The Football Brainiacs

One of the most underrated signatures that Lincoln Riley has secured so far as Head Coach of the Sooners is none other than Ruffin McNeill.  Most Sooner fans probably looked at it and shrugged while quietly thinking to themselves that they hoped Riley didn’t turn this into a Texas Tech cronies club.  Given that since the inception of the Big XII the Sooners haven’t had a whole lot of trouble with the Red Raiders, and minus a headscratcher in the rain against them in 2011, and a Sam Bradford concussion during the 1st series of the game in 2007, you could easily say that the Sooners have dominated the series.

On both sides, the offenses have carried the day for the most part, and I’d bet you’d be hard pressed to find someone out there that has ever feared a defense fielded by Texas Tech.  One other victory for the Red Raiders during that stretch was in 2009.  They flat out wore our Sooners out in Lubbock that day winning 41-13.  That was the only full year that Ruffin McNeill was the D Coordinator for them.  That was also the year that Tech was first in Pass & Total Defense in the Big XII and was also 4th in Scoring Defense.  Long story short McNeill is a hell of a teacher and a coach.

What’s intriguing to me about McNeill is his ability to “unlock” players.  I look at the cupboard on the defensive front, especially along the interior and I see names like Neville Gallimore, Amani Bledsoe & Marquise Overton along with Du’Vonta Lampkin.   Du’Vonta has always been a guy to me who reminded me of Marcus Stroud.  At 6’4″ 335, hes as big as Cody Ford on the offensive line.  Most of the time when you have a d tackle, they’re not as big as the offensive linemen.  Arms may be a touch shorter, but DL are always quicker.  May not be as tall, but plays with natural leverage.  Size advantages and disadvantages are some things that are way too overblown  at times.  Even still once in a while you get a guy like a Jordan Phillips who captures the imagination.  A 6’6″ 320 pound zero nose for the Sooners who could have been nightmarish in a 4-3 scheme that takes a guy that big who can do a standing back tuck and turns him loose.  Instead of occupying two gaps and clogging it up, what might have been had a guy like that been told like a Dusty or Tommie to get upfield and raise hell?  What happens to a guy like Du’Vonta who has a teacher like McNeill and a scheme adjustment this year that may very well turn him loose?

Looking at the DL this year I expect Romar and Gallimore to be names that are regulars.  Romar is the pure essence of the term War Daddy who is much more about attitude than anything else.  If I had to pick one guy I wouldn’t want to meet in an alley it would be Romar, simply because of that.  Can Romar rub off on Lampkin?  In his 3rd year in the program can the light come on for him?  I’m telling you if McNeill can figure out how to set up shop between his ears, you’ve got a Thoroughbred in the stall.

The Sooners haven’t had a scheme or a tandem with the size and raw skillset of a Gallimore & Lampkin in some time. I know thunder & lightning get thrown around a lot for running backs, but these two could be the DL version.  I fully expect Gallimore to break out and be the Lightning.  If Lampkin turns it on this year he could be the Thunder.  The Sooners desperately need him to be that guy.  While the OL gets a lot of publicity and rightfully so, there are some very talented guys on the other side of the ball.  They haven’t shown it on the field to this point, but it could very well happen this year.

While a few of you were scratching your heads about why OU hired an offensive line coach from West Virginia, no one out there now questions that move.  I hope that we all eat a big plate of crow after this season when we see a former D Coordinator from Texas Tech come in and be the coach, mentor and teacher that a lot of young men need.  Hopefully we all feel the same way about McNeill when it’s finished just like we do Bedenbaugh.