The Oklahoma Sooners are going road-tripping this weekend to Lubbock to take on the No. 1 defense in the county in the Texas Tech Red Raiders. No, you didn’t read that wrong, Tech is off and running in their 2012 season so far, and especially on the defensive side of the ball.

A few quick game facts: Oklahoma hasn’t won in Lubbock since 2003. That does seem like a long time, but with the constant rotation conference realignment the Big XII has seen in the last several years, that is only 3 games. Texas Tech hasn’t won a conference game there since 2010, when head coach Tommy Tuberville took over. Tech officially pre-sold out the game on Thursday, making it the first time they have pre-sold out a game since 2008, against Baylor.

They may not sell out games in Lubbock, but if you have ever been to the Jones, its a crazy atmosphere to say the least. As mentioned earlier in the week, they have called for the game to be a blackout. Meaning all fans and students will be wearing all black, as well as the team.

Not sure how much that will be a factor, but I do expect Sooner QB Landry Jones to be a factor. How? It depends on which Landry decides to show up to the game. Against this much improved Red Raider defense, the Sooner offense can’t start out slow. That is exactly what came back to bite them in lasts year loss to them. The Sooners completely outplayed them in the second half, but their first half mistakes were too much to overcome. Landry needs to get into the game mentally and physically from the very first snap. We need to bring back the ‘stache Landry, that one could hurl the ball with out throwing it into the opponents arms. They may want to think about getting a running game established early on, to give Landry a chance to get a rhythm going and take some of the pressure off of him. A key player to watch out for on defense in safety Cody Davis. Davis leads the team in tackles and has two interceptions to date.

Speaking of pressure, the defense will need to add extra pressure on the Tech offensive line in order to get to QB Seth Doege. He has had a pretty decent season so far, he isn’t putting up numbers like he did last year, but he is accurate and given time, hits his target every time.

It’s one of those games where it all depends on how bad the Sooners want it. Are they going to roll over and do enough to get by or are they wanting to turn it around? We will find out what they are made of on Saturday.

Today is Barry Switzer’s 75 birthday, and he gave the Sooners a  little piece of advice for the game on Saturday:

Thanks, King! Those were some great words of encouragement and lets hope for a Sooner win to top off your birthday.

Barry Switzer on the cover of SI after taking the Cowboys job

The legendary Sooner coach, Barry Switzer remembers beloved Cowboys assistant coach, Joe Avezzano on Thursday after hearing about his sudden death in Italy. Coach Avezzano was with the Cowboys during their 90′s heyday run. He was on Switzer’s staff during the Cowboys last Super Bowl appearance.

Barry had known Avezzano for forty years before getting to be on the same sidelines during Switzer’s time with the Cowboys. Switzer says that football isn’t the first thing he thinks of when thinking about Coach Joe.

“Joe would rather have been a country western music star or on-stage performer than a football coach if he had a choice. Joe did a great job coaching, was highly ambitious and a hard worker, but Joe always thought he could sing. I got a kick out of that.”

In true Switzer fashion, he had a great story to tell about Avezzano. He remembered a party he hosted after a Cowboys game once that included Charley Pride and other country stars as guests. It didn’t take long before the music started, with Avezzano right in the middle of the group, and as Switzer said, “They were picking and singing.”

“That’s what Joe liked to do, pick and sing. That was his passion.”

R.I.P. Coach Joe. From this Sooner and Cowboys Fan. You will be missed.

The legendary Sooner coach, Barry Switzer, could possibly have his life put on the big screen soon according to SBNation.

From the SBNation editors:

Forgive me. That should be BARRY SWITZER MOVIE IN THE WORKS! APPARENTLY! The legendary Oklahoma Sooners coach (and accomplished Dallas Cowboys coach) could see his memoir turned into a movie – a movie that could be written by Friday Night Lights writers to boot. How could today get any better?

Molly Smith, the producer, was also responsible for P.S. I Love You and The Blind Side, so expect Nick Saban to somehow show up on a recruiting trip and woo the mother of a young Texan. She’s also the daughter of Fred Smith, CEO of FedEx, so expect the movie’s Switzer to pine for Oklahoma to get a call-up to the Big East someday, if they can prove worthy.

