2011 Oklahoma Sooners - It's Prediction Time

Before we get this thing started, I just want to make one thing perfectly clear.  Just so there is no confusion, I want to make sure I give credit where credit is due.  I've only been able to find evidence of a prediction made as early as 585 B.C., but there are some who believe predictions were made before that.  So I don't want anyone thinking I'm claiming that making predictions in the story to follow is an original idea of my own and would like to take this opportunity to thank the people from 585 B.C. and those before them for giving me this idea.

Okay, so now that we've got that cleared up let's get to the predictions.  I sent out the call earlier today to CCMachine & OnlyOneOU to collaborate on our predictions for OU's 2011 schedule.  With special important requests such as this one, a special method here at CCM is used to get the word out.  What might that be you may ask?  Well, I'll share with you.  The following is a tried and true method and one I'd highly recommend for a near guaranteed response.

Once that call goes out, they know the urgency with which they need to respond.  So even with the short notice, both CC and O^3 were able to submit their predictions same day.  Like I said, works every time.  An obvious but necessary statement, but we VERY much reserve the right to change these picks as many times as needed to make us look smarter.

9/3 vs. Tulsa - CC, OU 42-17.  O^3, OU 56-14.  JTE, OU 48-24.  This game might have been a little tougher before the Damaris Johnson suspension, but even before that OU was a prohibitive favorite.  Easy clean sweep here.

9/17 at Florida State - CC, OU 28-27.  O^3, OU 24-21.  JTE, OU 34-31.  Another clean sweep (I sense a trend developing) though obviously much closer than the opener.  I think most intelligent OU fans respect FSU and a tough, hard fought, close game.  If FSU is able to pull it out, it's likely by about the same margin range as we've predicted above.  

9/24 vs. Missouri - CC, OU 41-14.  O^3, OU 42-10.  JTE, OU 38-10.  Revenge game.  To be honest, I wanted to go considerably higher than my 38 points but that's how much I respect the Mizzou defense.  I can't say the same for the offense sight unseen.  I won't go so far as to predict a 2008 Tech esque type crowd, but after last year if OU can get rolling early I think the crowd gets pretty crazy.

10/1 vs. Ball State - CC, OU 48-9.  O^3, OU 52-3.  JTE, OU 62-0.  Cake.Walk.  Nuf said.

10/8 vs. Texas - CC, 31-13.  O^3, OU 27-9.  JTE, OU 28-21.  My compadres see things a little bit differently than I apparently do.  I'm never comfortable predicting a blow out type score in this rivalry game.  I think the UT defense is much farther along in their transition than the offense come Dallas, thus they are able to slow the OU offense just enough to keep Sooner fans worried for most of the day.  

10/15 @ Kansas - CC, OU 37-17.  O^3, OU 35-14.  JTE, OU 42-3.  Trap game coming off the RRSO?  Yeah right.

10/22 vs. Texas Tech - CC, OU 37-17.  O^3, OU 35-15.  JTE, OU 42-17.  Nothing to see here.  Move along.

10/29 @ Kansas State - CC, OU 34-28.  O^3, OU 28-17.  JTE, OU 42-28.  Many of the national pundits are predicting this as a game OU struggles in.  I'm just not seeing it.  I mean c'mon, we're not Texas.  Unless Bryce Brown is the second coming of AD and his brother Arthur is The Boz, I think we cruise fairly easily.

11/5 vs. Texas A&M - CC, OU 31-27.  O^3, OU 24-20.  JTE, OU 77-0 42-24.  I'm sure many of you are surprised to see that we're not all following in a certain someone's prediction that A&M comes in and ends OU's home win streak. Amazingly enough, we're all going out on a limb and with an OU victory and a nice little going away present for the Ags.

11/19 @ Baylor - CC, OU 44-27.  O^3, OU 35-21.  JTE, OU 45-31.  OU's home away from home, at least it always seems like it when they pan the crowd every year we travel down to Waco.  RGIII scares the heck out of me, but as good as he is he can't do it alone and I'll take our CBs vs. his biggest weapon in Kendall Wright.

11/26 vs. Iowa State - CC, OU 44-0.  O^3, OU 52-0.  JTE, OU 59-0.  Poor Cyclones.

12/3 @ Oklahoma State - CC, OU 35-34.  O^3, OU 49-45.  JTE, OU 42-35.  I've been on record for awhile that I think OSU is due a win, but if you think I'm predicting that you're crazy.  If this game is as big as I and many expect it to be there is just no way I see OU losing it.  This is the kind of game OSU has to prove it can win before I can ever consider giving them the benefit of the doubt.

What a bunch of frickin homers we are.  All three of us have OU 12-0 at this point and so naturally making a fifth national championship appearance under Bob Stoops.  So who do we predict to be that 2nd team joining us in Nawlins?

BCS Championship Game - CC, OU vs. Va Tech - OU 31-28.  O^3, OU vs. Wisconsin - OU 24-13.  JTE, OU vs. Boise State - OU 45-38.

Hear me out Sooner fans.  Honestly, my original pick was Virginia Tech as well.  So rather than copy CC, I decided to go with by Option B and the Broncos.  If this were to happen, here is how I see it playing out.  The SEC beats each other up and no team finishes better than two losses.  Golden boy Andrew Luck can't keep Stanford from three losses and Oregon goes back to the Bellotti Ducks and fails to live up to expectations.  The Big 10 and Big East each have one loss teams, but the perceived overall weakness of the conferences as a whole keep them out.  Finally, the ACC championship game costs the conference a MNC game appearance as either FSU eliminates Va Tech or vice versa. So there sits an undefeated Boise State team with a rematch against the Sooners looming on the horizon that is just too much for the voters to ignore.  Hoping to recreate the nightmare magic of the Fiesta Bowl, they pair the two teams in NOLA for the big dance.

In an even bigger 'no win' situation than 2007, OU gets up big early and takes their foot off the gas allowing Boise to make a furious comeback attempt only to fall short.  The Sooners exorcise all their demons and in an unheard of turn of events, Landry Jones and Whitney have an impromptu wedding on the field post-game only after taking former Bronco RB Ian Johnson off the unemployment line and hiring him to officiate the ceremony.  Disney immediately buys the rights to their story and "The Stache and His Hand - A Fairly Tale Romance" becomes the highest grossing film in the history of Oklahoma cinema (in addition to countless unintended Google search results).  

Okay, so we might have gotten a little off track there at the end but I think you get the point.  We're apparently huge homers.  So get in those comments and tell us where we're wrong or jump aboard the Homer Schooner, there's plenty of room on this ride.  Yee-Haw!