HOOKED 'EM: More Quarterback Issues Stifle Offensive Flow

OSU head coach, Mike Gundy, is the leading
candidate for the head coaching job down in
  Florida, according to the Las Vegas oddsmakers.

  No offense, no spirit, and no defense when it mattered. Those were the reasons why the Oklahoma State Cowboys lost to the Texas Longhorns on Saturday, 28-7. OSU has had offensive issues ever since the Iowa State game, and has never really recovered from their home loss against West Virginia. With Baylor on Saturday and then OU following that, the Cowboys are in some serious trouble of possibly missing out on making a bowl game for the first time since 2005. Yes, that was head coach, Mike Gundy's first year as head coach, and with Vegas putting Gundy atop their list of coaches that are most likely to take the recently opened Florida job, could this be it for Gundy? It might be fitting that he go out 5-7 like he did in 2005 just for the sake of people who like statistics, but if Gundy were to really leave, most people bet on Oklahoma State Athletic Director, Mike Holder, to call up former offensive coordinator and current West Virginia head coach, Dana Holgorson, to be Gundy's replacement. But has the football play of the Pokes gotten so bad that the biggest story line isn't even the fact OSU might have to burn freshman standout, Mason Rudolph's, redshirt, because Daxx Garman left Saturday's game with a slight concussion and some shoulder soreness? The unfortunate answer to that question, is yes, but could Rudolph possibly be the one light at the end of this darkening tunnel that the Cowboys seem to be heading down?
  When it comes to redshirting players, coaches will normally jump at any chance to if the kid is talented enough. According to Gundy, Rudolph has impressed him, but the offensive line just isn't good enough to protect a pocket passer, and frankly, the kid could use a year to study the offense more and get even better. The problem for the Pokes is that they already lost J.W. Walsh after the Florida State game, and with Garman supposedly not at 100%, the only other option other than Mason Rudolph is the walk-on freshman that probably never expected to get even a single snap in a live-action game in his career! So with that in mind, do you take the walk-on off the bench and pretty much surrender your season, or do you burn the redshirt on Mason Rudolph and try to become bowl eligible? For fans of OSU, the situation leaves them in a position where their disappointment is warranted, but they know if they would have had their intended starter in for all these games, instead of Garman, then they might be bowl eligible already. Mike Gundy has elevated this program for sure, but the facts are that he has doomed this team for the remainder of this season, and possibly another couple years after this, as well. With Wes Lunt, former quarterback for the Pokes, playing very well up in Illinois for the Illini now, and former offensive line coach, Kevin Wickline, gone and now at Texas, the two departures seem to be directly affecting the current Cowboys' season. Think about this: The offensive line is terrible and the back-up quarterback for this season would've been the third-string quarterback if Lunt would've stayed. In other words, Mike Gundy drove off the one player that could have kept this program heading in the right direction, and then lost his offensive line coach that has been helping him acquire some of the best talent for those positions, and the offensive coordinator for OSU has no clue how to get the ball into the most dangerous player on the field for the Cowboys' opponents!
  I'm sorry for all you OSU fans, but this team, is a debacle, and is a disgrace to the standards Mike Gundy has built this program up to. The situation could be so much better for OSU, but the bottom line is that you can't predict injuries, and losing J.W. cost the Pokes a decent 7 to 8-win season. That's just something to think about, as the Cowboys travel down to Waco to face the intimidating Bears of Baylor at 6:30 CT on FOX.

Thunder Week In Review: November 1st-November 9th

  When life sends you obstacles, the best thing you can do is work your hardest to get through them. That's exactly the motto the Oklahoma City Thunder have adopted this season, as the injury situation for the team has regressed from bad, to worse, to unbelievably terrible. On November 3rd, against Brooklyn, Andre Roberson suffered a sprained foot, and is day-to-day, according to the Thunder training staff, and hasn't played since then. Then, against Toronto the next day, Perry Jones, who was contributing in a major way for the Thunder, offensively, left the game with a knee injury, and hasn't returned yet, either. With a total 5 players out for the Thunder, the NBA granted a grievance for the organization to go out and get another player. Enter former Rockets backup point guard, Ish Smith. Smith has been with 7 other teams in his career, and the Thunder make it his 8th to be with. He has never averaged over 4 points a game in a season, and has averaged under 10 minutes of playing time for most of his career as well. Not exactly a superstar, but an able body that produced 7 points and 1 assist in the Thunder's 2nd win of the season, last night, against the Sacramento Kings, 101-93.

