If you haven’t yet had the opportunity to see Oklahoma’s intro video for home games here it is.

Gone is the, "There’s only one Oklahoma!" theme. Instead we are told that, "It’s time!" Time for what? Championship football? Well, hopefully but it isn’t like the Sooners haven’t been winning championships. OU is the first team to ever repeat as Big 12 Champions and they have a great opportunity to become the first to ever win three-in-a-row.

Because OU fans aren’t easily satisfied and always will demand more and because this Oklahoma football team wants to do more than just win a conference championship then it’s time to change the image of this team.

Right or wrong, Oklahoma had developed a reputation of being a finesse team and for being soft. That isn’t true for this Oklahoma team. If you get in their face they won’t back down. If you push they are going to push back. If you hit they are going to hit harder. The offense wants to punish those who try to make tackles and the defense takes it personally if you get a first down on them. If a defensive back tries to take on Jermaine Gresham one-on-one then he’d better pack a lunch. If an opposing quarterback is going to slip out of the pocket then the back-up quarterback had better be ready to take snaps.

As that video differs from the ones we’ve seen in years past so does this team. Oh it’s time alright. It’s time for Sooner fans to appreciate the greatness they’ve seen on the field to this point of the season.

Bob Stoops announced Thursday that defensive tackle DeMarcus Granger won’t have surgery to repair a tendon in his left foot and will try to make it back on the field this season. He will instead go through three to four weeks of rehab and then be re-evaluated.

Surgery would have put him on the shelf for the rest of the season but he could have applied for a medical redshirt. This decision says one of two things about Granger. That he is the ultimate team player by placing the team ahead of his own body or that he wants to come out this year and not return as a senior.

Time will tell. Any thoughts?

On of the things that shouldn’t go unnoticed about ESPN’s Bruce Feldman is that he is a fan of college football and because of that he loves talking to fans about the game. Because OU is off this weekend there was no opponent beat writer to interview so I checked in with Feldman to get his take of the Big 12 Conference and the Oklahoma Sooners.

CC Machine: Let’s start in the Big 12 South. Is it a two horse race again between OU and Texas or do Texas Tech and Oklahoma State have what it takes to make a run at the Big 12 Championship this year?

 

Feldman: I think it’s a little more wide open although ou is the favorite. I think tech is dangerous although I'm still skeptical of the defense.

 

CC Machine: Same question for the North. Can anyone challenge Missouri?

 

Feldman: My hunch is no but I think K-state and Nebraska might surprise some people. Still, I think Mizzou has too much offense.

 

CC Machine: We feel that the Big 12 has the best quarterbacks, and possibly offenses, in the country but how do you think the conference as a whole stacks up against the other BCS conferences?

 

Feldman: I feel like the Big 12 has by far the best group of quarterbacks in the country. I think they've narrowed the gap with the SEC but still need the defenses of Mizzou, Texas and Texas Tech to get better before they can be looked at as on the level of the SEC.

 

CC Machine: Give us your general thoughts on the Sooners.

 

Feldman: They're really good on both lines and I think Bradford and the backs are terrific. I am not sold yet on the secondary but we’ll see how it holds up in conference.

 

CC Machine: I heard you over the weekend on ESNP Radio and you are very high on the USC Trojans. In your opinion what separates USC from Oklahoma, Georgia, Florida and Missouri?

 

Feldman: I think USC has the best defense in the country. They have great players at all three levels. Their offense is also good and Sanchez is playing with a lot of confidence. So far the young O line has been very impressive.

I have to agree with him of the Big 12’s defenses needing to catch up with the SEC in order for the conference to take the top spot in the country. However, the gap is as small as it has been in a long time.

You can check out Feldman’s take on the world of college football at ESPN.com and in ESPN The Magazine. You can also check out his newest book, Meat Market: Inside the Smash-Mouth World of College Football Recruiting.

Thanks for your time, Bruce!

According to some information I have received defensive tackle DeMarcus Granger will have to undergo surgery to repair ligament damage that was done to his foot when three Washington offensive linemen decided to take out their frustrations on him.

This most likely means that Granger is done for the remainder of the 2008 football season. In the three games he has played in this season he has 6 tackles and 1.5 sacks.

There is always the hope that I’ve received false information on this but I have to tell you it isn’t likely.

Since it's an off week and we have been blowing everyone out of the water so far, there really isn't a lot to critique.

So with the free week, that allows us to poke some fun at our hated rival...the Texas Longhorns.

Watch the video and enjoy a good laugh on a Wednesday.

Which brings me to my last point...Don't Smoke Crack

(remember it's all in good fun. I am sure there is a video of an OU fan just as bad, I just couldn't find one.)

Is this the face of Oklahoma's next Heisman winner?

As it stands right now thru the first three weeks of the 2008 college football season the "experts" at CBS Sportsline would give the Heisman Trophy to Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford. It’s hard to believe that just over a year ago we were wondering in the coaches made the right decision when they chose Bradford as the starter. Internet message boards were filled with "All we are asking him to do is not get us beat!" talk. Now, fast forward 14 months later and we are talking about the same guy as possibly being the best quarterback of the Bob Stoops era.

Sam Bradford has been the best quarterback in college football to this point. After leading the nation in passing efficiency last year as a freshman he is currently second in the nation right now. He’s averaging over 10 yards a reception and he’s already a third of the way to his touchdown mark of last season.

As we all saw on Saturday night beatdown of Washington, DeMarcus Granger left right before halftime because of a sprained foot. I am sure I wasn't alone in thinking something about that play looked a little fishy.

Continue reading this post »

We knew, and said, going into Saturday night’s game at Washington that the only way the Sooners could lose was if they beat themselves and it turns out that we were right because Washington was absolutely no match for Oklahoma. That shouldn’t take away from the pressure that this team felt to perform well on the road though. Two seasons of poor performances outside of the Norman city limits had every Sooner fan wondering what they were going to see at Husky Stadium.

In two games at home this season OU has been physically intimidating and dominant and it turns out that they can be the same way on the road. Washington turned out to be the confidence booster that we had hoped they would be and if the Sooners can keep the same nasty attitude all season long that they’ve displayed through the first three games then this is going to be a special season.

Through three games we can say with confidence that Oklahoma’s offense is dangerous and explosive and their defense is punishing. In three games now they’ve had three opposing quarterbacks set out plays after taking hits.

Report Card

 

Quarterbacks – Sam Bradford was amazing again by completing 18 of 21 passes for 304 yards and 5 touchdowns. He also added a one yard touchdown plunge. The best thing I saw from Bradford was how he handled being under pressure. His first touchdown pass was a perfect strike despite being hit while making the throw. Bradford averaged 16.7 yards per completion.

Grade: A+

 

Offensive Line - The o-line is living up to their hype as they are paving the way for one of the most explosive offenses in the country. The Sooners cranked out 591 yards of offense at an average of 8.3 yards per play. For the third game in a row they didn’t let Sam Bradford be sacked.

Grade: A+

 

Running Backs – Chris Brown and DeMarco Murray both cracked the 100 yard mark with Brown going for 110 yards on 13 carries and Murray 100 yards on 16 carries. They averaged 8.2 and 6.2 yards per carry respectively and while neither one of them reached the end zone Mossis Madu did, twice. Madu had 50 rushing yards on 13 carries.

Grade: A+

 

Receivers/Tight Ends – When your quarterback is putting up insane numbers then your receivers are going to have pretty good nights as well. Ryan Broyles had another big night catching three passes for 85 yards and two touchdowns. Jermaine Gresham also had two touchdowns on three catches with 99 receiving yards.

Grade: A+

 

Defensive Line – The defensive line didn’t rack up a lot of stats in the area of tackles but they did their job of holding off blockers to allow the linebackers to make plays all over the field. Gerald McCoy and Cory Bennett did register sacks.

Grade: A

 

Linebackers: Keenan Clayton and Travis Lewis combined for 16 tackles and 2 sacks. Ryan Reynolds added 5 tackles to bring the starters up to 21 total tackles. The linebackers did an excellent job of containing Jake Locker and the Washington running backs. In all they held the Huskies to under 90 yards rushing and less than three yards per carry.

Grade: A+

 

Defensive Backs: Keenan Clayton and Brian Jackson both forced fumbles as the Oklahoma secondary played very physical against Washington receivers. The Huskies were able to pass for 249 yards but 95 of that came in garbage time. Oklahoma’s starters held Jake Locker to 154 yards passing.

Grade: A+

 

Special Teams: Oklahoma is still struggling here and these are issues that could get you beat. Jimmy Stevens missed the extra point attempt after Oklahoma’s second touchdown and the kickoff team gave up 155 yards on returns.

Grade: C

 

For the second consecutive week Oklahoma makes a jump in the polls after an impressive win. This week the Sooners jumped the Georgia Bulldogs to take over as 2^nd ranked team in the nation.