How good are the sooners?

[pharmDvol11]

Yep.

A better question is, is there a single player on the current Vols roster that could start for Oklahoma at the same position?

A: Maybe Marquez North. Maybe. Depends on if if DGB ends up eligible.

And that tells you all you need to know about how this game will go.

I root for both teams, but when one considers this game realistically, it'll be way ugly.

Wow... It's news to me that DGB found his way to OK. He's a difference maker when he stays out of trouble.

I agree Marques would have a chance to start. I readily admit I don't know their offensive and defensive schemes. I think AJ would start anywhere in the country but no one else comes to mind

 

[Wilson27]

A shame that a team as good as Oklahoma has 7 losing teams on their schedule. Can we switch with them?

 

[owenfieldreams]

I am going to try and put the 2013 OU season in some perspective so you all can have a better feel for what you will face in Norman.

After our 2008 season, our program began a slight but perceptible decline. Many thought Stoops had begun to lose focus. I think he realized that he needed to make some changes (2012) and fortunately he did. He let several coaches go, specifically our line coaches on both sides of the ball. He let Brent Venables leave for Clemson w/o putting up a fight and he brought his brother back as DC.
After 2012 he made the decision to change both our O & D schemes and these changes were installed in the spring of 2013. So, we went into the 2013 with a RS freshman QB, working out of a Nevada "Pistol" & a D scheming in a 3-4 instead of a 4-3 (4-2-5). Knight struggled in our early games and then got hurt and Blake Bell came in a performed admirably in our win in South Bend. Unfortunately, we went into the Texas game having lost to season ending injuries our starting nose tackle and our starting co-captain MLB. Texas exploited our inexperience up the middle and our still learning D and ran it down our throats. Eventually, as the season progressed we lost another co-captain and maybe the best football player on the team, Trey Millard, to a seasoning ending injury and we kicked our starting RB (Damian Williams) off the team. We lost the whole left side of our O-line to injury as well and if any of you watched the Sugar Bowl you'll recall how often our patchwork O-line was referenced. Through all this we kept hanging in there. We actually played 3 QB's in the OSU game.

Fast forward to fall camp of 2014. Knight is the man. We return 9 starters on D and all the injuries allowed us to play numerous people who now have experience. We are in our second year of a 3-4 scheme and the improvement has been astonishing. We are 2-deep on a very experienced O-line. Our only areas of youth will be at receiver and RB but we always are very deep and talented at those positions.

In the final analysis, using 2013 as a yardstick for 2014 simply won't help. We are a very different team now. Stoops has a tendency to not have the team ready to play vs lessor opponents but trust me.....a night game vs a storied program like the Vols will not be a game we will overlook. We have an open date before you come to town which will allow us to refine the kinks from the La. Tech home opener.

There is no question that TK is a key. He doesn't have to play like he did in the Sugar Bowl. All he has to do is be consistently good. I have said all along that this home/home reminds me of our 2010/2011 series with the Noles. They came in to Norman with a new DC and still building under Fisher and it was over @ 1/2 time. The next year we won in Tallahassee but it was a struggle.

I think OU will win by around 3 TD's plus a FG. something like 35-10 or 38-13.

 

[feathersax]

So good, when we beat them ESPN is gonna show highlights all night, SEC teams are piss their pants and VANDY fans are gonna start to remember the way their annual a $$ whipping use to feel! :dance2:

THIS RIGHT HERE!:whistling:

 

[pharmDvol11]

I am going to try and put the 2013 OU season in some perspective so you all can have a better feel for what you will face in Norman.

After our 2008 season, our program began a slight but perceptible decline. Many thought Stoops had begun to lose focus. I think he realized that he needed to make some changes (2012) and fortunately he did. He let several coaches go, specifically our line coaches on both sides of the ball. He let Brent Venables leave for Clemson w/o putting up a fight and he brought his brother back as DC.
After 2012 he made the decision to change both our O & D schemes and these changes were installed in the spring of 2013. So, we went into the 2013 with a RS freshman QB, working out of a Nevada "Pistol" & a D scheming in a 3-4 instead of a 4-3 (4-2-5). Knight struggled in our early games and then got hurt and Blake Bell came in a performed admirably in our win in South Bend. Unfortunately, we went into the Texas game having lost to season ending injuries our starting nose tackle and our starting co-captain MLB. Texas exploited our inexperience up the middle and our still learning D and ran it down our throats. Eventually, as the season progressed we lost another co-captain and maybe the best football player on the team, Trey Millard, to a seasoning ending injury and we kicked our starting RB (Damian Williams) off the team. We lost the whole left side of our O-line to injury as well and if any of you watched the Sugar Bowl you'll recall how often our patchwork O-line was referenced. Through all this we kept hanging in there. We actually played 3 QB's in the OSU game.

