OU-Texas…

As we deliberate over the 55-24 butt kicking we took at the hands of TCU this past weekend let’s turn our attention to Texas.  This game is always huge, but it will be even bigger this year.  Many OU fans have given up on the Sooners after this past weekend, but I would suggest not jumping off that ten-story building just yet. 

We are not as good as we looked against Nebraska or as bad as we looked against TCU.   Granted we got off to a bad start against TCU, but until the Horned Frog cheap shot artist took Dillon Gabriel out of the game in the early parts of the second quarter, we still had a shot, not a great shot, but still a shot.  Seriously, that guy should be locked up for assault and battery. Once, Dillon went down, it was all over. 

Next, before we throw Ted Roof under the bus, let’s remember that Roof has probably forgotten more football than any of us will ever know.  Let’s wait until after Texas to pull the plug on the guy. Let’s also remember for Brent’s sake that it was Sooner fans that installed him as the next Pope a few months back…let’s get real though, not even the Pope could have stopped what happened on Saturday. 

To say, we were shorthanded would be an understatement. A few starters went down with injuries early in the game, but we also had eleven players who could have been with us on Saturday, but they left early for the NFL.  We also lost twelve players to the transfer portal including our quarterback, backup quarterback, offensive coordinator (Riley) and defensive coordinator (Grinch). 

I know it’s hard to be humble when you’re a Sooner, but Brent Venables will need more than a preseason to implement his game plan.  It will also take him more than one recruiting class to find the right players to buy into his mindset and to compete in today’s college football world.  Beating Texas on Saturday will go a long way in making this happen, but regardless of what happens in the Cotton Bowl don’t give up on the Sooners just yet.  Many of us have seen this movie before and we lived to tell about it. 

Boomer Sooner…

We’ll be okay…

Thankfully, we got that out of the way…We knew we would lose at least one game this year and we knew that Brent Venables would lose at least one game during his career as the head coach at OU.  Even Bud, Barry and Bob lost a game as head coach.  Now that we have that out of the way, we can focus on the rest of the season.

Realistically, only a couple teams have a shot at going undefeated this year and those two teams have to play each other so losing a game is not as big a deal as it used to be.  Losing to a well-coached K-State team is not a crime in today’s college football world.  Speaking of K-State…that team on Saturday night was the best prepared and best coached team we have seen in Norman in a long time. 

Here’s the bottom line…the K-State game was a trap game as Kansas State lulled us into a false sense of security by losing to Tulane last week.  Combine this fact with our Nebraska game and you have the ultimate trap game.  We spent our preseason focused on Nebraska and K-State spent their preseason focused on us.  We’re probably lucky that the game was as close as it was.  

There are of course some silver linings in all of this…first, the loss happened early in the season which will allow BV to right the ship prior to the Texas game.  Next, we had the light show, which was worth the price of admission, third, we hauled in over $8 million dollars in revenue which will pay for Patty Gasso’s new house as she now makes $1.6 million dollars per year and finally, the Sooners showed a lot of class by hanging around after the loss to sing the alma mater. 

Hopefully, this blog will get to all of you before someone leaps off a ten-story building because help is on the way.  Brent Venable is in the process of recruiting a top five class that will add much needed depth to our defense and receiver corps.  Next, we play Texas in two weeks and a win in the Cotton Bowl will put last night’s game in the rear-view mirror.  Finally, and most importantly, the Pink Pandas won another game this week and are now 3-1 on the season after getting off to a horrid start. 

Humm…this sounds familiar…life has a way of putting these things into proper perspective.  We’ll be okay…

Boomer Sooner…

We need this one…

That’s right, we need to win this weekend’s game in the worst way.  Some Sooner fans believe this game will be a walk in the park and I hope they are right, but I’m not so sure. 

The Scott Frost firing could not have come at a worse time for the Sooners.  With Scott Frost at the helm, the Sooners were going to waltz into Lincoln and handily take down the Huskers.  Now, we have a fan base in Lincoln ready to see their season turned around in one game with their new favorite son at the helm.   