Eight straight Big Eight titles, players selling coke to feds, three national championships, that thin-eyed wit, the wishbone offense, NCAA probation, the world’s snuggest slacks, five OU players catching felonies, and a Super Bowl. Hollywood, kindly point out where the line begins for this film, and you’ll see I’m already in it somehow, especially if Barry Switzer plays himself.

The possibility of the Bootleggers Boy being turned into a movie has made my day. If the movie is done right, it could actually be really good. Even if you aren’t an Oklahoma fan, his life is one that you can’t ignore. The man changed the face of college football during his time on the field.

My only question is: Who would play the Boz?

Yesterday during Coach Stoops weekly press conference, the media touched on several subjects from Baylor, to Penn State and of course, the BCS.

The media asked him if he was ready to lobby for the Sooners as being the potential best 1-loss team to play in the National Championship game in January. Coach Stoops said he wasn’t interested in stating his case to the voters and wants to focus on winning the next 3 games. This is looking way ahead, and the Sooners still have to win out. The major roadblock would be Oklahoma State on December 3rd. And we all saw what happened last time this season the Sooners were looking ahead. Texas Tech happened.

Stoops was reminded of the 2008 season when the Sooners lost to Texas and then rallied to beat Texas Tech  to force a 3 way tie in the Big XII; he pitched his case to media a little bit then. Tech had pulled off one of the greatest wins in college football history to beat Texas and propel themselves to the No. 2 team in the country. Then came to Norman the next week to only be stomped by the Sooners, 65-21.

Stoops who says he avoids looking at the polls unless someone tells him or he sees it somewhere. He said that he was prompted by Barry Switzer in 2008 to watch the BCS ranking show. Switzer told him, I think this is one that you want to watch.

The biggest argument people are throwing around right now is that Oklahoma’s loss to Texas Tech this season was too awful  for them to be considered for a title game. Of course, this talk is mostly coming from Alabama fans, who would like to see an LSU/Bama rematch. If Bama had a shot to win their conference, I would just say let them at it. But they can’t, so they shouldn’t.

Stoops at presser about voters:

Everybody has their own opinion, Let’s face it. Everybody has their own opinion, agenda, whatever it might be. Sometimes it’s, ‘Well, let’s look at who’s hot at the time.’ Or someone else, ‘Oh, but they lost to this team.’

At the end of the day, everyone has a different take on it. It’s fair to say why they have a different take. Anyone that has a loss, you can turn it around any way you want and make it look the way you want, to write your story or make your comment.

In other Sooner news, QB Landry Jones, got a surprise yesterday morning from his teammates, or so everyone thinks. He woke up Tuesday morning and walked outside to a surprise and tweeted this:

Here is the picture he sent out as an SOS for someone to help.

Landry Jones' truck on cinder blocks - picture courtesy of Landry Jones @landryjones12

The culprit is said to be LB Tom Wort, who was just trying to give Jones a hard time. Cue everyone saying that the Sooners aren’t going into the game focused for Saturday.

Hopefully someone gave the guy a ride to practice.

This Saturday, The University of Oklahoma will unveil a statue dedicated to Barry Switzer. Coach Switzer will only be the third Oklahoma coach to have a statue in his honor, joining the ranks of Bennie Owen and Bud Wilkinson.

The King, Barry Switzer

The statue will be across from the Switzer Center, next to the Bud Wilkinson House, where the other coaches statues reside. Sooner Athletic Director Joe Castiglione will be there along with school president David Boren.

Big XII interim commish, Chuck Neinas is also slated to be there to introduce Switzer. Several former Sooners who played for Switzer will also be there. Hopefully we will have a Brian Bosworth appearance.

From the press release on SoonerSports.com:

Switzer led OU from 1973-88 and won more games than any other coach in school history at 157-29-4, including a mark of 100-11-1 in conference games. His Sooners captured three national championships (1974, 1975, 1985), 12 Big Eight Conference championships and eight bowl wins in 13 appearances.

Oklahoma players earned All-America recognition 51 times during his tenure.

Switzer was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2001.

You can catch the King’s ceremony before the A&M game in front of the Wilkinson House at 12:30.

I know, I know…. Barry Switzer talking violations is very… well… pot calling the kettle black. But in pure Barry Switzer fashion, he has again turned something into radio gold. He was a guest on a Philadelphia station, 97.5 The Fanatic where he was asked to talk about his thoughts on the Miami situation and why new Miami head coach Al Golden should be left out of it.

