few breaks, for OU to make it, but I think we’ll make it into the playoffs. No problem. 🙂
I don’t know if OU is getting enough credit for how it’s performed the last three years. OU is a win away from being in the title talk or in the title game. Honestly, I don’t think OU was always the best team, athlete wise. However, hustle and smarts overcame a lot of deficiencies. This year, I think the athletes, the determination, the smarts, team chemistry, nastiness, killer instinct is there. I am 100% OU will win it all this year.
Dropping passes is the only thing I can see that would keep us from winning. If the pass game is working, we should be able to run on 3rd and four and move the chains. If defenses are forced to respect our entire playbook, I don’t see us missing the playoffs.
Looking for OU to be on the field at Jerry world… making history as #1 CFB playoff champ!
BOOMER!
Sooner!
I’m very hopeful, but I’ve learned to temper my expectations of everything in life. I think they have everything in place to do it, barring serious injury to TK, Philips, Toast, key o-lineman or a LB. Other injuries I think they could overcome because of the depth. Yes, the O-line has depth, but do we really feel there’s somebody to replace Williams or Thompson if they were to get hurt seriously? Overall with the talent on the team, if we don’t turn it over much, this team should win every game they play, up to the playoff, and possibly then too.
On the Bama thing, they have some big issues to solve, mostly at QB. They lost at least 10 guys who were real contributors for them from last year. They still have a very good chance, obviously, but to talk of it as a given is just foolish for any team, including Bama, OU, and FSU.
Very hopeful. But then again I’ve been hopeful every year since 2000. It hasnt been that long time since we were a finesse, dink-and-dunk paper-dragon on offense and defense, but it feels like a different age in OU history. The biggest question in my mind will be – can this team fight back when we get knocked down? My guess is yes. If so, then injuries concern me more than anything.
I dont think theres a bigger TV audience drawing bracket than OU vs FSU and bama vs oregon in the semi’s, with OU vs bama in the title game.
Everyones wanted to see bama vs oregon for years now, and we have a bit of recent history with FSU, especially the 2000 title game. OU vs bama in the finals would be the media’s wet dream, storylines galore.
Ive seen bamas depth chart, and didnt come away impressed. Most of the kids that their fans were expecting to come in and take over(brown, humphrey, etc) are 2nd and lower on the depth chart. Their schedule is so weak they wont be challenged except in 2 or 3 games, so i could still see them making the playoffs.
I think we finish 11-1, with a good shot at the playoffs, long as the 1 loss isnt to baylor. All depends on who does what around the country though.
OU has a pretty high probability (I calculated that subjectively…) of reaching the playoff. Texas and Texas Tech bother me. There’s a slight concern about the WRs because they’re a bunch of slot WRs. Can they stretch the field? Perhaps, if we can smash our opponent’s faces by running the ball.
On defense, there are several places I’m waiting to see what happens. Julian at CB, Dom and Jordan at LB, and Ahmad and Hatari at FS. Can we stop the run consistently? Can we adjust and not get carpet bombed by Baylor?
I am absolutely positive OU makes the playoffs. I think this D is gonna be scary…..the SEC is just now getting a taste of the style of offense the BIG12 has been dealing with for years (and Oklahoma has fared well against them throughout that time). But the SEC has been getting torched by it, and they have no answer. After coming back, Mike seems to be gearing his offense to stop it, with his 3-4/3-3-5 crazy blitzkrieg if you pass you die if you run you die style D, and has had a few years to tweak it. So it comes down to OU’s offense imo. If the offense is clicking, like they did in the Sugar Bowl….nobody stands a chance.
I go back and forth. We have the talent, but we all remember the years we had a late loss, or a dumb loss, that might have kept us out of a playoff in those years.
I think the bigger, or more interesting question is this…..Can OU lose one game to a decent team (bowl eligible, think TCU/UT/KSU/Baylor/OSU, win the Big 12, and still be left out?
Going undefeated is difficult. There might only be 1-2 undefeated teams during the regular season.