Open Post | Weekend, August 31st – September 2nd
Posted on: August 31, 2018
– Charlie S
Consolidating what we have reported in regards to visitors for the FAU game.
Added a couple notes on UCLA game visitors as well.
Official Visitors:
Jacoby Jones – 2019 SDE – Butler C.C. – OU Offer
Peyton Powell – 2019 DB – Odessa, TX – OU Offer
Woodi Washington – 2019 DB – Murfreesboro, TB – OU Commit
Unofficial Visitors:
Thomas Grayson – 2019 RB – Tulsa, OK
Trejan Bridges – 2019 WR – Carrollton, TX – OU Commit
Marcus Alexander – 2019 OL – Sunnyvale, TX – OU CommitÂ
Marcus Major – 2019 RB – Oklahoma City, OK – OU Commit –Â added per guest contributor James Hale
Have a couple other names who I am waiting to confirm for unofficial visits
Notes and UCLA game news:
*Javian Hester – WR – 2020 Tulsa, OK – OU Offer – Last week Javian mentioned to me that he would be visiting for the FAU game, however, I touched base with Javian and he will not be visiting this week as he has had a change of plans.
*EJ Ndoma Ogar – 2019 OL – Allen, TX – OU Commit – Spoke to EJ and he let me know that he will be making his way to Norman for an unofficial visit for the UCLA game. With Stacey Wilkins (2019 OL – Camden, AR – OU Commit) taking his official visit that weekend, EJ is taking the opportunity to make it up to OU to spend some time with Wilkins as the two have formed quite a bond.
*Theo Wease – 2019 WR – Allen, TX – OU Commit – Touched base with Theo and he let me know he is currently planning on making it up to Norman for an unofficial visit for the UCLA game next week as well.
Sourced Team Notes | Who’s the Boss?
– Super K
***No surprise based on our intel throughout fall camp but was told that Addison Gumbs will indeed get the start at Jack. I think the other guys will get the chance to show what they can do but it’s pretty clear they like Gumbs’ upside.
***At WILL, I’m told that Curtis Bolton and Caleb Kelly both rotate with the 1s. It sounds like they alternate – Caleb with the first team one day and Buzzy with the first team the next day.
A source I spoke to said in their opinion Buzzy will get the start at the FAU game but qualified by saying that’s the way it appears but it’s far from certain. But that’s one person’s opinion. Either way, Buzzy made this thing a heck of a lot more interesting than anticipated.
Coming into fall camp, most people in the building had penciled Caleb in as the starter.
***At DB I’m told the starters, for now, will be some combination of Bookie, Broiles, and Kahlil Haughton, and that was confirmed by the depth chart released yesterday. As we mentioned earlier in camp, Haughton had himself a heck of a camp.
Mike Stoops said Bookie is back at nickel after spending last week at SS. If we take him at his word then you’ll likely see Bookie at nickel, Justin back at FS and Haughton at SS. Although any three of those guys can play every single one of those positions.
FAU Pregame | Class Is In Session
– The Professor
The Professor has entered the building. Please take your seats…class is in session.
You’ve bought the meat for the grill. You’ve stocked the cooler. You’re trying to figure out where the hell FS1 is in the cable guide. These are the tell-tale signs that the college football season is upon us. To get you even further prepared, I’ll be doing game previews throughout the season here on TFB. I’m here to give you the stats and the knowledge you need going into the weekend. So, without any further ado, here’s Oklahoma vs. Florida Atlantic.
THE HISTORY
The Sooners have never taken on the Owls. But, to be fair, Florida Atlantic has only been playing FBS football since 2004. This makes for a striking discrepancy in experience. On one hand, you have one the most storied (and by some accounts the greatest) program in the history of college football. On the other, you have a program that isn’t old enough to get a driver’s license.
Consider this. Florida Atlantic will be 14 years old on Saturday. That’s 730 weeks, which is less time than Oklahoma has spent ranked in the Top 25.
The Owls have won 70 games in their history. Oklahoma has won at least 70 games against 4 different schools.
However, there is one area where Florida Atlantic has more experience. They had to put up with Howard Schnellenberger a lot longer than we did.
THE COACHES
As far as how they approach their roles as public figures, Lincoln Riley and Lane Kiffin are polar opposites. One is professional and reserved. The other spends his time trolling Nick Saban on Twitter. But, when it comes on-the-field philosophy, they are actually quite similar. Both have produced some prolific offenses.
Lincoln Riley has called the plays for 3 consecutive top-5 offenses. His Oklahoma offenses have never averaged fewer than 530 yards per game.
However, the “Lane Train†was already at full steam in just one season at Florida Atlantic. In one season in Boca Raton, Lane Kiffin’s offense scored 14.1% of all the points that the Florida Atlantic football program has ever scored.
To give some perspective, Oklahoma had one of the most prolific offenses in the history of the program last season with 45.1 points per game. In a single offseason, Lane Kiffin created an offense that scored 40.6 per game.
That offense helped him to win more games last season than FAU has won in the previous 5 years combined.
THE PLAYERS
Oklahoma returns a ton of offensive production with at least one very notable exception. Rodney Anderson and Trey Sermon combined for 1,905 rushing yards last season and will be key in Saturday’s game. Despite having the 34th ranked defense in the country last season, Florida Atlantic allowed 357 rushing yards to Wisconsin, which was the only Power 5 team they played last season.
Kyler Murray and Oklahoma’s QB production has been a big question going into the season, but Florida Atlantic has yet to even name a starting QB. It’s a 3-man race between the sophomore De’Andre Johnson, the grad transfer Raef Peevy and the former Sooner Chris Robison. Given that Kiffin likely won’t even name a starter before game time, this aspect of the Owls’ offense shouldn’t be too worrying. Seriously, are you afraid of this guy?
However, there’s a kid named Devin Singletary that the Sooners should be very worried about.
Before 2017, FAU had had a player rush for 900+ yards in a season 5 times. Last year Singletary technically did it twice with his 1,918 yards.
Singletary led the country in runs of 15 yards or more in 2017, so breaking through the front lines is his specialty.
Considering that the last time we saw Oklahoma’s defense they allowed 13 yards per carry to Nick Chubb and Sony Michel, the Sooners had better have fixed some things this offseason if they want to stop Singletary.
Well, hopefully, this has helped get you ready for this weekend. I’ll be here every week throughout the season. Also, be on the lookout for my postgame breakdowns as well.
Take a deep breath everyone. We made it. Sooner football is here.
The Professor, also known on Twitter as Blinkin Riley (Steven Smith) will be dropping some knowledge on us throughout the season with a pre-game lesson and a post-game lesson each week! We encourage you to follow his Twitter account @blinkinriley for additional mini lessons…
TFB Pick Em Contest | Week One
– The Football Brainiacs
Last year we rolled out our “Pick Em†contest and it was well received!
This year, in an effort to improve the contest, we have worked with our developer to provide an enhanced version of the contest which will allow a more user-friendly, and user-controlled opportunity to earn (or lose) your Brainiac Bucks.
You can wager your Brainiac Bucks on as few or as many of the games you wish too!
Later this season, you will have a chance to use those Brainiac Bucks in our Auctions for some really cool prizes!
You can enter your picks for week one right up until Friday, August 31st at 11:59 p.m.
If you are interested in playing the “TFB Pick’em Contest”, please click the Donor Board link!
