Posted on 11/06/2006 7:32:13 PM PST by MikefromOhio
If you were able to watch the national broadcast of the game AT Texas A&M Saturday nite, you saw an example of classical Bob Stoops coaching on the road in front of a VERY hostile crowd. OU scored either two or three times in the first quarter, (I forget which; I think two TD's and a FG) and then Stoops at his best: Onside kick. Aggies recovered at about their own 40, and went on to score their only TD with the help of a couple of our guys drawing penalties.
On the way to the locker room, Lisa Salters says something like "Coach, did you give them a TD with the onside kick?" Stoops' reply was "No, the play was there so we went for it. If we gave them a TD it was by drawing two penalties."
In the second half, the Aggies came out stopping the run and it became a defensive game. Within the last two minutes, OU had the ball 4th and 1 at our own 30, with the score 17-16. All the "former coaches" in the booth were saying "I'd punt it." Stoops went for it, got the first down and a five-yard penalty to boot because A&M was playing the 12th man, literally. Game's over.
My observations: Stoops is gonna play by the rules and he's gonna play his game. He's not going to allow the fear of losing interfere with anything, let alone the people in the peanut gallery who have nothing at stake. Ignore the guys in the booth, ignore the media, ignore the fair-weather fans. Stoops understands where the buck stops and who his people are. About that final 4th down, someone axed him about his call and he said "I looked my offensive guys in their eyes and I just couldn't punt it."
Stoops for President, so far as I'm concerned.
Oh, did someone ask, what if they hadn't made the first down? Wouldn't be the first time Stoops lost a game. "See ya next week..."
OU is 8-2, counting the Oregon game as a loss.
We got screwed on that one, no doubt, but what comes around goes around. Let's concern ourselves with the things we have control of and let the chips fall where they will.
I for one was madder than hell about that Oregon game, but see what you can learn by watching a guy like Coach Stoops? When I go back to finish my MBA I'm gonna make him a case study in Leadership and Decision-making.
The premise of your question notwithstanding, though, I'm not a voter, nor am I a gambler. (I know you didn't ask.) I'm a fan. Win or lose, I support my teams, enjoy the games, try to see the big picture regarding Division I, and I try to find redeeming social value in what happens on and off the field.
Example: OU's situation at QB and OG this season.
One other thing: I meant to say "OU's situation at QB, OG, and RB this season"...
"Comcast steps in and creates "The Mtn.", the network totally dedicated to the Mountain West Conference. Uhhhhh, okay..."
What is this mythical network you call the Mtn? Is it like bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, or the Chupacabra? Has there been a recent sighting?
In all seriousness, as a New Mexico fan living in Az, this so-called TV contract blows. In past years I could watch the Lobos at least 4 times a season, 3 on ESPN,ESPN2, or ESPN+,and once on the BYU channel. This season I've only watched the Lobos once, their 26-13 pounding of UTEP. The Utah/New Mexico game should have been televised, but nooooo, CSTV had a barn burner of a Div 1AA game on that night. Craig Thompson needs to be shown the door for sticking MWC fans with this farce of a TV deal!!!!
They sure are fun to watch, though. But they still only scored 16 against Bama, so that pretty much tells you where they stack up.
Exactly. You're going to get some good and some bad with an inexperienced QB, I suspect when you look at his first 15 games, he comes out ahead of Peyton Manning's first 15 games. He's got tremendous upside.
ANYONE: Who is the most underrated winless team in College football?
The Bengals are killing me. The O-Line is porous as our Southern Border and Palmer's not planting his leg and following throw. And Chad "Ocho Cinco" Johnson can't run routes or catch anymore. Not looking good. Clearly the team was overrated in preseason, and add a bunch of injuries at crucial positions and you have a mediocre team.
Oh, and I've had Roy Orbison's "In Dreams" stuck in my head for the last week.
I'm really pulling for Louisville to make it. Even without Michael Bush they are doing awesome on offense (let's not mention D). The Brian Brohm story is a good one.
Alas, now that I'm actively pulling for them they'll lose to Rutgers (I curse teams--really).
One thing about Texas--that kid Colt McCoy (honestly that sounds like a creation of marketing) has been getting better and better every week. It's scary that he's a redshirt Freshman.
Wow color-coded and everything :)
good post :)
WAC and MWC games are fun to watch.
yeah....
It would be a very bad business move.
The only way it ever changes is if the BCS and the Conference Presidents write ND out of the formula, which may happen at some point.
Even then ND might tell them to screw off...
maybe maybe not...
He's never impressed me as a guy who can win the big games.
The problem is that Stoops and Kragthorpe will be overshadowed by Greg Schiano and the coach of Wake Forest (whose name escapes me at the moment)....
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