Weekend Open Post | November 22nd – 24th
Posted on: November 22, 2024
Another Opportunity for BV and Company
– Super K – Posted on: November 18, 2024
I think most of us assumed that with Bama and LSU as the remaining opponents on the schedule, the Sooners chances of making a bowl (still can’t believe that’s where things are now) didn’t look great.
But, LSU is looking more and more like a team that will actually give BV and company an opportunity to prove themselves.
LSU lost to OU’s former coach, Lincoln Riley, who is currently sitting at 5-5. In retrospect, not a good look for LSU and makes OU winning this game that much more important. Lincoln is in year three and BV is in year three.
But the Florida LSU game this past weekend was even more interesting.
Like BV, Billy Napier is also in year three. And like BV, Napier has been plagued by injuries this year. He’s lost much of his secondary and he lost his starting QB. His current starting QB is even younger than OU’s current starting OU QB.
And still, Napier beat LSU 27-16 and gave the Gators a moment to make them believe a bit in Napier.
The Sooners have yet to have that moment this season where the coaching staff pulled the fans out of the mud and showed them something to make them believe better days are ahead under this regime.
These next two weeks will provide that opportunity. We know Alabama isn’t unbeatable. They’ve already lost to Vandy and Tennessee.
Go beat them. And go beat the Tigers and get the Sooners to 7-5 and give the OU fans a reason to be excited in the off-season.
And at the very least, take down an injured Tigers team. Make a bowl game and give your kids those much-needed extra practices for Bowl season and give the Sooner fans a chance to watch their team one more time.
What Is At Stake
– Charlie S – Posted on: November 19, 2024
The Sooners are 5-5 on the year with two regular season games remaining.
I don’t need to tell any of you that it is incredibly important that the Sooners win one of these final two games to ensure that they are bowl-eligible.
The NCAA allows bowl teams to practice for four hours a day or 20 hours a week in the span leading up to a bowl game. So that is likely anywhere between 12 and 16 practices.
That is a lot of practice time when you consider that the NCAA allows 15 practices in spring and 25 practices in fall camp.
Should OU not make a bowl game this season, they would lose around 28% of the total practices they are allotted throughout the calendar year (give or take a percentage point or two).
If the Sooners do not qualify for a bowl game, they would be limited in regard to practices. Non-Bowl teams can only do basic conditioning and film analysis, not full practice sessions with game strategy.
One of the biggest fears OU fans have is the notion that they will become ‘The next Nebraska’. Well, this is the way that happens…Nebraska has missed bowl games for the past 7 seasons.
Don’t do what Nebraska does. Do whatever it takes to qualify for a bowl game.
Standing on Business
– Charlie S – Posted on: November 19, 2024
With all the talk about commits visiting elsewhere, I was quite impressed by both a question asked of Brent today and his answer.
Sooners head coach Brent Venables was asked about his ‘No visit once you commit’ policy and how it has evolved.
Venables answered directly by saying ”If you are visiting other schools in the present moment, you are not committed”.
He also went on to say that it does not mean OU has pulled your scholarship or anything, but it does indicate that the Sooners will continue looking to fill that scholarship whether it is with the commit or someone else.
That was a very good question to ask at this time as the Fasusi news is dominating the headlines but quietly safety Omarion Robinson and wide receiver Cortez Mills have also taken visits elsewhere.
I have no problems with Brent’s stance on this topic as I think he is clear at the time a kid commits and is quite transparent in that regard.
Rumors and Speculation | Portal Version – Good
– Charlie S – Posted on: November 19, 2024
Ok, first bit of portal news for OU, and when it comes to portal talk, all of it can be classified as ‘Rumors and Speculation’ for the most part.
In this case, I got a note from a source not affiliated with OU which said “Check on John Mateer and OU”.
Now, I have not vetted this thoroughly, and I am not saying there is anything imminent, but it does sound like OU has been doing some work behind the scenes with multiple portal targets, Mateer included.
Mateer hails from Little Elm, Texas and he would have 2 years of eligibility remaining. So far, in the ’24 season, he has completed 63% of his passes for 2,707 yards with 26 touchdowns and 6 picks. He has also carried the ball 146 times for 695 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Obviously, that would also open further discussion of Washington State OC Ben Arbuckle being at least among OU’s top OC targets as we have been indicating.
So it lines up. I will keep checking around, but I stress again, the source who passed this along is not affiliated with OU.
Arnold | Sourced
– Super K – Posted on: November 21, 2024
A few weeks back, some of you asked if, at the time, I believed Jackson Arnold was planning on staying at OU.
I said, yes. At the time, that was the case.
Word around the DFW area is that those chances have come down quite a bit. One particular source told me that while nothing has been decided fully, he would put the chances of Arnold transferring greater than the chances of him staying.
I want to emphasize that this isn’t done either way. But if it was a betting market, the odds have shifted in the other direction.
Sourced Quick Hitter | Offensive Coordinator
– Charlie S – Posted on: November 19, 2024
Ok, just a super quick note…
I can now report that OU has been in contact with Tulane offensive coordinator Joe Craddock earlier this week according to a source.
