Well, You Couldn’t Ask For More

After an offensive barrage against Texas Tech (and coming out with a W), OK State’s season is looking semi-promising again.  A 49-45 win over Tech’s amazingly wide-open offense and defense that is envious of ours is something the Boys can be proud about.  Unfortunately, not too proud.  It seems Tech was more to blame for the collapse than we are to receive credit.  The boneheaded play calls with just under 2 mins left cannot be explained.  Nope, but a forced resignation can.

With Tech up 45-42 with the ball, all they have to do is something they rarely do: Run.  Just run the ball.  OSU has only 1 timeout.  Run the ball, get one, *just one* first down, and the clock will wind itself away.  Somehow, Leech as taken over by the Spirit of St. Louis and he decides to go to the air.  After 3 incompletions (some of which are due to OSU’s defense), Tech is forced to punt.  A return and a middle-range pass later, TE Brandon Pettigrew is down on the sideline of the end zone, wincing at a painful hip after forcing his way through the Tech secondary and diving for a touchdown.  Yep, only 46 seconds had gone off the clock and OSU now led 49-45.  Time for Tech to play catch (up).

They moved the ball well, as they had most of the day and got close enough to the end zone to have orange glittering off their helmets.  With time running out and a 4th down looming, a rocket flew off the shoulder pad of Michael “Stickyfingers” Crabtree and floated out of the back of the end zone, gliding off on a raucous ovation by the Orange Nation.

Game Over.  For a couple reasons.

First, the game was actually over.  I believe QB Robinson did take a knee, but regardless, Tech wasn’t going to get the ball back.  The clock hit 00:00 and it was in the books.

Second, Tech’s DCoordinator “resigned” citing personal reasons.  Let’s read between the lines, folks…  er, you.  He was forced out.  Leech has to cover his own butt after choking on the 3 plays that led to State’s final score.  He also blamed his players saying they were soft and, after being hit in the mouth, wanted to pout (which is actually the same thing as being soft, but I thought I was going to actually put the quote in there, yet, I’m too lazy to go and find it).

Third, but unrelated to the OSU/Tech game, was that OSU now sat atop the Big12 South tied with next week’s opponent aTm.  OU and UT were upset in what can only be described as a mass floundering of ranked teams.  Nine top 25 teams were beaten on Saturday, eight of them upsets.  CU beat the Sooners in Boulder on a last-second field goal while the Longhorns were shlackeled at home by KState.  The Sooners gave CU every chance to win the game and CU finally took advantage of it.  KState just outgunned the now mortal McCoy.

This week’s game against the Aggies will be the true test whether OState will have a decent season.  In an atmosphere similar to UGA, Kyle Field is intimidating.  Let’s hope that Zac “Attack” Robinson has more magic than Bobby Ried.

Heck, I didn’t even mention the publicity State has gotten b/c of Gundy outburst on a reporter.  Oops, now I have.

 

Saturday, Oct 6th, 1 pm CDT – Kyle Field, College Station, TX 

Yeah, We’re Pretty Much…

screwed!!!

Middle Tennessee State just put up 42 on Louisville…  #8 Louisville.  Last week, Middle Tennessee State mustered only 2 TD’s in a 27-14 loss to Florida Atlantic.  How does this make us screwed you ask?

Well, jerk, why you gotta be so pushy?  Calm down and I’ll tell you.  WE PLAY FAU THIS WEEKEND!!!

Okay, maybe I’m overreacting from the crusher in GA, but you gotta admit, a team that puts up 42 on Louisville and gets beat b/c they only scored 14 against the opponent that you’re about to play…  c’mon.  You do the math.

In the podcast tonight, I made the prediction of 42-17/24.  That was before I knew about MTS.  My feeling was that we’ve rolled them twice before, so it should be another blowout.  Even when we struggled 2 years ago, we ended up beating them semi-good.  It looks like FAU is a little better and we’re a little worser.

Well, I’m not saying we’re going to roll over anybody (or get rolled over by anybody… yet).  Just a little nervous.  And Gundy should be too.  With the stadium ahead of schedule, TBoone’s lookin’ for some W’s.  And that’s not the Presidential kind.  It’s the kind that go before the “hyphen L”’s.

