The Football Brainiacs

Image via AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki

* RB rotation: Coming out of the Ohio State game, one of the main story lines seemed to be a growing sentiment that Joe Mixon might need to be OU’s feature back. While incredibly talented in his own right, suggesting as much coming into the season might have sounded downright idiotic.

However, if you look at how both Mixon and Samjae Perine have played through the first three games idiotic would be one of the last words I’d use to describe it.

Now will Lincoln Riley go so far as to “bump” Mixon ahead of Perine? A part of me feels like that won’t happen, or at least not this week. But at the same time there simply is no denying Mixon has been the best player on this OU offense, if not the entire team.

* First 15: I’d be the first to admit this is purely speculation on my part as I am obviously not a member of the team, nor am I privy to what’s going down in the OU locker room at the moment.

But my feeling heading into Saturday is that if this OU team gets down early, on the road, they could fold it up and pack it in. My hope is we never have to find out, or if we do they make me look stupid for ever questioning them.

Because if there’s one thing Bob Stoops teams’ do well it’s play well with their backs against the wall. But that’s also what I was telling myself two weeks ago and we all know how that worked out….

* No More Hero Ball: Looking at you, No. 6

* Wally Pipp’d: With redshirt sophomore LB Tay Evans now officially ruled out for Saturday, will he still have a starting job waiting for him when he’s ready to return? One can’t help but wonder if Evans’ loss/injury is the chance Emmanuel Beal needed.

If the JUCO transfer plays well — much like he already has in albeit on a limited number of snaps — in place of Evans, he may prove to be too good to take off the field.

* A Defense ‘Normal’ People Will Understand: It took basically everything I had not to unleash a profanity-laced tirade a couple weeks ago when I heard those comments from OU’s defensive coordinator.

Well, here comes Big 12 play. So this finely-tuned defense of yours, that is apparently only capable of succeeding in league play, should be all ready to go, right?

KaVonte Turpin being out is a MAJOR plus for OU & M.Stoops, but TCU isn’t hurting for playmakers. Not to mention while not the most dynamic run threat, QB Kenny Hill is quite similar to the type of mobile, athletic signal-caller who tends to give a M.Stoops defense all kinds of trouble.

* Interception….finally?: Will this 2016 defense and MUCH maligned OU secondary finally get off the schneid and pick one off? Through four games Hill does have four INTs, so it would appear he is prone to take a chance of two with the football.

I’d love an interception (or two), but honestly at this point I would settle for just turning their head around.

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What will YOU be watching for Saturday late (smh) afternoon?