He joins the list of Dan Mullen and Ben Arbuckle as guys we have had sources tell us that there has been communication with.
At this point, the only offer that has been extended per our sourcing has been to Dan Mullen and I would expect that to be resolved one way or the other here in the very near future.
Should Mullen pass, new offer(s) would go out.
Follow-up | Mateer and Mullen
– Super K – Posted on: November 20, 2024
A couple follow up notes on Charlie’s notes in RE Washington State QB, John Mateer and OC candidate Dan Mullen.
***What I’ve heard in RE OU and Mateer is pretty simple. That should Mateer enter the portal and the Sooners end up being in the market for a QB (what will JA decide to do? Don’t know.) the Sooners already have a strong strong NIL package prepared.
I don’t think the point is so much Mateer but more so that the Sooners are already prepared to make the necessary off-season moves.
***It is indeed looking more and more like Mullen and OU are not trending in the right direction. As I said in the comments yesterday, this OC search could get interesting. There are a number of G5 jobs coming open and young OCs are the typically candidates for those types of jobs.
Additionally, and I may be on an island here, but I’m still not convinced that just any up and coming OC is going to engender enough confidence into the OU power players to say yes.
What do I mean?
Imagine you’re a shot caller and the Sooners end up 5-7 with no bowl game. Are you really saying to yourself, “yep I know just what this program needs to turn itself into a perennial playoff team (which is and absolutely should be the standard)…it needs the Tulane OC.”
Perhaps that is exactly what the program needs and some of you may be right about that. But will it sell?
Maybe that works for the decision makers and check writers but I’m just not quite sure, yet.
Rumors & Speculation | OC Names
– Super K – Posted on: November 20, 2024
A couple additional names to add to the list.
***Have heard some rumblings about Miami OC/QB-coach Shannon Dawson.
***Also heard that Vandy OC, Tim Beck is interested in the OU job. Before this season at Vandy, Beck was OC/QB-coach at New Mexico State.
Know Your Opponent | Alabama – 2024
– Charlie S – Posted on: November 21, 2024
Head Coach: Kalen DeBoar (1st season at Bama)
Offensive Coordinator: Nick Sheridan (1st season at Bama)
Defensive Coordinator: Kane Wommack (1st season at Bama)
The Crimson Tide is 8-2 on the year.
Alabama has wins over Western Kentucky (63-0), South Florida (42-16), Wisconsin (42-10), Georgia (41-34), South Carolina (27-25), Missouri (34-0), LSU (42-13), and Mercer (52-7).
Their losses have come at the hands of Vanderbilt (35-40) and Tennessee (17-24).
They are averaging 33 points per game in SEC play.
On offense…
Kalen DeBoer brought his high-octane offensive scheme over from Washington. The Tide runs a spread offense that emphasizes mismatches, uses tempo well, and tries to create a physical running game. DeBoer’s offense uses multiple wide receivers to create mismatches with the defense and he demands that his offensive line be athletic and active. The Tide currently ranks 30th in Total Offense.
QB #4 Jalen Milroe
RB #26 Jam Miller
TE #45 Robbie Ouzts
***The Tide’s offense is centered around QB Jalen Milroe. Milroe was on a bunch of Heisman short lists to start the season and he leads the team in passing as well as rushing attempts.
***Milroe has acocunted for 15 passing touchdowns and 17 rushing touchdowns. 17 rushing touchdowns is an insane stat when you think about it.
***Jam Miller is the second leading rusher for the Tide and he averages 5.4 yards per carry and he has 7 rushing touchdowns.
***Ouzts is the starting TE and he is not a threat in the passing game but CJ Dippre #81 has 16 catches on the year from the TE spot ao that is something to keep an eye on.
WR #2 Ryan Williams
WR #5 Germie Bernard
WR #1 Kendrick Law
***True freshman wide receiver Ryan Williams is the real deal. He is mature beyond his years on the football field and he is everything you want as a wide receiver. Size, speed, route running, great ball skills…he has it all. He has 40 catches on the year with 8 touchdowns and some highlight reel plays.
***Germie Bernard is the second leading receiver and he has put together a really solid year with 35 catches while averaging over 15 yards per reception with 2 touchdowns.
***Running back Justice Haynes #22 is the third leading receiver with 17 catches on the season.
LT #74 Kadyn Proctor
LG #52 Tyler Booker
C #72 Parker Brailsford
RG #77 Jaeden Roberts
RT #57 Elijah Pritchett
***The Alabama offensive line is loaded with talent, but they have had some bumps in the road with the transition to the new offense that DeBoar brought in as they have allowed 17 sacks on the season which is tied for 55th in the country.
***Proctor and Booker make a formidable left side of the line and it will be imperative for the OU EDGE room to at least be proficient in setting the edge in an effort to contain Milroe on the ground on that side of the formation.
***Pritchett has been susceptible to giving up sacks as he has allowed 4 on the season. He is a little less athletic than what DeBoar likes on his lines and that has caught up with the Tide on occasion. I am not saying he is bad by any means, but he is a spot where OU could find some success when it comes to rushing the passer effectively.