Fast forward to fall camp of 2014. Knight is the man. We return 9 starters on D and all the injuries allowed us to play numerous people who now have experience. We are in our second year of a 3-4 scheme and the improvement has been astonishing. We are 2-deep on a very experienced O-line. Our only areas of youth will be at receiver and RB but we always are very deep and talented at those positions.

In the final analysis, using 2013 as a yardstick for 2014 simply won't help. We are a very different team now. Stoops has a tendency to not have the team ready to play vs lessor opponents but trust me.....a night game vs a storied program like the Vols will not be a game we will overlook. We have an open date before you come to town which will allow us to refine the kinks from the La. Tech home opener.

There is no question that TK is a key. He doesn't have to play like he did in the Sugar Bowl. All he has to do is be consistently good. I have said all along that this home/home reminds me of our 2010/2011 series with the Noles. They came in to Norman with a new DC and still building under Fisher and it was over @ 1/2 time. The next year we won in Tallahassee but it was a struggle.

I think OU will win by around 3 TD's plus a FG. something like 35-10 or 38-13.

Appreciate the update and analysis. I myself have never really followed you guys. As Vol fans we are going to "disagree" with you. Not because you're wrong but because we are desperate to return to a winning tradition.

 

[tn4elvis]

Yeah they beat bama, but I'm looking for a jimmies and joes breakdown.

Last week, I had a training event for work. I met a guy from my firm's Dallas office who was a sooner alum.

We started chatting about the upcoming season and I said the sooners were primed for a solid year, especially with their young star QB.

He told me to slow it down, that no one watched the QB play throughout the year and what he did against bama was quote "play out of his F---ing mind."

My coworker was afraid OU was overrated.

It made me wonder how good big game bob's crew actually is, and how much of their perception is solely based on "oh my gosh they beat holy Saban."

Thoughts?

All you need too know is they start 3 rs.srs in the o-line.

 

[K-town Vol Fan]

This is the game that we announce to the world we are back. IMO we just go down there and outscore them.

Flame away vol.....fans?

 

[checkerboards09]

This is the game that we announce to the world we are back. IMO we just go down there and outscore them.

Flame away vol.....fans?

So what's your prediction for the season when it comes to our record? If we can beat OU, then we should definitely make a top bowl appearance at the least.

 

[owenfieldreams]

The best full game to judge Knight, in my opinion, is the Kansas State game in Manhattan. He had just worked his way back from injury and it was the first full game vs a worthy opponent, on the road, where he really showed his true potential running the "Pistol". The 98 yd drive is a thing of beauty.

He got hurt again in the middle of the OSU game at the end of the season. I think most OU fans worry more about his ability to hold up and stay injury free than whether he can perform. He didn't show it vs Alabama but he is a great runner but our game plan was to exploit their weak secondary and he obviously followed the game plan to a T.

 

[volgrad500]

The best full game to judge Knight, in my opinion, is the Kansas State game in Manhattan. He had just worked his way back from injury and it was the first full game vs a worthy opponent, on the road, where he really showed his true potential running the "Pistol". The 98 yd drive is a thing of beauty.

He got hurt again in the middle of the OSU game at the end of the season. I think most OU fans worry more about his ability to hold up and stay injury free than whether he can perform. He didn't show it vs Alabama but he is a great runner but our game plan was to exploit their weak secondary and he obviously followed the game plan to a T.

This last line is obviously a bit of a troll, but as long as it's directed at Alabama, then by all means, troll on troller

 

[Eugene Hetalia]

The best full game to judge Knight, in my opinion, is the Kansas State game in Manhattan. He had just worked his way back from injury and it was the first full game vs a worthy opponent, on the road, where he really showed his true potential running the "Pistol". The 98 yd drive is a thing of beauty.

