Defense holds the key to successful 2018
- Thread starter Jason Rhea
- Start date
I just hope BoBo Stoops gets it. Can we get through one season under BoBo that some guy doesn't have his career best against a BoBo Stoops defense.
Gumbs and Kelley have both put on good weight. I saw Kelley about 2 or 3 weeks ago and he looks like a LB now. Kind of an Obo look. Last year I bet he weigh, 220lbs. He is ever bit of 235 now.
Broiles, and yes I spelled it right. Has been a player I've had my eye on since his John Marshal days. The guy is a hard hitting, with a nose for the action. Player.
Gumbs and Kelley have both put on good weight. I saw Kelley about 2 or 3 weeks ago and he looks like a LB now. Kind of an Obo look. Last year I bet he weigh, 220lbs. He is ever bit of 235 now.
Broiles, and yes I spelled it right. Has been a player I've had my eye on since his John Marshal days. The guy is a hard hitting, with a nose for the action. Player.
Big, big year for you, Mr. Mike Stoops.
With Baker gone, we need your defense to be better to have a legit shot at the playoffs. Going to need the defense to carry us in a couple of games this year Mike.
But if we get lit up by the likes of Iowa State (again), I'm afraid it will mean the end of your current tenure as our DC. There won't be any stopping the anti-MS crowd at that point.
I certainly wish you success sir!
With Baker gone, we need your defense to be better to have a legit shot at the playoffs. Going to need the defense to carry us in a couple of games this year Mike.
But if we get lit up by the likes of Iowa State (again), I'm afraid it will mean the end of your current tenure as our DC. There won't be any stopping the anti-MS crowd at that point.
I certainly wish you success sir!
No truer words have been spoken. With Baker the defense could afford to be bad but now that he is gone the defense will need to pick up some slack thats for sure. Not sure if my heart can take much more of watching a MS coached defense. Still scratching my head on how he got a pay raise after last season.
Yeah, WTF is happening in Sooner Land. Now you just watch, the OU defense will step it up this year and Mikey will get another five years onto his contract.
Then we will be stuck in stone ages of defending the wunnerful spread by sitting back in the lawn chair with an ice cold brew whittling wood...humming the other team’s fight song.
After so many disappointing years with the defense, I'm not buying that it will be the key in 2018. The key to me is Kyler Murray playing within Lincoln Rileys system. All the keys are in place on a loaded offense, including most importantly, an experienced OL. Expect 50 - 40 type games and you won't be disappointed. IMO
Defense for OU is no longer a trademark. It's now an embarrassment.
Yes we used to make statements and played punishing/attack football. Now we are lost and late to react. Certainly testament that Mike Stoops stubborn systems are failing like a hole in nuclear submarine.
Florida Atlantic went 11-3 last season and scored 568 points, averaging 40 points per game.....against a schedule, outside of Navy and Wisconsin, of drunken drag queens.
Against Navy, they scored 19 points, losing 42-19.
Against Wisconsin, they scored 14 points, losing 31-14.
33 points in two losing efforts is not impressive.
That said, the Owls could score 35 points on OU....but several other teams can (and will) hang 35 on OU this season, as 5 opponents did in 2017.
OU should win big with a score similar to a girls' high school basketball game between Ardmore and Healdton....something like 48-28.
Against Navy, they scored 19 points, losing 42-19.
Against Wisconsin, they scored 14 points, losing 31-14.
33 points in two losing efforts is not impressive.
That said, the Owls could score 35 points on OU....but several other teams can (and will) hang 35 on OU this season, as 5 opponents did in 2017.
OU should win big with a score similar to a girls' high school basketball game between Ardmore and Healdton....something like 48-28.
This will not happen.....BUT if FAU were to win, Mike will coach the remainder of the season. He is like the Tiflon Don at Oklahoma.
OU leads FBS with seven straight years losing a game as a double digit favorite. Defense to blame? It's time to end this debacle.
All comes down to a push up the middle. If Gallimore is suddenly what's been
advertised then the defense will be much improved. But the D-line has to mount
a pass rush and clog the holes. That's something we haven't seen lately. I feel
confident about the back end but the D-line has to play much better than what
we've been seeing.
advertised then the defense will be much improved. But the D-line has to mount
a pass rush and clog the holes. That's something we haven't seen lately. I feel
confident about the back end but the D-line has to play much better than what
we've been seeing.
Wow. I didn’t realize it’s been going on for that long. How can that happen again this year? I’m just asking myself the question. I’m afraid I know the answer.
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Wake me up when defense becomes as much of a priority as offense at OU.
Until then, more arena style football is coming. I don't like it.
Until then, more arena style football is coming. I don't like it.
I think we need to restore the mean and smarts to this team. To accomplish this, we need to remove those that are holding this team back. But NO we give the fool a raise and a contract extension.
His nephew is running off & on w/ the ones. And this kid's daddy is the former OU Coach. You think they're going to fire the uncle of a player and brother of the former HC? Nope. All we as fans can do is hope that LR pushes him hard for improvement.
The talent is going to start showing results in spite of Mike.
I've been watching old replays of early 2000's Stoops' defenses, and I was surprised to see a lot more than I expected of 3 down lineman sets, with the 4th man being a LB. However, the difference was the was mostly on 3rd and long situations, and 5 DBs instead of 3 more LBs. The base was still 4 down lineman. Actual lineman Mike. Not a Jack.
The next thing I noticed, but never forgot, was the aggressive play calling. Even those nostalgic defenses of yore featuring Calmus, Marshall, Everage, Strait and Williams, gave up some big plays. But the disruption was immense. Guys coming every which way, and with a f'ing purpose.
