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I'm guessing that it's somewhat ironic that the game Saturday occurred in Lubbock, birthplace of Buddy Holly.
But unlike the line from the song that immortalized his death, the music didn't die in Saturday in Lubbock, instead any hope that this horrible Sooner year was just a by product of injuries died.
The casualty list from Saturday is actually pretty long.
A Bob Stoops team never really quit before Saturday. Sure there have been the meltdowns against KSU, and the bowl embarrassments. But it's the first time that I can recall the Sooner defense outright quitting due to realizing that the Sooner offense couldn't score. And sure a USC team with NFL 1st round picks smashed OU, but this was a below average Tech team. By a wide margin easily the worst team to beat OU by 20 points under Bob.
That Landry just had a bad game in Lincoln. While he didn't throw 5 ints, he consistently refused to step up into the pocket and throw the ball. So he threw behind receivers, over receivers, you name it. No pocket presence at all. I used the phrase a poor man's Nate Hybl when describing him. The QB battle must truly be wide open this spring and maybe this fall. On the message boards, Coach Heupel has for the most part gotten off scotfree. Well, Landry's not improving so either he doesn't have it or Coach Heupel isn't getting thru to him. Either way Landry is Heupel's QB recruit.
Any doubt that this coaching staff does not need revamping/reconfiguring. Offensive coaching and development has been horrible all year long (QB included), and playcalling has taken forever to adjust to the ever changing landscape personnel wise. We need more creative defensive strategy to work with Brent. Leach was ready for the LB change-up, OU had been using (which was muted due to the lack of Joseph Ibiloye for some reason). There was no response from OU, for instance bringing a 3rd pure CB off the bench and sitting a LB.
That Bob/OU does not have a massive road game problem. OU beat ATM by over 40 in Norman who beat Tech by 22 in Lubbock and now OU loses in Lubbock by 28. Other than highlighting the craziness in the Big 12, OU is a extremely average team away from Norman right now. Motivationally, strategy wise, we're just awfully vanilla. And if we're playing anyone who cannot be dominated by OU's talent, the game is in doubt.
OU doesn't need a special teams coach. It took 11 games for OU to hit a 40 yard plus FG this year. With as many close games as OU had this year, it's hard to not believe that Paddy O'Hara might have made the difference in a game or two. Just ridiculous how badly hamstrung strategically OU has been the last two years by their horrible kicking game. The NU game alone could have easily be won by 4 FGs (which OU easily could have kicked).
That OU's offseason workouts were the best ever. Clearly this team that quit with horrible discipline and no leadership (at least none after Sam and Jermaine went down. McCoy/Beal provided some on defense but even became non factors Saturday) didn't get ready for this season. Stoops swears by Coach Schmidt but large parts of the team were not ready for this year or ready to step up.
Other concerns
1. Wilson is all but admitting, that he cannot effectively call a game right now unless we are able to run the football. We cannot run the football away from Norman, meaning every road game is pretty much a loss.
2. Has a coach in the last twenty years suffered this kind of breakdown season and then rallied to win a national title? Sure Bowden had a down period in the eighties, Bryant in the 60s. But has anyone in the current period of scholarship limits, national TV for everyone, and parity which has Cincinnati, TCU, and Boise in the top ten rallied back from this kind of season?
3. The general belief that OU will somehow bounce back in 2010 after all these injuries is definitely in doubt. Without a reliable running game, it's doubtful Jones can be effective, or Drew Allen or even Blake Bell. And projecting that level of OL improvement is just beyond even my most positive view. In addition it's quite possible that OU's defense missing McCoy and others might take a step back. Factoring a road game at Cincinnati and a home game with FSU (who knows what shape they will be in) out of conference. Road games at Missouri (Gabbert improved for his second year), at ATM, and at OSU in conference, 9-3 might be generous.
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