It was almost a banner day for the Big 12, with heavy favorites rolling, Missouri thumping Illinois, Baylor taking care of Wake on the road, and Oklahoma State winning the showdown with an SEC team most everyone thought would win because, well, S-E-C! Even A&M looked good in rolling New Mexico.
And then OU wet the bed. On the one hand, I cackled with delight when my phone blew up with text messages around 9:00 PT last night, as the wedding I was attending began to wind down. Another big game away from Norman, another Oklahoma loss. Clearly, losing Bradford was a terrible blow of bad luck, but the Sooners were struggling before his injury, as well.
But what does the Sooners' loss mean for Texas? In the grand scheme of things, probably not much. For starters, it wasn't a conference loss. Furthermore, in my opinion (shared by most), Texas probably needs to win all its games to reach Pasadena, and though anything's possible, whether Texas played an undefeated, Top 5-ranked Oklahoma team or one with losses, the 'Horns need to win in Dallas if they want to play for the BCS Title. Moreover, who wants a national championship without a win over OU?
The only real effect of Oklahoma laying an egg is that the national hype surrounding this year's RRS will be somewhat diminished. For Mack Brown and Texas fans, the game remains as big as ever. For Bob Stoops and Oklahoma, the prospect of losing to Texas for the fourth time in five years is looking scarier than ever.
Hook 'em.
0 recs | 71 comments
Well said...
Initially the OU loss looked like a lock for a Texas Big 12 Championship (at least), but upon further review, it goes to show how freakin important every game is. horns looked good last night, but they weren’t playing a team half as good as BYU. and those kind of teams are just a little way down the schedule…
longhornORgopher? - September 6, 2009
I haven't seen ULM...
but I watched the OU game online last night (while listening to the TX game), and I can’t even imagine a team that isn’t “half as good as BYU”. They consistently demonstrated an amazing ability to process what was happening and then utterly fail at arriving at a reasonable decision for a course of action. I felt like I was watching a comedy. In fact, I laughed during that game more than any other football game I’ve ever seen… which was A LOT. But it started to get old when I almost thought they weren’t gonna pull it off. They should have had 24 pts. Instead they struggled for 14. I think they were lucky to have won considering the way they played honestly. And they way they played, they did NOT impress me. And I could have seen another team “not half as good” as BYU totally outperforming them had they been in the same situation.
Beleafit - September 6, 2009
With all due respect
This is laughable. BYU has been ranked each of the past three seasons. They’ve won 32 games the past three seasons. How can a program with those kind of results be as terrible as you are inferring? Even from a logical Longhorns fan-perspective, why can’t you recognize that Oklahoma – who has won three straight (controversial I know) Big 12 championships and played for the National Championship last season – is a good football team that simply met its match on Saturday.
Of course BYU made mistakes – and those mistakes nearly cost them the game. Such is common in season openers, especially when playing against their highest ranked opponent this decade in what was essentially the grand opening of that phenomenal stadium. I would argue that other marquee programs would have made similar mistakes provided the circumstances.
If Texas happens to lose or even if OU plays the Longhorns tight this season, I’d be interested in hearing your perspective on BYU then. Until then, or until you demonstrate any kind of significant knowledge regarding BYU this season, I wish you good day.
sroufe - September 8, 2009
It means that we don’t have to worry about OU in a three-way tie scenario.
sessamoid - September 6, 2009
Wrong
The 3-way is determined on conference record, not overall record.
TXinDC - September 6, 2009
You are right about conference
but remember the BCS standings is what breaks the 3 way tie and a 2 loss OU team is most definitely going to be behind us in the BCS if we only have 1 loss.
2Cor12:9 - September 6, 2009
No, he's right in a sense.
What he’s saying is that if there’s a 3-way tie in the conference (meaning everyone has 1 conference loss), then the BCS rankings will determine the winner of the tiebreak and OU will most definitely be behind Texas in the BCS rankings because they will have 2 losses overall and therefore we on’t have to worry about them.
billyzane - September 6, 2009
We're ALL right.
My point was, OU’s loss doesn’t necessarily preclude them from the Big 12 Championship, since they haven’t lost a conference game yet.
But hopefully we’ll run the conference tables and not have to worry about this silly thing.
TXinDC - September 7, 2009
one of the Tie breakers (before BCS ranking) is overall losses. if OU/OSU/UT all have 1 conference loss, OU is the odd man out unless OSU has an OOC loss.