Barry Switzer

Here is a transcript of the interview with the Bootlegger’s Boy-

On the consequences being much stiffer for those head coaches who don’t immediately report the violations to their athletic departments:

You’re exactly right, and I don’t know how many radio stations I’ve said that nationally. Jim Tressel, when he got that e-mail, he should have taken that damn e-mail, walked up to his compliance officer — which we didn’t have 30 years ago, 20 years ago when I was coaching and making $130,000 or $140,000 a year  – throw it on his desk and say ‘here’s your problem, do something about it.’ And they’d be culpable in this.

But if I was a head coach today, I’d invite the president, the athletic director, the compliance officer to be at every one of my team meetings to hear coaches talk to kids that do good talks, that do good rules, they’re NCAA rules meetings, that we always have. Because we explain to those kids what their eligibility is, the importance of their eligibility and what violates their eligibility. And they all know that, every one of those kids.

They know where they can go get a good deal, they know where they can find a car at cost, they learn it because of the network, they learn it from the players before them. But kids that go violate the rules…I don’t think an assistant coach comes up and goes ‘you want a car? Go see this guy…’ Coaches don’t do that.”

What he thinks should happen to the Miami program and if he thinks it’s fair that new coach Al Golden may be punished for transgressions that he had nothing to do with:

Again, he’s got new players and is he hopeful these players are all clean? He’s a new coach, why should he pay for the sins and penalties of someone prior to him? I don’t think the NCAA will do anything to him. These guys have gone on. These guys, someone did something for ‘em, I can’t understand why in the hell the guy would turn around and try to hurt the program today and talk about it. I’ve never understood that. Some of these guys have their hand out, they want something, they get something and then they turn around and say something about the damn program. It just doesn’t make sense.

There’s no loyalty factor if they did violate the damn rules. But as far as coaches and athletic departments orchestrating illegal recruiting practices — man, it just doesn’t happen in major college football; it just doesn’t happen. Yeah there’s some individual players that are bought, and there’s some outlaws, some assistant coaches that go out and put a group together that ‘I’ma put something together and get something done for some superstar player.’ That happens, and sometimes the player tries to market himself.

But I’ma tell ya — 99 percent of the coaches in America try to do the thing the right way. We believe in ourselves, we’ve got integrity, and we’re going to go out and try to recruit right. We find someone that is violating, we turn their ass in to the NCAA. It’s as simple as that.”

Whether he thinks the University of Miami should have informed Coach Golden of the investigation during the hiring process since it’s now clear that the investigation was already underway when he was interviewing and ultimately hired:

“Sure there should have been full disclosure. I had a coach hired here — an excellent coach, the one I went after, the one I wanted. I had a job opening here at Oklahoma. Back in the early ’70s; in fact, 1973 he was coming, I found out we would probably be going on probation and received a letter from the NCAA. I had to call that guy and tell him I couldn’t offer him a job.

I had to renege on that because of some allegations that had happened here prior to my taking the job. So I had to offer full disclosure. Anyone would have given him that. I think coaches take the job understanding that’s part of it, but that’s the past, that’s not my problem, they’ll give me leniency because of that. And hopefully that’s what happens.

If he’s as shocked as most are that such high profile programs like USC, Ohio State and Miami have gotten into this type of serious violations predicament recently:

None of them are immune. It’s happened in the past, it happened today, it’s going to happen in the future. You’re not going to be able to police alumni. You’ve got hundreds of thousands of people in the fanbase out there, and a minuscule of them don’t give a damn about the rules. They would rather be the buddy or best friend of some player, or star player, on the team and violate the NCAA rules. And the kid knows when he does something or takes something from that individual alumni, he knows he’s violated the NCAA rules. But he thinks he’s going to get away with it

If he feels anything should happen to coaches who jump ship before the sanctions come down:

Well, I know it’s happened with assistant coaches, I don’t know if a head coach has done it, but I know assistant coaches have been penalized and therefore were persona non grata by the NCAA and could not coach again. There was a time limit put on them; they could not be hired by an NCAA program. The NCAA is very powerful. They can control college presidents and athletic directors. I promise you. They can keep you from getting a job, and they can get your ass fired. The NCAA can follow these coaches wherever they go and penalize them, but you’ve got to have the facts with you and know it’s correct. I don’t know if you’re talking about. What program had some coach that went somewhere?”

The King has spoken.