Chase For 8: Oklahoma's Reasons For Hope
by OnlyOneOU on Oct 26, 2011 3:13 PM CDT
in Oklahoma Sooners Football
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Many Oklahoma Sooner fans take a look back at last Saturday and the first blemish on Oklahoma's record and see what a ton of others see, no BCS National Championship hopes. With a home loss to an unranked team, it is very easy to jump on board with this notion and run with it to the end. However, fact remains that there have been several one-loss teams and a two-loss team that have made it to the National Championship Game and have even been crowned Champs.
In 2003 LSU suffered a loss yet played in their backyard and won a title. Florida has done it twice in the past decade, once in 2006 and once in 2008. But, best of all was that Florida lost to an unranked Ole Miss who boasted a 3-2 record at the time...sound familiar to Texas Tech with their 4-2 record heading into Norman?
Now, here sits a one loss team with something to prove and a shot at redemption. How will the team respond and will it be one for the ages?
Oklahoma still has a few shots to get back into the hunt but it is also going to take a few pieces to fall into place outside of OU's control, but in the words of JP from Angels in the Outfield, "it could happen!"
5-0 - We all know that Oklahoma is going to need to run the rest of the table to keep their hopes alive. With LSU, Bama, Clemson, and Stanford still in the mix, there is no possible way to get in as a two loss team. Clemson is going to go unchallenged for the rest of their season while Stanford still has yet to face a real challenge. Alabama and LSU have a match up in just a few weeks that will knock one of them out of the running most likely as no one wants to see a rematch for the NCG. However, going 5-0 is surely a tall task. Oklahoma will travel on the road to face two top 10 opponents in Kansas St. as well as Oklahoma St. These are statement wins and will look good in the eyes of the voters. I firmly believe that with the drop in ranking Oklahoma received at this point in the season, it is still very much so possible to climb the ladder and make a case for the Sooners.
Oklahoma has not lost back to back games since 1999 - In the past, Bob Stoops and his Sooners have come out with a vengeance after losing a midseason game. The last time OU lost back to back games was in 1999 to Notre Dame followed by a loss to Texas. Expect the team to mature from this loss and grow from it while coming out angry. Needless to say, this Oklahoma squad won't need too much extra motivation for the remainder of the season (or so I hope).
Since 2005, Oklahoma has come out on fire from Halloween on - In 2005 Oklahoma lost on a controversial call at Texas Tech that gave Tech the win. However, OU went on to Holiday Bowl in which they beat then #6 Oregon. In 2006, OU lost early games against Oregon and Texas after the dismissal of Rhett Bomar. They finished the season with 8 straight wins and a Big XII Championship. In 2007, the Bradford-less Sooners lost in Lubbock and later hammered the #1 Missouri Tigers to win another Big XII Title and in 2008, OU fell to Texas in the RRS yet stormed back and played for a National Title against Florida.
As it currently stands, Oklahoma has placed themselves in the same position that the 2008 team was in. How they will respond has yet to be determined but if history shows anything, Oklahoma should be feared by any team from here on out.
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I like the positive outlook
and I’m being sincere.
The big question is: Can OU do it WITHOUT a conference title game?
I believe they can win out (after all that’s what fans, especially CHIEFS fans, do; believe against all odds!), but it will be difficult. Can a one loss team, without the benefit of a league title game, get there?
Agreed
And the other rub in this is we are no longer in control of our density at all. We have to sit around and hope that Clemson and Stanford both lose – perhaps even Boise State (but I doubt it), just to have a chance. Let’s also not forget that whoever loses between Bama and LSU has as good a chance or better than everyone else of still ending up number 2. If Bama were to win convincingly over LSU, and OU could do the same with OSU (big if), that could go a long way to getting us there by pushing LSU further down. Then again, the way this Sooner squad played Saturday I’m not sure I want to see them in New Orleans anyway – we don’t need another embarrassment on the national stage.
"Gentlemen we must all hang together, or assuredly we will all hang separately."
Benjamin Franklin
by leatherneck1061 on Oct 26, 2011 3:36 PM CDT up reply actions
I gotta agree too
I think we need a whole lot of help for that to happen, especially without the confrence title game. The best case scenario is that we end up with no undefeated teams. Boise St. is not gonna lose, but I think we could jump them regardless. Without the title game I feel like our best bet is that everybody has 1 loss.
"I feel sorry for peple who don't drink, when they wake up in the morning thats as good as they are gonna feel all day long." Frank Sinatra
Good point about our own destiny
I wonder though…what will the BCS formula look like after (assuming OU wins out) beating Okie State on their own field and a top 10 KSU team, on the road. I would wager that one loss would get pretty transparent after those computer numbers come into it. It might (and I stress MIGHT) be possible to even jump a Stanford or Clemson, should they struggle late. Who knows…
Why do you chase the Bama scenario?
