Big 12 Football 2015

[SoonerDave]

I think their home fans are a little disgusted as evidenced by the large areas of empty seats in the stands. I heard they even have a lot of unsold seats for the OU game in Dallas.

Last I heard, Texas had some 8,000 unsold tickets on hand for the RRS this year. Not tickets on Stubhub or unclaimed student tickets, but regular, normal, hard tickets that would (I assume) normally go out through regular season ticket and/or direct sales systems in their ticket department. And that goes hand-in-hand with the fact that there were apparently only about 70K on hand at DKR for the OSU game; heard the announcer say "This place may be about 60% full."

Considering face value for OU-UT this year is $135, that's a shade over $1M in lost revenue.

Tickets on StubHub right now for RRS in the UT end are roughly half the corresponding seats on the OU side, although I think it's fair to point out tickets prices even on the OU side are fairly soft this year. OU tacks on a $15 fee on OU-Texas this year, so "face" for a regular ticket holder is $150, and I picked up good sidelines for just a bit over that. And I'm reasonably sure I bought too soon...

[Laramie]

To add on to Dan's post. Look at the SEC. Alabama plays at Georgia this weekend. They are in the same conference but Bama hasn't play at Georgia in 7 years. That's just a little ridiculous.

Dan's very methodical and well versed...

Georgia Bulldogs have a history of being a thorn in Alabama's side. They have been known to 'beat' Alabama or cause them a rash of injuries whenever they've met.

This rivalry dates back to the days of heated confrontations of well-coached teams of Bear Bryant & Vince Dooley.

Georgia is (25-37-4) against Alabama
Average score: Georgia 12.1 - Alabama 16.5

mcubed.net : NCAAF Football : Series records : Georgia vs. Alabama

[okatty]

Some interesting games this weekend with OU - WVU toppin the list. Baylor - Tech with a total on that game of 90! And the big national games - Bama v Georgia, ND at Clemson and it feels like fall outside to boot!

[Filthy]

I see that all 3 of the ESPN panelists picked West Virgina to beat OU straight up.

[okatty]

I see that all 3 of the ESPN panelists picked West Virgina to beat OU straight up.

So did the top 2 pickers on the Oklahoman list (Trammel and I think Helsley). So lots of WVU support locally and nationally. Should be a great day for football!

[SoonerDave]

I see that all 3 of the ESPN panelists picked West Virgina to beat OU straight up.

While I think this could be a tough game, I still think, on balance, OU is the better team. Playing at home, if they don't make silly mistakes, Sooners should come out on top.

OU is not as well-equipped for the road-grading running game they used a year ago to unleash Perine, but if the O-Line plays smart and limits silly penalties they should still be able to create space and make running lanes. This may be one of those very unusual games where WVa drops, at times, even more than 5 in coverage and tries to force OU to run. Given the way they may scheme the run, either MIxon or Perine could bust one or more long runs. Could be a great game.

[Filthy]

While I think this could be a tough game, I still think, on balance, OU is the better team. Playing at home, if they don't make silly mistakes, Sooners should come out on top.

OU is not as well-equipped for the road-grading running game they used a year ago to unleash Perine, but if the O-Line plays smart and limits silly penalties they should still be able to create space and make running lanes. This may be one of those very unusual games where WVa drops, at times, even more than 5 in coverage and tries to force OU to run. Given the way they may scheme the run, either MIxon or Perine could bust one or more long runs. Could be a great game.

Yep, WV runs a 3-3 up front, and although it creates issues sometimes from a blitzing and pass protection standpoint (creating confusion on who to block) but, it also lends itself to being exposed/gashed every once in a while against the run. so, if you can put a hat on somebody, at the 2nd level (lbs) than you create a seam that can be taken advantage of. I think Oklahoma trys to run more tomorrow, than they have the first few games.

[okatty]

I love Baylor tomorrow (-15.5 although higher now) over TT.

[ljbab728]

It's looking like the Big 12's big four look to move up in the polls this week. TCU, Baylor, and OU all had strong showings and OSU found a way to squeak by once again.

What are the odds that 3/4 of the Cotton Bowl will be filled with OU fans next week? OSU at West Virginia should be interesting next week.

[ljbab728]

There should be a fairly good shake up in the top 10 this week with loses by Mississippi, UCLA, Notre Dame, and Georgia. There were also somewhat embarrassing close calls by Ohio State and Michigan State. There just does not seem to be a dominant team this year so everything is still wide open.

[Laramie]

OSU's motivation & confidence has certainly taken a complete 360 degree turn. Gotta give it up to Mike Gundy/staff, Glen Spencer (defensive coordinator/Linebackers), Mike Yurcich (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks) & the Oklahoma State Cowboys in their come from behind win over a well coached Kansas State squad. KSU had 49 straight wins when leading at the half.

BEDLAM 2015 will be another SMACKDOWN.

