Oklahoma Sooners Football

Mid Week Links and Info Dump: Texas Week

By dishingoutdimes Sep 30, 2010, 1:48am CDT

The Red River Rivalry has had some defining moments in college football. Image via <a href="http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee310/soonertown/RoyWilliamsSupermanPoster2.jpg">Photobucket</a> — The Red River Rivalry has had some defining moments in college football. Image via Photobucket

VOTE in the Week 4 C&C Machine Tracking Poll!

SBNation Coverage:

Sooner Nation audio preview of OU-Texas matchup.
Television coverage map for 2:30pm games on ESPN/ABC.
Previewing the Texas Offense
Previewing the Texas Defense
OU Injury Report update
Bob Stoops' press conference on the upcoming game
Weekly BCS Briefing from C&C Machine
Week 4 College Football Recap from C&C Machine
Big 12 Weekly Recap from Burnt Orange Nation
Burnt Orange Nation takes a look at how to improve the Texas offense
Oklahoma Review and Preview from Burnt Orange Nation
Bevo's Daily Roundup on September 28, 2010 from BON

More good stuff after the jump, with the links to all sorts of articles, and even some videos. This is by far, the most stuff I've thrown together in one link/info dump post to date.

The official Sooner Sports website's Red River Rivalry FAQ:
It's Wednesday of OU-Texas week in Norman and the No. 8 Sooners are focused on their tilt with the Longhorns on Saturday at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. Here's a quick rundown of information for Sooner fans to answer the most frequently asked questions leading up to the game.

FS Southwest ranks the Top 5 Red River Rivalry games:
To get some perspective on this storied rivalry, let’s crack open the history books and take a look at the top five games in the history of the Red River Rivalry.

CBS Sports previews the Red River Rivalry (including video):
Though one of the Red River Rivalry combatants has gone on to win the Big 12 in recent years, neither Texas nor Oklahoma has been playing much like a champion. That particularly holds true for the No. 21 Longhorns, who are coming off a stunning home loss but could rebound by also throwing the eighth-ranked Sooners' season off track in the 105th edition of this showdown Saturday at the Cotton Bowl.

Kevin Sherrington says neither OU or Texas are title contenders:
Over the last 10 years, we haven't witnessed much Switzer-like "flair" on either side of the Texas-OU rivalry, which is not necessarily a bad thing. But whatever your tastes in coaches, you can't beat the productivity of the two in question. The Sooners or Longhorns have been to six of the last 10 BCS title games. Every year, at least one or the other was still a legitimate title contender going into the State Fair.

Ryan Broyles makes Will Muschamp say "wow":
Broyles' speed and elusive moves can turn a short catch into a large gain. He's become savvy at using his body, along with his eyes, hips and shoulders to set up his routes. OU receivers coach Jay Norvell said Broyles has a natural feel for space and making plays with bodies around him.

The Sooners expect that Tom Wort will improve:
But Sooners coach Bob Stoops said things are not always as they appear to the untrained eye, although he conceded the redshirt freshman middle linebacker is sometimes out of position and does miss some tackles.

Tim MacMahon (ESPN) asks what is wrong with OU's defense:
Coach Bob Stoops built a dynasty at Oklahoma with a dominant defense, so it’s stunning to have to scan so far down the national defensive rankings to find the Sooners. How low do you have to go? All the way down to 97th overall in total defense.

Dave Sittler (Tulsa World) is also concerned about the defense:
The Sooners barely survived the Bearcats 31-29. But there wasn't a soul in Paul Brown Stadium who didn't think Cincinnati could score again and win if its offense got one more fourth-quarter crack at OU's defense.

David Ubben describes how the roles of OU and Texas have flipped from last year:
A year ago, Oklahoma entered the Red River Rivalry as a solid underdog with two losses and a handful of injuries. It lost Sam Bradford a second time -- this time for good -- early on and left as 16-13 losers.

Brennan Clay and Jamell Fleming are practicing:
Oklahoma’s injury situation appears to be getting better in the days leading to Saturday’s showdown with Texas. [...] OU coach Bob Stoops said starting cornerback Jamell Fleming also returned to practice Tuesday and his status for the Texas game is "probable.

Bob Stoops says OU lacks the knockout punch:
The Sooners will travel to Dallas with a defense that ranks last in the Big 12 Conference, a running game that has struggled as opponents load up on the line of scrimmage and a general inability to deliver the knockout punch late in close games.

ESPN's David Ubben interviews Adrian Taylor (video):
Oklahoma defensive tackle Adrian Taylor talks about the Red River rivalry, what it's like to lose, what he tells first-timers...

