Brandon Caleb gave Oklahoma what it needed Saturday afternoon and the Oklahoma Sooners gave Tulsa a beating for the ages. In what was supposed to be a test of Oklahoma's improvement since starting the season with a 14-13 loss to BYU, the Sooners were completely dominant on both sides of the ball. Looking for answers to some of the questions that have plagued the team since that opening loss OU left fans, coaches and themselves a lot to be confident over. Here are some of those answers.
A: Brandon Caleb
Q: Who is Oklahoma's #2 option at receiver behind Ryan Broyles?
Ryan Broyles provided his second monster game in a row but this time he wasn't alone. Complimenting Broyles on his 11 catch, 128 yard, 3 touchdown performance was Brandon Caleb who produced 104 yards and 2 touchdowns on 5 receptions. Clearly Brandon Caleb is the second best receiver on the team at this point.
A: Landry Jones
Q: Who is the best freshman quarterback in the country?
No, this isn't a reach! I saw shades of 2007 Sam Bradford on Saturday afternoon except he wasn't wearing #14 he was wearing #12. Landry Jones completed 27 of 37 passes for 336 yards and a school record 6 touchdowns. There isn't a freshman quarterback in the country right now that has put up those type of numbers.
A: Yes!
Q: Does Oklahoma need Sam Bradford back to win the Big 12 Conference?
As good as Landry Jones has been we really haven't seen him on the road and we haven't seen him against a conference opponent. Following a bye this coming weekend OU's next three games are at Miami, home against Baylor and then against Texas in the Cotton Bowl. OU's best chance to survive that stretch is with Bradford under center.
A: It appears so.
Q: Is the offensive line fixed?
We kept saying that the problems with the offensive line were all mental and some personnel changes along with experience seems to have been the magic formula for a unit that struggled heavily in the first game. In 37 pass attempts Landry Jones wasn't sacked and the false start penalties seem to have been left behind in Arlington.
A: Possibly the best of the Bob Stoops era.
Q: How good is this Sooner defense?
The Sooner defense has now produced eight consecutive quarters of shutout football. Bob Stoops has not had a defense accomplish this since coming to Norman in 1999. This defense is dominant upfront and fast at every position. Against Tulsa on Saturday the Oklahoma defense produced 6 sacks, 2 interceptions, and a fumble recovery. There is still room to improve and if they ever reach their full potential then it could lead to greater things.
A: Place Kicking
Q: What is the glaring weakness on this team right now?
With the issues at receiver and along the offensive line the attention now must turn to the place kicker. Somewhere, somehow they've got to figure out how to get Jimmy Stevens to kick in a game like he does in practice. Is there anyone out there right now who would feel confident in a last second field goal with the game on the line?