There is much ado about superstitions as well as jinxes in the world of sports. Up until recently there was the Curse of the Bambino as well as the Heisman curse but still on the table are the Sports Illustrated cover curse along with the ESPN Gameday curse.
Three times last season, the nation's No. 1 team took to the road with College Gameday in hot pursuit. The first to fall was the Alabama Crimson Tide when they took on the South Carolina Gamecocks in what turned into a route. The second to fall victim was the Ohio State Buckeyes when they put their ranking on the line against Wisconsin. And finally, for a third consecutive week, Oklahoma took on the Missouri Tigers on an overcast day. Three teams, three weeks, three losses all on the road.
Oklahoma boasts a 17-8 record when GameDay is on site (OU has won three times as #1, Dethroned two #1 teams, and lost three times as the #1 team). On Saturday, when Oklahoma travels to Florida St. the Corso curse will be out in full effect, but the Sooners have a shot to offset it this time around. But how?
There are three keys that Oklahoma needs to improve on from their last No. 1 ranking:1) The Sooners Must Win The Turnover Margin - When Oklahoma traveled to Mizzou last season, the offense was plagued by three crucial turnovers after only five giveaways in the first six games. Two of those turnovers lead to 10 points on the board while the other ended a deep drive into Tiger territory.
2) The Defense Must Support The Offense - While it is hard to believe, Oklahoma actually had a shot to win and hang on to their #1 ranking. After giving up the opening kick for a touchdown, Oklahoma would play well enough to take the lead 21-20 in the third quarter. However, the defense would crumble after this point and Mizzou rattled off 16 consecutive points to take the game. Oklahoma was able to score late but it too little too late.
3) The Ground Game Must Find A Rhythm - DeMarco Murry had broken Steve Owens' 41-year-old career touchdown record the previous week was expected to have success running the ball. Yet, Missouri was able to hold Murray to just 49 yards on 12 carries. On the flip side Roy Finch was able to manage 59 yards on 9 carries but that just breaks the 100 yard mark between the two of them.
If Oklahoma wants to avoid being caught in the GameDay curse, all three of these things must come together. If not it could spell trouble for the Sooners. The game has been hyped and will continue to receive hype as possibly the biggest match up thus far. On Saturday, everything will come to head and a winner will be declared.
BOOMER!
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