Displaced Longhorn - September 6, 2009
hm, i closed the html block.. weird. ignore all the rest of that bold
Displaced Longhorn - September 6, 2009
Don't count the chicks before they Hatch!!!!
Remember, OU gets the respect they don’t deserve. All this week-end I heard “they still have a chance to win it all”, the media is so in love with Choklahoma that they can’t see the train heading right for the Crimson/Cream. No one expects or even cares that Texas has the keys to the car. I’m tired of hearng how good they are and how they will give UT a run for the money this year. I say when they win a bowl game, they can talk, unitl then, they need to shut the h*** up!
Rabidbevofan - September 7, 2009
Agreed...
I agree wholeheartedly with your analysis. As for Bradford, that kind of injury can get agravated getting dressed every day. Much less throwing 45 times a game…
longhorn35 - September 6, 2009 via mobile
It means that
we got to watch OU lose…again.
mikey 4 - September 6, 2009
It means that OU's line DOES matter
An no, they didn’t reload on the line or on their reciever talent.
52-10 RRS, please, thanks.
Also, it makes me feel terrible for Bradford. That kid should have been on a huge pile of money in the NFL, instead, some ass talked him into coming back. I honestly hope he recovers quickly and can get a proper draft.
I’ve got a bad feeling that he’s going to recover in time for the RRS and is going to get embarassed again, trying to pull something together behind a fresh line against Houston/Acho/Kindle. This season is a nightmare for him.
notsofst - September 6, 2009
Let's not forget that he can come back again next year
if he’s not completely healthy. So in that case I hope he heals extra soon.
2Cor12:9 - September 6, 2009
he’s a junior, he can come back next year no matter what.
Displaced Longhorn - September 6, 2009
Uhh yeah that's what I said.
I was not implying that he was going to take a medical this year and sit out the whole season. I simply meant if he’s not completely healed come the deadline for underclassmen to declare for the draft, then he might choose to return for his senior year.
2Cor12:9 - September 6, 2009
ah, i read it as the medical redshirt/missing games blah blah.
Displaced Longhorn - September 6, 2009
Yeah, I hadn't thought of that
Gives him time, but still it’s almost like he’ll just be working his way back up the draft to where he was projected to be last year.
notsofst - September 6, 2009
Thats exactly what I was thinking
I was fortunate enough to have recorded the game and the offensive line was never in sync and when they were they could not block.. I am just trying to imagine the blitzes that Muchamp is going to dial up for the RRR… With both Sam Acho and Lamaar Houston as good as they did last night, I am thinking the pressure is going to be on the QB when the time comes.
Its a nightmare scenario for Oklahoma and its going to be a whole lot of fun to watch
Crimson Fog - September 6, 2009
The Sooners' LOSS doesn't have huge impact on our guys
The REASONS for that loss have a massive impact on future OU opponents. With out without the Heisman Trophy winner. Yes, it’s one game played six weeks before Oct. 17. Still . . . Even before the unfortunate loss of Bradford, OU was struggling. Team punted seven times — probably didn’t have 15 total in the seven games between Texas and Florida in 2008.
BYU had a 71-57 edge in plays and a 357-265 advantage in total yards. Between Dallas and Miami last season, 265 yards was about 20 minutes work for the Sooners.
Before his injury, Bradford passed 14 times (10 completions, 96 yards), so he was able to hit receivers but not able to pop anything like a long play. This speaks volumes to two issues the Sooners haven’t resolved — the offensive line and the receivers. OU lost two of its top three pass catchers after ’08, was without the injured stud at TE, and fielded an almost a makeshift OL against BYU.
Sooners had seven possessions with Bradford in the game: five 3-and-outs, a six-play drive to a touchdown (35 yards, after BYU muffed a punt) and a six-play drive to the FG just before halftime on which Bradford went down.
OU’s second half drives: 4 plays for 2 yards . . . 3 for zero . . . 5 for 23 . . . 9 for 22 . . . 9 for 23. Sooners failed to get a touchdown on a nine-play drive that included six snaps inside the 10, four snaps inside the 5. Took a short FG that left the Cougars down just 13-7. Five first downs in the second half, one of those on a penalty.
Sooners committed 12 penalties, repeatedly suffering motion infractions in the early going and blowing up their first drives of the third quarter with penalties.
edsp - September 6, 2009
With OR without the Heisman Trophy winner
sorry ’bout that.
edsp - September 6, 2009
We were counting on OU to bolster our strength of schedule. However with solid out of conference wins by Oklahoma State, Baylor, and Missouri in the first week of play its looking like our schedule will be solid “With out without” a top 5 OU, just from the strength of our conference.
Longhorn@Berkeley - September 6, 2009
But we will beat Baylor, Missouri and OSU. Our cupcake schedule should be a non-issue if we win every game.
dimecoverage - September 7, 2009
Win Every Game and Who Cares About Schedule. nt
iamjackburton - September 6, 2009
+1
TXinDC - September 7, 2009
Karmic Debt
Sooner fans just witnessed the first down payment of the karmic debt they owe from last season’s unholy coronation as faux-Big 12 champions. The imbalance that has existed in the natural world since the atrocity that was the Big 12 tiebreaker (with Stoops, Leech and other Stoops alumni coaches unjustly and self-servingly voting Texas lower than they really were only to influence the computers to award the title to OU) has only been partially restored with the injury to Bradford and OU’s loss to BYU.
When it’s all said and done OU has much more to repay for the mephistophelian deal they made last season. The 2008 season had a blasphemous outcome. But in the end good will always triumph over evil, and the wickedness of OU’s team, coaches and fans will be smitten down!
Hook ’em Horns!
(and looking forward to seeing them in Laramie on Saturday)
RMHorn - September 6, 2009
Lets focus on us
I agree, what happened last year was a punch in the gut, but I am inclined to believe that Mack Brown would have done the same thing to get us into the national championship had we been in the same position.
I don’t care about OU. What I care about is us and that we should go the MNC and we should beat the crap out of Florida or any other team that we meet there.
It is unfortunate that Bradford is injured, it looked bad and it is also unfortunate that Gresham is injured. I am hoping when the RRR rolls around they are at full strength so that there are no questions unanswered. We will beat them and we will get to where we belong.
I am not willing to believe that these are bad people and for some reason we are the good people. Its all money and business and incidentally we are rooting for Texas. But I do believe that as it stands now, even if Bradford and Gresham are at full strength (which I seriously doubt at this stage) Texas will beat OU at the RRR and go on to play for the Big 12 championship and then on to MWC..
Go Horns
Crimson Fog - September 6, 2009
Bad debt...
Yes, Bradford deserved physical injury because OU agreed to follow the Big XII tiebreaker rules. They clearly should have yielded the 2008 conference title game appearance to Texas because that would have been the gentlemanly thing to do. Be proud of your daunting 2009 schedule and don’t forget to change your 2008 diapers. You just might have some bad karma coming your own way.
BrooklynSooner - September 6, 2009
Well.....
I don’t think anyone is implying that Bradford deserved to get injured or that they are happy about it. OU should have yielded the 2008 conference title game to Texas to spare themselves the embarrassment of getting spanked in yet another BCS game. Now go back to your single-wide with your carton of Kools and 6-pack of Pabst Blue Ribbon and allow us to revel in the Land Thieves’ loss to BYU!!!
OU Always Sucks - September 6, 2009
Yeah, the BCS Title game was a real spanking! Revisionist history. I’ll stick with my brownstone. You keep rockin’ the vinyl siding.
BrooklynSooner - September 6, 2009
Hmm, Didn't UT Beat Mizzou Same Season?
Both games were blowouts. So exactly how did OU beating Mizzou trump UT beating Mizzou? And 45-35 on a neutral field trumps any kind of win OU had at home over TxT.
It’s 4:35pm MDT, and OU Still Sux!!
RMHorn - September 6, 2009
Wait...
Wuuuuuuuuuuuuut?
BrooklynSooner - September 6, 2009
BSooner...
We all know the Horns were screwed last season. If TT were in the same conversation as the Sooners and Horns last season, they would have been ranked right there with us, but they were not. Several spots back after they wet the bed in Norman. Stoops ran it up last year, throwing with 4 minutes left while up by 45 points or so on multiple occasions. The facts are OU has not performed well on the national stage away from Norman in quite some time.
Mulliganville - September 7, 2009
Bradford's Injury More Karmic Debt for Stolen Heisman
Colt McCoy was far more deserving of the Heisman last year, too. The only reason Bradford won it was because OU was in league with Satan to undeservedly be gifted the tiebreaker. That’s the Karmic debt that was repaid with the legal hard hit delivered on the blitz his offensive line failed to pick up.
