Open Post | Tuesday, November 3rd
Posted on: November 3, 2020
Quick Postgame Thoughts | Texas Tech
– Charlie S
Sooners went into Lubbock and definitely got more treats than tricks on Halloween.
They won the game 62-28.
***Really liked what we saw from the Sooners tonight after a slow start.
***Offensively, Spencer Rattler is a dude you’re gonna talk about for years to come. His numbers from tonight don’t jump out at you, but the throws he made and the catches that weren’t made tell a different story.
***Rattler has now gone 2 and a half games without a turnover. He is managing the game at a very high level and is distributing the ball in impeccable form.
***Rhamondre Stevensons return was evident as he is clearly the best running back on the roster and it just makes the OU offense go that much better.
***Marvin Mims had an off night as he dropped 3 passes. Hope that doesn’t stick with him going forward.
***The offensive line played very well. Swenson played the entire first half and was pretty good from what I could see. We will see what the story was on Harrison, but he did play in the second half.
***Shoutout to Mikey Henderson…3 carries for 22 yards (7.3 YPC) and his first touchdown of his career and 1 reception for another 13 yards. Also had the biggest collision of the night and came away without any harm, in fact he probably delivered more hurt than he took. Oh the weapon he will develop into.
***Defensively, Ronnie Perkins returned and again, you could see the impact he had on the entire team. What a nice luxury to add at the mid point of the season as he is only going to get better as he gets in game shape.
***Thomas and Winfrey caught my eye as usual as did Bonitto.
***Secondary took some blows early as TTU came out targeting Tre Brown for three quick passes. Once the pressure started getting home, that took some pressure off the DBs.
***Still saw a few guys get lucky as they wee beat, but it wasn’t as egregious in terms of the amount of times they were beat as it has been in the past.
***DaShaun White was the linebacker who stood out to me tonight, he flashed quite a bit. Ugwoegbu and Asamoah were pretty quiet, but I am looking forward to rewatching the game.
***This Texas tech team is not terrible…they should have beaten Texas and they did beat West Virginia who just smacked Kansas State around. This was a good win for OU.
Will have more once we get to watch the game again. Overall, nice win for OU.
Sunday Brunch | This Weeks Big 12 Rankings
– Charlie S
This week the Big 12 once again had a full slate of games.
There was some big time movement in my rankings as a few at the top took a tumble. Remember, my poll is not based on records…it is a week to week ranking of how I view the teams.
***Note: In order to not be simply a reactionary poll, I am using a set guideline where no matter where a team entered the poll from the previous week, they cannot move up or down more than 3 spots this week as opposed to 2 spots in last weeks ranking. This does not mean they will not continue to drop as the weeks go on, but I’m trying to not be as reactionary as I would like to be. So the 3 position max movement per week gives me a little more flexibility and will go on throughout the season***
Remember, these are week to week rankings. This is not how I view the teams overall but by the end of the season they should matchup with my exact thoughts.
Conference record in parenthesis.
***1. Iowa State – (4-1) Last week 3 – Iowa State is 2 missed field goals against Oklahoma State from being undefeated in conference play. But they are simply holding the top spot in a weak conference at this point as Oklahoma is the most talented and complete team as of right now. They spent the Halloween weekend putting a beating on Kansas as they should and I don’t see another loss on their schedule. Texas could be an interesting game, but I think Iowa State likely has a spot in the CCG locked up.
***2. Oklahoma – (3-2) Last week 4 – The Sooners put together their second consecutive complete game as they dismantled a Texas Tech team who was coming off a victory over a West Virginia team which went out and destroyed Kansas State this week. Simply put, OU TODAY…is the best team in the conference and the only reason I don’t have them in the top spot is because of the 3 spot movement I allow myself. Look…I was down on the Sooners early after they completely choked in games against KSU and ISU…but they have put 3 solid consecutive wins together. It’s a shame that their early season struggles with a young QB, a ton of missing players, and the inability to close out games may cost them even an appearance in the Big 12 conference championship game let alone a shot at the playoffs.
***3. OkState – (3-1) Last week 1 – Spent Halloween forcing candy on kids as they could not help themselves in handing their game to Texas. Oklahoma State had 5 turnovers against Texas and most of them were of their own doing. The refs were even trying to help OkState out for the most part…they just refused to win the game. Yes they have a lot of skill talent, but man they are an undisciplined and inconsistent bunch. I also thought their defense was better than it actually is. They are still a solid team, but they certainly got exposed from a coaching standpoint as well as play on the field. OU controls their own destiny with the Pokes and a win against them in Bedlam will give OU a path to the CCG should Kansas State continue to crater.
***4. Texas – (3-2) Last week 5 – Texas was like Michael Meyers this Halloween weekend. No matter how many times OkState and the Big 12 refs tried to bury them, they kept getting up and coming back. That was solely because they were allowed to by OkState handing over the ball like they were handing candy to trick or treaters. I have them in the 4 spot and ahead of Kansas State solely because I believe Kansas State is now heading down the drain.
