-
soonerdowns said...
You're right. We had plenty of cornerbacks ready to step in when Jamell Fleming got hurt and we had absolutely no personnel problems at safety this year. Plus thank God we had a couple of defensive ends ready to step in when Ronnel Lewis went down and Frank Alexander couldn't lift one arm over his head. Oh, and how about that huge push we got from our defensive tackles this past year!
Sheesh, everyone is so sensitive right now. Bring up even the slightest question or criticism of our coaching staff and the McCarthy's of the board are quick to jump in. Just because I question our defensive personnel and coaching decisions does not mean that I am a Whorns fan or that I drink rice grain vodka while reading Mein Kampf in my spare time.
A practical request for you: Please tell me how you feel that we had enough depth at cornerback and safety this past year. It is my opinion that an aspiring championship team should have at least one backup cornerback capable of playing at a much higher level than our third CB demonstrated this past year. I also feel that a title contender should not have to move their starting outside linebacker/nickelback to safety as their first option for a backup safety. Or, if you want to look at that player as a true safety, an aspiring contender should not have to play him at linebacker just because there is nobody else at that outside linebacker/nickelback position who can cover anybody.
What are your thoughts? Rather than the standard "Red Scare" retort about how the coaching staff knows what they're doing and I should go back to Moscow (err Austin), how about you explain to me why it is that you feel we had sufficient depth of athletic and overall playing ability on defense this past year. I'd love to hear your analysis.
-
DLPSOONER said...
THIS^^^^^
If we get better play out of the upcoming DT's. Then our defensive scheme will work A LOT better than it has. Yes this is where it all starts with Coach V's scheme. This is what gets the LB's in better position and also allows the DB's to make more plays also. IT ALL STARTS HERE! Now..... this is a big if they can come in and change the up front push!
-
NNicholson said...
We need to target more players that can come in from high school and compete (and start) immediately. It's one thing to "build them up" so they can compete after riding the bench for two years, but that philosophy hasn't exactly worked as of late.
I want the Sooners to win as much as the next guy, but it is very alarming that we don't seem to bring in and sign the elite players lately.
Without any injuries next year and with only the commitments we currently have, does anyone on the board feel we are a slam dunk to win the Big 12 next year? Or better yet, make the MNC game?
If it isn't a slam dunk to say Hell Yes we'll do those things, then we aren't recruiting well enough.
-
DenverSooner said...
If OU is not going to win the Big XII next year, who is?
Texas - no OSU - not a chance Kansas - not a chance ISU - not a chance Tech - not a chance Baylor - no, unless RGIII returns then maybe KSU - no TCU - no West Virginia - no
OU will be the favorite to win the Big XII next year. I don't know that OU is a national championship contender but they will be the favorite to win the Big XII. Could OU lose some games next season? Yes but I don't see a single school in the Big XII that should be the preseason favorite other than OU.
-
DenverSooner said...
If OU is not going to win the Big XII next year, who is?
Texas - no OSU - not a chance Kansas - not a chance ISU - not a chance Tech - not a chance Baylor - no, unless RGIII returns then maybe KSU - no TCU - no West Virginia - no
OU will be the favorite to win the Big XII next year. I don't know that OU is a national championship contender but they will be the favorite to win the Big XII. Could OU lose some games next season? Yes but I don't see a single school in the Big XII that should be the preseason favorite other than OU.
This post was edited by OURover on 12/28/2011 at 3:41 PM
-
tyresooner said...
I think it reflects an overall philosophy that we can win the Big12( or whatever it will be called) w/o great DT and w/o big LB's and that will get us to the BCS championship game and there maybe our offense will out score the opponent.
You have to win your league first to get your shot and to do that in the Big12 you have to be able to COVER, at least that is what I feel is the belief at OU.
It is kind of the situation the Big 10 is in. To win in their league you have to be really big upfront and at LB but when they get against the offensive speed of the SEC the get exposed
We are just the other way around we get exposed as being too light and get run over.
I think that is why the SEC wins they can play both ways on defense and both ways on offense( fast or powerful) because of the abundance of athletes they get in the south.
I think the goals for OU are in this order
step 1 beat Texas step 2 Win the Big 12 step 3 Get to a BCS game Step 4 Get to the BCS Championship Game
I am with you it is alarming that we are getting roasted on defense 3 or 4 times a year and yet we just keep stockpiling WR and DB that we beef up to play LB abd LBs that we beef up to play DE.
I wish we did it the other way around get DT that are fast enough to play DE, DEs that are fast enough to play LB LB that are fast enough to play DB.
There is nothing more dangerous in this world than a man with nothing to lose.
-
oufisherman
- 5 stars Rating: 86
1232 votes total - (3472)
- 31 months
- Send Message
- Follow User
- Ignore User
-
oufreak11 said...
My thoughts are....There are plenty of players waiting in the wings, they have talent but needed more development....Usually by next year these kids make the jump....As for DE, we can already see there was a need there with the signing of two JUCO DE and one of them being AA....At the same time Grissom fell into a funk for whatever reason.....There was depth just not difference makers like alexander or lewis.....Gabe Lynn is a good not great CB....but might be better served playing behind Hurst...He has skills but he just doesn't look very fast....sounds like Smitty could fix that.....We see the coaches got one JUCO CB to compete for the job...My opinion is he will get it...Moving Colvin was not a fault of having no CB, it speaks for how good Colvin really is....Proctor is senior and played a bunch....to me that move made sense.....as for your comment about jefferson maybe your overlooking the fact of how good jefferson is rather than what our lack of depth is....no one could have expected harris to have the issues he did being how well he played as back up the year before....I think its fair to say the coaches made a mistake by not having jefferson there from the beginning and just trying to find someone else who could play NB but I also think its fair to say that Harris was experienced and capable....It would not surprise me if Harris won his job back or was moved to NB/SLB....We could also see a little more zone next year.....The spring should be very interesting to see what the coaching staff does....
This post has been edited 7 times, most recently by Sooner4OU on 12/29/2011 at 1:13 PM
Proud Member of the Sooner Nation
3 cornerbacks, 2 defensive ends, and a 190 lb. linebacker*