The Football Brainiacs

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I’d like to be able to tell you this is going up later in the day than usual because I did the smart thing for once and took the time to calmly come up with some rational thoughts on the game. But I think we both know I’d be lying 🙂

The truth is life happens and I didn’t have time to get this up in my typical timely fashion. That said, if you’re expecting a BURN IT ALL DOWN & FIRE COACH _______ IMMEDIATELY!!!!!!!!!!!!” hit piece then prepare yourself to be disappointed.

I know, so unlike me. Guess you’ll just have to keep reading to find out why there isn’t any of that in here.

* As the clock wound down to 0:00 late Saturday evening, I found myself reminding, well, myself of what I have come to affectionally refer to as the sunshine-pumpers mantra: A win is a win.

Without boring you too much, I’d like to attempt to explain why I’ve always taken issue with such a sentiment.

To me, ignoring every other aspect of the game you just witnessed and choosing to be satisfied with the result based simply on the fact that your team won the game has always been somewhat humorous to me.

If for no other reason than it seems to imply the players will come in on the following Sunday or Monday, only to be cheerfully greeted by their coaches and told “No film study today, fellas. We got a win and that’s all that matters. Take the day off!”

I mean we all know that’s DEFINITELY not happening, regardless of whether or not your team won or lost. So why are we as fans then considered to be, by some, raging a-holes with impossible to meet expectations simply because we’re holding the players and, more to the point, the coaches to the same standard they are (or damn sure should be) holding themselves to?

I’ve never been able to understand this logic (or, IMO, lack thereof) and at this stage of my life, I don’t believe I ever will.

* Speaking of mantras, you remember that whole “no excuses” life raft Bob Stoops came to our collective rescue in way back in 1999?

Welp, that guy slipped out the back door a looooooooooooooong time ago.

I mean just listen to any postgame presser over the last five, six, however many years and it’s literally nothing but a litany of…wait for it…excuses.

Now obviously after last night’s embarrassment of what some may have the nerve to call a defensive performance, it’d be pretty easy to pile on here in my “thoughts” from the game. And as much as I’m sure some of you — or at least those of you who still hate-read my posts 😉 — would assume nothing would make me happier, I think I just might surprise you.

See, I feel like it would be little more than piling on for the sake of doing so at this point. The simple fact of the matter is this defense is bad. Most of those already knew that coming into this game. And those who were naive enough to believe the people they pay for “inside info” trying to convince them the defense was really improving have since surely learned their lesson.

So really the only thing that was different about Saturday night in Lubbock was that this OU defense was historically bad. I suppose if there’s a silver lining it’s that we won’t know for several more weeks whether or not this proves to be the worst defense in program history. But it’s sure looking like that could very well be the case.

So I’m left with a question and a proclamation.

The question – How many historically bad defensive performances do Mike and/or Bob Stoops have to preside over before someone, whose opinion appears to matter, starts to actually hold Mike and/or Bob Stoops’ feet to the fire?

The proclamation – Until such time where feet meet fire, I feel the only logical choice for my own sanity is to stop caring.

I no longer care how bad this OU defense is. I don’t care if it is Mike’s fault. I don’t care if it is Bob’s fault. I don’t care if they uncannily continue to give up third and impossibly long after third and impossibly long. I don’t care if they continue to play their CBs 7-10 yards off the line of scrimmage. I don’t care if they use a three-man rush.

Until real, substantive changes are made to this defense; be it personnel, scheme, the individual/s in charge, or any of the above, I choose not to care.

That, is what I’ve been driven to.

* It would be idiotic to sit here and dismiss the historic performances of Baker Mayfield, Joe Mixon & Dede Westbrook simply as a product of the other-worldly atrocious Texas Tech defense they were facing.

But at the same time it would be pretty disingenuous to not at least acknowledge that it came against an other-worldly atrocious Texas Tech defense.

So with that out of the way……………….my word was that trio just absolutely fan-freaking-tastic Saturday night! (I know, some world-class #analysis on my part, right?)

Enjoy watching Mixon in the crimson and cream while you can, because **spoiler alert** if it wasn’t abundantly clear to you after last night that he’s going pro then don’t shoot the messenger. From a strictly football standpoint, that young man is truly special.

I’ll never understand how Westbrook can be the guy Mayfield looks for on what feels like 90% of his passes and yet the former continually finds himself WIDE open on a regular basis. But by all means, please don’t stop making that happen, Mr. Westbrook.

Mixon was always likely to get paid, but you want to talk about a guy that is making himself some serious money this season…that guy is Westbrook.

* My man, AD, you gotta hold on to those TD catches, bro.

On the flip side, they are kind of baby steps but I suppose we have to be happy with what we get. Starting to see some good things from guys like Nick Basquine, Geno Lewis & Dahu Green. Even Mark Andrews hasn’t even dropped a ball in his last six or so opportunities, which I have surely now jinxed.

Also a BIG fan of Mayfield and/or Lincoln Riley getting Dimitri Flowers more involved with the passing game.

* Patrick Mahomes attempted nearly 90(!!!) passes Saturday night and do you know how many sacks the OU defense recorded in the game?

I’ll wait.

You have a chance to fire up the ‘ol Google machine? We good?

One. They had one freaking sack. That would be almost impossible to do if you were actively trying to avoid the quarterback. But there I go caring again. Damn it!