He got hurt again in the middle of the OSU game at the end of the season. I think most OU fans worry more about his ability to hold up and stay injury free than whether he can perform. He didn't show it vs Alabama but he is a great runner but our game plan was to exploit their weak secondary and he obviously followed the game plan to a T.

I think the Sooners are the better team, but this is all preseason speculation. Anything can happen. Suppose on the first play from huddle & you are on Offense, & big game jitters makes the snap of the ball a little high.
Knight gets the ball under control, but the timing of the play is now off so that deep ball you were going to throw to get the home crowd into it will not work. Blake tries to just make the most of the play & tries to go. He is met in the backfield by a football hungry Maggitt & gets the snot knocked out of him! He will not return to the game, the crowd is certainly not into it now either. The rest of the team is out of it for awhile too. By the time the Sooners realize it is game on, it will be too late. They made an effort , but fell short to the Vols 38-34.

Anything can happen.

Looking forward to the Game.
& GO VOLS! :rock:

 

[owenfieldreams]

Clearing up a couple of things.....the electrical fire at the Texas State Fair was to "Big Tex", a larger than life figure centrally located on the fairgrounds. It was not a longhorn that caught fire; however, it happened after a curb-stomping the Sooners administered to the Horns so the incident was considered one of self-immolation.

My comments about the Tide secondary were in no way an attempt at a double-meaning. The fact is, the Alabama secondary was their weak link last year, along with their O-line and we schemed to exploit both......and we did.

If The Vols are to have success in Norman their best bet will be to establish a down hill running attack. Our D is built for the Big 12. It is relatively small but extremely athletic and fast. We see up-tempo, spread the field O's virtually every week so a power running game can exploit our lack of size.

Someone referenced the size and experience in our O-line. One of our new hires, O-line coach Bedenbaugh, has emphasized a larger O-line since he has been in Norman and we will start 3 seniors & 2 juniors. This line will compare favorable with the 2008 line which now has all 5 starters playing in the NFL.

Finally, unless Tennessee learned something from playing Oregon, the up-tempo will be difficult to deal with. We are not quite as up-tempo as we were when we had Sam Bradford & DeMarco Murray. We now use it more in spurts but we never huddle in the traditional manner. Florida State really struggled with it in Norman in 2010 but when we played them the next year down there, it was clear that they had learned a lot about how to defense it.

The biggest difference in OU now is the change to the "Pistol" from a more traditional spread scheme and the pressure a dual-threat QB puts on the D. Landry Jones was no threat to run. Trevor Knight has 4.5 speed and runs the zone-read to perfection. OU brought the Nevada staff into Norman before spring camp in 2013 so last year was a learning effort in regard to our O.

I that those of you coming to Norman will really enjoy the experience. OU fans have a well-deserved reputation for hospitality. The one striking difference in our fan base from what you are used to is the infatuation; i.e., loyalty you all have to your conference. With Sooner fans, it's all about us. We could give a rats a-- about the rest of the Big 12.

If you know the history of our program and it's relatively short length of ascendency compared to traditional, legacy powers, it will give you a sense of why there is so much pride and passion for the Sooners. There is a reason why ESPN and others call us the #1 program in the modern era of college football. Today's edition of OKLAHOMA FOOTBALL was built on the foundation of the rubble and heartache of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl as a way of re-energizing pride in the citizenry of Oklahoma.

 

[olbemw7]

I am going to try and put the 2013 OU season in some perspective so you all can have a better feel for what you will face in Norman.

After our 2008 season, our program began a slight but perceptible decline. Many thought Stoops had begun to lose focus. I think he realized that he needed to make some changes (2012) and fortunately he did. He let several coaches go, specifically our line coaches on both sides of the ball. He let Brent Venables leave for Clemson w/o putting up a fight and he brought his brother back as DC.
After 2012 he made the decision to change both our O & D schemes and these changes were installed in the spring of 2013. So, we went into the 2013 with a RS freshman QB, working out of a Nevada "Pistol" & a D scheming in a 3-4 instead of a 4-3 (4-2-5). Knight struggled in our early games and then got hurt and Blake Bell came in a performed admirably in our win in South Bend. Unfortunately, we went into the Texas game having lost to season ending injuries our starting nose tackle and our starting co-captain MLB. Texas exploited our inexperience up the middle and our still learning D and ran it down our throats. Eventually, as the season progressed we lost another co-captain and maybe the best football player on the team, Trey Millard, to a seasoning ending injury and we kicked our starting RB (Damian Williams) off the team. We lost the whole left side of our O-line to injury as well and if any of you watched the Sugar Bowl you'll recall how often our patchwork O-line was referenced. Through all this we kept hanging in there. We actually played 3 QB's in the OSU game.

