Wednesday Night Texas-OU Musings
by Peter Bean on Oct 14, 2009 11:37 PM CDT
in Texas Longhorns Football
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Love to hate. "Every year Texas-OU week makes me feel anxious and neurotic and painfully aware of my emotional over-investment in this football program... And it's all over much too quickly."
The Red River Shootout is upon us, and we are, once more, utterly neurotic... Like a Woody Allen flick, I'm not sure I'd want it any other way.
Bradford's back. (But can he block and catch passes?) Watching film of OU's games against Miami and Baylor, the difference between Landry Jones and Sam Bradford is as stark as you'd expect it to be. Less clear is whether the rest of OU's offensive roster is in any way capable of extracting the full potential value added from the upgrade. If Jermaine Gresham's healthy it's a different story, but the current cast of misfits and mystics aren't constituted to take advantage of Bradford's strengths as an accurate, strong-armed quarterback who can stretch the defense.
Not only that, but as TES neatly documented, the Sooners' offensive line may cost Bradford both shoulders by the time Saturday's game is through. Earlier today, during my weekly appearance on Paul Alexander's terrific "Longhorns Pipeline" program, one of the other guests (think it was former 'Horns WR Sloan Thomas) made the point that "if you're out there thinking during a game like this one, you're done for." Though Bradford looked good throwing the ball against Baylor, watching him move around one got the sense he wasn't fully confident in his physical condition just yet. If he's ginger, or wary of taking hits, it'll be interesting to see if the pressure he's certain to face Saturday affects his performance.
Brent Venables is OU's Greg Davis. Head on over to EDSBS on Thursday morning and keep an eye out for this week's edition of the EDSBS Podcast, in which Spencer and I interview BC's Scipio Tex for his thoughts on the Red River Shootout. The whole thing should be of interest to you, but pay particular to attention to my question and Scipio's answer about Brent Venables' weaknesses against strong offenses. If you're looking for keys to the game for Texas offensively, the answer depends in large part on how Venables himself approaches the game and whether he plays "the book" that's been written for defending this Texas offense.
If Venables is typical Venables, he plays right into our hands -- blitzing McCoy into the freedom he and his receivers need to make plays on the fly. If OU sits tight and makes us earn it, the pressure is on Davis to make the adjustments.
Buckner could be key. Last year we wondered how an Irby-less Longhorns team would attack OU in the passing game, only to see Greg Davis unveil his best game plan of the year, featuring heavy doses of Jordan Shipley attacking OU in the middle of the field from the slot. Fast forward a year and Texas fans are equally unsure about their offensive coordinator's plans for success on Saturday, but one guy to watch is emerging star Dan Buckner. The opportunities to pick on OU's uneven safeties in the middle of the field with the tight end will be there. Witness at the 2:06, 3:40, and 4:42 marks of the following video:
Pressure? A question for the gallery: who's under more pressure for this game? Mack Brown and Texas, or Bob Stoops and Oklahoma? Texas clearly has more to lose in the short term, but how unpleasant will another loss be for Big Game Bobbie in the larger picture?
Podcast Thursday night, 8:00 CT. Clear your calendars tomorrow night and make sure to tune in for a Red River Shootout podcast with Barking Carnival's Scipio Tex and myself.
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Definitely feeling the anxiety...
I’m already having flashes of Saturday, my hair disheveled, not having slept at all, yelling at the television “No! God, don’t go after the punter, what are you stupid?!! Damn it! Ya see? Ya see? Roughing the kicker!! I knew it!!”
And after every kickoff: “Arghh! No! Just kick it out of bounds! No! No! Tackle him! Somebody get him!! Why can’t we ever tackle anybody?? Jeez, 72 yards!!!”
And then there’s: “Another roughing the passer?? You’ve got to be F#$king kidding me!!! I can’t believe these refs are going to destroy our title hopes so they can protect sissy-boy bastard over there!! Why aren’t they calling that when Colt hits the turf??”
I’m preparing myself for all of it. I wish I could just enjoy OU Weekend, but its so damn hard.
by BrooklynHorn on Oct 15, 2009 1:53 AM CDT reply actions 1 recs
more confused about this game than any longhorn game in recent memory
I wanna think that we should handle OU pretty good but my thought process goes like this:
We will win by at least 20, we are undefeated, healthy and OU is missing pieces
Our D line and LBs will handle their O – line
Their running game has been more consistent than ours
Uh oh, Bradford is back
Our Secondary can handle him though
Ryan Broyles is back for the game? yup, Stoops is gonna play him Bud Kilmer style
Our OC might just cost us the game, will we see anything new? Were we saving anything?
