Anemic And Inept Oklahoma Offense Can't Keep Pace With OSU - Why Would You Try?
by ccmachine on Dec 4, 2011 2:12 AM CST
in Oklahoma Sooners Football
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There's a very thin line between arrogance and ignorance. So think that I honestly have no idea which side Oklahoma's offensive coaches are on. After watching Kansas State and Iowa State carve up the Cowboy offense on the ground over the last month the Sooners decided to forego the notion that they even have running backs on the roster and threw the ball 38 times in the first half while only running it 9 times. In essence, Oklahoma stepped up and challenged the Big 12's most prolific offense to a shootout which resulted in a 44-10 beat down.
Here's where the arrogance or ignorance question comes into play. Did the Oklahoma coaches not know about an OSU defense that averaged giving up 4.4 yards per carry and 187 yards per game on the ground or did they not care? Running the ball was never a part of Oklahoma's game plan and inquiring minds want to know why? Did Josh Heupel really think that an offensive attack minus Dominique Whaley, Ryan Broyles and Jaz Reynolds could really match Oklahoma State blow-for-blow? Surely he's not that ignorant! That could only mean he's that arrogant.
Oklahoma never had a chance with this game plan. The Sooner passing attack has been anemic and inept since Ryan Broyles suffered a season ending knee injury against Texas A&M and a pass heavy attack played right into Oklahoma State's hand. Not only did the Cowboys enjoy living in Oklahoma's offensive backfield they also enjoyed having plenty of time for their own offense to carve out 6.8 yards per play and 468 total yards against Oklahoma's defense.
I'm a big fan of Landry Jones and always have been. His character is impeccable and he's been a lot better of a Sooner quarterback than a lot of people give him credit for. The coaching staff did him no favors by putting the game on his shoulders Saturday night. They might as well have sent him into a fire fight with a sling shot because it was just that brutal. He hasn't really found a rhythm since Broyles went down and that continued into Bedlam. Many of his passes were off target and several others were dropped. The there's the fact that he fumbled the ball backwards twice for a total of 70 yards in losses. Landry Jones was set up to fail and that's exactly what he did. I realize how harsh that sounds but that's what it is. However, I don't put the blame on him.
With just under three and a half minutes left in the game freshman quarterback took the ball around the right side on an option keeper and ran 29-yards for Oklahoma's only touchdown of the game. It was much more than just a garbage time touchdown. It was evidence that the problems the Cowboys had in containment on the edge against Kansas State is still there. Did Oklahoma try to exploit this at all? Nope! Because in order to do so you have to have an offensive game plan that includes a rushing attack.
I think that the biggest piece of evidence on the field Saturday night was the fact that Oklahoma has completely become a finesse team offensively. So much so that the even the notion of running the ball as an offensive advantage isn't even a consideration. It wasn't against Texas Tech, it wasn't against Baylor and it certainly wasn't against Oklahoma State. All three of those teams have struggled to stop the run this season and all three of them have now beaten OU.
The Sooners needed a ground and pound rushing attack to give them a chance at upsetting Oklahoma State in Stillwater on Saturday night. It never even came close to appearing and I have no idea why. OU got exactly what they asked for in this game which, inexplicably, was a shootout. Unfortunately the Sooners came unarmed. After Kansas State and Iowa State provided a road map as to how you can beat the Cowboys Josh Heupel instead chose to use a passing attack that hasn't scored a touchdown since the 4:53 mark of the third quarter of the A&M game on November 5th. Yep, that exactly 28 days or a little more than 13 quarters of football in case you were wondering. You tell me, ignorance or arrogance?
Offensive Unit Grades
Quarterback: For all the reasons listed above. Overall position grade: F
Receivers: Despite a few promising plays dropped passes plagued this group once again.Overall position grade: C
Offensive Line: Allowed two sacks but quarterback pressure was much worse than that. On a positive note Oklahoma running backs Roy Finch and Trey Millard averaged 7.2 and 6.4 yards per carry each. The fact that the two only had a combined 14 carries gets every offensive coach on the staff a big fat F! Overall position grade: C
Running Backs: Did all that they were allowed to do but struggled on a few blocking assignments. Overall position grade: B
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I originally posted this under "Bedlam Embarrassment," but it really belongs here.