We will also face a bunch of players who will be playing for “their” guy.  How many times have you seen this scenario where the interim coach becomes a player’s favorite.  Current players always want the interim name to be taken off the new guy’s name plate.  It makes for a better situation for them down the road. 

And of course, we have Casey Thompson who resents OU and will be trying his best to create a Texas-size do-over. He had us in his sights against Texas last year and he sees this game as his opportunity to redeem himself.

The Big Red of the North crowd will be a fifteen on a scale of one to ten. We must figure out a way to take the crowd out of the game early, hold on until half and then put the hammer down after intermission.  With Kansas State, TCU, and Texas on the horizon, this is a must game.

Boomer Sooner…

We won…

The Pink Pandas kicked butt and took names last night in tee ball.  Given the fact that we were blown out last week 16-0, this reversal of fortunes was a major accomplishment.  Apparently, it’s true what they say about a team showing the most improvement between games one and two of a season.  It is also true how much more a coach is revered between week one and week two.  The parents were ready to string me up last week…this week, I walk on water.  Trust me, this is not my first rodeo, I won’t let it go to my head. 

I suspect the game one to game two scenario will also be true this week as the Sooners face Kent State.  I suspect that the Golden Flashes are a better team than UTEP, but I also suspect the Sooners will avoid lifting up on the accelerator like they did last week.  One would think that catching the Sooners the week before the Nebraska would be problematic for us, but then again, we are talking about a different mindset in Norman these days. 

Our guys will be well-prepared and loaded for bear.  Being a night game will help as well.  The east side will be hot early on, but this week east side fans will want to stick around to see the sun set on the Golden Flashes. 

Finally, there is not a whole lot I can add to the musings of talk radio this week.  It’s going to be hard to score points on this defense and our offense will only get better with each succeeding game.  CBS already has us ranked #4 in their playoff poll which to be honest given our schedule could happen. 

Boomer Sooner and go Pandas…

It’s football time in Oklahoma…

I can’t wait to hear this phrase bellowed over loudspeaker at Memorial Stadium this year.  Like a lot of things, I’ve stopped counting the years, but if I remember correctly, this will be the 45^th year to make the trek to Norman with my OU football buddy.  Forty-five years is longer than most marriages and I’ll let you fill in the blanks from there. 

Of course, I was an OU fan long before I could afford tickets to the games, and I have seen OU coaches come and go. I don’t however believe I have ever been more anxious for a new era to begin.  We have put the old Lincoln in the barn, and we are ready to take the new BV out for a spin.  I’ve been wrong before about coaching hires (Howard Schellenberg and John Blake) before, but I will bet my house that I won’t be wrong this time around.

I’m not saying we will win a Natty this year, but I am saying that we are so much closer to that happening today than we were this time last year.  As we know, God works in mysterious ways, and this includes OU football.  In order to experience a rainbow, we must sometimes endure a thunderstorm first.  This is going to one of those times. 

BV hit the ground running and does the unthinkable by bringing in a top ten class right off the bat.  Next, he brings in a top transfer group to go along with solid team that was simply waiting for someone to take charge and coach them up. This year’s recruiting class is beating out the likes of Alabama for players as the Sooners skyrocket to the top of the Class of ’23.  Last, but not least is the positive chemistry that this guy has brought to this team. 

Last season, particularly the Bedlam game was horribly painful at times, but as so often happens when we lose to the Ags, something good comes from that experience. I truly believe that Brent Venables is building something special in Norman. 

As Sooner fans, we are so blessed…we need to take a minute to breathe in this stratified air and enjoy the moment. It doesn’t get much better than this…

Boomer Sooner…

Gundy and Bedlam…

At the summer Big 12 meetings, Mike Gundy, the know all see all guru of college football insisted that Bedlam was history.   His reasoning was that OU’s move to the SEC would kill the rivalry.  While in this case I hope that the mullet man is right, Brent Venables gave a different opinion. He insisted that OU wants the game to be played going forward. Of course, he added an addendum to his comments.  He expects to dominate Bedlam and in doing so dominate Oklahoma.      

