Monthly Archives: January 2016

Recruiting update – Jan. 25…

Unless you have been living under a rock over the last month the importance of recruiting has not been lost on you….Clemson and Alabama proved the value of recruiting extremely well during the playoffs.

It was obvious to anyone with two eyes that the only way the Sooners could compete against those type teams was to improve their talent level via recruiting…

With signing date less than two weeks away, a recruiting update is in order. Recruiting services compare recruits by using the star system.  These recruiting outlets also reward football teams for sheer numbers.  This system can inflate a football teams ranking.

Cutting through the chaff, let’s use the star point-average system. Below I have ranked all teams with an average score of 3 or above.  I have also included Big 12 teams…

Points of particular interest include…

… …OU’s recruiting took a major hit when Dominique Alexander left early for the NFL. Basically, this move forced the Sooners to go the juco ranks to find players that could compete for immediate playing time.  These guys may end up being star players, but traditionally junior college players tend to have fewer stars right out the chute.

Coupled with offensive line project Logan Roberson, this gives the Sooners three two star commitments which will mean the Sooners will not be ranked as a high as hoped. Hopefully, the OU coaches have done their due-diligence in the evaluation process and these guys will end up being better than advertised.

Additional notes…

…The SEC and ACC continue its dominance nationally with seven of the top ten classes coming from that part of the country.

…Ohio State, Notre Dame and USC round out the top ten list…

…Texas is moving up, possibly with stolen Sooner de-commits. Charlie Strong’s future depends on this class so expect fire-works at the end…

…Baylor and TCU appear to be solidifying themselves as Big 12 contenders with their best classes ever…

… Other Big 12 teams in order of ranking…

5…..OSU

6…..Texas Tech

7…..West Virginia

8…..Kansas State

9…..Iowa State

10…Kansas

1/25/16Recruiting update…

1…..Georgia (3.94)

2…..Clemson (3.75)

3…..Ohio State (3.72)

4…..Florida St (3.67)

5…..Alabama (3.65)

5…..Auburn (3.65)

7…..USC (3.64)

8…..LSU (3.55)

9…..Ole Miss (3.50)

9….Notre Dame (3.50)

11…Miami (3.49)

12…Michigan (3.48)

13…Michigan St (3.47)

13…Texas A&M (3.47)

15…UCLA (3.44)

16…Maryland (3.42)

17…Tennessee (3.41)

18…Baylor (3.40)

19…Penn State (3.39)

20…Texas (3.36)

21….Florida (3.33)

21…Oregon (3.33)

21…Arizona State (3.33)

24…Stanford (3.32)

25…North Carolina (3.26)

26…OU (3.25)

27…TCU (3.21)

28…Nebraska (3.19)

28…Arkansas (3.19)

30…Pittsburgh (3.16)

31…Washington (3.15)

32…Mississippi St. (3.13)

33…Wisconsin (3.09)

34…Arizona (3.07)

35…Louisville (3.05)

35…Duke (3.05)

36…Kentucky (3.04)

37…Virginia Tech (3.00)

37…BYU (3.00)

37…Missouri (3.00)

Other Big 12 teams in order of ranking…

OSU (2.89)

Texas Tech ( 2.88)

West Virginia (2.70)

Kansas State (2.67)

Iowa State (2.48)

Kansas (2.33)

 

 

 

 

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Recruiting update – Jan. 25…

Unless you have been living under a rock over the last month the importance of recruiting has not been lost on you….Clemson and Alabama proved the value of recruiting extremely well during the playoffs.

It was obvious to anyone with two eyes that the only way the Sooners could compete against those type teams was to improve their talent level via recruiting…

With signing date less than two weeks away, a recruiting update is in order. Recruiting services compare recruits by using the star system.  These recruiting outlets also reward football teams for sheer numbers.  This system can inflate a football teams ranking.

Cutting through the chaff, let’s use the star point-average system. Below I have ranked all teams with an average score of 3 or above.  I have also included Big 12 teams…

Points of particular interest include…

… …OU’s recruiting took a major hit when Dominique Alexander left early for the NFL. Basically, this move forced the Sooners to go the juco ranks to find players that could compete for immediate playing time.  These guys may end up being star players, but traditionally junior college players tend to have fewer stars right out the chute.

Coupled with offensive line project Logan Roberson, this gives the Sooners three two star commitments which will mean the Sooners will not be ranked as a high as hoped. Hopefully, the OU coaches have done their due-diligence in the evaluation process and these guys will end up being better than advertised.

Additional notes…

…The SEC and ACC continue its dominance nationally with seven of the top ten classes coming from that part of the country.