[OKCisOK4me]

I have a feeling the Cowboy luck will run out next Saturday in Morgantown. No way Spencer & Co. figure out how to squash the defensive penalties in one week. Gonna be a lot of yellow on that field next week. It was fun being in the Top 25 but this is just the beginning of a tumble downward for my Pokes. Sorry to those of you that see my post as a NN but I'm a glass half empty/need more orange kool-aid type fan.

[okatty]

Texas has been outgained through 5 games only thrice since 2000. In ’13, they were -32. In ’14, -72. This year, they are -843 @ESPNStatsInfo per jake trotter

[Filthy]

OSU's motivation & confidence has certainly taken a complete 360 degree turn. Gotta give it up to Mike Gundy/staff, Glen Spencer (defensive coordinator/Linebackers), Mike Yurcich (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks) & the Oklahoma State Cowboys in their come from behind win over a well coached Kansas State squad. KSU had 49 straight wins when leading at the half.

BEDLAM 2015 will be another SMACKDOWN.

Interesting outlook for sure. I guess its all in how you spin it. As far as I'm concerened, the only other conference wins the rest of the season I see OSU achieving is against Kansas and Iowa State.

[AP]

What do we think about Tramel's take here: OU's arch-rival has turned a brighter shade of orange | News OK

[SoonerDave]

I have a feeling the Cowboy luck will run out next Saturday in Morgantown. No way Spencer & Co. figure out how to squash the defensive penalties in one week. Gonna be a lot of yellow on that field next week. It was fun being in the Top 25 but this is just the beginning of a tumble downward for my Pokes. Sorry to those of you that see my post as a NN but I'm a glass half empty/need more orange kool-aid type fan.

I think Spencer will take a page from the OU defensive playbook and scheme all kinds of pressure against that WVa QB. OU was in his hip pocket virtually all day long, and the blindside blitzes obviously helped seal the game in the 4th quarter.

One thing OU and OSU have in common is that neither has an especially good offensive line, at least not right now - and OSU doesn't have either a Perine or a Mixon in their backfield. If WVa opts to blitz Rudolph like they did Mayfield, I think Gundy and/or Yuricich are going to *have* to have some screens in their bag of tricks - heck, the only real bubble screen I remember OU running was the 3rd quarter pump-fake bubble that turned into the 71-yarder to Neal - and that was a play they put in specifically for WVa because of their tendency to bite to specific receivers in certain situations.

I think OSU may be in for a tough day on the road against WVa. That said, the mental state for WVa will be a question, because they rolled a lot of stock into that OU game that I believe they expected to win. Losing that game by 20 when they'd closed a 17-point gap to 3 was a disheartening way to lose. On balance, I think OSU will have *less* success running the ball than OU did, but should have similar throwing opportunities. It'll boil down to making plays - can Rudolph have success comparable to Mayfield's. On the flip side, the OU D made that WVa QB look bad with five turnovers, but at least a couple of them were what you might call "unforced errors" - just plain bad throws. And he missed wide-open receivers a couple of times as well. So that will be an interesting aspect of the game next week for the Pokes.

Bad side for the Pokes is that it's now a night kickoff, and a road-game/night kickoff I think reinforces the home field advantage for WVa. If they get rolling, it could be a really tight fit. Should be an interesting game.

OU-Texas

This is one of those ridiculous years that one team should decisively upend the other, but I bet you won't find five OU fans that'll talk any smack - too many memories of the 2013 disaster or a role-reversal of 1996, where one of the worst OU teams ever in the John Bleak era goes in and beats a middling Texas team in OT. Lots of folks are still hedging on the upside for OU, particularly as it's OL tries to improve, and the run game is still a work in progress. OU's OL is struggling to get lanes open, and get blocks at the 2nd level, and Texas front 7 is at least decent. I'm thinking Bedford rolls the dice (the staff has nothing to lose, really) and blitzes the garbage out of OU, meaning lots of homerun plays both ways. The question is who makes more.

Like any game with this kind of offense, I think a quick start is absolutely vital. If OU can get out of the gate quickly, get rid of the nerves (are you listening, Orlando Brown? NO FALSE STARTS) and get out to a lead early, they could roll. If they let Texas hang around like last year, anything could happen. Current rumor is that Texas' big, most experienced OL in Kent Perkins won't even make the trip to Dallas, and I think they have no choice but to spell him with a *freshman*.

Every game I've seen vs Texas this year has featured one common denominator - WR's running freely. OSU was picking them apart until Rudolph mysteriously drops that ball and it gets run back for a TD; otherwise I'm convinced that game pushes out to 21-6 and the rout would have been on. Some thought UT would have a shot against TCU, and I was convinced TCU would light them up - and sure enough, they did, with a little Texas' help (that they didn't really need).