Berry Tramel draws attention to Bob Stoops' recent slump against Texas:
This game either ends or extends what is fast becoming a historic Texas slump for Stoops. Lose this game, and Stoops goes to 1-5 in his last six Bevo bashes. Here are the OU coaches who have had such a drought against Texas: Gary Gibbs 1-5 (1989-94), Bud Wilkinson 0-6 (1958-63) and Snorter Luster 0-5 (1941-45). Gibbs and Luster were fired; Wilkinson resigned his throne.

This is a "make-or-break" game for the Sooners writes the Norman Transcript:
It’s a make-or-break week for Oklahoma. That doesn’t make it any different than another season. The Texas game is always the midseason barometer. But things are different for this Sooner team. It’s 4-0, but series questions have come in places where they haven’t before.

Travis Lewis breaks down the fair food:
Funnel cakes are OK. It's not fried upon fried. I don't know how you can fry Coke. It's mind-boggling. I don't know people are thinking. They fry butter, anything that will give you a heart attack quicker. They'll take 20 years off your life at the state fair. The stuff they give us after the game isn't as good as the stuff they serve at the state fair, that's for sure.

The Oklahoman observes that defensive struggles are due to big plays:
The primary reason the Sooners rank 97th nationally in total defense is they continue to be burned for big plays.

The Longhorns are in the midst of an identity crisis:
The Longhorns are offensively confused. Mack Brown and offensive coordinator Greg Davis preach the importance of scoring and ball security, but with the lack of an overall offensive identity, are those things obtainable?

Young talent will be on display in Dallas:
There will be plenty of young talent on display in the Cotton Bowl on Saturday when Texas and Oklahoma suit up for the 2010 edition of the Red River Rivalry. Both quarterbacks will be sophomores. Two true freshmen Oklahoma defenders, cornerback Aaron Colvin and safety Tony Jefferson should make significant contributions, as will fullback Trey Millard, another freshman.

Austin newspaper profiles Blake Gideon:
If there's a guy the Longhorns can turn to, it's Gideon. He's the guy who dropped that sure interception against Texas Tech as a freshman, then came out better for it on the other side. He's the guy who got knocked unconscious on the field against Kansas, and now is a harder hitter than he's ever been.

Austin American-Statesman says the running game is important:
Whichever team runs the ball the best will probably win the game. In the past dozen games between the two rivals, the winner has outrushed the loser 11 times. In 2006, each team rushed for 124 yards, with the Longhorns winning the game thanks to a litany of Sooner turnovers.

The folks in Austin slowly, but surely, are starting to turn on Gilbert:
Either Gilbert was vastly overrated and isn't nearly as good a quarterback as many — myself included — thought he would be, or Texas just doesn't have enough weapons around him to provide balance and ease some of the pressure on the quarterback. I'm still going with the latter. I still think Garrett Gilbert can be more Colt McCoy, less Chris Simms. The Oklahoma game may be a crossroads game for Gilbert, for this offense, for this season.

Longhorns shuffle around some starters:
For the Texas Longhorns, efforts to rebound from the worst home loss during football coach Mack Brown's 13 seasons in Austin began with an emotional speech from defensive end Sam Acho during a Sunday team meeting.

Austin American-Statesman says Texas' special teams haven't been good:
Texas has turned the ball over a combined four times on kicks and punts. Both Williams and Curtis Brown have fumbled punts, with Brown's fumble giving UCLA momentum in the second quarter Saturday. The Longhorns have received a running into the punter penalty and an illegal substitution penalty on special teams plays. They've missed two field goals.

Longhorns offense is in a funk:
Texas hasn't looked this shaky under coach Mack Brown since, well, ever. Brown and offensive coordinator Greg Davis have been at Texas since 1998, a tenure that includes the top nine scoring seasons in school history. Since 2002, Texas' 652 touchdowns are second only to Boise State's 708.

Cedric Golden says the Texas press conferences were "like a funeral":
It felt like a funeral at Monday's weekly UT news conference. I saw a mix of anger and disappointment from coaches, and a sense of shock from players.   Two days later, it's obvious the Longhorns are still struggling with what happened against UCLA and, worse yet, how it happened.

Another article about the importance of run game and turnovers:
When we've lost badly (to OU), usually it's been because of turnovers," Brown said. "We had six in one game and five in another. To win, we need to play great defense, take care of the football and play good field position. You do that, you've got a pretty good chance to win.

And now time for some videos that I've seen posted on other message boards and blogs: