Open Post | Thursday, October 27th
Posted on: October 27, 2022
DJ Hicks | Update
– Super K – Posted on: October 25, 2022
Last week, I inadvertently stirred things up a bit by noting that I do not think the Sooners are out of it with 5-star DL and TAMU commit, DJ Hicks.
I have continued to check on this and want to add the following notes:
***First, I know many of you think Hicks decision came solely down to “NIL” stuff.
***I don’t know how little or much that played a factor. What I do know is that Hicks was heavily leaning towards to OU and then suddenly the K State game happens and KSU, as coach Saban says, ran through OU like sh*t through a tin horn.
***If your pitch is, we are going to play great defense and get guys drafted and even though we are a lot farther away and not yet in the SEC and not heavy into the NIL stuff and then you look like the same OU defense the Sooners have been fielding in previous years, it’s not a great pitch.
***And I get that it was only one game but man, it wasn’t pretty. It was especially not pretty when you’re a defensive lineman.
***You can’t argue that the closer school who is in the SEC and is doing NIL stuff sucks when you aren’t playing well.
***What I do believe is that Hicks and their family have a very strong relationship with the Sooners staff and I maintain that if the Sooners can get things moving in the right direction, they will have a real shot to bring Hicks in.
***I will also say that based on what I’m hearing (and not hearing), I do believe Hicks will make it up to Norman at some point this season for a game. Would reckon the Okie State game but I don’t have confirmation one way or another right now.
After Yesterday’s (last week’s) Games…
– Super K – Posted on: October 23, 2022
How bad are you wishing OU would’ve pulled out that game against Kansas State?
TCU continues to look more and more like the class of the Big 12. So, for now, they look likely to get in.
But the rest of the Big 12 looks like they can lose any given weekend. And at 2-2 in the Big 12, OU winning out would have given them a very reasonable chance of facing TCU in the Big 12 championship.
You’ll recall, that was my pre-season pick for the Big 12 championship game.
By my count, had the Sooners pulled out that KSU game, they would have controlled their own destiny with everyone other than Texas who would have the head to head.
Absolutely crazy year in the Big 12. ISU is sitting at the bottom of the Big 12 and they almost beat Texas last week. WVU beats Baylor last week and then gets obliterated by Texas Tech this week.
And Kansas is a decent team!
The current Big 12 rankings (per ESPN) are:
TCU 4-0
OSU 3-1
KSU 3-1
UT 3-2
Baylor 2-2
Texas Tech 2-2
Kansas 2-3
OU 1-3
WVU 1-3
ISU 0-4
Right now it appears OU controls its own destiny against Baylor, Texas Tech, Kansas and of course WVU and ISU.
But if they win out, you could see them possibly creeping all the way up to three.
If Kansas State beats Okie State next week, the Sooners will control their destiny against Okie State.
And if Texas continues to play like they have the past few weeks, then it’s not far fetched to see them dropping to TCU and one of their remaining three games (KSU, Kansas and Baylor).
Iowa State will be a good gauge for where the Sooners are. Don’t let their 0-4 record fool you. They were a dropped pass (and then a fumble that could’ve gone either way) away from beating Texas last week. They lost to Baylor by a TD, to Kansas by a FG and the Kansas State by…one point!
Their defense should give us a sense if last week’s offensive performance was real.
Clemson Fan Experience | Preview of Things to Come In Norman?
– Charlie S – Posted on: October 25, 2022
With the new connections between OU and Clemson (Venables and Turnipseed in large part) I wanted to share a little glimpse of what I am sure OU is working towards in terms of ‘Fan Experience’ that I experienced last week down in Clemson.
First of all, no matter if you have any affinity towards Clemson or not, if you are a College Football fan, making a game in Death Valley needs to be on your bucket list. It is a unique fan experience, a perfect setting for college football, and an intense in-game atmosphere.
There are some obvious similarities between the pregame actions and some stark differences as well.
First let me start with the team itself.
OU does the ‘Walk of Champions’ where the players and coaches get off buses and walk down a path and into the stadium.
Clemson does the Tiger Walk…same thing. Pull up in buses, wearing suits, and walk down a path through the crowd and into the stadium.
From there, the OU team does their warmups and then goes back into the locker room and enters the stadium once again just prior to the game through the tunnel.
