OUInsider - Owen Field

I don't know that that's fair, Denver. Hindsight is always 20/20. If Kelly had any idea what was about to happen that day, I have no doubt he would have shut down the video tower.

I think he was negligent and/or grossly negligent and I think there should be consequences for that. I don't think he wanted the kid to die or anyone to get hurt.

Stats are stats are stats. We can recite them all day long. Oklahoma put up big points on Texas, Kansas, Florida A&M etc. Guess what, ND put up big points on the bad defenses they played too, Miami and Navy. ND doesn't have a great offense, but they have played four pretty great defenses.

That said, Oklahoma has a pretty stout defense as well. The question will be, can the undersized, but speedy, Oklahoma front 7 slow down the run of ND? If yes, Oklahoma wins this one as Golson just isn't there yet to beat a talented secondary on his own.

However, if ND can get a run game going, which they have the past two weeks, that will give Golson a chance to use some play action to get to the edge where he is at his best. ND has worn down the last three opponents in the second half. Can the smaller OU front 7 maintain their level of play for all four quarters?

On the other side, ND plays a conservative cover 2, not giving up big plays, stops the run and makes teams drive 10-12 plays to score. Can Oklahoma play crisp on offense and be patient? ND has had a few broken coverages (who hasn't), but have been pretty solid in not giving up big plays and they tackle well in space when the ball gets dumped off.

If OU can be consistent on offense, avoid sacks, penalties and drops, they'll move the ball on ND. Then it will be "BellDozer" vs. the best red zone TD defense in the nation. A good battle for sure.

On one hand, every fan base has said "ND hasn't faced a team like us" this year, but ND just keeps finding a way to win. ND has actually played their best football on the road this year. No, they haven't scored a ton, but they've scored when they've needed to. Kelly has gotten conservative in a bunch of games in the second half and counted on the D. That may not work this week.

I "think" ND can do enough with run game to get to 20-24 points, maybe 27 if they can hit a big pass play or two. I also think if OU plays a clean game, they'll get to 27-30. But ND has been pretty good about getting teams out of rhythm and making them play worse than they are.

I think it is two pretty even teams with different styles. OU will try to run away from and around ND, ND will try to run through and over OU. Whoever gets their style rolling probably wins the game.

Not to be disagreeable, but Coach Stoops
did NOT mean this is our biggest game since 2000 in terms of difficulty. We have played in 3 national champ games since 2000 and many Big 12 champ games. This
Is anticipated in terms of match ups of traditions but by no means is this the biggest game OU has played since 2000

Is it just me or is Nickel your guys base defense rewatched some highlights from the Kstate game couldnt find a full game replay, but im surprised how much you ran nickel against a running team. Could just be the highlights I saw and not the defense you were running the whole game, but seems like Stoops runs a 4-2-5 as a base and I know Jefferson is kinda of that hybrid LB/FS (btw what a player). I understand playing in the Big12 you build your defense for passing. Just curious how often are you in a 4-3? Thanks

The nickel is our base but against Texas we ran 3 backer sets quite a bit. Against KU Joseph Ibiloye played a lot and was assigned to their TE a lot of the night. I expect a similar gameplan on Eifert.

I don't agree we have a small front 7. If you say smaller LBs then yes, we go about 230 and 220 there and it's not a problem. Our DL goes 250, 315, 300, and 280, that's just right.

If your D plays a cover 2 and keeps stuff in front then we will have a field day. Every back we have is used in the passing game on the edge or underneath. 1 FB and our top 4 backs all catch out of the backfield as a requirement of the position. We have 6 receivers who all have the strength and wiggle to break a tackle to get it to the endzone.

Notre Dame is use to playing in crazy stadiums. Michigan State, and Michigan it can get crazy. Last year we silenced the crowd only to hand the game away on the last play. If anything I would say ND has the advantage playing in Normon.

This doesn't matter when our front 7 is putting pressure on Landry. You guys have not faced our quality defense this year. And to be honest Kansas State gave you troubles. Notre Dame has proven this year that they can get it done no matter how bad we are on offense.

I'm not convinced that you defense is all that you make it out to be. Frankly, with the offenses you have played against, your stats should have you in the top 5 defensively. As for the KSU game, we had over 400 yds offense and the KSU offense (#11 scoring offense) scored 17, 14 in the 4th qtr. KSU did win and that win was a gift. Don't count on OU being that generous again.

If you look at your schedule and the schedule of those teams, ND may have one quality win, Stanford, only because Stanford beat USC. The best offense you've played is Purdue at #48. OU has already played 3 teams in the top 11 in scoring offense.

How is your front 7 going to pressure Landry with 5 receivers available. Not going to cover someone? Going to play zone with 4 guys? You do that and Landry may complete 50 passes.

It always amazes me how many people, no matter what it is, only want to look at the pieces that support their point of view. The bottom line is that ND has an offense that is way below average and a defense that has racked up stats against below average offenses. In OU you will face the best defense you have seen all year and it is not even close and the best and most balanced offense you have played against. The OU defense has been tested against 3 of the best offenses in the nation, ND defense has not really been tested. On paper, the ND defense is the best that OU has seen but not by much. The KSU defense is very comparable. I don't see how the ND offense is going to score. If OU does not turn the ball over and give ND a very short field, they may get shutout, that is how bad their offense is and I have watched the BYU, Stanford, Michigan, Miami, and Navy games.

http://notredame.247sports.com/Board/87/Sooners-get-a-boost-on-the-DL-13344284

Look at this gem of a thread. Pricks.

OU is by far the best offense we will have faced. Care to tell me a D that OU has faced like ours? I know KSU is good, don't know how good, but you lost to them.

First, you had 386 yards vs. K State, not over 400.

Second, what defense covers 5 WR with a 4 man zone? None I've ever heard of. ND rarely blitzes. They are able to get pressure with their DL, and only blitz on occasion.

Sure, you can ask the question how can ND cover 5 WR's, but you can also ask how can OU protect Jones with only 5 OL? Tuitt commands a double as does Nix. Even if they don't get home, they'll affect the pocket, get Jones moving his feet which everyone knows makes him less effective.

Of course they could rely on short quick passes, which might work. But to think that the O-Line is going to give Jones a ton of time without a RB or TE to chip ND's D-Line isn't great logic.

Now, if somehow OU can slow the ND rush in a 5 WR set, they are going to beat ND by four TD's. But I've yet to see a lineman this year hold up Nix or Tuitt one on one, they are just too big.

And if you want to compare schedules, what quality win does OU have so far? Texas Tech? Texas is brutally bad on defense. Kansas is 1-6. Florida A&M is 1-AA. UTEP is UTEP. I'd argue the Stanford win in just as impressive as the Texas Tech. Michigan St. = Texas and you still don't have a win as good as Michigan then, even if they aren't as good as expected.

Don't start throwing stones at ND's "weak" schedule until you've taken a look at your own, other than Texas Tech, your aren't exactly littered with big wins or a slew of "great" defenses to make your offensive stats any more impressive. The two good defenses you've played, K. State and Texas Tech, both held you 100 yards below your average. OU's offense has beaten up bad defenses just as much as ND's defense has beaten up bad offenses.