WWE Commentator and big-time Sooner fan Jim Ross previews Saturday's OU-Texas A&M Showdown.
There is no place like home.
It seems like forever since the Oklahoma Sooners have played in the friendly confines of Owen Field and Saturday night’s crucial, must win tilt with the Texas A&M Aggies finds the Sooners once again in a “Survivor Series” mode as it relates to any hope of playing for the BCS Championship.
Embattled A&M Coach Dennis Franchione may sport the nicest haircut in the Big 12, but the Aggie head man is in danger of getting clipped at the end of the season and perhaps only a Big 12 South Title will prevent such. Desperate times call for desperate measures so one can expect the Aggies to potentially pull out every gadget and gimmick play imaginable Saturday night on ABC. Those kinds of things worry me but, then again, I am the worrying kind when it comes to Sooner Football and teams invading Norman with a strong sense of urgency and who are 21-point ‘Dogs.
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Texas A&M might as well say they run the wishbone or the veer offense as the Aggies utilize a great deal of QB Stephen McGee running the ball and optioning to his running backs, especially speedy Michael Goodson. McGee is a tough, hard-nosed player who is the key to the Aggie offense, and not allowing McGee to “make plays” is a noticeable key in this game. McGee leads all Big 12 QB’s in rushing averaging almost 82 yards per contest.
RB Jorvorskie Lane, whose near 300-pound frame may be more suited for the WWE than the NFL, is a load when he’s able to run “down hill” and his pending collisions with OU MLB Curtis Lofton should be able to be heard all the way to J.R.’s BBQ at I-35 and Main...OK, that was a cheap plug but one has to assume that Lane and Lofton will butt heads before the night is over. My money is on Lofton, who is averaging over 11 tackles per game including six double-digit games and a whopping 18 stops against a tough Missouri team.
If there is a better MLB in the country in college football than OU’s #40, he must be in the Witness Protection Program because I have not seen him. The former Kingfisher Yellowjacket should have a wonderful NFL career ahead of him, but I selfishly hope it isn’t until he uses all his eligibility at Oklahoma University.
Controversial Aggie TE Martellus Bennett is another potential weapon the Aggies have at their disposal, but is a gifted player who is seemingly always on the verge of greatness but never quite gets there. Let’s hope the future NFL draftee doesn’t “find himself” and get him and his Aggie tattoo overly involved in the Big 12 South showdown Saturday night. At times, the Sooner “D” has had issues covering tight ends this season.
For the Sooners, ranked #3 nationally in rushing defense only allowing 68 yards per game, stopping the Aggies' running attack is one of the keys to this game. A&M would love to establish the run, which they did not do last week against the “Fighting Manginos”, and keep OU’s offense off the field much like Iowa State did in Ames two weeks ago, specifically in the first half. The number of “3 and outs” for OU’s “D” could be an intriguing stat.
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DE Auston English has been nominated for the Ted Hendricks Award, of which yours truly is a voter, as college football’s best defensive end. The former running back who wears #33 has 8.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss in this breakout season for the sophomore. The coaching staff feels that English is playing better than any DE ever during the Stoops’ era, which covers some serious ground. I for one am happy we will get to see English play at least one more year for the Sooners.
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The 5th-ranked Sooners had a productive off, week which allowed many players including LB Ryan Reynolds, DT Steve Coleman, FB Dane Zaslaw and DT Gerald McCoy to heal and they should all be ready to rock the sold out house for the game that will be televised in approximately 15 states. Getting linebacker Reynolds back on the field should be a definitive boost to the stingy and physical Sooner defense. Reynolds and several of his teammates were in our BBQ place during the off-week and Ryan said he was feeling “really good” and would be ready to go against A&M.
Joe Jon Finley was one of the players with Reynolds at our place and one forgets just how big the senior tight end is, but #19 is 6'6", 265 and he benches 420 pounds and has a 34” vertical jump, which all will bode well for the Sooner Captain come NFL combine time.
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Every Sooner player that I have talked to going into this game hopes that the home crowd is as loud as it was against Mizzou, which was one of the most enthusiastic crowds many have heard in Norman in years. To cut to the chase, Sooner fans need to raise hell, especially when the Aggies have the ball and particularly on all Aggie 3rd downs.
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OU is 51-2 at home under the head ball coach Bob Stoops, and has won its last 15 in a row in Norman and 35 of its last 36 at home. Under Stoops, OU is 27-1 against the Big 12, which is an amazing statistic and the Sooners are averaging 56 points per game at home this season.
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The keys to the game:
1. Take care of the football. Perhaps habitual fumblers need to sit along the west sideline at least long enough to get the offender’s attention.
2. The offensive line needs to forget about how good pundits say they are and play aggressively for four quarters and with a chip on their large shoulders.
3. Play a smart football game and play without giving Texas A&M “hope”. Do not allow the game to be close going into the fourth quarter.
4. Tackle efficiently and aggressively, especially Aggie QB Stephen McGee.
5. Do not allow the Aggie special teams to influence this game.
6. Get playmakers like Malcolm Kelly, Jermaine Gresham and Demarco Murray involved early and often in the game. (I know there is only one ball to go around, but work with me here.)
7. Don’t get caught with our pants down in the secondary and allow the Aggies to burn us. Again, it’s that “hope” thing.
8. Keep the home crowd “Jacked” even though Sooner fans should not need any additional motivation to rock Owen Field for what is a huge game.
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Everyone is invited to drop by J.R.’s BBQ at I-35 and Main and enjoy some great, slow smoked “Q” this weekend. You might even see former OU greats Tommie Harris and Dusty Dvoracek enjoying a meal as both will be in town for the game. You can also call 360-4BBQ (4227) for “to go” orders.
BOOMER SOONER!!
J.R.
www.jrsbarbq.com
P.S. Yours truly has been asked to introduce the OU offensive and defensive starters on the ABC broadcast, which should be fun.
