I gotta get back to Dallas
And tie up a few loose ends
–Toy Caldwell, Marshall Tucker Band
This is a big game, bigger than Dallas. To paraphrase Ben Bradlee in All the President’s Men, “Nothing’s riding on this except it’s the biggest game in 10 years for Texas, the biggest game of Tom Herman’s coaching career and the chance to become a serious contender for the College Football Playoff for the first time. Not that any of that matters.”
I can’t prove it in writing, but it seems to me that the outcome of most high-stake games like this one comes down to turnovers. Excuse me if that is a “Captain Obvious” statement. I’m just saying. Other than turnovers here are my “Bud Wilkinson” keys to victory for the Longhorns.
1. Hold Oklahoma’s offense to scores on less than 50% of their possessions. As revealed yesterday in this column, the average number of possessions in a college football game is 13. Would it be too much to ask the Texas defense to hold Oklahoma to 6 scores? Say four touchdowns and two field goals or field goal attempts, 31 -34 points total? If Texas does that I believe they’ll win.
2. Excuse me for stating the obvious again but Sam Ehlinger needs to play a really good game. He has broken his habit of trying to play “Hero Ball” over the past year-and-a-half. He can’t have a relapse under the pressure of the biggest game of his life.
3. Collin Johnson is supposed to play after missing three games with a hamstring injury. He caught eight passes for 177 yards against Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship Game last year. He also drew two or three interference penalties and there were two or three more that the officials couldn’t bring themselves to call.
It will be a huge boost to the offense if he can get some separation and have another big game against Oklahoma.
4. Ryan Bujcevski needs to have a competent game punting. He’s averaging a pedestrian 40.5 yards per punt. Even if he only punts three times, one shanked 22 yarder that gives Oklahoma a short field could be decisive. The forecast is for northeast winds at six mph so the wind won’t be much of a factor.
5. This is related to #1. The Texas defense has yet to figure out how to effectively pressure the passer. Defensive linemen Malcolm Roach, Ta’Quon Graham, and Keondre Coburn have one sack combined for the year.
The last report that I saw says Oklahoma’s two starting offensive tackles will not play due to injuries. Todd Orlando has to find a way to take advantage of that and come up with a better plan than he’s had so far to get to the passer.
6. Related to #1 and #5, Texas defenders have to take good angles to get to Oklahoma ball carriers. They have to understand when to concede five yards to prevent a 30, 40, or 50 yard run.
7. Turning over the ball on downs—especially in the red-zone—is a turnover. Get it? Turning it over on downs is a turnover. Take the points.
I could on but I’m starting to feel a little didactic.
OU MAKES SMALL PARTIAL VACUUMS WITH THEIR MOUTHS!
Cheers, it’s OU Weekend!
Hook ‘Em,
W.E.
