Bedlam Brutality

Kirk Herbstreit on the set of ESPN GameDay

On ESPN GameDay Saturday morning, the dreamiest analyst in college football, Kirk Herbstreit, humiliated one of the sport's proudest programs.

Herbie cut up a nice little lowlight package of plays from Oklahoma Sooners' humbling loss last week to Texas Tech. He caught Sooner defenders loafing in spots and flat-out qutting on a number of plays late in the 41-13 blowout loss to the Red Raiders.

Right about now, the Oklahoma State Cowboys are probably wondering where that group went.

To say OSU's offense "struggled" in its 27-0 loss to OU would be like saying T. Boone Pickens' investment in the Cowboys' football program is "underperforming." A smattering of the Pokes' putrid offensive statistics:

  • six total first downs, all of which came in the first half and three of which came on OU penalties;
  • 14 punts after going 0-14 on third-down conversion opportunities;
  • averages of two yards per passing attempt and 4.7 yards per completion;
  • an average of 2.1 yards per rushing attempt.

It was like watching a replay of the Texas Tech game in reverse. While the Cowboys couldn't get anything going offensively, the Sooner offense took off after halftime. Redshirt freshman quarterback Landry Jones settled down after a shaky first half, and OU running backs DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown gashed a clearly gassed OSU defense that got little chance to rest as their teammates on the other side of the ball faltered.

Unlike the Tech game, it was the kind of dominating defensive performance that OU fans had grown accustomed to in an otherwise disappointing season.

NovemberAllen KenneyKirk Herbstreit, Landry Jones, Oklahoma Sooners, Oklahoma State Cowboys, T- Boone PickensComment