Breaking down ND/OU

[olevet]

Lastly to all OU fans. IN your honest opinion do you think ND will be able to run the ball successfully? If so I honestly think that's ND's biggest shot in beating you guys. That way your offense has no time to get into a groove and we can hold the ball for most of the game.

If the Run is your biggest O weapon, its going to be a Long night in Norman for Y'all

 

[eyeballjr]

So your secondary is really that good?

Jefferson will go pro this year, Colvin is a lock down corner, Hurst is right there with Colvin. Javon Harris has came into his own the last few games. If we play 5 dbs, Gabe Lynn can hold his own, but his back up Julian Wilson who is getting more and more playing time will be a star imo. Our DB's are the strength of the team. They had a couple hicups in the first couple games, but you have to figure they would due to a new DC.

I think a lot of people overlook the fact that we hired a new DC, and you can tell this D is getting better and better every week. Gelling, less mental errors, and just playing as a team.

The Dline isn't bama quality, but i doubt there are too many teams that are better, I doubt anyone would could name 10 to 15 that are better. The LB's are for sure our weak spot, but they have been getting better as our Dline has been getting better.

It should be a great game, your D will have to get plenty of pressure on Jones, but with the emergence of our running game that may be a little tougher than you think.

I hope all that make the trip to Norman have a good time, there are a lot of great fans, most will treat you with great respect, but we can't account for all of them. As you know there is always one in every crowd.

 

[dublinirish]

OU fans how did you feel when Bennett Okotcha left the team? we could have used him at ND!

 

[olevet]

OU fans how did you feel when Bennett Okotcha left the team? we could have used him at ND!

If he didn't want to Play for OU then Good bye.
He was RS last year and prolly wasn't going to get any if Much playing time this year either.

 

[eyeballjr]

I think he was part of the didn't really leave the team, but got told to either comply with a new mindset or GTFO squad. There were quite a few players that were a cancer to the team and i'm pretty sure they were told to find a new home. He hadn't done anything for the team while here, so it didn't really bother me. I'm sure Stoops filled the scholly with = or > talent.

 

[Irish#1]

Here's the bottom line.
1. This game is going to come down to TO's and field position.
2.If ND stuffs the run and forces OU to throw the ball ND will win.
3. If OU can run the ball effectively then they will win.

To all of the other conjecture and debates.
1. Believe what you want to believe, but the front seven of ND is on par with Bama.
2. Stanford did not score in OT. There are several film clips and pics showing his elbow down before he stretched. Besides the ref had blown the play dead. Why else would the ND players release him and start celebrating?
3. The defenses of Stanford and BYU are on a par with most of the top D's in the country.
4. If OU plays a single LB on Eifert, you're in for a long night.


But here is the biggest key........ There is something special about this team. It has united under suspensions, illnesses and even death. They don't just like each other, they love each other. They stay together regardless of the circumstances. They have played several quality teams, a very tough schedule and know how to play in hostile environments. They have that "it" factor. I like our chances Saturday evening against a very good OU team.

 

[Walter White]

Hey OU fans:

-How has your special teams performed this year?

-If you were to lose a starter anywhere on the field for this game, where would it hurt the most?

-How often do you go five-wide on offense?

-Who is your most reliable receiver and biggest deep-threat?

 

[Patulski]

Colvin is a lock down corner, Hurst is right there with Colvin.

How many 6'6" 251 Lb. Mackey Award finalist Tight Ends have your 5'10" and 6' lock down Corners faced?

 

[GoldenBoy3]

If the Run is your biggest O weapon, its going to be a Long night in Norman for Y'all

I disagree with that. If we are able to run the ball effectively it will not only allow us to control the TOP but it will force you guys to stack the box and allow Golson to potentially make plays. He has faced some very good pass rushers MSU, BYU and Stanford. Hes good at avoiding the rush, and making plays with his feet.

 

[jbaker]

Hey OU fans:

-How has your special teams performed this year?