Fast forward to fall camp of 2014. Knight is the man. We return 9 starters on D and all the injuries allowed us to play numerous people who now have experience. We are in our second year of a 3-4 scheme and the improvement has been astonishing. We are 2-deep on a very experienced O-line. Our only areas of youth will be at receiver and RB but we always are very deep and talented at those positions.

In the final analysis, using 2013 as a yardstick for 2014 simply won't help. We are a very different team now. Stoops has a tendency to not have the team ready to play vs lessor opponents but trust me.....a night game vs a storied program like the Vols will not be a game we will overlook. We have an open date before you come to town which will allow us to refine the kinks from the La. Tech home opener.

There is no question that TK is a key. He doesn't have to play like he did in the Sugar Bowl. All he has to do is be consistently good. I have said all along that this home/home reminds me of our 2010/2011 series with the Noles. They came in to Norman with a new DC and still building under Fisher and it was over @ 1/2 time. The next year we won in Tallahassee but it was a struggle.

I think OU will win by around 3 TD's plus a FG. something like 35-10 or 38-13.

Buzz kill.

 

[pharmDvol11]

Clearing up a couple of things.....the electrical fire at the Texas State Fair was to "Big Tex", a larger than life figure centrally located on the fairgrounds. It was not a longhorn that caught fire; however, it happened after a curb-stomping the Sooners administered to the Horns so the incident was considered one of self-immolation.

My comments about the Tide secondary were in no way an attempt at a double-meaning. The fact is, the Alabama secondary was their weak link last year, along with their O-line and we schemed to exploit both......and we did.

If The Vols are to have success in Norman their best bet will be to establish a down hill running attack. Our D is built for the Big 12. It is relatively small but extremely athletic and fast. We see up-tempo, spread the field O's virtually every week so a power running game can exploit our lack of size.

Someone referenced the size and experience in our O-line. One of our new hires, O-line coach Bedenbaugh, has emphasized a larger O-line since he has been in Norman and we will start 3 seniors & 2 juniors. This line will compare favorable with the 2008 line which now has all 5 starters playing in the NFL.

Finally, unless Tennessee learned something from playing Oregon, the up-tempo will be difficult to deal with. We are not quite as up-tempo as we were when we had Sam Bradford & DeMarco Murray. We now use it more in spurts but we never huddle in the traditional manner. Florida State really struggled with it in Norman in 2010 but when we played them the next year down there, it was clear that they had learned a lot about how to defense it.

The biggest difference in OU now is the change to the "Pistol" from a more traditional spread scheme and the pressure a dual-threat QB puts on the D. Landry Jones was no threat to run. Trevor Knight has 4.5 speed and runs the zone-read to perfection. OU brought the Nevada staff into Norman before spring camp in 2013 so last year was a learning effort in regard to our O.

I that those of you coming to Norman will really enjoy the experience. OU fans have a well-deserved reputation for hospitality. The one striking difference in our fan base from what you are used to is the infatuation; i.e., loyalty you all have to your conference. With Sooner fans, it's all about us. We could give a rats a-- about the rest of the Big 12.

If you know the history of our program and it's relatively short length of ascendency compared to traditional, legacy powers, it will give you a sense of why there is so much pride and passion for the Sooners. There is a reason why ESPN and others call us the #1 program in the modern era of college football. Today's edition of OKLAHOMA FOOTBALL was built on the foundation of the rubble and heartache of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl as a way of re-energizing pride in the citizenry of Oklahoma.

I would love to go to Norman and see a game. This would be the best opportunity but I'm afraid I can't get past where the program is right now. If I felt like we could give you guys a good game I'd be there in a heartbeat. But I don't think we can hang around for 4 quarters. Your initial prediction is realistic. We would do extremely well to keep it within 2 TDs IMO.

 

[owenfieldreams]

I haven't posted enough times on this forum to be able to start a new thread but I read an article about the Sooner program written from the point-of-view of one of our traditional foes and I will attempt to paraphrase it to give you more of an in-depth view of where our program is today. Remember, these thoughts are not mine but are those from the other side of the field.