Can you imagine how bad it would suck
To have worked so hard your whole life, gave up so much, made countless sacrifices, played thru pain, played thru injuries, rehabbed, forced yourself to go above and beyond during all the offseason workouts, pushed harder in practice than everyone else, all while keeping your grades up, then your finally able to fulfill your dream of playing big time D1 football only to find out that your team will never realize its potential because Landry Jones is your quarterback and the coaching staff is part of the problem instead of part of the solution?
I would probably have quit playing tonight too.
by SoonerGoneEast on Dec 4, 2011 2:31 AM CST via mobile reply actions
It dosnt help a kids confidence
when he is afraid that everytime he makes a mistake that they are going to pull him from the game. The way they treat Brandon Williams I know he wishes he went somewhere else. How about picking him up and not throwing him at the end of the bench to rot. Last week 11 carries for 82 yards. FINCH FUMBLED last week and he still got the bulk of the carries. You coaches are hurting the program because other kids see this and Im sure that players talk as well.
from what i know personally
they know that they can go elsewhere and have success. when you look around college football and you see that more and more freshman are coming into football game and having an impact on their team, it makes you wonder why our coaching staff cant seem to give some these freshman room for error. look at clemson, most of their key offensive playmakers are freshman and they are making a HUGE impact. yeah, they make mistakes and they sometimes lose games that the should not, but the experience that they receive by seeing the field their first year is invaluable when it moves toward them becoming 3 to 4 year starters.
Same ol' F'ing Sooners
ARROGANCE!!!!!! Bob Stoops has it in spades!!!! He needs a reality check like yesterday. I have too much on my mind to say it all right here but I will say this. If Brandon Williams transfers, I don’t blame him. If Josh Heuple doesn’t either get help or a clue, I will literally vomit on my shirt. If Brent Venables stays, I might just lose all faith in Bob Stoops. I can’t take this pussy-footing offense and defense we run now. We used to strike fear into people, not too long ago, remember???? It’s such a far fall from the mountain top.
Landry isn't very good
Unless he has broyles.
And our safeties are terrible
@THEREALALLENOU on twitter - "The man, the verb, the legend" OU'd
by AllenOU on Dec 4, 2011 3:39 AM CST via mobile reply actions
I think our safeties are pretty ok
but they are asked by this scheme to be Superman/Roy Williams, covering the run AND the deep pass….which only a few players can actually pull off. We are asking them to do more then they are capable of doing.
Completely agree CC.
Except Landry might have been at his worst tonight. It’s definitely the worst he’s played all season.
I guess Tempe will have to work.
by KratosWasASooner on Dec 4, 2011 3:56 AM CST reply actions
I agree that it is actually inexplicable....probably both
And they probably can’t fix it. As for Landry, he always was pretty good overall but inconsistent and prone to making key mistakes and turnovers. I think everyone hoped that finally he had reached the point where he would work out the kinks and stop turning the ball over, but that hasn’t happened. This is likely his worst performance to date. I think it’s clear he can’t get past these problems, and I’m not sure what they’ll do about Heupel.
"Gentlemen we must all hang together, or assuredly we will all hang separately."
Benjamin Franklin
Double pumps = over throws
Happy feet = over throws.
While receivers dropped a lot, it’s not like Landry was on target.
How about using the run to set up the pass???
by OU JJ on Dec 4, 2011 7:37 AM CST via mobile reply actions
totally agree
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.
Not to mention
The balls that seemed to float forever…into double and triple coverage.
by SCKSChief on Dec 4, 2011 11:29 AM CST via mobile up reply actions
They are ignorant to be that arrogant.
The whole season has been an epic failure on the coaches. Passing and passing and passing will never get you anywhere. Especially when you have Landry Jones as a QB. I love Heupel as a player, but as a playcaller he’s done horrible! The defense wasn’t too bad. Minus the turnovers they only gave up 30 points….which is still too many. But considering OSU’s offense was ok.