OU doesn’t have a dog in this fight. We just want one of the dogs dead.
by CeeDave on Oct 26, 2011 9:22 PM CDT via iPhone app up reply actions
No idea what you're talking about
The above is obviously a hypothetical scenario. I don’t have a dog in that game, but my honest opinion is that Bama has the advantage. I just think they are a more complete team, plus they have home-field advantage. So, I used them as an example.
"Gentlemen we must all hang together, or assuredly we will all hang separately."
Benjamin Franklin
by leatherneck1061 on Oct 26, 2011 10:21 PM CDT up reply actions
BCS Championship Game
While I agree that it’s certainly possible, both Stanford and Clemson will have to lose for there to be any chance of it happening. If that does happen and OU wins out:
-OU will pass Boise State and Oregon based on SOS
-It will be a toss-up between OU and the Bama/LSU loser to be the top 1-loss team. Have to hope one of them blows out the other one on Nov 5, or voters will want to see a rematch.
Guess my post was superfluous - you pretty well listed it all
Probably the best chance for Clemson to get knocked off is this weekend against Georgia Tech, while it’s possible Stanford could lose to USC, or Oregon, or even Notre Dame. All one can do is wait and hope.
"Gentlemen we must all hang together, or assuredly we will all hang separately."
Benjamin Franklin
by leatherneck1061 on Oct 26, 2011 3:58 PM CDT up reply actions
Its important to remember tho
that two teams from the same conference cant play in the championship game, you have to win your conference to play for it.
OU played in the 2004 NC
After losing the conference championship to KSU. There is no such rule.
by CeeDave on Oct 26, 2011 9:24 PM CDT via iPhone app up reply actions
The rule ender is referring to was made when the NC game was added to the four CBS bowls about perhaps four years ago. It was meant to keep another non conference champion from playing in it.
by blaster1371 on Oct 26, 2011 10:55 PM CDT up reply actions
It's all about D
I do hope I get proved wrong on this but . . .
I like to think you have to earn your rankings on the field.
There is no one in the country that questions the OU offense.
It is the Defense that is suspect. Now that our D has been exposed, our D will be in for considerably more scrutiny. Not only will our D need to win games, our D will have to make believers out of some of the pollsters.
mjc
I think Macky might loan you his if you ask nice O^3
Just joshin’ ya ;)
2011 for #12 - You will be missed
Crimson and Cream Machine - There's only one Oklahoma!
Listen to Sooner Nation, the #1 podcast for OU fans
I didn't know Mack endorsed those
I thought he was just the spokesman for this (AS SEEN ON TV)
Rumor has it that Texas is about to sign a huge corporate sponsorship deal for the Longhorn Network. They just have to decide which brand represents them best: Dyson, Eureka or Hoover.
by It'sTheVoice on Oct 26, 2011 3:50 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Well
After Saturday, I question the offense…especially the run game. The offensive line must man-up if they intend to to make a serious run at the crystal football.
Whaley didn't see the field period nor did Williams
That had a ton to do with it. Finch is clearly not a 25+ carry kind of back and shouldn’t be counted on to produce those numbers. While it would be good to see him get more playing time, I think 13-15 carries is all we can expect out of him. Habern has certainly be missed and should rejoin the team at LT shortly. Dunno what the expectation on him returning to C is.
I'm glad your glass is half full
as mine appears to be empty. Your examples of lsu and floriduh are valid but they have one thing in common – SEC. That’s an advantage that OU can’t overcome, whether i agree with or not. As a conference – top to bottom – the big whatever is BETTER this year.
Team FIRST, Effort SECOND, Talent THIRD, Selfish NEVER
There are two sides to us getting to the national title
It’s a drawback having one loss already, because you hoping that other teams lose and your expecting teams to remain undefeated until a specific date. OSU still has to play Tech in Lubbock as well as play KState – even though that game is in Stillwater… Whose to say that they won’t catch the L before December 3… I don’t think we can get to New Orleans if we play a one loss OSU team…
This is the rub
No Conference Title Game kills the Sooners this year. If we had a title game – imagine playing a 1 loss KSU again in Kansas City for the BigXII Championship – that would give us a great shot but now, we have none. As a Sooner fan it pains me to no end to say this…WE HAVE NO HOPE OF #8. We have now been relegated to the position the Cowboys always seem to play – spoiler. That is just too bad but it is the truth. Can we win the conference, yes. Does it mean as much as it once did, NO WAY!
You would think this would be proof enough to the conference to get back to 12 as soon as possible. BUT THEY WON’T AND THAT’S JUST STUPID! While the rest of the conferences are aligning themselves together to survive, we have now become the lone man on the island shouting, “We like being small and insignificant because we get more money individually this way.” Whatever. If OU and the BigXII want to be relevant, they MUST return to 12 and get a championship game back.
There will be years in the future where OU loses a gain – like to TU and then runs the table and a title game gives the chance to overcome the loss and get another quality win to get into the championship. I mean seriously…we are going to get beat out by an ACC team! Does anyone think an undfeated ACC team beats a 1 loss BigXII team who wins a championship? Oh, that’s right THE ACC NOW HAS A CHAMPIONSHIP GAME!!!!!!!
The laughing you hear is all the other conferences whose heads are not in the sand and understand what is happening while the BigXII sticks it’s nose in the air and condemns teams like OU to realize the truth…GO PERFECT OR STAY HOME.
No Title Game
Having no B12 title game will be tough, but the good thing is, the OU/OSU game is on the final weekend, Dec. 3. In past years, when the B10 had no conference game, some teams would get jumped that last weekend, because B10 play ended the week before.
All the chips have to fall right, but if OSU is still top 3 at the end, winning at Stillwater on the last weekend of college football could help with votes!
Loser of LSU/Alabama...
…will likely NOT be in the SEC championship game. So, while OU/OSU play Dec 3rd, the LSU/Alabama loser will be at home, NOT playing…
True, but
if the other undefeated teams lose, the loser of that game will still be considered the second best team in football as their one loss was to the #1 team in the nation, unlike OU who lost at home to a team in the bottom half of our league
by BoomerWolverine on Oct 26, 2011 6:24 PM CDT up reply actions
have to keep in mind LSU always has some CHOKE job in them
at some point the 2 QB thing is gonna bite Miles in the butt.
LSU 2 QB system
has the highest pass efficiency in the league. Maybe JL + JJ >> LJ?
by CeeDave on Oct 26, 2011 9:30 PM CDT via iPhone app up reply actions
If OsU wins out
they would be #2 on that last weekend and thus bringing me to what I think is going to happen. LSU/Bama (1), OSU (2), Clemson (3), Boise St (4), Syracuse (5), LSU/Bama (6), OU (7). If everything holds to form, this is the reality facing us. There is no way that beating OSU is going to leap us up over the next 5 spots. Believe me, I would love to be wrong but this year is shaping up as a year to have at least 3 undefeated teams left. And the voters will probably position the LSU/Bama loser in a spot that if the unthinkable happened, the winner looses the title game, the LUS/Bama loser would go to the title game as a one loss SEC team will still trump Boise State you would think.
by CrimsonReign on Oct 26, 2011 4:31 PM CDT up reply actions
It's College Football...
…and that means anything can happen! This time last week, everyone below LSU/Alabama/OU in the BCS were thinking, there’s no way OU loses, so how are we going to jump the LSU/BAMA winner and OU?!?!?
Any team can win on any given day and play the spoiler…
^^^^This^^^^
"I feel sorry for peple who don't drink, when they wake up in the morning thats as good as they are gonna feel all day long." Frank Sinatra
An the winner of the LSU/Bama Game...
will still be the top 1 loss team in the standings. No way OU can jump them when they lose so late in the season. We are playing for the Fiesta. Plan and simple. The National Title game will be decided between the SEC and ACC this year. BSU will probably play the BigXII winner in the Fiesta Bowl – of course I am banking on us beating OSU otherwise the worse of all story lines unfolds – OsU playing for a national title. We will never put the Orange back in the crayon box if that happens. lol
That was suppose to be the "loser" of the LSU/Bama game...
by CrimsonReign on Oct 26, 2011 4:32 PM CDT up reply actions
I still think a rule change went into effect when the NCAA added the NC game to the other four bowl games. I thought that rule was no one could play for the nc if they had not won their conference. It was a response to OU getting in ahead of USC and Michigan almost getting a rematch with OhIo State.
not likely
But bama/lsu could catch an extra loss that would help. Still a pipe dream but possible.
We need every team to lose
No way do we get in over a one loss SEC team. The voter love them too much. However, if we play an SEC team and everyone else loses, then we get the nod. Stanford and Clemson are only as high as they are because they have played no hard games. Both will flake out in the end. Boise is hard though, but they still won’t get in even if they are 12-0.
The only reason a one loss OU gets ahead of a one loss Stanford or Clemson is OU’s loss came earlier in the season. But if either of those teams lose and then win their conference championship game I think they get ahead of OU just by virtue of that game giving them a strength of schedule edge as they will likely be playing a ranked team.
See, this really is just like a tournament all season long without the bracket lines.
for most of the heavy weights it is a double elimination for the rest, well you know the story.
The one thing being a lot older has going for it, most of us older have seen more CFB than most younger people have seen web pages.
exposed
The main thing I took out of the TT loss is that a team who could lose to an average team at home like that will lose again. So I feel the NC is very unlikely.
by BoomerCotton on Oct 27, 2011 6:15 PM CDT via iPhone app reply actions
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