Thunder player, Perry Jones (#3) and Andre Roberson (right) are now
also on the injured players list that keeps growing for OKC this season.

  As for all the other games the Thunder played this week, the only thing to pair with the injuries in some of the games, losses came with it. OKC went 2-3 this week, but played close in a loss at home to Memphis, and could have easily gone 3-2. Fortunately, Oklahoma City has 3 winnable games in a row on their schedule, so a 4-game winning streak could be in affect when they host the Houston Rockets on November 16th. Another positive for OKC, is that Reggie Jackson and Serge Ibaka have come together and picked up the slack in the absence of so many of their teammates. But like all good things, this may cause Reggie Jackson to pull a James Harden, and ask the organization for a huge contract. Sorry Reggie, you're not James Harden, and never will be, but is losing Jackson going to hinder this team like the loss of Harden did back in 2012? Not even close. Jackson has been inconsistent in his career, even if he has been there for the team in some huge spots, and in order to pitch the idea that he should be given a major deal, you need to bring consistent production to the court. Furthermore, Jackson pushed and pushed to try and obtain a starting position for this season, only to be beaten out by Roberson, who is now injured (who isn't?). So Reggie, enjoy your starting role while it lasts, and if you really want that contract extension, carry this team to a winning record before KD's return in late December. It's just something to think about, as the injury-stricken Thunder continue to press onward through this grueling NBA season.

UnBEARable Loss: Sooners Get Mauled by Baylor

  11 AM kickoffs in Norman have become a trend this season for Sooner fans, and on Saturday, Gaylord Memorial Stadium was completely filled with crimson and creme maniacs that had the impression OU was going to get revenge for last year's 42-14 blowout loss in Waco, even with OU's top wide receiver, Sterling Shepard, out for the game after re-tweaking his groin in warm-ups. Boy, were they ever wrong about that! In the first quarter, it was all Oklahoma, and with a 14-3 lead over the Bears, everyone thought that it was the beginning to huge OU win. Just like all good things, though, it came to an end, and the sleeping bear was prodded with a stick one too many times, and awoke from hibernation. Baylor proceeded to rack up 45 unanswered points over the next 3 quarters, and with a little over half of the fourth quarter remaining, the Sooners starting quarterback, Trevor Knight, went down with an apparent left shoulder or neck injury. The Bears ended up routing the Sooners, 48-14. Not only did Baylor destroy OU's chances of getting to the football final four, but they may have destroyed the Sooner's opportunity for a Big 12 title.

Running back, Shock Linwood, (#32) and offensive tackle,
Spencer Drango, (#58) of the Baylor Bears
celebrate a touchdown against the Oklahoma 