Bob Stoops is constantly tinkering and evolving strategies to maintain an aggressive and effective scheme on both sides of the ball. As I alluded in a previous post, he brought back his brother in 2012 and replaced some key assistants in an effort to improve recruiting and achieve a higher level of DB play necessary to deal with the wide open O's in the Big 12. The result has been a jettisoning of the traditional "Eagle" D the Stoops' had relied on for years in exchange for an equally as aggressive 3-4 scheme that combines Saban & Stoops strategies.

Offensively, Stoops has overseen the development of a unique O that is geared to force opponents to handle Sooner athletes in isolation. If you can't handle it, the O will quickly & relentlessly shred you to pieces.
The way Bob Stoops & his staff works their way into the minds of their opponents with precise & aggressive game planning gives them nightmares.

The match-up challenge vs the Sooner O:

Again, I remind everyone that we played 3 different QB's in 2013 & still managed a 10-2 season followed by TK's breakout performance in the Sugar Bowl. The key was an OL that was the first legitimately scary Sooner run-blocking unit since 2008, the versatile play of FB/H-back star Trey Millard, & the lethal WR combination of Jalen Saunders & Sterling Shephard. Millard was used as a de-facto TE, tying together the ability to spread the field with a 3-WR set while still having the punch to run the ball. In 2014 OU has accrued bigger bodies in the blocking game and a cast of options @ TE along with a multiple OL with starting experience, including two very good bookend tackles. Adding Knight's ability to run and throw on the move off of play-action with a stable of talented RB's & you have a formula for a run-first O that will provide devastating results. Insider reports indicate that Blake Bell's move to TE will pay huge dividends as he brings solid athleticism, soft hands, & a unique understanding of D schemes as a former QB. Paired with FB/WR Dmitri Flowers, OU will present significant size on the perimeter.

Then there's Knight......who presents a running threat that forces D's to commit resources to the box while trying to cover the Sooner passing game. Knight will have the weapons to attack the whole field with his arm along with the speed and quickness to evade pressure packages.

The nightmare scenario is an O set in which Bell can play both inline or flexed TE, Flowers can block well enough along with his receiving skills, and a second WR emerges to pair with Shephard. In this snap shot, the Sooners can line up in an I-formation before running a play-action pass and then go 4 wide-out the next snap w/o changing personnel or limiting which side of the field they can attack. Neither formation tells you whether the Sooners are going to run or pass.

The Sooner D: Mike Stoops usually builds his successful D's around his back 4 but this edition of OKLAHOMA FOOTBALL is absolutely loaded up front. The Sooner DL uses 4-tech DE's lined up across the inside eye of the O-tackle & a 2-gap nose-tackle to free up the LB's to make plays vs the run or pass. 6'4", 281lb. Charles Tapper is OU's most dangerous DL-man. He is a freak who runs a sub 4.8 forty & he is complimented by a fellow freak in Jordan Phillips (6'6", 334lb)....a leviathan who was on his way to all conference honors before a back injury ended his season in 2013. He is now 100%.

The LB unit may be even more intimidating with the move of "jack' LB Eric Striker to the "Sam" or nickel back position, followed by the move of undersized DE Geno Grissom to "jack". This group will be 20-30 lbs. heavier than 2013 at each outside LB position. Inside, the Sooners have solid veteran Frank Shannon, rising star Dominique Alexander, & uber-athlete Jordan Evans. Rounding out this "ridiculous" D are star DB Zack Sanchez & veterans Julian Wilson & Quentin Hayes. The 4the DB will come from two young but talented safeties, Hatari Byrd or Ahmad Thomas.

OU''s blitz combinations with Striker & Grissom @ LB are absolutely devastating. For an O-tackle lined up opposite Tapper with the possibility of Striker coming off the edge, the problem with not knowing where to direct your attention snap to snap is obvious. When Jordan Evans is in the game OU has the athleticism @ Mike LB to play Tampa-2 on 3rd & long & allow their young safeties to play down-hill.

Summary: OU has shored up what weaknesses it had in 2013 & on paper they are one of the best teams in the country even if not firing on all cylinders, they will be a very tough match-up for any opponent.
They can bring a large variety of devastating pressures against an inexperienced O-line. They have an excellent coaching staff. They have a large, powerful, & very athletic D-front. They have the ability to put size on the perimeter & in the backfield & potentially overwhelm the opponent's D-backfield.