…Ohio State, Notre Dame and USC round out the top ten list…

…Texas is moving up, possibly with stolen Sooner de-commits. Charlie Strong’s future depends on this class so expect fire-works at the end…

…Baylor and TCU appear to be solidifying themselves as Big 12 contenders with their best classes ever…

… Other Big 12 teams in order of ranking…

5…..OSU

6…..Texas Tech

7…..West Virginia

8…..Kansas State

9…..Iowa State

10…Kansas

1/25/16Recruiting update…

1…..Georgia………..3.94

2…..Clemson……….3.75

3…..Ohio State…….3.72

4…..Florida St………3.67

5…..Alabama……….3.65

5…..Auburn………….3.65

7…..USC………………3.64

8…..LSU……………….3.55

9…..Ole Miss……….3.50

9….Notre Dame……3.50

11…Miami……………3.49

12…Michigan……….3.48

13…Michigan St……3.47

13…Texas A&M…….3.47

15…UCLA……………..3.44

16…Maryland……….3.42

17…Tennessee………3.41

18…Baylor………………3.40

19…Penn State……..3.39

20…Texas………………..3.36

21….Florida…………..3.33

21…Oregon……………3.33

21…Arizona State….3.33

24…Stanford…………3.32

25…North Car……….3.26

26…OU…………………….3.25

27…TCU…………………..3.21

28…Nebraska………..3.19

28…Arkansas………..3.19

30…Pittsburgh………3.16

31…Washington…….3.15

32…Mississippi St….3.13

33…Wisconsin……….3.09

34…Arizona…………..3.07

35…Louisville………..3.05

35…Duke……………….3.05

36…Kentucky…………3.04

37…Virginia Tech…..3.00

37…BYU…………………3.00

37…Missouri………….3.00

Other Big 12 teams in order of ranking…

OSU……………………….2.89

Texas Tech…………….2.88

West Virginia…………2.70

Kansas State………….2.67

Iowa State……………..2.48

Kansas…………………..2.33

 

 

 

 

The Lone Ranger rides again…

Finally, it appears that we are getting some traction for changes to the Big 12…Not a minute to soon I might add. Let’s get real; this conference and its T.V. contract suck.

Finding a Big 12 football and/or basketball game on the tube these days can be a real adventure.   Unlike the other Power Conferences, Big 12 games are relegated to the lesser known channels.  For a league trying to compete with the big boys, not having a place at the ESPN table is a killer.

Granted the Big 12 did make it to the playoffs this year, but only because of OU’s late season surge and the parity of the Pac 12. We cannot depend on this happening every year.

Realizing that Bob Bowlsby lacks the kahunas to make good things happen, David Boren appears ready to step in to fill the void. Let’s take a look at the comparison between the two…

First, Bowlsby recently orchestrated the NCAA move that would allow the Big 12 to play a championship game with ten teams. He appears to be set on having league teams play a 9 game round-robin schedule and then play a championship game between the league’s two best teams.   This, may the dumbest idea ever.

This year this move would have meant OU and OSU playing two weeks in a row. The second scenario would have had OU playing Baylor within the same month.  A third scenario would have two OU/Texas games in the same season.  I love OU/Texas, but not twice in one year and with one game not in the Cotton Bowl.

The bottom line is this…The Big 12 has become laughing stock of the college football world. First we allow Nebraska, Texas A&M and Missouri to escape to other leagues and then we let Louisville slip through our fingers.  Additional bad moves made by incompetent Big 12 leaders, we don’t need.

We need Bowlbsy to make like Gilligan and take a three hour cruise to his favorite island and then stay gone for a while. Then the Lone Ranger can ride into town to save the day.

Boren will have the league expand to 12 teams. Cincinnati would appear to be a sure thing to go along with either a Florida or western school.  After working out the divisional issue, the conference would set up a championship game and negotiate a better t.v. deal.  Throw out the feeble Fox Sports Contract and go with ABC/ESPN.

As I have said before, this is not rocket science.   The key to making this happen is for Big 12 leaders to accept their past missteps and go about rectifying those mistakes.

We have one of the smartest men in America ready to make this happen. Get out of the way and let him perform his magic.

Go Boren…

Boomer Sooner…

Sooner Basketball…

When was the last time you saw a #1 team in America play a # 1 team in America in any college sport…To my memory this has never happened before last Monday night and as you know, I’m older than dirt.   It happened and became a basketball game for the ages…

Going into the game I believed that there was no way that OU could beat the Jayhawks in the Phogg…After all, the Jayhawks have won 95% of the their games in Allen Field House over the past two decades.  The Sooners came about as close as a team could get.

By the way, I heard some nimnods on one of the local sports talk-shows stating that at the end of the day, that game would not matter. Of course these were football guys who have had way too many concussions.  Those yahoos could not have been more wrong.

How many times have we heard selection committee chairmen use the phrase, “body of work” to explain its tournament seedings at end of the year.   That game mattered big-time and both teams came out of Lawrence as winners. Kansas, by winning the game and OU, by losing a close one to KU in Lawrence.