***5. Kansas State – (4-1) Last week 2 – No Skylar Thompson? No problem…against Kansas last week. But a competent West Virginia defense shut down the KSU offense by focusing on Deuce Vaughn and the run game. They scored 10 points against WVU and gave up 37 to an offense that does not do much for me in West Virginia. Their road to the CCG does not get any easier as they have OkState, Iowa State, Baylor (ok that should be a win) and Texas left on their schedule. It would benefit OU if they lose 2 of those remaining games.
***6. West Virginia – (3 -2) Last week 6 – The Mountaineers exposed Kansas State this weekend as a one dimensional offense and a defense that will allow around 30 points week in and week out. This is the same WVU team which lost to Texas Tech last week. The defensive front of WVU is nice, I like the DL in particular…but they are not a dynamic offense and they still have a lot of holes in the secondary. They finish with games against Texas, TCU, Oklahoma, and Iowa State…they could easily lose out or go 2-2 in those games.
***7. TCU – (2-3) Last week 8 – TCU bounced back from their loss to OU by beating up a hapless Baylor team. Their defense showed up against Baylor in the first half and they did enough offensively to secure the win. Not a lot to talk about from the game against Baylor, but they could play a factor in the Big 12 race as they still have WVU and OkState on their schedule. Could easily see Patterson’s defense frustrating the fighting Gundy’s on the last week of the season.
***8. Baylor – (1-3) Last week 7 – Not a lot of joy in Waco as this team is a long way from being good. Their defense has their moments as they play hard and are physical…but other than that, not a lot of superlatives to lavish on them.
***9. Texas Tech – (1-4) Last week 9 – You saw it. Oklahoma dominated them in every facet of the game aside from their opening offensive drive. They have a shot at winning 3 out of their last 4 if they don’t pack it in as Oklahoma State is their only solid opponent remaining on the schedule.
***10. Kansas – Last week 10 – (0-5) – Final answer, lock it in.
Snippet from: Monday Notebook |Saying Goodbye to Billy
– James Hale
Sunday I learned that the great Billy Tubbs had passed away at the age of 85. I can’t tell you how sad that I am that I have lost a great fiend, and one of the greatest college basketball coaches that the world has ever known.
There is only one Billy Tubbs, and ‘m not sure we will ever have another coach like him. Billy took over a Sooner program on April 1st of 1980 that until he had come around had only been to the NCAA Tournament once in the last 32 years. The Sooners winning percentage up to that time that Billy took over the program…..471
It took Coach Tubbs three years and the Sooners were back in the NCAA Tournament again and for eight straight years it was common knowledge that OU would be part of March Madness.
OU reached four Sweet 16s, two Elite Eights, the 1988 Final Four, and National Championship game. OU who had beaten Kansas twice in the regular season but could’t do it third time losing to the Jatyhawks 83-79
From 1983 to 1990 OU was one of the top five programs in the country, and the best offensive team in college basketball history. The running and gunning teams of Coach Tubbs averaged over 100 points per game for three seasons from 1987 to 1990. Billy used to joke if teams didn’t like the fact that his Sooners were running up the score on them then they should get better and if they can do the same to his club then have it.
In one of the toughest basketball conferences in the country OU won the Big 12 Championship in 1984, 1985, 1988 and 1989. He won Big 12 Tournament titles in 1985, 1988 and 1990. Over a seven-year run (1983-90), Oklahoma accumulated a 202-45 (.818) overall record, including an astounding 108-2 (.982) mark at Lloyd Noble Center.
Coach Tubbs first big recruit was the great Waymon Tisdale who was the first player to be named a freshman All-American making the squad all three years he was at Oklahoma. Signing Waymon opened the flood gates as Stacey King, Harvey Grant, Mookie Blaylock and Ricky Grace soon following making up the core of that great team in 88.
Six of the top seven scorers in program history played for Tubbs including Tisdale (2,661), Jeff Webster (2,281), Tim McCalister (2,275), Darryl ‘Choo’ Kennedy (2,097), King (2,k008) and Ryan Minor (1,946).
Billy earned Big 12 Coach of the Year four times and was named the Basketball Weekly National Coach of the Year in 1983 and 1985.
Billy was so much fun to cover. When he dropped the mic against Missouri…
Billy came on my show too many times to count. He was always great with this reporter and many times Al Eschbach and me would travel on the team plane to key road game or the NCAA Tournament. I can’t tell you about all the great conversations and great stories we heard on those flights or bus rides.
Billy could be cantankerous but he always was with a sense of humor that had me rolling at times. When he retired he would come on my show and reminisce about his great teams, talk college basketball, talk college football and when the OKC Thunder came to town Coach Tubbs was my go to guy to talk Thunder and the NBA.
