Saturday Ramblings: Holgorsen's Heroes
Some random ruminations while waiting for OU to kick off at 9-frickin'-15 in the pm out here on the east coast...
*Ugly win, but a good one for the Cowboys today. For the first time since Bob Stoops has been at OU, I'm starting to think Oklahoma State may have the edge in the Bedlam Game.
Mike Gundy earned a reputation as an offensive mastermind when his teams were rolling up huge stats in the past few seasons, but the truth is that new coordinator Dana Holgorsen has taken that team to a new level. Holgorsen runs a system that seems to play to big-armed, 41-year-old quarterback Brandon Weeden's strengths. He knows how to spread the field to set up his running game, too.
(By the way, as my buddy Aaron Torres points out, is there any offensive coordinator out there who you'd be less likely to let babysit your kids than Holgorsen?)
*Watching Nebraska run all over Missouri today made me all the more apprehensive about the Sooners. Mizzou essentially held OU's runners in check last weekend, while NU rumbled for 330 yards on the ground with Taylor Martinez on the bench for the second half.
Despite the loss and some pedestrian numbers, I thought Blaine Gabbert acquitted himself well today. He showed some great mobility both inside and outside the pocket. Considering the Tigers spotted Big Red a 24-point lead and he was facing the best secondary in the country, I thought he played tough getting his team back into the game.
*One half is in the books in Colorado Springs, and Air Force is completely blowing a shot to upset Utah. It seems so unlike a service academy to turn the ball over three times in an opponent's territory, but that's what we've seen out of the Falcons so far.
*Will be interesting to watch USC's offensive playcalling in the second half of this game with Oregon. Oregon's D has developed a reputation for bowing up in the second half after its win over Stanford. However, Jim Harbaugh went away from the run pretty quickly as that game wore on.
If it's still a game in the fourth quarter, will the Trojans be able to push the Ducks' smallish defensive line around? What happens if Oregon is playing Alabama for the national championship?
*Jacory Harris is lucky to still be alive. Crazy that some guy from sissypants Virgina did that.