I Dunno, last year was pretty good playcalling, but after all, it is GD… and it is OU
As you can see scattered thoughts that conflict with one another, but all in all if a above average/good Colt McCoy shows up and if our defense plays the way they have been the past 5 games, I really could care less about our running game.
Im actually more excited about our special teams than anything else. They might just be as good as A-Ross and Griffin of the 2005 team…..
"We'll be baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!"
by greenspointexas on Oct 15, 2009 2:37 AM CDT reply actions
Truth is I never feel good about this game
This year, my fear is playing a team that has their back against the wall. Normally, the fear is that they are just flat better than us. One thing that has definitely changed is my perception that we will be out-coached. I’m no longer worried about this aspect of the game, if we get beat it’s going to be because their front 7 is that much better than our offensive line.
That said, I expect a HUGE game from Buckner. I’ve watched Reynolds play this year, and that guy is lost in pass coverage. Combine that with some shoddy safety play, and we should really be able to take advantage. This could, in turn, really open things up for Ship and, God willing, our running game.
IMHO, we need to first establish Colt and the passing game to open up the running game.
I for one...
expect the Horns to actually take care of business this weekend. I wonder why ESPN uses the AP for the rankings? Last I checked, Texas was #2 in the only poll that matters of the two. Whatever.
The stark difference between this year’s team and last year’s is the Colt rushing factor. They have to turn him loose. His double threat capability is something that freezes defenders for a split second allowing the passing game to go more vertical. This element must change if the Horns are to win it all.
I expect the Horns to drop 40+ on the land thieves…OU just does not have enough offense to keep up this season. Oh, and Bradford will be hit harder than he has all season. It is 6:26AM Pacific Time and OU most definitely still sux.
"Stats are for losers. I like winning games." - Will Muschamp
just reading your opinion makes me feel better, mulliganville
thats how worried i am
"We'll be baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!"
by greenspointexas on Oct 15, 2009 11:50 AM CDT up reply actions
Venables
OU has a big discrepancy between the talent level of the front 7 and secondary. I think it limits what Venables can do in this game more so than the experience discrepancy limited Muschamp last year. Muschamp didn’t want to put his corners on an island so Texas didn’t blitz all that much with man converage and instead relied on getting pressure with an experienced front four.
I expect Venables will have to take a similar approach, and he’ll be bouyed by the fact that a team like Tech and Colardo were successful slowing down our offense dropping more defenders into coverage and throwing in a few zone bitzes. If he gets ancy and starts sending more people then Colt will have to keep them honest by hitting his hot read or making plays with his feet.
Delicious
This is why college football is so much fun.
Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. If they get mad, you're a mile away AND you have their shoes.
The tipping point
in OU-Texas games tends to be turnovers. The teams are usually even (or very close) on skill and coaching, but there’s an emotional-adrenaline aspect that’s not part of 90% of other games. That leads to harder hits and unexpected performances — and turnovers.
Somewhere in the mid-1960s, the teams traded turnovers something like four times in a span of 10-12 plays around the middle of the game. Bottom line: If Horns break even on turnovers, maybe lose that battle by 1, they win. And if UT’s special teams bust one (return, kick block) in the early going, I’d expect a win by more than a touchdown.
I second (third, fourth, whatever) an appearance of the ever-more-mystical No. 9. Malcolm, it’s on you!!!!
+1
If Malcolm, Buckner and Shipley were all playing up to their ability, we could rip that defense a new stoops ahole.
by Orangetower87 on Oct 15, 2009 11:11 AM CDT up reply actions
OU-Texas?
What is this OU-Texas game you talk about? I have been to Texas-OU many times but never an OU-Texas.
tap, tap, tap
tick, tock, tick, tock I am driving myself crazy with the wait.going in and out of consciousness with all the thought from could we have some secret squirrel type of game plan that Mack the knife was NOT going to pull out before blow u.mmmmmmmmm
I can feel it,there’s something at the end of the light,what,what is it ??
Big games tendencies
1. Big playmakers make plays
2. Some player has a hellava breakout game. Chris O. miss ya but Texas still has alot of good candidates.
3. OU sucks.
Stoops suffers from homo un-erectus. That's where his wang is hugeified not by a woman, but by a man.
It is all about turnovers!
and those short passes across the middle. OU gives these passes as a gift to anyone who wants them. All day long, baby!
7:48pm in Ohio and OU still sucks.
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