 

[Midnight Toker]

I think the Sooners are the better team, but this is all preseason speculation. Anything can happen. Suppose on the first play from huddle & you are on Offense, & big game jitters makes the snap of the ball a little high.
Knight gets the ball under control, but the timing of the play is now off so that deep ball you were going to throw to get the home crowd into it will not work. Blake tries to just make the most of the play & tries to go. He is met in the backfield by a football hungry Maggitt & gets the snot knocked out of him! He will not return to the game, the crowd is certainly not into it now either. The rest of the team is out of it for awhile too. By the time the Sooners realize it is game on, it will be too late. They made an effort , but fell short to the Vols 38-34.

Anything can happen.

Looking forward to the Game.
& GO VOLS! :rock:

Firstly, Maggitt seems like a very unfortunate name for a football player. True, anything can happen. Jitters will almost 100% sure happen. We can only hope that Knight with what he has under his belt isnt the same Knight that started last season, but ended it.

 

[greenfacedman]

Very overrated. Apparently no one looked at their entire body of work. But they will have improved as a good team does.

But to answer your question they are good enough that on paper they should win by 17 points.

Not a troll folks,they had this posted on an OU board,thought I might shed a little light for you.

Last season was the return to the 3-4 defense, it took until game 6-7 for the defense to actually gel,the first 5-6 games they couldn't stop the run for anything but were ranked 3rd nationally against the pass,hence the loss to Texas who rushed for 265yds, BU rushed for 255 but was held to a season low in passing,go figure. OU started 5 Fr. on defense and only one Sr. coming off of the worst(statistically) defensive output of Stoops tenure at OU. Add to that a new defensive scheme(3-4) and the lack of experience on the field and you have the makings of an avg. at best defense. It took until the KSU game for the defense to actually come together,and they still got scorched by the AA WR Lockitt for 250+yds and over 100yds returning. That was the actual beginning of Knights coming out at QB, I invite you to watch the game if you can find it. In the 3rd qrtr he literally took the game over which ignited the fire in the defense and all but shut Lockitt down from there on out.
Offensively OU lost its 3 starting RBs and FB,but... even if Joe Mixon does not play this season,there are a few names that you might want to look up. Alex Ross,6'1,235lbs,4.40,only 5 carries last season due to a poor attitude(punching a WVU player). And a fellow named Samaje Perine, stand him next to a picture or likeness of Earl Campbell and you have twins,at 6'1,245lbs,4.42, he is OUs biggest back.And the other RB is of course Keith Ford,6'0,225lbs,4.42,you saw him in the SB against Bama. The FB Ripkowski will be splitting time with a Fr. named Dimitri Flowers,watch his film,he is Trey Millard reincarnated, 6'2",255,4.45 and blocks like a D-9 cat.
The WR position will be the "weak link" if there is such a thing on OUs offense,returning only two WRs with meaningful playing time in Shepard and Neal,"IF" DGB is eligible he can stretch the field with his speed and height along with several talented Fr. all over 6'3" with a couple over 6'5". With 4 of 5 returning on the OLine and the #2,#4 QBs in the nation backing up Knight along with Mayfield who just might gain eligibility this year.
Did I mention the #1 PK in the nation who has been banging them from 60yds with regularity in practice who also happens to be the #2 Punter in the nation?

Talent is not lacking this year, experience is, look no further than Texas who has out-recruited OU almost every year that Stoops has been at OU and Texas has only come away with a 6-9 record in that same span of time,including giving up 60+ points 5 times to OU. Its what you do with that talent that counts and when that talent will pay off. Here's to a good game and hopefully many more match-ups to come in the future. Good Luck Vols.:thumbsup:

 

[TXA&M07]

They're good enough to carry the conference flag because no one is willing to accept that Baylor is legitimately a contender now, and t.u. still is unproven.

They escaped a few games last year against some bad teams. They got trucked in their super bowl vs. a bad t.u. team. They beat Alabama in a bowl for whatever that is worth.

Apparently its worth enough to champion them as the Big12 favorite in spite of Baylor being more than a Cinderella. Some one has got to do it, and well, the pickings are pretty slim over there.