Maybe we don't coach em up that way anymore but them boys tackled, and hit, and wrapped up. I think we'll be pretty solid on talent alone, but we won't be elite on D till we ditch the hybrid crap and find some attitude.
I've been watching old replays of early 2000's Stoops' defenses, and I was surprised to see a lot more than I expected of 3 down lineman sets, with the 4th man being a LB. However, the difference was the was mostly on 3rd and long situations, and 5 DBs instead of 3 more LBs. The base was still 4 down lineman. Actual lineman Mike. Not a Jack.
The next thing I noticed, but never forgot, was the aggressive play calling. Even those nostalgic defenses of yore featuring Calmus, Marshall, Everage, Strait and Williams, gave up some big plays. But the disruption was immense. Guys coming every which way, and with a f'ing purpose.
Maybe we don't coach em up that way anymore but them boys tackled, and hit, and wrapped up. I think we'll be pretty solid on talent alone, but we won't be elite on D till we ditch the hybrid crap and find some attitude.
That aggressive play calling was more a product of BrentV than it ever was Mikey.
Yep, we are stuck with arena defensive football as long as MS wishes to stay at OU.
This is the main reason I have my doubts about LR. A Saban or Meyers, would never settle for a Bobo Stoops and bet their reputation and future on someone like bobo.
I'm not sold he has what it takes to win at this level. If LR makes the same rookie mistakes and doesn't do everything to give his players a way to win. He might lose the locker room. This is his make or break year. If he can win big without Baker and in spite of bobo, he's here to stay. If he makes bad game time decisions and bobo is bobo. He out the door 2020 or 21.
I'm not sold he has what it takes to win at this level. If LR makes the same rookie mistakes and doesn't do everything to give his players a way to win. He might lose the locker room. This is his make or break year. If he can win big without Baker and in spite of bobo, he's here to stay. If he makes bad game time decisions and bobo is bobo. He out the door 2020 or 21.
I don't see 2019 as LR's make or break year at all. And it will take some catastrophic seasons in 2019 and 2020 for LR to be shown the door in 2020 or 2021. Especially after he just took OU to the playoff in his debut year. Word that Mike and the defense is who 2019 is make or break for. Mike was VERY close to losing his job after last season.
I would like to believe this and it should be true, but I've been disappointed before. Like Bob, the game has passed Mike by, many years ago. Successfully integrating/understanding new/different defensive concepts has never been their forte. Doesn't everyone line up a 240 lb rush linebacker as DE all game long against a run heavy Georgia team?
Lets say, OU goes 8-4 regular season and LR makes the same mistakes but doesn't have Baker to bail him out. bobo defense is once again ranked 65-90. He will get a house cleaning, pass. Fire some coaches but he will be on a very short leash. He will have to win big or the voices will get loud. Think Gene Chizik/Cam Newton.
I still cannot believe, the hottest young coach in CF, hitched his reputation, his family and his future to Mike Stoops. This is why I'm scared he doesn't have what it takes, to be a HC at a place like OU. I hope I'm wrong but, he kept what most would consider a bottom 25%, defensive coordinator.
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Chizik was fired cuz he went 3-9 his final year. Hard to believe things fell that fast 2 seasons after winning a Natty. It would take that level of catastrophe for LR to be out the door in 2020 or 2021.
I'm kind of scared he hitched it to Mike Stoops and then to Ruffin McNeal as the backup plan. Too many friend hires continue. Should institute a rule allowing only a certain amount of coaches on team with Texas Tech, Iowa bloodlines. We've far exceeded our quota no matter what that number may be, imo.
1st, I consider this the 2018 season. If LR and bobo do not keep the train rolling. We go 8-4 and the defense is Top 65-95, I will be calling for LR, to get rid of bobo. If he keeps him, they both need to leave Norman, the day after, his announcement.
If he cannot put OU 1st and leave personalities out of what's best for OU, the team and the support, he needs to go. And that's LR, I'm talking about.
I truly think LR has something special but I also, think he's in over his head and his personality. But, I also think he can make the turn, as another, 3 win NC coach. He just needs to man up.
A great coach given the reins to a powerhouse, blue blood, has to make tough decisions. He has to decide what he will do, to be the best and keeping dead weight, that hurts OU is not a great coach.
So a 2018, 8-4 the whispers will start about how it was Baker not Lincoln
A 2019, bobo is still on staff and again we go 8-4 but lose our bowl game. He is forced to fire assistant coaches. This is the beginning of the end. It's now sink or swim. I think about 20%, will just want to rip the bandaide, and want everyone fired.
2020 again, no improvement, people will start calling for a new HC coach. I will be one of them.
2021, he has to win big or get fired, 9-3 will not cut it . There is no 2022, that I see LR staying at OU, in this scenario. And 2020 is not that far fetch that he gets the boot.
So not only is defense the key, it's also the key to Rileys future.
The defensive line isn't really a problem. It's a little undersized for a 3 man front type line. I'm more worried about the linebacker play. Kenneth Murray was out of position so much last year it couldn't be by accident. He's either coached that way or just isn't that good. Caleb Kelly was nowhere to be seen most of the year and apparently can't even crack the starting lineup. I did kinda like Mark Jackson in some flashes. But the LBs we have now are probably the least talented I can remember ever in 30+ years of watching OU football. Even the Gibbs-Blake years had talented LBs. I don't see anything there. Defensive backs are young and will get burned a lot if we can't get to the QB much. Motley was just as bad as Jordan Thomas last year. Defense will lose us a couple games this year.