McCoy had his share of injuries sustained behind a green offensive line. You can’t forget about the cheap shots that A&M defenders took on him in a pair of games that hurt UT’s season. It’s a part of the game, but I don’t remember Sooner fans minding too much in 2006 and 2007 when the losses to Aggie (because of injury sustained by Colt) gave conference titles to OU.
Karma.
RMHorn - September 6, 2009
Lets take a deep breath and calm down.
There is never a “clear” Heisman winner – its too subjective an award. And good cases could be made for McCoy, Tebow, and Bradford. Ditto the Big 12 championship between OU and Texas.
pleaseplaykindle - September 6, 2009
Also, rachet down the rhetoric.
The tone here in general is far friendlier than “Bradford’s injury is deserved because….”
pleaseplaykindle - September 6, 2009
I Agree
“We Are TEXAS” and we are bigger than this..
Crimson Fog - September 6, 2009
Was it Really That Lost on You?
I mean, come on, can’t you read the posts for what they were? Eeeesh!!!
Btw – It’s 9:34pm MDT and OU Still Sux!!!
RMHorn - September 6, 2009
Good point. We do not want to see any player hurt, that includes OU.
dimecoverage - September 7, 2009
I hope Bradford......
……is at his very best when we play OU. He showed himself a great college teammate when he chose to return to school, rather than take Matthew Stafford’s #1 spot in the NFL Draft. He and Colt both deserve a lot of admiration.
I don’t want to see our victory “clouded” by playing a limping OU team as the result of Bradford’s injury. I want to kick their azz at their finest. The same for OU-Lite!
HornChamps - September 7, 2009
see!
We can agree on things! I don’t want to hear “whining” from their fans that our win was a direct result of player “x” being hurt (eg Reynolds), I want to be them running full steam and take their best punch and then knock em out!
vy til i die - September 7, 2009
Darn right!
Unfortunately, our hopes seem to be circling the drain.
HornChamps - September 9, 2009
Dont forget, Losing early is not too bad in some way. When you start winning consecutive games and ppl in front of u lose later in the season you start to make your way up to the front away (see penn st in 2008, texas longhorns 2008 etc)
MJY6087 - September 6, 2009
Losing early isn't bad if you are going to lose but...
it isn’t ever good to lose to a team on national television, certainly a non-BCS team.
The Immortal Iron Fist AKA AFB - September 7, 2009
Horse collar tackle is a personal foul penalty
I know it is not related to this topic but someone said on the last night’s game thread that they don’t call horsecollar in CFB.
hookemkp - September 6, 2009
I don't think they do...
…or at least not nearly as strictly as they do in the NFL.
OU Always Sucks - September 6, 2009
Yes...
…they called one today against Memphis in the M/Ole Miss game. Personal foul, 15yrd penalty.
lauraj - September 6, 2009
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3544920
hookemkp - September 6, 2009
NCAA bans horse-collar tackle from college football
hookemkp - September 6, 2009
It is slightly different from the NFL rule, though
Here’s an explanation from ESPN.com:
“Rogers Redding, NCAA football secretary-rules editor and coordinator of football officials for the Southeastern Conference, said the horse-collar ban may result in fewer back injuries.
‘What we’re hearing from trainers and physicians is we’re getting some back injuries when the ball carrier is immediately snapped to the ground by being jerked quickly," he said. “If the ball carrier is grabbed by the shoulder or jersey and just ridden to the ground over a couple of yards, that’s not going to be a foul.’”
The NFL makes it illegal to even grab the back of the jersey / shoulder pads near the neck area. College players can still tackle from that area so long as they do not jerk or sling the player to the ground.
OU Always Sucks - September 6, 2009
Back to the point of the article though...
Because if OU’s loss, it wouldn’t hurt to have a lot of Big 12 teams sweep their OOC schedules for SOS calculations for UT if we were to be undefeated at the end of the season.
notsofst - September 6, 2009
Does anyone here share my beleif that OU is far from out of it?