-If you were to lose a starter anywhere on the field for this game, where would it hurt the most?

-How often do you go five-wide on offense?

-Who is your most reliable receiver and biggest deep-threat?

1. Special teams has performed well. Kick coverage has been good. We had a PR and KR touchdown last game, and several kick returns throughout the season to midfield, and 4 or 5 big punt returns into opponents' territory. Our FG kicker is something like 12 for 13. Our punter has been hit or miss this season. A few shanks, but a few booms. He's historically been pretty good though.

2. I don't want to lose a starter along either line. Our OL (especially on the interior) was absolutely decimated early in the season. We have had 2 guards tear their ACLs, our starting center have to give up football due to a neck injury, and a backup center with leukemia. The rest of the guys have come together and played really well recently though. Our DL is finally back to full strength with Stacy McGee's 6-game suspension ending, but I still would like the depth against a running attack.

3. We go 5 wide a pretty decent amount. Maybe up to 10 plays a game. A lot of the times one of the 5 might be our all-everything FB Trey Millard. We also will often start in a 4 wide set and motion the RB out wide just before the snap.

4. Our most reliable receiver is either Kenny Stills or Justin Brown. Our biggest deep threat is probably Stills, however, transfer Jalen Saunders has recently gained eligibility, and he's a legit burner. Not sure exactly how he will be used going forward.

 

[EddytoNow]

Before the season started I had this game figured as a ND loss. I optimistically was hoping for an 8-4 or 9-3 season with losses to one of the Michigan teams, Stanford, Southern California, and Oklahoma.

This game is still going to be tough to win, but Oklahoma has shown itself to be vunerable and we have proven ourselves capable of winning any game on our schedule. We have the potential to strike quickly (Atkinson, Neal, Chris Brown, etc.). We also have one of the best defenses in the country. That combination and our defense's ability to make the big play should make this a very competitive game.

 

[olevet]

I disagree with that. If we are able to run the ball effectively it will not only allow us to control the TOP but it will force you guys to stack the box and allow Golson to potentially make plays. He has faced some very good pass rushers MSU, BYU and Stanford. Hes good at avoiding the rush, and making plays with his feet.

Thats my point, IF Y'all dont have a passing attack and have to rely on the run entirely Your in trouble. I dont know because I havnt watched much ND at all . Y'all could blow us out for all I know , but I doubt it
Like I've said TOP is pretty meaningless , Kansas had the ball something like 10 minutes more than we did last week , What was that score?


If Yall win Ill be back to give ya Props, But until then I'll stick with My prediction of 49 10 OU

 

[woolybug25]

Thats my point, IF Y'all dont have a passing attack and have to rely on the run entirely Your in trouble. I dont know because I havnt watched much ND at all . Y'all could blow us out for all I know , but I doubt it
Like I've said TOP is pretty meaningless , Kansas had the ball something like 10 minutes more than we did last week , What was that score?


If Yall win Ill be back to give ya Props, But until then I'll stick with My prediction of 49 10 OU

As I have stated earlier, pass first spread teams always say "TOP is meaningless", but you guys actually have no clue what you're talking about. If you are a power running team like ND, then TOP is clearly tied to how many possessions we get (and in turn, OU doesn't get). Pair that with one of the best defenses in the country, you get our gameplan.

By the way, 4 of the top 5 teams in the country are in the top 25 in TOP and 8 out of the 10 undefeated teams left in the BCS are in the top 30 of TOP. It's a cliche made up by fancy-pants pass-first teams that TOP doesn't matter in college football. It clearly does matter.

By the way, I find it hilarious that you state that you haven't watched much ND football and then say you are sticking to a prediction that is more than double what our defense allows on average. You come off as having a very low football IQ.

 

[buckeyesooner]

Agree with all points except the bolded. McGee isn't going to change much. He will add some depth but the guy hasn't played real game snaps since last winter. He has been practicing but I would be shocked if he makes a big impact.