Many times at OU games Billy would come up the tunnel and hang in the media room with us and soon he would have all the media guys rolling knocking the current state of college basketball. If we had a low scoring game he would often look and me and say: “James, what is his crap, you know if my guys were playing we would have over 50 at the half, and a 100 by the end of the game.” I would just laugh but you know he was right. For a stretch OU was in the rock n roll era of sports. OU had Coach Switzer rocking in football, Coach Tubbs in men’s hoops, Stan Able in wresting and Enos Seamor in baseball. All four teams were winning and winning big and every sport was a blast to cover.
Big 12 Conference Call | Kansas Week
– TFB
Lincoln Riley partook in the Big 12 conference call following the Sooners victory over Texas Tech and ahead of OU’s matchup with Kansas…
How much Spencer Rattler has grown: “I mean, he’s getting better. Each one of these experiences is a great opportunity for him to learn, but at the same time every week is a new challenge. I mean, we’ve said it a bunch. It’s about how you respond each week. So certainly the playing, starting, being in some different situations has been good for his overall growth. But another key this week for him is he needs to be really good this week. It’s not to say there are not lessons that you’ve learned and things that you can take from it, but it’s such a week-to-week deal, you know, with all these guys, with our whole team. You certainly take the past experiences, but we’re only good as we are this week, and he’s certainly no different there.”
What it does for the Big 12 having been able to get this far (COVID wise): “Well, I think it shows, you know, we had a good plan. We’ve given ourselves some buffer time built in, which has already obviously been helpful for some teams and who knows going forward. Probably chances are that that’ll factor in again. And the other thing it tells you is that players and staffs have done a pretty good job managing this thing as best as you can to be able to continue to play games. So, no, I think it’s been a real positive, and I think, again, the plan from the conference leadership, the ADs, everybody, so far you’d have to say it’s been a success.”
What it will do comparison wise for the Big 12 to other leagues that every team has a loss: “Yeah, honestly, I don’t really look at them a whole lot. I mean, I’ve just never been that caught up in that. I think if you win and take care of business, those things take care of itself. So we’ve got a good league, a lot of strong teams in the league right now. This year is difficult to judge anybody, I think, based on all that’s going on, or maybe more difficult than in a normal year. But we’re just kind of trying to focus on [us]. It’s kind of the boring answer, but it’s the truth. I mean, we’re just kind of focused on getting better and winning as many as we can.”
If he’s feeling like it’s more of a season right now: “In some ways. I mean, we’ve been able to have—I don’t know—a little bit of normalcy. So, in some ways [yes, it has been]. I think the differences are becoming more normal, and the things that you’re dealing with are becoming more normal as you get used to it. But it’s still week-to-week. There are still surprises that pop up each day, and I think we’re getting more and more used just to dealing with it.”
How challenging it was playing four games away from home in October: “It was good for us. I think it came at a good time for us. And we’ve always enjoyed the challenge of playing away from here, and I think our team really responded to it. So I think guys are forced to grow up and grow up on the road, and albeit I will say the road, when stadiums aren’t full, it’s just the road isn’t as difficult and you probably don’t have as much of a home field advantage as you normally do on the flip side of it. So those things are maybe negated, I would say, some this year. But I think the young guys have grown up, and the team’s been in some tough situations that we’ve had to dig ourselves out from. So [we’re] excited here for this closing stretch, and hopefully these guys can continue to improve and get us as close to full strength as we could possibly be.”
How the freshmen played in development time: “Yeah, no, I mean, I think it’s definitely a positive any time you can separate, and not just for the development, but also the morale. And a lot of guys [were] getting an opportunity, and yeah, there were several guys that did well. I thought the second O-line came in there and did some really good things. I thought DJ Graham came in at corner and did some really good things. I thought the young D-line, [Kori] Roberson, Jordan Kelley, Reggie Grimes, Brynden Walker, some of those guys came in and did some really nice things as well. So there were several. There were certainly several positives. But yeah, I think it is. It’s a great point. I mean, being able to get those guys game experience and then also not necessarily just for the future, but even the very, very near future, you get a chance to see more guys and some guys rise up, and you say, ‘Hey, maybe we should be giving this guy some more snaps.’ So it also keeps the competition healthy within your roster as well.”
What he thought when he saw the all-away October schedule and why it came at a good time: “Yeah, I mean, when I saw it I thought it was kind of strange. I’ve just never had a stretch where you’re gone for whatever it’s been, six weeks. I mean, it’s so bizarre how we got there. But it is what it is. You’ve got to win the ones on your schedule. And as far as it being at a good time for us, I don’t know. Sometimes I think the road creates a kind of band together type of atmosphere within your roster, if your culture’s in a good place and if your team’s willing to really come together. And with some of the adversity we faced early in the season—I don’t know—it was just kind of a good time for us to get out on our own and band together and see if we could fight through it. And the team through that stretch of games did a nice job of that.”
