Oklahoma Football Hot Links: OU-Texas Eve Edition

Whats good?

Another Friday, but obviously this one is a little different. OU-Texas is a blast to cover and I really don’t we — even the fans who have attended forever — fully appreciate how special this event is every year. Excited for another one.

There’s so much uncertainty surrounding this game — from the standpoint of the OU starting QB position, all the way to who is starting on the backend of this struggling defense. I don’t think we will get that answer much longer than 90-ish minutes before game time, so it makes this game so hard to predict.

The Oklahoma Sooners find themselves with their backs against the wall. I don’t want to say this too loud.. but 0-3 in conference play is something that this 2023 recruiting class will hear about... and not from Oklahoma. Don’t let anyone tell you this game doesn’t matter. It does. The Sooners have capitalized on a great offseason of recruiting... nothing ruins that faster than a terrible season, and Oklahoma is knocking on that door.

No, this is not a siren. No, this is not a boy crying wolf. I am just telling you my perception — if this season keeps heading south, the Sooners could take a step back in the 2023 class, which absolutely matters.

OU LINKS:

• Pete Thamel announced the biggest bit of news heading into this game. We will see Quinn Ewers, the mullet marvel himself, tomorrow. Texas brings in explosive skill position talent and an over-performing offensive line, but now get an upgrade at the most important position. I admit, coming into the year, I was a little hesitant on Ewers. However, that first quarter against Alabama made me admit that there is a really high ceiling with him. Is he a good, great, or elite QB at the college level? I have no idea, but his talent is apparent and I think he will have some success against a broken OU secondary.

• Sometimes the question no one wants to ask is the only one worth asking. Berry Tramel does it here as only he can, throwing 102 over the middle of the plate. No one expected a top-20 defense this year from OU, but this? This is embarrassing no matter which way you slice it. Venables will take a public hit for his current title of defensive genius unless something changes, and soon.
• Eli Lederman did some digging and spoke with one of my favorite people on the planet, Kelly Gregg. He looks into the past of this game and when things felt tilted like this prior, 1998 and what that felt like as a player at the time.
• Parker Thune has reported that Shane Whitter is out for the year, which on the surface doesn’t scream panic... but OU fans should panic. Whitter provided depth for a unit that didn’t have much of it, and now OU is “incredibly don’t blow too hard it might tear” thin at a position group that has struggled. Bad news for BV, who already seemed frustrated by his lack of options.

• Sometimes coaches make things too complicated. I will never be the one who comes in and tells a football coach what to do (I think they should run a 4 man front) but I will say that sometimes the most important thing you can have is self awareness. Texas is better. Some might say much better. OU needs to close this gap. How do they do that? Aggression. Guerin Emig lines out that case here.
• John Hoover’s weekly must read. The All Sooners 1 big thing. I won’t spoil anything, just click the link.
• Coverage busts were a BIT of an issue against TCU. Oklahoma needs to consider where those issues are coming from and how to fix it, well. Ryan Chapman tried to dig into that and what their answers are to the process.
• I just double-checked, and this is the first time I have had two Tramel articles in this thing. How crazy is that? I mean really. Especially when he is writing stuff like these last two here. The state of Oklahoma Football as Barry sees it.
• Eric and Eli give us a nice injury update here.
• Jalil Farooq is someone who I thought had a nice game. Am I just weighing the two kick returns? Yes. But lord knows there aren’t many positive plays you can stare at but those jump out. Ross Lovelace jumps into the budding WR and his role on this team.
• Brent has been banging our heads that this is not an effort problem. This was a discipline and fundamental problem. What does that mean? Eli Lederman tracks down that context.
• Bob Stoops says to stay calm and that this will take time. The quote has been circulating. I honestly don’t know what to make of it. Oklahoma football isn’t coming off the 90’s. These past five years, while being disappointing at then end, were pretty good. The recruiting was pretty good. Bob says, though, that this roster needs to be rebuilt, Hoover talks about it here.
• Do you remember Cody Thomas? So did Ryan Aber.

Is anything else going?

• Kansas is rebuilding. No, literally, they are rebuilding.

• Uhhhh, presented without context. You guys out there need to drink a cool glass of water and calm down.

Talk to you knuckleheads on Monday.