Follow on Twitter @LLAdamJ7
by dasoonerman on Dec 4, 2011 8:04 AM CST via mobile reply actions
Coaching ignorance
Stoops is so bull headed that even when he stood there on the side lines and watched his team completely fold, defensively and offensively, he did nothing to change it. He is being paid in excess of six mllion dollars a year, win or lose. Oklahoma deserves better than that. Stoops has gotten lazy, fat and sloppy. He has no fire in him any longer and it shows through the team. Venable needs to be fired NOW!!!. Heupel needs to be given his old job back as qb coach and a real offensive coordinator brought in. We need a special teams coach, I think that OU is the only major program in the nation without a dedicated special teams coach. We need to flush that toilet bowl mentality of Stoopes and either get rid of him or only pay him if he wins. Enough is enough.
I second this!
Its pretty damn obvious this team has no desire or passion when they are out there. It is Stoops fault in the end, He needs to change something NOW! correction, he needs to change a lot of things NOW!!
No Idea...
I’ve loathed Heupel all season long. He calls more lateral pass plays than Kevin Wilson and is more predictable than Chuck Long. What really gets me is the lack of adjusting his attack from series to series.
It sounds odd saying this, but I was hoping we would have something up our sleeves. Yet… nothing. Both coordinators rely too heavily on Jimmys and Joes instead of Xs and Os, and it shows when one of our players is injured. That’s another soapbox for another time.
Oh, and anyone who knows football (ahem, recruits) knows how indicative this loss is of the health of the program. Sorry for the gloom and doom.
I agree with other posters, I hope this loss lights a fire under Stoops. I haven’t seen my team lose like this since the USC National Championship.
by BringBackTopDawg on Dec 4, 2011 9:40 AM CST reply actions
By the way!
I’m a long time reader and a first time poster. I think everyone here does a good job!
I grew up watching Sampson’s basketball teams (I’ve got Ryan Minor’s autograph) and Blake’s crappy football teams (go De’Mond Parker?)
I hate not that OU lost, but how they lost. My wife is an OSU grad, so I’ll be reminded of this for the next 364 days.
by BringBackTopDawg on Dec 4, 2011 9:48 AM CST up reply actions
It was only their 17th win in 104 years. Think about that.
Josh Hamilton: "I just show up, look at the lineup and play where I’m told. If they want me to catch, I’ll catch."
Jon Daniels on relationship with #Rangers Young: "I’d love to walk in and hug everybody every day, but that’s not critical to us winning." 2/19/11
You are right about Jimmys and Joes - Look at the SEC
Before the OU game, I was watching the SEC Championship game. I cannot count how many times an LSU player made an good play and garnered praise from the announcers… and the announcers would say, “Oh, by the way, that’s the 4th string tailback breaking 3 tackles and getting into the endzone,” or, “That’s the 3rd string guard pancaking that linebacker.” As much as we rave about our talent, the SEC teams have an embarrassment of riches, and that’s why we hate the SEC so much. I’ve noticed this over the past few years, that when a 1st stringer on a team like Alabama or LSU gets injured, there is a 2nd stringer who is just as good to step up. SEC teams rotate in running backs, OL, DL, defensive backfield so much that they develop multiple depth levels with solid players. When OU loses a key player to injury, it completely debilitates the team. Then, an inexperienced player comes in and he makes mistakes. The coaches don’t support him enough and just bench him, then revert to a completely anemic game plan that basically amounts to giving up. I think it’s mostly coaching. This whole season, OU was a shell of a team, no fire. Just imagine if these coaches had actually coached up all this talent we have… we are spoiled with all the Big 12 titles, but we should have had more than that.
So true
We have as much talent as anyone in the nation, but I wince every time one of our players gets injured. Wasn’t Gabe Lynn penciled in as a starter before Fleming came back? He has talent in spades, but he can’t find it come game time? What’s going on behind the curtain?
by BringBackTopDawg on Dec 4, 2011 12:11 PM CST up reply actions
I agree with the "behind the curtain" idea
But disagree that OU has as much talent as anyone in the country. Too much lost production when a #1 goes out. Probably Bob’s fault for not subbing in more during blowouts.
by SCKSChief on Dec 4, 2011 12:39 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
I have noticed the very same thing you have especially in the OC department
Your analysis of the x’s and o’s is right on the spot. The line about the USC loss, I said the exact thing last night while we were watching the game.
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.
For real
This might be my photo tag!
by BringBackTopDawg on Dec 4, 2011 12:13 PM CST up reply actions
Venables has to go. Three times this year the defense gave up 40+
Josh Hamilton: "I just show up, look at the lineup and play where I’m told. If they want me to catch, I’ll catch."
Jon Daniels on relationship with #Rangers Young: "I’d love to walk in and hug everybody every day, but that’s not critical to us winning." 2/19/11
OU Bashing....
Could it be that OSU has a better team ? I would give that a big YES. They have smarter coaches too. Will they do the same thing next year ? YES they will.
At this time they have a better organization than OU. I can’t see this changing in the next 2 years. Am I a sore loser ? NO,
and I’m not blind either.
I think you are wrong on the LOSUr St thing next year
no weedin and no blackmon. Their offensive output will be gone. OSU was in fact the better team and I think it was at the coaching level.
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.
Agreed
It’s possible that Gundy could get Stoops number for a few years like Smacky did, but OSU is not gonna all of a sudden become the class of the Big 12. They’re like an entire team (and fan base) with small man’s disease.
"Gentlemen we must all hang together, or assuredly we will all hang separately."
Benjamin Franklin
by leatherneck1061 on Dec 4, 2011 10:45 AM CST up reply actions
After this year
No way I’m gonna be able to start any season with a huge amount of enthusiasm. I was excited and hopeful this year and got burned bad for it….next year, I’ll believe it when I see it. Taking a completely different attitude and approach – it’s like 1999 all over again, and Bob is on probation.
"Gentlemen we must all hang together, or assuredly we will all hang separately."
Benjamin Franklin
by leatherneck1061 on Dec 4, 2011 10:47 AM CST reply actions
The GD Sooners will have to prove it to me!
1) Landry has to go, no if’s and’s or but’s. He has to go.
2) A real RB and running game must be put in place, Whaley is great but we need more recruited and in the pipeline
3) Some position coaches, line coaches and unit coaches must go (DB coaches comes to mind)
4) Imagination must be shown at all levels
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.
#2 a lineup of
Whaley, Clay, Finch, Williams, Calhoun, Miller, and even Millard made running back look like a fairly well recruited position at the beginning of the year, I thought….sigh…
CO/OCs
Huepel’s play calling (few run plays against a soft run Defense) as well as the time he takes to call the plays is a problem. Every game we (OU) has been down, the play clocks runs down to under 5 seconds and we are supposed to be a hurry-up offense.
Put Huepel on the sideline with the QBs, he was good there. Put Norvel in the booth calling the plays as he did at Nebraska.
Also, Stoops is wrong and stubborn not to alternate two QBs. Look at LSU! Landry is not going to get much better than he is right now if you base that on the amount of improvement he made from last year to this year.
I like Stoops, but he can be stubborn to a fault and never changes QBs or Assistant Coaches. Would you come to OU as a QB knowing they never sub?
totally agree on where Heupel needs to be
Josh is too locked into the QB position. Norvell is more of a strategist and that is what is needed in the booth.
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.
The Sooner passing attack has been anemic and inept since Ryan Broyles suffered a season ending knee injury against Texas A&M and a pass heavy attack played right into Oklahoma State’s hand.
Exactly. I will add that the staff has showed no imagination this season either.
Landry Jones was set up to fail and that’s exactly what he did. I realize how harsh that sounds but that’s what it is. However, I don’t put the blame on him.
That is what happened. I want LJ to move on and become a doctor, a lawyer or anything but an OU football player.
With just under three and a half minutes left in the game freshman quarterback took the ball around the right side on an option keeper and ran 29-yards for Oklahoma’s only touchdown of the game. It was much more than just a garbage time touchdown. It was evidence that the problems the Cowboys had in containment on the edge against Kansas State is still there.
This formation could and should have been used early in the game starting with the first quarter. This formation is not just a 3 and 1 or 4th and 1 formation.With the players in this formation it is capable of being much much more. If this formation only has two plays in the coaches mind then they should scrap it. If the coaches reasoning is that Bell doesn’t have the experience then this is ALL on THEM for not letting him practice and get game experience.
I think that the biggest piece of evidence on the field Saturday night was the fact that Oklahoma has completely become a finesse team offensively. So much so that the even the notion of running the ball as an offensive advantage isn’t even a consideration. It wasn’t against Texas Tech, it wasn’t against Baylor and it certainly wasn’t against Oklahoma State. All three of those teams have struggled to stop the run this season and all three of them have now beaten OU.
The OC has had a one track mind this year. Possibly because of the information and data being fed to him from the position coaches? This mentality of the game has to change somehow. What is evident is the inability of this coaching staff to think strategically. They only think in tactics and often those decisions are suspect. What irks me most, there was not even a sniff of a surprise tactic last night.
The Sooners needed a ground and pound rushing attack to give them a chance at upsetting Oklahoma State in Stillwater on Saturday night. It never even came close to appearing and I have no idea why. OU got exactly what they asked for in this game which, inexplicably, was a shootout. Unfortunately the Sooners came unarmed. After Kansas State and Iowa State provided a road map as to how you can beat the Cowboys Josh Heupel instead chose to use a passing attack that hasn’t scored a touchdown since the 4:53 mark of the third quarter of the A&M game on November 5th. Yep, that exactly 28 days or a little more than 13 quarters of football in case you were wondering. You tell me, ignorance or arrogance?
I don’t think it is either. Heupel is not ignorant nor arrogant. He is in over his head and will learn or leave. After Whaley went down the only RB to show any consistency and effectiveness has been Millard. We could add Bell to this very small group but he is a QB. I will say it forever that Roy Finch is NOT the answer and should not be the #1 tailback. He is to fricken small to be effective. A Scat back is all he is. I really can’t say anything good or bad about Williams because he hasn’t played enough to really mean anything. This season started to unravel the minute Dom Whaley went down.
Without Whaley’s running game, the passing game suffered greatly even with Ryan Broyles. I will contend that losing Dom Whaley and the lack of a real running game led to OU’s demise this season. OU needs to start recruiting absolute real-deal D1 Big time running backs that have size, strength, speed, and grades.
If OU is set on recruiting small speedy tailbacks the they should call ‘The King’ and get his help in putting the ’Bone back in place where the small speedster RB can have success.
And we are finally to one of my last thoughts on the game. It was the poorest lame-o assed attempt of coaches and football players in ANY championship game I have ever saw.
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.
oh yea, the above are my thoughts :-)
I am sick and tired of having to bitch and moan this season about the Sooners. I am going to try an give it a rest, after all there a many things in life more important than a college football game, to me anyways.
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.
I think everyone needs to give it a rest
for health if no other reason. I just can’t keep carrying the kind of stress this team has caused me this year…..it’s pissing off my wife – she’s tired of me going into a funk everytime this team lays another egg. Another reason why I said above I just ain’t gettin fired up about our prospects like this again. Truthfully, I was more invested psychologically, emotionally, etc., than I ever have in any season before, and for this reason it took me longer to finally let go; something perhaps to do with what happened to Box and of course all the perceived talent returning. I just can’t go through this every year. What a bloody nightmare this has been.
"Gentlemen we must all hang together, or assuredly we will all hang separately."
Benjamin Franklin
by leatherneck1061 on Dec 4, 2011 12:35 PM CST up reply actions
You're not alone
I’ve complained all season too. I think Heupel bit off more than he could chew, and I almost pity him. If he had taken an OC job at another school he would have to impress a new boss, maybe show some strategy and creativity.
I feel the same about Finch. He should be a change of pace back, not our 1st, 2nd, and 3rd down guy.
by BringBackTopDawg on Dec 4, 2011 12:27 PM CST up reply actions
Holy crap it's as bad as I thought it was last night
I thought going to sleep would make it a little better but it hasn’t. I gotta agree CC that this is pure arrogance, there is no other explanation for it at all. When you run the ball for almost 280 against an iowa st. defense that was better against the run than osu was and then almost refuse to run against the pukes that’s arrogance. When you make no adjustments what so ever offensively and defensively that’s arrogance. It was almost like they we’re actively not trying to win last night. There was too much give up in this team all year, and last night they didn’t even try.
"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
The Whole 4th Quarter Was Garbage Time
Say what you want about that final (only) TD, but that was garbage time. I could smell it all the way in my Indiana basement.
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