Clemson warms up, then they go back into the locker room, leave through a side door and get on buses that take them around the stadium to the other end (which is all filmed and shown on the jumbotron in real time) where they get off at the top of the hill under the jumbotron, let the crowd get crazy, and the ‘Howards Rock – Hill Run’ takes place as they enter the stadium. Truly unique and one of the best entrances in all of sports.
Both teams walk off arm in arm towards the locker room following warm ups. Both head coaches are right there at the front
The configuration of OU’s stadium does not allow for anything other than the tunnel entrance and that is electric in and of itself. But the rock/hill run is just special and as I said unique.
From the minute the Tiger Walk starts at Clemson, the fan base is engaged and included.
I have not been in Norman in quite a few years, but from what you guys have conveyed, OU does a good job of including fan interaction here of late over the last few years.
Brent and Turnipseed brought the suits and such and have introduced the ‘arm and arm’ walk at the end of warmups so the similarities are showing.
What separates the “Walk of Champions’ and the ‘Tiger Walk’ is basically stadium configuration.
At Clemson there are parking lots that butt right up against the stadium. Obviously, within those lots, there is a massive sea of tailgating. The ‘Tiger Walk’ is not a destination for many, it is a by-product of location as the team walks right through a huge lot that is already teaming with fans.
At the end of the game, Clemson encourages their fans to ‘Meet at the Paw’ at midfield…win or lose…I am not saying OU would or should encourage that, but it is just another way for the fans to be engaged.
In sticking with the tailgating, something I know to be a hot-button topic for Sooner fans…there is not an inch of land that is not used for tailgating within a mile of the stadium.
If there are practice fields, there is tailgating. If there are academic buildings, there is tailgating on the lawns. If there are other facilities (like the softball and baseball stadium) there is tailgating on the landscaping and in the lots and the restroom facilities are open. There is tailgating everywhere. If you can park a car there, Clemson has a spot assigned to that patch of land and it is being used for tailgating.
OU needs to lighten up and start worrying a little less about the landscaping and being conscious of the students in the dorms who may be sleeping or whatnot. It’s 6-7 weeks of the year…OU is a football blueblood…make some changes and worry about the landscaping on Mondays. The investment in labor and new shrubs and bushes 6-7 times a year to clean it up and replace things is well worth it in regard to the fan experience.
Clemson and Norman are set up differently. The stadiums are positioned differently, I get it. OU is limited in what they can do compared to Clemson in regard to the tailgating in lots but man…they (Clemson) are not afraid to use any and all available land to get the fan base involved…doesn’t matter if it’s a park or an academic building, or dorms or whatever…if there is open space, Clemson will put cars and people there. I would expect that Turnipseed is fighting those battles right now for every inch of land they can get access to for tailgating.
When you talk about the in game experience…Death Valley is loud. Darius, CJ and Super K were making fun of me for how often I kept saying how loud it was. The student section is a major factor and the stadium often has an impact on the game (false start penalties and delay of game). I have been to night games, afternoon games, and morning games there and last weekend was a noon game and I really cannot recall it being any louder than it was late in the 4th quarter when Syracuse had the ball at the end where the student section was.
It does not matter what time the game is, who the opponent is, or what the score is…that place is loud…and there is at least one point in every game that I have been to where it has been deafening.
This week happened to be homecoming, so there was a little more fanfare throughout the town (floats, events, and such) but the main strip in Clemson (Think Campus Corner) is always popping.
I will say that the PA system has been greatly enhanced throughout the years that I have been going there and they are not afraid to use it…I know some people had issues with the PA at OU early in the season and how it may have negatively impacted OU on the field as there were some ill-timed ‘BOOMER’s thrown out there…but I would assume that was by accident and the heavy use of the PA system is something those in control are trying to perfect and use much the same way they do it at Clemson. It works for Clemson, I am sure OU wants to make it work for them.
Historically, OU and Clemson are not a great comparison, so some may say ‘Why would OU emulate anything Clemson does’? Well on the field, over the last 15 years, Clemson has been the better program. Over the course of history, OU has been the superior program. The last 15 years have seen the rise of Clemson, and everything they have done to get to the top are things OU should be paying attention to (and I believe they are).
I don’t know what Turnipseed has up his sleeves. I know with the money they are trying to raise to enhance the student-athlete experience, they have a plan. The new construction and plans will almost definitely include improving the fan experience aspect of game days in Norman.