  Amongst the mass chaos that took over Norman that afternoon, the stats were not necessary to convey the dominance Baylor displayed. Mike Stoops, the defensive coordinator, was furious when his cornerbacks were giving the Baylor wide receivers an 8-yard cushion on every play to start the third quarter, and when he screamed for them to scoot up, they didn't. Not because they couldn't hear him, but because they knew that if they did, getting beat deep was inevitable. That's when the realization that this team was not championship caliber came to light for many in the Sooner nation. As crazy as it is to see OU sitting in sixth place in the Big 12 behind Baylor, TCU, Kansas State, West Virginia, and even Texas, the Sooners are still in a relatively decent position. Am I crazy?
  The answer to that question is yes, but that has nothing to do with Oklahoma football. When it comes to the question, "Is OU still in a spot where winning the Big 12 is a possibility?" The immediate response, without thinking, is no, because how could 5 teams in front of OU choke like a bunch of losers? Well, let me paint you a very hypothetical picture then. Baylor will have to lose all the rest of their games, (OSU, Texas Tech, and Kansas State) which isn't the craziest thing that could happen, TCU would have to lose to Texas and Iowa State, which is unlikely because Iowa State has yet to win a Big 12 game, but that could be the reason they sneak up on the Frogs. As for Kansas State, they would have to lose to West Virginia and Kansas. Again, most likely, the Wildcats should beat Kansas, but the Jayhawks are coming off of their first Big 12 win this season over Iowa State, so maybe the momentum could carry them. To wrap it up, West Virginia would have to lose to Iowa State, and Texas would have to fall to OSU, and then both teams would have to win the remainder of their games. Still, OU would be tied with TCU and Kansas State for first place, and the Sooners did lose to both of those teams, so putting them ahead of the Frogs or Wildcats is very bold, but if the losses to bad teams (Kansas, Iowa State, and Texas) outweigh OU's losses (TCU, Baylor, Kansas State) then why not have them at the top spot? Plus, if these teams fold like they need to for OU to miraculously win the Big 12, then OU should be ranked higher in the nation's Top 25 poll than both K-State and TCU.
  Okay, so the liklihood of OU winning the Big 12 is the same odds you have of getting hit by a bus in your own living room, but it the bottom line is that it is still a very, very, very slight possibility. Other than that, what exactly do the Sooner have left to play for? The only answer to that question is that they are playing for a very prestigious bowl game against another team that will be left on the outside, looking in, when it comes to this year's college football playoff. Sure, it's a long ways down from being a top 4 team in the nation and being labeled as having "the best defense in the country" by week 3 of this season by ESPN analyst, Kirk Herbstreit, but at least 9-3 is a respectable record.  Still, OU has to travel to Lubbock this week, and no team coming off such a huge defeat ever wants to set foot in that environment, so we'll see how the Sooners can respond. In the Baylor game, body language was very negative when the Bears started their 45-0 run in the second quarter, so the moral of this team needs to be very high, heading into Saturday, because we all know the crazy things that have happened in Lubbock for the Sooners in the past. Until then, it's just another thing to think about as OU prepares for the Texas Tech Red Raiders at 2:30 CT on ESPN.

Cycl-OWNED: Oklahoma Dominates Iowa State in Ames

  Confidence is key. The saying is as old as time, and the Oklahoma Sooners sure got a boost in their confidence when they traveled up to Ames, Iowa and shellacked the Cyclones, 59-14. OU never trailed in this game, and back-up quarterback for the Sooners, Cody Thomas, got valuable minutes in the 4th quarter. Oklahoma had such great success on offense when it came to running the ball, and head coach, Bob Stoops, let Trevor Knight loose to run when he had opportunities, and that worked very well for OU because Knight ran for over 140 yards. Much criticism was placed on Stoops when it came to him openly admitting he didn't want Trevor running the ball because he didn't want him to get hurt, but the way Knight ran on Saturday morning, there seems to be no doubt that Stoops has given that way of thinking, up.

OU quarterback, Trevor Knight, celebrates a touchdown against Iowa State.
The Sooners beat the Cyclones 59-14.

  Early on in the game, wide receiver, Sterling Shepard, pulled his groin, and is currently day-to-day, but his services were not needed in this case. Second and third options, Duron Neal and Michiah Quick, came up big for Knight, and the offense just kept plugging along. On top of Knight's 146 rushing yards, running back, Alex Ross, ran for 144 yards himself, and OU's offensive total for rushing topped 500 yards! The Sooners' total yardage was over 750 and they definitely made a statement for being the best team in the Big12. Sure, Kansas State is the only undefeated team in the conference play, (only loss is to Auburn) and TCU beat OU, so they have to be ahead of them unless the Sooners can beat Baylor (since the Bears beat TCU). Oklahoma is actually sitting in 5th place though, due to the fact West Virginia beat Baylor (even though they lost to TCU as well) and that OU hasn't played the Bears yet. If Oklahoma can beat Baylor, then they would jump WVU (since they beat them earlier this season) and take over the 4th or 3rd spot in the Big 12. The Horned Frogs of TCU play K-State this week, and it will be one of the most highly-anticipated match ups this season for Big 12 fans. If the Frogs can beat the Wildcats, then OU maybe ranked second in the Big 12, and that could go a long way for the Sooners. To be honest, Oklahoma could still win the conference title and possibly earn a spot in the college football playoff if Kansas State was to lose to West Virginia, TCU, or Baylor. In my opinion, the Wildcats will not finish their season unscathed in the Big 12 and that bodes well if you're a fan of the Crimson and Creme.
  Looking ahead on Oklahoma's schedule, they host Baylor at 11 AM CT, in Norman, for their 5th 11 o'clock kickoff this season and their 4th in row at that time. Sooners are 3-1 in those games, and at home, their only loss has come at the hands of the Kansas State Wildcats, 31-30. Expect OU to prepare mightily for the Bears this week, and keep an eye out for quick defensive end, Eric Striker, to have his hands all over Baylor QB, Bryce Petty, for most of the game. Defensive Coordinator for the Sooners, Mike Stoops, has emphasized the importance of getting to Petty early and often on Saturday, so watch for number 19 blitzing off the edge a ton! Last time Baylor came to Norman, they only lost, 34-42, so expect this game to have a similar feel. It's just something to think about, as the Sooners look for another Big 12 win to improve their chances of competing for a national championship at 11 AM CT on Fox Sports 1.