Changing Cowboys, what’s up with Dallas cutting Aaron Glenn?  They’re already short a CB since Newman got hurt.  Glenn had his downfalls (like not being able to cover anyone), but he was a vet and locker room leader (so I’m told – I’m not actually there).  I read that Glenn didn’t fit Phillips’ style, but c’mon, you’re already thin there.  Cut the 4th stringer.  D’oh.

Go Pokes!

I’d like to send out a heartfelt…

“You Suck!” to the OState football team.  The entire team.

It’s ridiculous really.  The O was average at best.  The D was abysmal.

I have a new respect for Georgia and wish them the best.  They deserve their ranking.  I don’t think we deserved getting our butts handed to us, b/c I think we’re better than what we played today, but now I know that you can’t trust the hype around your team.  Especially when you live so close (4.2 miles).

I hope they watch the tape A LOT!

The only positive I could come up with is that we didn’t get any delay of game penalties.  Seriously.

I’m too ticked off to give a good post.  I love my team, I really do.

Cowboys, I love you.  I’m going to stick with you.  I watched the entire game.  But you really let me down today.  Let’s do better next time.  Please.

22 mins and counting…

Wow!  So much time and effort has gone into the past few months: analyzing game tapes, strength and conditioning, spring camp, fall camp, new players, new defensive schemes, new positions.  Of course none of it done by me.  Nope, I’ve sat around, read the Tulsa World and listened to the Triple Play Sports Network for all of my info.

But enough about me; today is about the teams.  Players and coaches.  Students and fans.  College football is almost underway and I can say only one thing: “It’s about time!”

There have already been some close games today, including the one I watched Virginia Tech vs. ECU.  ECU was ahead and hung around until about the end of the 3rd Q.  Colorado barely held off Colorado St. (I was pulling for State even though CU is a Big 12 team).

The major upset of the day has been Division I-AA Appalachian State over No. 5 Michigan 34-32.  Can you believe that?  What happened Michigan?  They won’t be playing for the title.  Oh well.

14 mins and counting…

Since you can get live updates and scoring from a lot of different sources (ESPN2, ESPN.com, FoxSports.com, all-the-other-sports-sites.com, 105.1 FM in and around Stillwater) and since no one reads this blog (yet), I’ve decided not to post in-game updates.  Plus, I want to enjoy the game myself.  I’m no reporter, I’m a fan!

Lee and Kirk from College GameDay pick us to lose, but that’s fine.  If I weren’t an OState fan, I’d probably pick us to lose too.  But I’m not.  And here’s my pick: 37-32 State.  I think their QB is going to be good, but I think their OLine isn’t, so State’s D is going to get a lot of pressure on him, regardless of how good he is.

GO POKES!!!

4 days and counting…

Living so close to the University (4.2 miles actually) sometimes affects your objectivity.  It’s easy to get caught up in the grandiose imagery of an illustrious season.  Especially when all you hear are reports from you’re side.

Then you hear about the other side: #13 ranked, definitely not looking past your game, they post OK State pictures up in their locker rooms, they are about 30-2 at home, 22-1 against non-conference opponents and 3-0 on season openers under their current head coach (okay – I made those numbers up, but they’re ballpark – I think).  Really, the only stat we have going for us is Georgia is 0-4 when the opponent scores 30+.  The last two years we’ve averaged around 33-34 points/game.  But will we do it out of the gate?

Our offense is already being compared to the offense of the 80’s.  Reid, Savage, and Bowman are the new Gundy, Thurman Thomas/Barry Sanders, and Hart Lee Dykes.  And they haven’t even started playing yet.  I’m not saying they couldn’t be the next Triplets (and I hope they are), but lets not get carried away just yet.

Okay – last time I promised you the defensive scouting report.  So here it is:  Nathon Peterson is back to 100% – excellent.  We already said that DWoods is huge – perfect.  The DLine has experience, which is one thing the GA OLine doesn’t have: 2 freshman, 1 Juco transfer, and I believe, one or two returners.  If our DLine can exploit that inexperience, it’ll be a long day for GA’s QB.