I could see changes over the years to come which would open up additional tailgating opportunities and the new construction will likely include places that would open up opportunities for fans. I could see practice fields being used, I could see land around the stadium being used…it just may take some time and some small gains, little by little.
Geography may be different, but if you ever have a chance to get to Death Valley, I highly recommend making the trip as I do believe it is a preview of things to come in Norman over the course of the next 5 years.
Changing the culture of the program includes changing the culture of the fan base. You change the culture of the fan base by making it a more enjoyable experience…by making every game an event. That starts with the fans…the students, the longtime fans, the generational ticket holders…I was sitting next to a guy who had the same seats for 35 seasons in Clemson and that old guy was INTO it. There was no sitting except for commercial breaks and a few series in the middle of the game, but for the most part, the stadium was standing the entire game.
Right now, the fan experience at Clemson appears to be more in-depth than the fan experience at OU. Will we see that change over time? I think so. Will we see the same exact things that they do at Clemson be done at OU? I don’t think so, and I hope not, but I do think you will see changes made and OU will engage the fans more, little by little, year by year.
The biggest takeaway from my return to Clemson is…OU fans have a lot to look forward to as I absolutely think improving the game-day experience is something at the top of the list for Turnipseed and Venables and that is something we will (or at least I will) be digging on throughout the end of this season and the coming offseason.
I said this to K and Ryan…if I was a recruit, the gameday experience and atmosphere (along with the facilities, program, etc) would really make it difficult to say no to.
I will gladly answer any questions you have and would appreciate your thoughts on how to improve the OU gameday experience from those of you who go to the games!
Billy Bowman Update | Sourced
– Charlie S – Posted on: October 26, 2022
As you know, last Friday James reported that he was hearing that Sooners safety Billy Bowman should be able to return for the Iowa State game after missing the Kansas and Texas game due to an injury sustained in the TCU game. HERE.
Had a source reach out to me last night who corroborated what James reported previously by simply saying ‘He’s playing’ in reference to Bowman.
Yesterday, Coach Venables spoke about Bowman and while he would not put a timeline on his return, based on our sourcing, it sounds like there is a good chance he will play this weekend should there be no setbacks.
TAMU Turmoil
– Super K – Posted on: October 26, 2022
I know many of you are following the not so good news coming out of College Station. And, I’m sure that has some of you wondering whether there will be transfers and if any of those will be to OU.
I’ve reached out to a couple of people with ties to players in the program.
One basically said that there are obviously some kids that probably shouldn’t have ended up there but the question is whether, even with all the issues, if some of the kids will choose a better opportunity elsewhere or choose the “benefits” offered at TAMU.
I did ask a separate source specifically about Dindy and whether transferring is a consideration. I was told that as of right now Dindy has no plans on transferring.
Probably not what you all want to hear but I figured I’d pass it along. We will obviously continue to monitor things.
Player Notes | R Mason, Sawchuk, Bowman & Graham
– James Hale – Posted on: October 26, 2022
***I noted this last week but continue to hear that during the bye week Nick Evers seems to have taken another step. That’s expected from a young but you never know when exactly it’s going to happen.
***Again, will be interesting if Lebby makes an adjustment to the backup QB situation based on that.
***Also hearing that Gavin Sawchuk showed off a lot of explosiveness during the bye week practices. Still think we will have to wait until next year to see that on the field.
***Converted cornerback junior D.J. Graham made several plays in the two scrimmages and looks like a natural at receiver. Whether he will get any playing time is another story.
***Robert Spears Jennings is a very good-looking athlete that is beginning to get some run. He has been productive playing in three games with eight tackles and a half tackle for loss. I’m told he got plenty of reps in the two scrimmages and excelled.
***Coach Venables said about RSJ, “Yeah, Robert’s got a great future ahead of him. Incredibly bright. He’s tough. He’s got great size.”
***“As we’ve seen our last game, in particular, in the last few weeks of practice, since our trip once we got back from Nebraska, his mindset has changed. I think he’s shown up with a different sense of purpose to what he’s doing and realized that the man in the mirror is the only thing that’s kept him back from being his best.”
***“He’s a terrific young guy, and again, a great, great future. We’ve needed him to come along to give us depth and competition at that position. Key Lawrence missed a couple of games with an injury as well, and we’ve had to move some guys around. Obviously, we lost Billy (Bowman), and we lost Damond (Harmon). So, his emergence has certainly helped in that position group, and he’s got a great, great future in front of him.”