Big Trouble in the Little Apple: K-State Romps Pokes in Manhattan

   Kansas State head coach, Bill Snyder, stared at the scoreboard following the Oklahoma State Cowboys opening drive that resulted in a touchdown, and the look upon his face depicted a man who was wondering if the tone was set for the entire game on that single drive. As the Pokes kicked off after the score, relief was the emotion that came over Coach Snyder as he watched one of his cornerbacks, Morgan Burns, return the kickoff 86 yards to answer right back. From then on, it was all Kansas State, all the time. The Wildcats rolled over the Pokes, 48-14, and were in control after the first 3 minutes and 12 seconds of the game.
   OSU quarterback, Daxx Garman, had another anemic performance that consisted of him throwing 2 interceptions, no touchdowns, and left his passing yard total under 200 yards...again. Speaking of repetition, once more, the Cowboy defense was on the field a bunch, and freshman corner, Ramon Richards, returned a pick for a touchdown in the final moments of the game to boost whatever moral OSU had remaining a that point. Other than that, the defense didn't play well at all, and gave up 421 total yards to the purple-touted destroyers from K-State.

Oklahoma State mascot, Pistol Pete, hides his face in shame
as the Kanas State Wildcats made a 59-yard field goal to
make the final score 48-14 in their favor. OSU is now 3-3
in the Big 12 after the loss in Manhattan.

  As Oklahoma State drops to 5-4, and their 3-game losing streak seems to grow as the weeks press on, a 6-6 season seems like the most likely scenario for the Pokes. The rebuilding year for the Cowboys was not supposed to look like this, and the fans know it. No one expected J.W. Walsh to play a hell of a game against Florida State in the season opener and then fall to an injury in the following week, and no one thought that Daxx Garman would have such trouble with throwing the ball to the incorrect team. In Daxx's defense, the guys he's throwing to are open, but they just aren't wearing any type of black or orange. For the OSU fans that are sick of the disgusting passing game, team speedster, Tyreke Hill, finally got the carries that Mike Gundy promised media members in the preseason, and was very productive. Hill ran the ball 18 times for 102 yards and was responsible for the offense's only touchdown.
  Moving ahead on Oklahoma State's schedule, the pressure gets turned up a couple notches as they host Texas after having a bye week this coming Saturday. Texas has been on the cusp of winning some big games, but they haven't been able to pull out a victory over any team in the Big 12 that is above .500 in the conference. They have beat Iowa State, Kansas, and Texas Tech. That's a coincidence, because OSU has conference victories over the same teams, and hasn't beaten anyone else but them, either! This game will pretty much decide who will take 6th place in the Big 12, and if OSU can beat the Longhorns, they will have some momentum heading into their showdown in Waco against the Baylor Bears. But momentum isn't everything, and the Pokes haven't been able to score the ball very well, so keeping up with a high-scoring team, like Baylor, could be a disaster. After Baylor, the Cowboys have to travel to Norman to face OU, and that will be no cake walk for them at all. Last time OSU went to Norman, it took overtime to decide who would win Bedlam, and the Sooners came out on top. I'm not saying to expect another overtime shootout with both teams scoring over 48 points, but I am saying that anything can happen in rivalry games. It's just too bad that OSU can't seem to find the end zone on offense, and when you can't move the ball, it's hard to beat teams that are far better than you.
  Wrapping it up, the Cowboys are having their first season with under 7 wins since 2005 when they went 4-7 and 1-7 within the Big 12. The season looks to be one to forget for the fans of the so-called, "Orange Power," and the future holds a lot of questions for this program. In the end, sure, OSU could pull off a miracle and win 3 straight games to go 8-4 overall, but that's fantasy. 7-5? You're probably dreaming. 6-6 is where it's gonna be at for the Pokes, and if 5-7 happens, you bet there will be some uproar in Stillwater. Just something to think about, as the Cowboys have an off week to prepare for Texas on November 15.

