Jim Ross' Blog: OU - Oklahoma State

The Sooners overall team effort last Saturday night before the largest crowd to ever see a sporting event in our state was amazing as was the level of fan enthusiasm.  The noise level down on Owen Field was nothing like I have ever experienced in Norman and without question motivated the team tremendously.  In the locker room after the game the players were still buzzing about the crowd and how much the Sooner fans motivated them.

I made a flippant remark last week in this blog about the old cliché that if it’s too loud one might be too old. Some folks took that negatively as if I was trying to eliminate AARP members from the stadium. For the record, yours truly is a member of the AARP so, obviously, that was not the case as I plan on attending OU Football games until I take my final dirt nap. Nonetheless any one who was in attendance last Saturday night won’t soon forget the experience thanks to the atmosphere and an overwhelming Sooner victory. Sooner Magic was alive, well, and loud.

But that was last week.

Traveling to Stillwater Saturday night to again appear on prime time, national TV on ABC, Bedlam will be the focus of many college football fans in our nation. As usual, winning in Stillwater won’t be easy for the Sooners who have played very well on the road this season.

Too bad the stadium likely won’t be sold out. Thanks to the OSU Athletic Department’s philosophy of requiring one to buy a season ticket, as I understand it, to get a ticket to the OU game I am told that there will be many empty seats in Stillwater on Saturday night. I hope the ABC announce team have the info to explain to the nation why the stadium isn’t full with so much riding on this rivalry game that started in 1904 which was three years before statehood.

By the way, the same writer for the Daily Oklahoman who “jeered” Bob Stoops for “calling out OU fans” is “cheering” OSU AD Mike Holder for “sticking to his guns” of his ill conceived ticketing plan.  Go figure.

This I know…..since very early this week virtually no one I have spoken with associated with the OU football program has talked about the BCS, national rankings, or any thing else we fans speak of on a regular basis or so says my wife.

The focus of this team all week has been to go to Stillwater and play physical football and leave Payne County with a win. Every Sooner is expecting a Slobber-Knocker and fully expects this game to be the most physical contest of the year.

So much is at stake Saturday night including a possible trip to the Big 12 Title game and perhaps even a trip to the BCS National Championship game.

OSU has the chance to stick a knife in our hearts once again while winning 6 conference games for the first time in their school’s history.

This is the first time in 102 games that both teams enter the game with at least 9 wins.

The Sooner defense played big time college football last Saturday night while beating Tech like a Government Mule. That same effort and attention to detail will be required to beat the Pokes in their house Saturday night.

OSU’s running game ranks 8th nationally and is lead by Kendall Hunter who has amassed 1434 yards rushing averaging an impressive 6.8 yards per carry while scoring 14 touchdowns. Obviously stopping OSU’s running game is a huge priority.

That means that the Sooners need one more regular season game of great tackling and playing their assignments to a “T” which will equate to the most important “W” of the 2008 thus far.

Wide receiver Dez Bryant is a future NFL star and TE Brandon Pettigrew will be drafted in the first day this April during the NFL Draft and both will be keys in the Pokes’ game plan, one has to assume, in a major way this Saturday.

Running QB’s have been problematic for Sooner defenses in the past and Zac Robinson and run or throw very well and was in the Heisman talk after the Pokes went to Mizzou and won earlier this year.

Without question, OSU coach Mike Gundy will make OU MLB Austin Box play some pass defense during Bedlam. Good news is that the former Enid star is playing solid football holding down the middle for injured Ryan Reynolds.  

The Cowboys average 492 yards of total offense per game and have the ability to eat up the clock with their running game but Kevin Wilson’s offense has also proven that they don’t’ need lots of time to score. That fact alone about OU’s offense could be a huge factor in the outcome of this game.

This game will be wrought with emotion and angst. The atmosphere in Stillwater for this prime time ABC game will be classic.

Fox Sports picks OU to lose to Oklahoma State 45-42.  I see the Sooners winning 42-21 but admit this one could be much closer.

When this rivalry started all the way back in 1904, it took OSU 10 years to score their first points and let’s hope history repeats itself and the Boone Pickens Cowboys see their stock fall again this Saturday night.

Saturday night in Stillwater will not be for the weak at heart but the Sooners seem to be peaking at the right time, key defensive players are coming into their own, the offense is the most balanced machine in the nation, and no one is going to out coach Bob Stoops in this big money showdown. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

I hope that you will join us at J.R.’s Family BBQ in Norman and Moore and remember that we do caterings of all shapes and sizes. For more info on our Oklahoma based restaurants please check out www.jrsbarbq.com.