***Woodi Washington said he was back at corner because Bowman was back at safety. Robert Spears Jennings mentioned that as well, but Coach Venables was not willing to announce that Bowman was back and ready to start against ISU. As we previously reported, though, we believe he will be.
***As I said last week, the bye week was in large part about fixing some of the breakdowns that have been occurring and coach Venables addressed that a bit…
***“So, whether that’s the scheme, if that’s technique, if that’s fundamentals, our job as coaches is to identify those holes in the fence, and then we’ve got to improve them. We’ve got to protect them, but the players have got to be willing to put the work in, too. There’s got to be accountability. There’s got to be ownership. Then there’s got to be a willingness to do the things that it takes to fix those things and continue to do the same things.”
***“Like play with bad eyes, stare in the backfield, don’t look at your man when you’re in man-to-man, line up inside when you’re supposed to line up outside, play it in a press alignment and then bail, as opposed to stay in and press and not bail and you don’t have any help. All those little things that it takes to play well individually, and certainly collectively, that’s what I’m talking about from coachable teams fix mistakes standpoint.”
****For the first time, the media had a chance to talk to freshman defensive end R. Mason Thomas. Mason-Thomas is an impressive individual and just watching him work and standing next to him makes you realize how much of a beast he will become once he gets into a deep dive with strength and conditioning Coach Jerry Schmidt.
***“He’s just got a light inside of him that’s really special,” said Coach Venables. “Amazing young man. He’s a winner…He’s got a great perspective. He’s got a great mama who’s a fighter who’s got a great perspective in life. He comes from a winning program. He’s brought a lot of those same traits. He shows up every day with a willingness and a readiness to work. He’s tough. You can coach him really hard. He’s got better awareness about himself than anybody else could possibly have.”
***“That’s why he’s created an opportunity for himself. He’s got great, great value, and he brings value to the team. To whatever space he’s in, he brings value to it every day. It starts because he has a great attitude, he has a thankfulness, and he’s really tough. Again, he’s got a tremendous, tremendous work ethic and a great, great future. He’s very talented, twitchy, super fast, and very natural in a lot of things. In the out-of-season putting on some weight will be important for him, but he’s a lot of fun to be around.”
***Mason-Thomas goes into the Iowa State game in the rotation against the Cyclones.
The Latest | Anthony Evans Visiting Georgia?
– Charlie S – Posted on: October 26, 2022
As many of you have seen on Twitter, it has been reported that Sooners WR commit Anthony Evans is planning on visiting Georgia for their matchup with Tennessee in early November.
Couple things here first…
I have not confirmed with Anthony personally that he does in fact plan on visiting Georgia. Working on that.
The initial tweet indicated he was taking an official visit…which he cannot do as he has already officially visited Georgia. That tweet was deleted.
The second tweet indicates he plans on visiting unofficially. I have no reason to doubt that, aside from the original tweet being inaccurate, so I reached out to my source around Evans.
This source is the same source who had us here at TFB as the only people who never wavered in saying he is picking OU when all the buzz was around him possibly choosing Georgia.
Source said, “Georgia has never gone away, they have been keeping the lines of communication open. OU didn’t do themselves any favors when they lost all those games in a row so they (Georgia) were able to gain some momentum. I don’t know if that visit is gonna happen, but I won’t be shocked either way.”
That said, source also added, “Even if that visit happens, I still like OU here and I think it will be difficult for them (Georgia) to pull him away”.
As I was typing this, source called me back and said “Yeah, sounds like the plan is for him to visit, whether or not it happens is still up in the air, but OU is aware of it and he has been upfront with them about possibly going to the game.”
So long story short, as I mentioned numerous times previously, recruiting doesn’t stop and the guy’s OU fans needed to be cognizant of in regards to other schools pushing are guys from out of the region as well as guys like Evans (Vasek as well) who have plenty of other suitors and have established relationships with other staffs.
Right now, based on what my source is telling me, I don’t think this is anything major. Of course, some will disagree with that, and let’s face it, it is never a good thing to have one of your commits going to visit the defending national champions who also happen to be having another good year, particularly while your own program is/had been scuffling.
But Evans has very good relationships with the staff in Norman, the recruits in his class, and the players on campus so OU still has an awful lot going for them. They will remain vigilant in recruiting him and, again, right now, I would not be overly concerned as the proposed visit is still a few weeks away and different things can happen between now and then.