 

[Midnight Toker]

They're good enough to carry the conference flag because no one is willing to accept that Baylor is legitimately a contender now, and t.u. still is unproven.

They escaped a few games last year against some bad teams. They got trucked in their super bowl vs. a bad t.u. team. They beat Alabama in a bowl for whatever that is worth.

Apparently its worth enough to champion them as the Big12 favorite in spite of Baylor being more than a Cinderella. Some one has got to do it, and well, the pickings are pretty slim over there.

Why would anyone simply accept baylor as the conference favorite? Surely by now you're familiar with flash in the pan teams who have a good year or two and then fall back in place. Remember 2007? BC, USF, Kansas, WVU, Missouri, Va Tech all were ranked in the top 3 at some point in the season. All had great seasons and were for the most part 1 hit wonder and couldnt stay with the big boys.

Anyway Baylor isnt a legit contender this year because they lost like 17 or 18 out of their 2 deep on defense. They'll still put up points in spite of what they lost on offense, but will not win the big 12 with that D. I Guess if you want, give them the benefit of the doubt until they lose. At this point they're nothing more than a cinderella. Unless, you have some information I dont, or if you just believe that they'll churn out another good defense this year.

BTW, the game against texas was texas' super bowl, not OU's. And OU did beat alabama, and some people seem to think that's worth a lot- As of 1/2009 they've only lost to 5 different teams, and OU is the first non sec team to beat them since then. Gotta mean something.

 

[OrngeChkrboardVFL]

My prediction, the Vols go into Norman ready to play some ball. Our freshmen will be hungry but nervous (high school ball to playing OU is quite a difference). I say the mistakes and defensive miscues will set us back by 2 TD's at halftime but I say we come back and hold them the second half and only lose by 10. We also walk out of there knowing that no team will walk all over us like last year (Ducks, Tide).

I am also going to say "boom" as I click the submit button.

 

[RockyTopDC]

Think the Vols get waxed?

 

[TXA&M07]

Why would anyone simply accept baylor as the conference favorite? Surely by now you're familiar with flash in the pan teams who have a good year or two and then fall back in place. Remember 2007? BC, USF, Kansas, WVU, Missouri, Va Tech all were ranked in the top 3 at some point in the season. All had great seasons and were for the most part 1 hit wonder and couldnt stay with the big boys.

Anyway Baylor isnt a legit contender this year because they lost like 17 or 18 out of their 2 deep on defense. They'll still put up points in spite of what they lost on offense, but will not win the big 12 with that D. I Guess if you want, give them the benefit of the doubt until they lose. At this point they're nothing more than a cinderella. Unless, you have some information I dont, or if you just believe that they'll churn out another good defense this year.

BTW, the game against texas was texas' super bowl, not OU's. And OU did beat alabama, and some people seem to think that's worth a lot- As of 1/2009 they've only lost to 5 different teams, and OU is the first non sec team to beat them since then. Gotta mean something.

My deal with Baylor, and it pains me to say it, is they've got the most stable ground in Texas for any BIG12 school currently. With t.u.'s uncertainty, Briles has been able to capitalize and advertise that high flying fast paced offense that is popular among good recruits. I don't think they're a flash in the pan, but you may be very right. Stoops is a winner and deserves a ton of credit, but he's lost games he shouldn't have recently along with being taken to the wood shed in some instances. I would not crown them the overwhelming favorite in the Big12 until he proves he can beat who he is supposed to beat. He should have trucked some teams last year and barely escaped. We all waited to see him annihilate t.u. and he went down in flames. Ask those fan bases. The Red River Rivalry is their Super Bowl.

 

[ntxVOL]

Briles has proven to be a pretty damn good coach who has benefited from TX mediocrity. His offensive style also allows him to compete well against teams with more talent. If TX gets their act back together I think Baylor will again assume its proper place in the conference's pecking order. JMO

 

[TXA&M07]

I completely agree with that. If Charlie Strong is the real solution for the folks in Austin, the days will be numbered for Baylor.

 

[TennFan]

Will they be one of the top 4 teams? Some are predicting they will. Their biggest games, in my opinion, are Oct 11-Texas, Nov 8-Baylor, and Dec 6-Oklahoma St.
I think they won't make the final 4. One loss would still give them a shot but two-NO!
There will be at least two and maybe 3 undefeated teams at the end of the season before bowls. Can an SEC go undefeated? Maybe.