On *balance*, all other things being equal, a disciplined OU team goes in Saturday and takes care of business and puts a nice, tidy beatdown on the Horns. If they get caught up too much in the moment, and don't play smart, particularly on the defensive edges in containment vs Heard, and let UT hang around, it *could* get really interesting - and not in a good way. You play this game, say, 100 times, and I say OU probably wins by an average of something like 38-17 or 45-17, and wins probably seven out of 10 times. It's those other three of ten ya gotta watch out for

[SoonerDave]

What do we think about Tramel's take here: OU's arch-rival has turned a brighter shade of orange | News OK

Disagree completely. No disrespect to OSU, but as a long-time Sooner fan, I pay them only casual, "hey, it's another state team" attention until we play them. I appreciate Tramel's effort here, but he's just wrong. OSU will *never* engender the kind of rivalry distaste that Texas does - no matter how bad they may be this year. It's *Texas*. I mean, c'mon, it's *TEXAS*.

[Filthy]

What do we think about Tramel's take here: OU's arch-rival has turned a brighter shade of orange | News OK

The Oklahoman serves both fan bases. As the actual "paper" circulation continues to dwindle, more and more emphasis is put on their website. Currently speaking, (since aprrox. mid 2014 season,) OSU articles aren't getting many clicks. Tramel is doing his part, to generate traffic/clicks to his blog and the website. That's how they generate revenue. It is nothing more than fabricating a "Shock" Value/Click bait article to create the discussion, and to piss off OU fans. And he obviously was successful in doing so ...as the link was then shared here.

[dankrutka]

What do we think about Tramel's take here: OU's arch-rival has turned a brighter shade of orange | News OK

It's way off base. First, his interpretation of the reaction of OU fans to the UT score is way off. It was pretty loud. Second, I don't know one OU fan that feels this way. I love Bedlam, but UT is OU's undisputed rival.

[jerrywall]

It's way off base. First, his interpretation of the reaction of OU fans to the UT score is way off. It was pretty loud. Second, I don't know one OU fan that feels this way. I love Bedlam, but UT is OU's undisputed rival.

Hrm. I might agree if it wasn't for the reaction in the comments. For folks so unconcerned with OSU, a lot of OU fans certainly lost their heads there....

[onthestrip]

The Oklahoman serves both fan bases. As the actual "paper" circulation continues to dwindle, more and more emphasis is put on their website. Currently speaking, (since aprrox. mid 2014 season,) OSU articles aren't getting many clicks. Tramel is doing his part, to generate traffic/clicks to his blog and the website. That's how they generate revenue. It is nothing more than fabricating a "Shock" Value/Click bait article to create the discussion, and to piss off OU fans. And he obviously was successful in doing so ...as the link was then shared here.

Maybe the goal to get clicks explains the Oklahoman's, as well as some other fans and media, rush to proclaim OU's victory at Tennessee as the best under Stoops. Which was absurd at the time, and even more absurd after Tennessee has lost 3 in a row now. Great game and win, no doubt, but I guess some hyperbole is needed when it comes to getting page clicks.

[AP]

I'd have to agree that the 50-someodd comments on the article by UO fans that are foaming at the mouth, seems to prove his point a little.

[Laramie]

Maybe the goal to get clicks explains the Oklahoman's, as well as some other fans and media, rush to proclaim OU's victory at Tennessee as the best under Stoops. Which was absurd at the time, and even more absurd after Tennessee has lost 3 in a row now. Great game and win, no doubt, but I guess some hyperbole is needed when it comes to getting page clicks.

Tennessee has had a rash of injuries before/after the OU game. They were legit prior to the season opener; not to claim that by any means that was Stoops best regular season win. The Volunteers' wheel has since fallen off the cart.

[SoonerDave]

Tennessee has had a rash of injuries before/after the OU game. They were legit prior to the season opener; not to claim that by any means that was Stoops best regular season win. The Volunteers' wheel has since fallen off the cart.

And it looks like the "VolNation" has had its fill of Butch Jones. All kinds of angry things coming out, including allegations of some player incidents supposedly "buried" since last summer. It's officially ugly in Knoxville. This was a season of *huge*, perhaps even a little unrealistic, expectations for Tenn that have all gone right into the blender.

At some point, however, some of these programs are going to have to realize you can't continually churn coaches every two or three years. Doing so perpetually replaces systems and coaches and recruiting relationships that have to be rebuilt by a new staff, but with possibly different approaches to the game; and if *those* guys don't pan out instantly, you start over, with another new staff, and so on.

Nebraska is realizing this. Texas may be realizing this. Michigan, maybe. Bottom line is that the equation isn't as simple as plugging in the Next Great Coach, and pressing the "win" button.

[BG918]

Nebraska is realizing this. Texas may be realizing this. Michigan, maybe. Bottom line is that the equation isn't as simple as plugging in the Next Great Coach, and pressing the "win" button.

It's paying off for Florida. McElwain was largely responsible for Alabama's dominance then went to Colorado State and won big at a place not used to winning at all and now has Florida undefeated.