West-BROKEN: Westbrook Suffers Broken Hand in Thunder Loss

   In the harshest of environments, a bug, not just an ordinary bug, is hovering and then lands onto the leaf of a Red Bud tree in front of the Chesapeake Arena in Oklahoma City. The arena is infested with these pesky bugs. But what kind of bug is tormenting the residents of the Thunder's domain? The injury bug. It stung a member of the team, once more, and left in its wake, an injured Russell Westbrook. The superstar point guard was examined and evaluated in the locker room during last night's game agains the LA Clippers, and it was determined that he has suffered a fracture in his right hand early on in the first quarter. Team Trainers expect Westbrook to be back in 4-6 weeks, but the devastation of this injury could be the death sentence for the Thunder's playoff chances. Before any playoff games can be played or not played by the Thunder, they had a Clipper team to take care of without any all-star on the floor for them, and two all-stars who were healthy, that were trying to beat them.

Thunder guard, Russell Westbrook, left Thursday
night's game with a broken right hand. He will
miss approximately 4-6 weeks with the injury.

  The Clippers never led by more than 10 points, and once again, poor 3-point shooting let OKC hang around in this one. Without Russell or Kevin, Perry Jones led the team in scoring with 32 points, and Oklahoma City had a chance to tie the game at the buzzer, but Serge Ibaka's shot from long distance hit the back iron and the Thunder fell to the Clippers with the final score showing 93-90. Ibaka finished the game with 17 points and recorded 9 boards. As far as overall team play goes, the Thunder turned the ball over 22 times and shot below 30% from beyond the arc for the second game in a row. These first 30 games of the season become very critical for OKC because by the time Westbrook returns, the team will have played 20-25 games, and still won't have Durant back until after Christmas. The tall task of being playoff eligible without Kevin just got even harder without Westbrook being available, and it leaves the team with only 8 healthy players out of the 15 on the active roster. Head Coach for OKC, Scott Brooks, will show just what he is made out of, and will have to produce wins with players that other teams would't even start. If Brooks can get the team to 25 wins before Durant is back into the lineup, then the Coach of the Year Award should be mailed to him before the season has even concluded, and Brooks should be the coach for the Western All-Star Team in February. Realistically though, the Thunder could only win 12 games by December 26, and those games are against the Bucks, Jazz, Pistons, 76ers, Hornets, Timberwolves, Kings, and Celtics. Oklahoma City plays a few of those 8 teams, twice, so that should be to their advantage, but the thought of a 12-17 record is totally sickening for a team that had championship aspirations.
  Moving forward for OKC, they host Denver as their home opener on Saturday, and the crowd should be into it for the whole 48 minutes. Though the Thunder could be blown out of their own gym, the likelihood of that occurring has simmered down after the 2 road losses that Oklahoma City has tacked on have only come by an average of 10 points. Honestly, if Scott Brooks doesn't sit Westbrook at the beginning of the 4th quarter against Portland on Wednesday, and then Russell didn't get hurt last night, OKC could be 2-0 instead of 0-2 to start their season. But now, everything having to do with Westbrook (and Durant) will have to cease since neither of them will see the floor until November 28th. For now, it's time to focus on Sebastian Telfair, Andre Roberson, Perry Jones, Serge Ibaka, and Steven Adams. Those are your Thunder starters for Saturday's game, and will most likely (barring ANOTHER injury) be the starting lineup until late November or early December. I don't think any OKC fan could have predicted that lineup would be the one showcased in the home opener, and I think that could be the most truthful statement made by anyone, at this point.
  Looking ahead to tomorrow night's match-up against Denver, the local media shrugged off the Nuggets when the question was asked if the Thunder would beat them in their first game at home, three days ago, but now, the murmuring of home loss is overriding those predictions. The Thunder are undefeated in their home openers (3-0) within the Chesapeake Energy Arena (established in 2011) and look to improve that record to 4-0. That's just something to think about, as the Thunder take Halloween off in order to travel back home to OKC in preparation to play against the Denver Nuggets at 7CT on Saturday.