With Iowa State and Baylor creating a solid strength of schedule for OU and KU, I expect both teams to be in line for #1 seeds at the end of the year. Can you imagine OU being a final four participant in both football and basketball in the same year?   March Madness will be some kind of fun this year…

Most importantly, for football junkies, basketball will feed our Sooner penchant for winning. Mix in a World Series softball team, a top ranked tennis team and the top ranked men’s’ and women’s’ gymnastics programs and OU has become championship central.

Give Joe C. credit, he has rebuilt the athletic department in just five years. These are exciting times to be a Sooner fan…

One last side issue for OU football fans…With several Saturdays left before signing date, having a sold out, crazy LNC for football recruits to visit will come in handy. This fact will not be lost on OU football coaches.

Again, it is raining good times in Norman these days.

Boomer Sooner…

 

 

Bowl season…What was learned…

…Players matter…The Big 12 still has some catching to do…OU, OSU, and K-State were out-manned by SEC teams. Only better recruiting will solve this problem…

…Coaching matters…Art Briles, Gary Patterson and Bill Snyder each demonstrated this fact…

With this as my backdrop here are my ascending and descending teams based on bowl results.

…Ascending Teams – Teams that will use the bowl game as a spring board for next season…

…Baylor – This team is on par with OU’s recruiting as the Bears are recruiting lights out.  Baylor has a top ten class for this year to go with up-and-coming classes in 2017 and 2018…

…K-State – Bill Snyder with his juco and walk-on system is always on an every-other-year plan.  Next year will be the on-year for K-State…

…TCU – That comeback win against Oregon was spectacular…Look for Patterson to use this win as a huge springboard for recruiting and 2016…

…OU – Losing in the championship round is only one notch below a win. This team is loaded and will be in the final four again next year…Recruiting is picking up of late.   Needed depth to compete with SEC teams will be a big help.

…West Virginia – This one may be a surprise, but I think Holgorsen is on the verge of doing some really good things in Morgantown.  Skyler Morgan (senior to be) had a great bowl game and with Florida recruits on the way, this defense will only get better…

Descending teams…Teams that either regressed during bowl season or did not play a bowl game…

…OSU – A ton of players will return to Stillwater next year, but making the switch from Rudolph (So.) to J.W. Walsh (Sr.) at half time of the Sugar Bowl game will not help Rudolph’s confidence…OSU coaches should stake out Barry J. Sanders apartment in Palo Alto.  He is not a great running back, but anything has to be better than what they had this year…

…Texas Tech – Same old Tech as the Red Raiders can score at will, but can’t stop air…How can all of west Texas not produce a better defense…

…Texas – Key for Charlie Strong staying in Austin will be his 2016 non-conference schedule of Notre Dame at home and California on the road.  Texas must win both these games or it will be sayonara for Charlie.

…Iowa State – Starting over in Ames, again…

…Kansas – This team has to be better in 2016.   Only UNC-Charlotte at #128 was worse in 2015…

 

Hang in there Sooner fans…

Mrs. Lincoln other than the assassination, how’d you like the play. That’s the way; I felt during the second half of the Clemson game…The only difference was that this death seemed slower and much to close to home.   In any case before we start calling for Bob Stoops ouster, consider this…

First, Boren is still the president, so Bob will still be the OU football coach next week…

Secondly, this Clemson team is better than I thought…Granted this is the ACC and not the SEC, but this team recruits coaches and players like an SEC team.

Thirdly, this time last year this football program was on life support…The impotent offensive coaching staff was still hanging around Norman and so was Mike Stoops. I suspect that with a year to find employment elsewhere, Mike will be gone…This will free up a spot for recruiting guru, Chip Viney.

Fourthly, whose idea was it to go full contact in pre-bowl preparations…I knows he is only one player, but I sense that we could have used Charles Walker to help defense the ever illusive Deshawn Watson. We still have not stopped that guy.

You may have missed this tidbit as well; apparently both Joe Mixon and Samaje Perine came into the game beat up. I know that on the surface this sounds like a scene from dumb and dumber, but maybe the coaches felt like this was the only way to prepare for Clemson’s speed.

Finally, on the positive side of the ledger, this OU team hung with Clemson for a half. Last year’s team was done right after kickoff.

As I have said on numerous occasions, we did not get ourselves in this pickle overnight so for us to expect to get out of this mess in one year was wishful thinking…

While I love the Baker Mayfield walk-on stories as much as the next guy, Baker can only be Baker when he is surrounding by great players. Clemson under Dabo and Brent Venables has recruited SEC-type players for several years; OU has not had a top ten team during that time.

I believe that this is about to change under this revamped coaching staff. Put it in the bank, with the talent coming back next year and with recruiting picking up under the new staff, the Sooners will be final-four contender for years to come.

For our younger audience who may not have not seen this movie before, hang in there, it could be worse, you could wake up tomorrow and be an Aggie…

Boomer Sooner…