Our LBs are going to be good.  Usually the anchor that drags down the entire team, I think the LBs have the experience, size and speed to be good.  The only problem is their depth.  Today, Gundy dismissed Alex Odairi who had legal trouble with his girlfriend (something about him not listening, I don’t know, I wasn’t really paying attention…).  With DWoods getting comfortable in his 3rd position during his 5 years, DCoordinator Tim Beckman thinks he has finally found the spot for Woods, and I’d have to say I agree.  The guy is huge, he’s quick, but not really fast, and is physical.  I can see why they wanted him to be a Roy Williams type player (the Dallas Roy, not the Detroit Roy), but his coverage ability was sorely lacking (more than Roy’s is – who has coverage issues of his own.  Again, not the Detroit Lions Roy Williams, but the Dallas Cowboys Roy Williams).  Let him rush the QB every now and then, let him stuff the outside sweep, let him cover the flats and he’ll go up against any tight end or RB in the Big 12 (and we have some good ones).

Our DBs should be decent.  Van Zant should have an outstanding year.  No other guys stand out to me at the moment about our DBs.  I’m not sure we graduated (or lost) all that many, so another year, … well, another year.

Are those too grandiose expectations?  Wait, haven’t even given you my prediction.  Well, maybe I’ll save that for later.  I think I will give you my prediction for the season.  OState has a rough road schedule.  With all the away losses last year, I’m going to say that they learn from at least some  of them.

Ready?  9-3.

Realistically 8-4 but I think I’ll go out on a limb with 9-3.  Maybe a share of the Big XII South title.

Go Pokes!!!

10 days and counting…

 

With only 10 more days before Gundy and Co. open their season against the #13 team in the Nation, the Cowboys are getting ready for a big challenge. Gundy, a couple assistants and some players have sent mixed messages to the media lately about how practices and their 2 scrimmages have gone. Most comments seem to negative – the kids were sluggish, too many mental errors, the defense was soft, etc. However, positive things do get sandwiched in between the sound bytes, which makes me think that OSU is play coy. Practices and scrimmages have been closed to fans and the media. Tulsa writers are starting to call Mike “paranoid.” I’m not sure I would call it paranoid, per se, but I don’t necessarily think it’s a bad move. The offense won’t be surprising too many people this year. The no huddle attack is in it’s third year at OState and, with a 7-6 team that featured an impressive win over Alabama in the Independence Bowl (a game in which both teams played well), Georgia shouldn’t be too surprised. Probably the only thing that could get them is how backup QB Zac Robinson is used – either as a slot, RB or QB giving Bobby Reid the option to be slot, RB or WR. D’Juan Woods graduated, Artrell Woods (no relation) injured, a second receiver could also surprise Georgia, but they will have to surprise OSU fans too, with Adarius Bowman being the only receiver with extensive game time.

I think what Gundy is hiding is the defense. OSU’s defense over the last few years has been marginal at best. They’ve shown flashes of what-could-be, but most of the time, they play on their heels and are reacting rather than making stuff happen. OSU’s D ranked somewhere around 96 last year, while the offense was at least in the 20’s (actually ranked No. 7 as the overall team offense according to ESPN.com. Supposedly Gundy has been, at least mostly, happy with the defense this fall. He has come down on them, but said he thought they were ahead of where they were last year at this time. Without revealing too much and me completely reading between the lines here, I think new D-coordinator Tim Beckman has stepped it up and turned the defense into something that can keep up with OState’s high-powered offense. I also think Rob Glass, the strength and conditioning coach, has gotten his feet wet and got players to beef up. Case-in-point: Donovan Woods. The QB-turned-Safety-turned-Linebacker looks to have easily added 15-20 pounds of pure muscle. DWoods was always a pretty big guy, especially for a QB, but seeing him in spring practice lining up as on outside LB, he looked like an LB! I always think the face shield makes players look tougher, but he was downright scary looking. His arms are HUGE!

By listening to the media with what the Cowboys are saying, you may think we aren’t ready for Georgia, let alone Florida Atlantic (Sept 8), but I think one has to read between the lines a little bit to get more of the truth. Next up: Offense.