On defense…
With the new coaching staff in town, the Crimson Tide’s 2024 defensive scheme is a 4-2-5 “swarm” defense, which features new terminology and roles for players when compared to the Nick Saban era. The Tide now play a “Vision-style zone coverage” which is really a scheme where they rush three or four up front, while the defensive backs and linebackers drop and read where the quarterback wants to go. They are currently ranked 32nd in total defense.
BAN #20 Jah-Marien Latham
NT #96 Tim Keenan III
DT #50 Tim Smith
WOLF #4 Qua Russaw
*** It’s a big and talented defensive line…but the weird part is, it is probably not among the top 3 defensive lines the Sooners have faced this year. Let that sink in.
***The front really does their best work in regard to setting up the linebackers in great position. They are fundamentally sound and can create some pressure on their own, but they are not a group that puts up gaudy sack and tackles for loss numbers.
***LT Overton #22 who is not a starter, leads the DL guys in sacks and he only has 2 on the year.
***Their effectiveness can be found in what they provide to the linebackers.
MIKE #11 Jihaad Campbell
STING #0 Deontae Lawson
***Campbell is a one-man wrecking crew. He leads the tide with 87 tackles and 5 sacks. Campbell has a great combination of size and speed (6’3 244) and he has really come into his own in the new defensive scheme during his third year in Tuscaloosa.
***Lawson is also having a standout year with 74 tackles and 2 sacks and again, his size and athleticism stands out at linebacker as he is just one of those prototypical ‘SEC’ linebackers.
***Really stout group here and the backups are fully capable of coming in and not missing a beat as well.
LCB #1 Domani Jackson
SS #13 Malachi Moore
FS #18 Bray Hubbard
RCB #2 Zabien Brown
HUSKY #8 DeVonta Smith
***The Tide is one of the top teams in the country when it comes to forcing turnovers and the secondary has a big role in that as the defense has recorded 14 interceptions on the year.
***Malachi Moore is the leader of this group and while he may lose his cool from time to time, he backs it up with his play on the field. He is third on the team in tackles with 56 and he leads the team in passes defended (5) and tied for the lead with 2 interceptions.
***Bray Hubbard is having a really nice year at the other safety spot as well as he has 34 tackles and 2 picks of his own.
***Domani Jackson is very active at corner as he has 35 tackles and 2 picks as well. They are really good and really deep in the secondary overall.
Overall thoughts…
***The good news…I do not believe Alabama is a team that has any ‘best’ group that OU has faced this season. In other words, I don’t think they have the best defense, the best offense or even the best special teams.
***The bad news…I think they are likely the best overall team the Sooners have faced this year at this time. The Tide has found their groove and it comes at a less than ideal time for the Sooners.
***I feel like I say this every week…but I honestly do not know how OU will score points against this defense. The best part of the Bama defense is the back seven…those linebackers do a very nice job against the run and the secondary is on fire of late when it comes to defending the pass.
***If the OU offensive line is not able to hold off the Bama defensive front, this is going to be a very, very long day as the backend of the Tide’s defense is playing at an extremely high level.
***The Sooners will need to be very disciplined on defense as the first goal will have to be limiting Milroe’s effectiveness on the ground. Oklahoma has done a nice job this year against the run, but Milroe is a true dual threat and he has a big offensive line in front of him that will try to wear down the Sooners as the game goes along.
***I mean, Vanderbilt beat the Tide…perhaps the Sooners find some of that Magic…they certainly could use it.
Danny Stutsman | It Was a Pleasure Watching and Covering Him
– Charlie S – Posted on: November 21, 2024
As this season winds down, there are several guys who will be playing their last game on Owen Field in Gaylord Memorial Stadium this weekend.
One of those guys is Linebacker Danny Stutsman who came to OU as a true diamond in the rough as he was quite underrated and a great evaluation by then OU linebacker coach Brian Odom.
Danny has been a dude on the field and a college kid off the field. His personality showed through and he embodied what a ‘student-athlete’ should look like if there ever was a depiction of one.
Stutsman progressed from being a raw freshman and a goofball off the field to being one of the best linebackers in college football and a true leader in the locker room.
At the time he committed, I caught up with Danny for a long conversation (you can find that here) and at the conclusion of that write-up, I said:
“On the field, I think OU really got a steal. I have maintained that since it became obvious that he was priority numero uno for linebacker coach Brian Odom. Stutsman is a kid who is a true inside linebacker, he’s not an athlete who will have to be molded into a linebacker. He is very instinctual, knows his roles and assignments, and holds himself accountable on each and every play. I would not be at all surprised to see him push for early play time and end up being a 2-3 year starter for the Sooners.”
OU did indeed get a steal and Danny is a guy that will be remembered fondly around these parts for years to come as he sunk everything he had into being a Sooner…one of the guys who definitely had that OUDNA they talk about.
Here is to hoping he goes out with a big game on Saturday, he deserves it.