One must wonder why Gundy would be hell bent on seeing Bedlam go away since he now owns a winning streak in the series. Then again, Gundy may want Bedlam to end sooner rather than later in order to go out on top. 

As we know, Lincoln Riley and his side kick Caleb Williams did their best to ensure that the Sooners came up short last November.  As a result, Gundy is on a hot streak.  However, the truth of the matter is that last year’s win by Gundy was only his third in the last seventeen (17) years against the Sooners. Brent Venables on the other hand lost only one game against the Ags during his career as defensive coordinator at OU.

We love Brent Venables because of his spirit and his fight.  We also love BV because we know he will open up a can of whoop ass on the Cowboys next November.  Yes, Mike Gundy is a rear end, but in spite of being an Aggie he has done a decent job at OSU in football. In spite of this fact, OU has been his albatross.  While he will go down as the winningest coach in OSU history, he will also go down as the guy who set the record for futility against his in-state rival.

Boomer Sooner…

College football expansion…

Currently, the NCAA so badly wants someone to pull the plug and let them rest in peace. The NIL and open transfer mess are two perfect examples of piss poor management.  In their place, the super conferences will eventually take control of the reins with the SEC and Big Ten leading the way.  In a couple years, these two super conferences along with the ACC will create their own playoff system. 

When this happens, the college football playoffs will mirror that of March Madness where seeding based on conference and strength of schedule determines how far a team can go.  I know many will miss the “group of five” teams that created a David versus Goliath bowl game, but in any business including college sports, change is inevitable. 

For the record the Big 12, Pac 12 and “group of five” teams will continue to get into the playoff system, but they will be seeded much further down the ladder.  The SEC, Big Ten, and ACC champions will get the top three seeds in the new playoff system with runners-up from these conferences being next in line for top billing. In the end, this will be good news for the Sooners and bad news for the Pokes.

The Big 12, Pac 12 and “group of five” representative will pull up the rear and will never see the light of day when it comes to winning a national championship. With the new system, OSU will have to go out and buy themselves another national championship. Oh, wait a minute…they lost the goose that lay those golden eggs…never mind, that dog won’t hunt.  

Below is a possible 2025 national championship bracket…

1. Alabama – SEC champion…
2. Ohio State – Big Ten champion…
3. Clemson – ACC champion…
4. Oklahoma – at large SEC team…
5. Michigan – at large Big Ten team…
6. Georgia – at large SEC team…
7. Texas A&M – at large SEC team…
8. Notre Dame – at large ACC team…
9. Miami – at large ACC team…
10. Oregon – Pac 12 champion…
11. Baylor – Big 12 champion…
12. Coastal Carolina – “Group of five” representative…

Of course, once, we replace Alabama as SEC champion, we can move the Sooners up in the pecking order.

Boomer Sooner…

Sooner softball…

Some folks are comparing Patty Gasso to Nick Saban these days.  While this may be a bit over the top, it’s not by much.  Patty is on her way to being his equal and then some.  This year’s Sooner softballers are reloading in the same manner that Saban prepares his teams for championship runs in football every year.  

Patty was already blessed with the best up-the-middle infield/outfield combination in the game so what does she do…she goes out and recruits a couple all-conference selections to nail down 1^st and 3^rd base.  Next, while she has the top pitcher in America returning in Jordy Bahl and high school phenom in Kierston Deal, she recruits the ace off the Michigan team. Add in solid backup pitcher in Nicole May and you have a stacked deck in the circle.

