Oklahoma State 38, Oklahoma 35: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
The Pokes flew past Oklahoma in a late Bedlam comeback. (Image courtesy: KJRH.com)
It’s fitting that this train wreck of a season ended in one final smashing of Sooner fans’ expectations with an all-time low performance at Owen Field. (I guess you could argue that this was worse.)
This week, we're taking the rhetoric to another level.
The Good
Samaje Perine
Oklahoma's stud freshman was having another great game until he missed the gap on a run in the third quarter and got gang tackled by OSU. He ended up fumbling and spraining his ankle.
Without Perine and the already absent Sterling Shepard, the Sooner offense stalled out completely, save for a huge bust by the Cowboys that allowed Keith Ford to run for 50 yards. It’s like Josh Heupel panicked once Perine got hurt.
Aaron Ripkowski
Rip had a senior day worthy of his Don Key Award. His play in short yardage was just awesome as was his effort on his touchdown reception where he dragged six OSU defenders into the end zone.
One has to wonder where the I-formation fullback dive was earlier in the year with some of the short-yardage problems that OU has had.
Zack Sanchez
After failing to ice the game on offense and giving away half of a 14-point lead by inexplicably playing one-armed Julian Wilson at cornerback, the Pokes had the ball with three minutes to go and a chance to tie the game. Then, one of only two Sooner defenders making plays (Eric Striker being the other) intercepted a pass. It should have saved the game. Too bad that Sanchez is so easy for opposing offenses to avoid.
The Horrible
OU defense
Save for Sanchez and Striker, who OSU pretty much neutralized all game, the D has no playmakers.
Linebackers? No playmakers. Beyond average.
Safeties? No playmakers and massive liabilities in coverage.
Defensive line? Average at best.
Jordan Thomas
Thomas is struggling as a true freshman. He might be a playmaker at some point, but Mike Stoops' scheme left him exposed all game. OSU’s big plays all came against that side of the field.
No changes were made. Nothing. Down after down, he was there to be exposed.
Julian Wilson playing
Playing Wilson when Thomas got hurt? Inexcusable.
What has happened to Dakota Austin and Stanvon Taylor.
Mike Stoops
Mike is done. He made OSU’s inept offense look great at times. The defense needs a total gut rehab – personnel, scheme, coaches. You name it.
Fourth quarter offense
OU’s last two regulation possessions on offense were awful. The Sooners simply played to run clock, not secure any first downs to seal the game. The play call on third-and-2, in particular, was just asinine. OSU had nine defenders tight in the box, and Heupel blindly ran right into it.
After the Sanchez INT, there was a chance to take control with a play-action pass.
The passing game
I have no clue what has happened to Cody Thomas under Heupel’s tutelage. The great passing quarterback from high school has looked terribly inaccurate.
The QB situation in Norman is a total mess. Basically, Sooner fans, we have to hope a former second-string walk-on QB at Texas Tech is the next great Sooner QB.
The Plain Stupid
Decision to re-punt
If Bob Stoops was an NFL coach, this would be a fireable offense.
It’s the kind of piss-poor game management that has plagued the program in the last four years.
Bob should strongly consider resigning this December. The vast gap between his own stated expectations of this team and the performance demonstrates that he’s lost the ability to motivate, coach and develop a squad. At a minimum, he should fire his coordinators, but all that’s really doing is delaying his inevitable resignation after a couple more sub-par seasons.
No big-time coach with 10 years or more at a school in the last 15 years has coached his way out of a significant downward trend. It all ends the same way.
-Atlantasooner