Not so sure I agree Switz-he has been practicing on a daily basis against the #1's OL. Yes, game shape does enter into it, but he will make a difference.

 

[jbaker]

How many 6'6" 251 Lb. Mackey Award finalist Tight Ends have your 5'10" and 6' lock down Corners faced?

Our corners won't be on Eifert. Franklin Shannon or Tony Jefferson will be.
And Millard is about the equivalent of Eifert in the passing game anyway.

 

[woolybug25]

Our corners won't be on Eifert. Franklin Shannon or Tony Jefferson will be.
And Millard is about the equivalent of Eifert in the passing game anyway.

Ha. You're 6'2" fullback is equivalent to our 6'6" All American TE? Yeah... same type of matchup problem.


Where is OUMullen? I'm losing IQ points every time I respond to a Sooner that isn't him. I am excited about having good conversation and debate with our Okie friends, but today's batch ate a bunch of stupid-sandwiches.

 

[Irish Houstonian]

OU runs pretty well out of the shotgun, but they don't necessarily tear up the passing game on 3rd and long. A lot of their passing is play-action built off of runs that have gone for good gains.

Stop their run = save the world.

 

[Irish#1]

Not so sure I agree Switz-he has been practicing on a daily basis against the #1's OL. Yes, game shape does enter into it, but he will make a difference.

If he's not in game shape, he'll be good for the first 1 or 2 series, then he'll start to fade.

 

[jbaker]

Ha. You're 6'2" fullback is equivalent to our 6'6" All American TE?

No.
Our 6'2" fullback is better than your 6'6" All-American TE.

 

[OUMallen]

Ha. You're 6'2" fullback is equivalent to our 6'6" All American TE? Yeah... same type of matchup problem.


Where is OUMullen? I'm losing IQ points every time I respond to a Sooner that isn't him. I am excited about having good conversation and debate with our Okie friends, but today's batch ate a bunch of stupid-sandwiches.

OUMullet reporting for duty. I'm busy powering America's future down here in the Land of the Red Man. Hope you're enjoying that electricity you're using today. YOU'RE WELCOME.

Our hybrid FB Millard is, indeed, a beast and a matchup problem. I don't know that you can just compare him willy-nilly to any above-average TE. But he gets out in the passing game and trucks people. He's definitely a major weapon that isn't getting all the hype yet.

WONK WOOOONK: OU Trey Millard Trucks Missouris White - YouTube


His best play ever: Oklahoma RB Millard hurdles Texas again! - YouTube
Make sure you watch the replay on that one; the second angle is better. Also, on the FIRST angle, watch the line judge take out UT's backup QB Case McCoy as they all race down the sideline.

 

[Irish#1]

Our corners won't be on Eifert. Franklin Shannon or Tony Jefferson will be.
And Millard is about the equivalent of Eifert in the passing game anyway.

I would suggest you take off your crimson glasses and go watch some tape of Eifert before making that statement. Eifert can stretch the field and go deep. Pro scouts would laugh you out of the stadium.

 

[jbaker]

I would suggest you take off your crimson glasses and go watch some tape of Eifert before making that statement. Pro scouts would laugh you out of the stadium.

Eifert's 3 receptions a game just don't have me convinced he's going to win ND the game.

 

[VadersbrOU]

Mike Stoops defense's typically will shut down the run on a consistent basis and force the opposition to throw.
they do occasionally give up a homerun run on the ground. ND will not ground and pound OU . I do they they will pop some runs, but they will have to balanced

 

[HoosierSooner]