I don’t see any teams on the horizon that can compete with next year’s Sooners.  If so, 2023 will be #7 and a three peat which will lead to a four peat and five peat and so on and so forth…Patty is eleven years younger than Saban, so it’s possible that by the time she is in her 70’s she may surpass Saban in national championship trophies.  Only time will tell how this turns out, but regardless, it’s a great time to be a Sooner softball fan…

Boomer Sooner…

Prospective 2023 starting lineup…

Catcher            Kinzie Hanzen .282, but solid behind the plate…

First                 Cyndey Sanders .425 @ ASU

Second            Tiarra Jennings .400

Third               Alynah Torres .371 @ ASU

Short               Grace Lyons .400

Right                Rylie Boone .406

Center             Jayda Coleman .419

Left                  Alyssa Brito .371

Pitchers          

Jordy Bahl                   1.16 ERA

Nicole May                  1.27 ERA

Alex Storako                1.71 ERA @ Michigan

Kierston Deal (LHP)     #1 ranked high school player/pitcher in America…

SJ Gerurin (LHP)          #20 ranked high school player in America…

Recruits         

Kierston Deal (LHP) #1 ranked player in the country…

Avery Hodge (IF) # 6 ranked player in the country. 

Jocelyn Erickson (UTL) #10 ranked player in the country.

SJ Gerurin (LHP) #20 ranked player in the country

Conference realignment…what’s next…

Last year, it was OU and Texas to the SEC.  This year, it’s USC and UCLA to the Big Ten.  Now, we have two super-conferences in the Big Ten and SEC to go along with a super conference to be named later in the ACC and two also-rans in the Pac 12 and Big 12.   

Many have suggested that Pac 12 teams Oregon and Washington will follow suit with a move to the Big Ten, but I suspect that the Big Ten may hang tight for the time being.  The USC and UCLA move was secretly in the works for some time.  If the other two Pac 12 teams had been viable candidates, the Big Ten would have included them in their expansion process this time around.    

I suspect that this fact will give the Pac 12 time to get their act together and make their own moves. In short, the Pac 12 must come up with an expansion plan of their own. This plan will include several minor league west coast schools like San Diego State and Fresno State, but in the end the Pac 12 will need more to keep their conference afloat. 

Here’s my take on the Pac 12 future…the Pac 12 is desperate and pilfering various teams from the Big 12 makes perfect sense to me.  I think the Big 12 had better watch its backside. Consider these teams for Pac 12 membership. 

Baylor…Baylor has everything the Pac 12 wants…academics, football, and men’s and women’s basketball.  Waco is also just a stone’s throw from the San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas t.v. markets.  My first call would be to Waco. 

BYU… my second call would be to Provo.  Yes,I know that BYU is spoken for, but anything is possible these days.  To my knowledge no contracts have been signed that would have to be litigated so why not give it a shot.  BYU has a strong academic reputation, an enrollment of 50,000 students and a fan base of millions.  BYU is a much better fit in the Pac 12 than the Big 12. 

Kansas…I know that this sounds ludicrous, but here me out about anyway.  Kansas has a Pac 12-type academic reputation.  KU also has one of the top basketball programs in the country.  Finally, Kansas has the Kansas City t.v. market which would really help the Pac 12 ratings. Yes, I know that KU football sucks, but a change of scenery may be just what the doctor ordered. 

The college football conference landscape will continue to be in turmoil, but as OU fans we can sit back and watch.  We made our move last year and that move looks better with every passing day.

Boomer Sooner…

Sooner baseball…

Tough loss in game two of the men’s college baseball world series. It is however important to remember that outside football, college baseball is arguably the most competitive of all NCAA sports.  Any number of teams can win the MCWS in a given year.  To bring home a runner’s up trophy in this sport is nothing to cry about. 

Let’s be clear, the Sooners put themselves in a bind by losing game one and we had no room for error from our players and of course from the umpires.  While the Ole Miss four run 8^th officially did the trick, the game was actually decided in the 6^th inning when victory was snatched from the jaws of the Sooners by Larry, Moe and Curly.      

OU masterfully executed a squeeze play that would have opened up the game only to have the Three Stooges reverse the call on the field.  Think of this…with the run scoring on the squeeze, we would have scored a run on that play with two more in scoring position with only one out.  Would we have won tonight…probably not, but that’s not the point.

Give these Sooners credit, a normal team would have gone belly up after the blown call, but these Sooners fought back to make it a game.  Additionally, Skip Johnson returns a bunch of players off this year’s team and returning to Omaha has now become a possibility. 

Sooner baseball is back…

Boomer Sooner…