Where do we think they drop to in the AP poll? I would guess maybe 8-12? Their season is still very much alive, and if they beat us in the RRS they’re vaulted right back into the top 5. Lord knows voters are more than happy to forget early losses when it comes to ranking the Sooners.
pleaseplaykindle - September 6, 2009
OU still alive for a BCS bowl
I’d like to see a rematch with Boise State.
goingforthecorner - September 6, 2009
Yes, they are far from out of it
but they no longer control their own fortunes. They have to rely on hoping that there are not two undefeated teams at the end of the season, and who knows what happens if BYU is one of the two,
2Cor12:9 - September 6, 2009
DARN good point!
I’ve never given a MWC team much of a chance at getting in the BCS Championship game, though I’m kind of a MWC (root for the little guy) fan. However, a victory of a #3 OU team really changes the dynamics. If they are one of only two standing undefeated, then I’d have to think they will make the game.
HornChamps - September 7, 2009
Me likey ;)
sroufe - September 8, 2009
If OU wins out . . .
. . . and there is one (or none) team with no losses, OU is very much alive.
Hopkins Horn - September 7, 2009
It's not that they're out of it because of their loss
it’s just that because of their loss, and the way it happened, it’s likely it won’t be their only loss.
They have to pass OSU and Texas, who have to have defenses comparable or better than BYU’s. And there’s plenty of other games in between those two that they could slip up in, especially starting a freshman at quarterback.
Honestly, I don’t think Tulsa is going to be a gimme for OU anymore. They’re going to have to work for every game.
notsofst - September 7, 2009
I agree.
I don’t think they are out of it because of the loss, I think they are out of it because they were playing like crapola before Bradford went out.
If BYU was breaking through the offensive line, what is Miami going to do against them?
The Immortal Iron Fist AKA AFB - September 7, 2009
For those that watched the game
How did OU’s defense look?
Horncasting - September 6, 2009
Their D-Line
was outstanding – especially McCoy (obviously…)
sroufe - September 8, 2009
OU looked bad
Their o-line was an obvious weakness. Their defense was just awful.
Max Hall is a good QB but he is not as athletic or have the arm that Colt McCoy does.
Their defense gave up 45 yards to Kariya. If the Y had been more committed to the run, then he could have gained a hundred.
The game was not as close as the score indicated. The Y gave up a lot of penalty yards, and their o-line play was almost as bad as OU’s.
I am feeling more confident about the RSS, Bradford or not.
milevin - September 6, 2009
You’re simply full of sh*t or you didn’t watch the game. Yes, the o-line was the obvious weakness, but it’s absurd to say the defense was awful. The defense played well, especially considering it played nearly two-thirds of the game with “the Y” scoring the go-ahead touchdown with three minutes left. At this point you should feel confident about the “RSS” (that’s how I get my news by the way)— it’s not like you weren’t before the BYU debacle.
BrooklynSooner - September 6, 2009
All the loss means is...
OU sucks.
goingforthecorner - September 6, 2009
Anyone see the Colorado game tonight that stud Darrell Scott rushed for 1 yard
kcmorse - September 6, 2009
Hopefully this year will mirror 05 with Colt McCoy winning a championship on his last year just like Vince Young
kcmorse - September 6, 2009
wait?
are you saying that there are parallels between that year and this year?
acho81 - September 6, 2009
Plenty and nice sarcasm
kcmorse - September 6, 2009
We haven’t seen Miami play yet, but I think they’ve been improving the last couple of years. I thought the Sooners might have a tougher game than most expected.
But does anyone think OU might be coming into the RRS with TWO losses now since they have to play AT Miami? I think it is highly likely now.
Also, does anyone else think the 15 yard penalties for hitting recievers is rediculous? In the Ole Miss v Memphis game they flagged a guy for hitting the WR about .01 s after the WR misssed the catch. He was still in the air, the defender and already left his feet to make the hit, and the defender hit the WR just a split second after the ball bounced off the WR’s hands. The ball was still within a foot of the WR.
How can you play like that? Another guy got flagged when all he did was use his arms and hit the guy around the shoulders. Didn’t lead with his helmet. Didn’t hit the WR in the helmet. It’s just horrible. Might as well get rid of the pads and grab some flags and tampons.
UT_BKC - September 6, 2009
With Colorado's meltdown against CSU...
… right now my biggest worry is that this team won’t face a serious challenge before we play OU, whereas the Sooners have this tough loss to BYU and a challenging road game in Miami to quickly highlight the areas they need to improve. Tech may prove to be a stiff challenge for our DB’s, but I can’t see that game ending up even two-touchdown close.
patienthornsfan - September 7, 2009
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