OU fan perspective

OU fan perspective

I've been reading a lot of the posts on here for the past few days and have found it very interesting. I'm a life-long OU fan, born and raised in OK, parents and I went to OU, and in addition, I recently returned to Oklahoma after living in Michigan City, IN for 6 years. (45 minutes down the road from South Bend). So, I'm VERY familiar with Notre Dame land, and it's fans. For the most part, you guys are great, just as most OU fans here are good. But we do have our crazies. So a little perspective:
Personally, I think OU begins almost every season ranked TOO HIGH in the pre-season polls. We're usually 4-5 spots higher than we should be. This year was no exception. Our ranking was mostly based on the reputation of Landry (God only knows why) and the return of Mike Stoops as DC. Now, I love Mike Stoops, and I think Landry is a good QB...good. NOT great. He's not Sam Bradford, or Jason White, or Josh Heupel, for that matter. It's really very simple for you guys, get pressure on Landry and keep our offense off the field, and you win. Landry has shown over the course of his career at OU that he does not respond well at all to pressure in his face.
Having said that, our mediocre defense is showing signs of life and starting to return to form a little from years gone by. (probably the influence of Mike Stoops). I hope that continues. I DO think your DL is the best we've faced so far this year and probably the best we will face all year. If Landry, steps into the pocket, gets rid of the ball quickly and we establish ANY kind of run game..you guys might be in trouble. If not, I think the Irish have a GREAT chance to pull it off. I'm SO FREAKIN psyched for this game, i can't put it into words. I know you guys are too. Good luck, it's gonna be fun!

 

[Irish Houstonian]

OUMullet reporting for duty. I'm busy powering America's future down here in the Land of the Red Man. Hope you're enjoying that electricity you're using today. YOU'RE WELCOME....

One thing's for sure -- OU fans seem have a very, very disproportionate amount of internet access relative to the rest of the nation.

This is like SoonerEnvy today.

 

[woolybug25]

Mike Stoops defense's typically will shut down the run on a consistent basis and force the opposition to throw.
they do occasionally give up a homerun run on the ground. ND will not ground and pound OU . I do they they will pop some runs, but they will have to balanced

Keep telling yourself that. MSU and Stanford are statistically much better than OU at stopping the run (#12/#4 vs OU's #46). They thought they would be able to stop our running game too.

 

[woolybug25]

OUMullet reporting for duty. I'm busy powering America's future down here in the Land of the Red Man. Hope you're enjoying that electricity you're using today. YOU'RE WELCOME.

Our hybrid FB Millard is, indeed, a beast and a matchup problem. I don't know that you can just compare him willy-nilly to any above-average TE. But he gets out in the passing game and trucks people. He's definitely a major weapon that isn't getting all the hype yet.

WONK WOOOONK: OU Trey Millard Trucks Missouris White - YouTube


His best play ever: Oklahoma RB Millard hurdles Texas again! - YouTube
Make sure you watch the replay on that one; the second angle is better. Also, on the FIRST angle, watch the line judge take out UT's backup QB Case McCoy as they all race down the sideline.

Good to have ya back, Mullen. Thank you for powering America's future.

 

[eyeballjr]

How many 6'6" 251 Lb. Mackey Award finalist Tight Ends have your 5'10" and 6' lock down Corners faced?

Texas Tech's Jace Amaro 6'5" 257lbs. He is Texas Tech's 3rd leading reciever. We held him to 29 yds on 3 catches. He has almost 400 yards on the season. He isn't on the Macky watch list, but his recieving #'s are better than some that are.

I think Jbaker was more or less saying, our FB will burn your LB's as many times as your TE will burn ours.

 

[woolybug25]

I think Jbaker was more or less saying, our FB will burn your LB's as many times as your TE will burn ours.

Have you watched our LB's?

 

[MPClinton22]

The funny thing about those highlights of Trey Millard is they came against two defenses that aren't even in the same league as ND. All things the same, ND would never let him rip off the run that Texas did.

Also, he seems to me to be a similarly built runner as Le'Veon Bell from MSU. Strong, bigger runner. Will take/give a hit to gain a few extra yards. I could be completely wrong in this assessment, but I think they're very similar. Either way, how did he do against ND?