BLAZED: Thunder Lose Season Opener in Portland

   As the Oklahoma City Thunder took to the court for the first time in the 2014-2015 season, there was no Kevin Durant, no Anthony Morrow, no Jeremy Lamb, and no Reggie Jackson for head coach, Scott Brooks, to utilize during the Thunder's 106-89 defeat. Considering the outstanding play of Russell Westbrook, who ended the night with 38 points, it was OKC who led at the end of the first 3 quarter. But a speedster like Westbrook needs his breather too, eventually, and Brooks sat him at the start of the final quarter, and that's when things got hairy for Oklahoma City. The Thunder couldn't hit a basket to save their life, and once Russell was inserted back into the game, the Portland Trailblazers caught fire from behind the 3-point line, and OKC just couldn't catch up. The perimeter shooting for the Thunder had been a concern coming into Wednesday night's game due to the fact that the team shot so poorly during the preseason, and that showed very obviously as they went 2 for 18 The starting lineup, which consisted of Russell, Andre Roberson,  Perry Jones, Serge Ibaka, and Steven Adams, started the game very well, and Westbrook was unstoppable throughout most of the evening. OKC got some help though, because the Trailblazers shot very poorly from beyond the arc for most of the evening, and without the barrage of 3-pointers that fell on target in the waning moments of regulation, it was a pretty pedestrian showing for the team that won over 50 games last season. But it was opening night, and there are now 81 games left for OKC and Portland to play, so for Thunder fans already pushing the panic button...just stop it.

Russell Westbrook converses with an official in last night's
loss to the Portland Trailblazers. The Thunder guard finished
with an astounding 38 points in 44 minutes of play.

   Coming into this game, most NBA fans knew that Durant was going to be out until Christmas (possibly), and that Anthony Morrow's sprained MCL isn't going to be ready for another 2 months or so. Along with those injuries, 6th man candidate, Reggie Jackson, didn't even make the trip up to Portland due to his sprained ankle, and the back-up shooting guard, Jeremy Lamb, was also absent with a minor back injury that could allow him to play against the LA Clippers on Saturday. With all these injuries, the first 20 game of the season are crucial to OKC, and the expectations for them are very low. If the Thunder go 10-10 for the first 20 games, that will be a monumental accomplishment. With the performance last night though, it's easy to see that this team will go as far as Westbrook can take them. Most national media members picked the Thunder to go 14-6 through the first 20 games, but assumptions have sen made that they didn't know of Jackson or Lamb's absence. I'm sure their predictions will change as the season continues to unfold.

  As far as they game on Saturday is concerned, the Thunder are not favored at all, and respectively so. Without another offensive powerhouse next to Westbrook, the next man up to become the second leading scorer for this team is up for grabs. Lance Thomas, a late edition to the team, had a solid night off the bench and scored 14 points, but Serge Ibaka, the projected second leading scorer on the team, only finished with 10 points. Serge did also grab 8 boards and blocked 4 shots, but the final score indicates that those numbers just won't cut it, especially against the Clippers. Los Angeles has a very strong front court that Adams and the Thunder's other center, Kendrick Perkins, will have to deal with, and judging from the 27 points they gave up to Portland center, LaMarcus Aldridge, they will have their hands full. Just something to think about, as the Thunder take the today to travel to the City of Angels and look forward to playing the Clippers at 9:30 CT, on ESPN, tonight.