The Oklahoma Sooners men’s basketball team will be hosting the Texas Longhorns on Monday Night and will be televised Nationally on ESPN’s Big Monday at 8:35 CST. The Sooners (12-4, 3-1) snapped their five game winning streak after falling to the Kansas State Wildcats on Saturday, 69-60.
The Longhorns aren’t having the best of basketball seasons so far, with a record of 8-9 and 0-4 in conference play. They have a 1-7 record on the road for this season. Their latest lost came at home though, as the hosted the Kansas Jayhawks and fell, 64-59. Three of the Horns losses have come in overtime so far this season; two of them being Big 12 teams.
The Sooners are looking for a little bit of redemption, as the Longhorns won both meetings between the two last season. Despite the start, the Longhorns lead the nation in field goal percentage on defense and 3-point field goal percentage defense, allowing opponents to shoot just .345 and .248, respectively, on the season.
This 2012 Sooners team is a vast improvement over last season. They are currently ranked 21st and are projected to go in the NCAA tournament as either an 8th or a 9th seed. Oklahoma has already won as many games away from home this year as it did over the last two seasons combined (6-25 record). The Sooners will play at least eight more games away from Norman this season.
The Sooners are currently in a three-way tie for third place in the Big 12 with Iowa State and Baylor. The Longhorns are currently sitting at ninth.
In was an epic beatdown of mass proportions at the Red River Shootout on Saturday in Dallas. The Sooners didn’t even let the Longhorns up for air until late in the 4th quarter. The Longhorn faithful starting filing out of the Cotton Bowl in droves before the second half was even over? If you didn’t watch any of the game, the final score may tell you why, 63-21.
The Longhorn offense didn’t score a touchdown until backup QB Case McCoy came in after David Ash injured his wrist late in the game, when Oklahoma had pulled the first team. Their previous 8 points came off a botched extra-point by the Sooners where the Horns ran it back and then a pick-six off of Landry Jones. They had a total of 13 first downs and were virtually non-existent the entire game. At one point, the Sooners were leading the Horns on yards, 314-14. The end game yardage was 677-289.
The Sooners took advantage of the terrible play by the Longhorn rush defense and used Blake Bell and the Belldozer scheme very effectively. QB Bell had 4 rushing touchdowns. Fullback Trey Millard also had an outstanding game, with a personal high of 119 yards and one touchdown. Most impressive touchdown of the day was a 94-yarder from RB Damien Williams.
The Horns offense were their saving grace coming into this game with the way their defense has been playing. Today it was a total team effort on the suck. They didn’t look good on either side of the ball. They looked confused, poorly-coached and completely outplayed.
Landry Jones looked pretty decent despite his interception. He ended the day with 321 yards, 2 touchdowns and was 21-37. He found his targets and made plays. His supporting cast of weapons were on point and made it look easy. The Sooners weren’t doing anything out of the ordinary in order to take control of the game, they played smart football, were making plays and only had one turnover. The defense was outstanding, holding Texas to only 13 first downs and picked-off Ash twice.
The Sooners get to take home the Golden Hat for the second year in a row, as well as stake claim to the Red River. Next up on the schedule: Rock Chalk Kansas Jayhawks.
It’s that time of year again, where the Texas State Fair is in full-swing and October football is bringing the goods. The Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorns will be battling it out on Saturday for the Golden Hat trophy at the Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas, Texas.
Both teams are entering the game sitting at one loss, so the stakes couldn’t be higher as they are looking to keep their Big XII title hopes alive. If you remember, the Red River Shootout (I still refuse to call it by it’s new name, Red River Rivalry) loss by Texas was the beginning of the Texas meltdown. What people need to remember going into this one is that this is a much better Texas team compared to last year.
Longhorn QB David Ash has clearly made the step up as the No. 1 quarterback over Case McCoy. He is playing good football and seems to have found his rhythm. The Oklahoma defense hasn’t been too sharp on stopping third down conversions, with only stopping 36% through 4 games. Giving Ash that extra set of downs could be lethal. Texas is also No. 2 in converting on third down. The Sooners will need to improve upon this stat if they want to shut down the Longhorn offense.
The Oklahoma defense will need to keep putting pressure on the QB like they did with Texas Tech’s Seth Doege last week. Do not give him time or he will make the play 90% of the time. OU’s defense is playing strong, and they need to continue on this. On the flip side of the field, the Texas defense has just as many question marks as OU’s offense still has.
Longhorns’ defense ends, Jackson Jeffcoat and Alex Okafor have proven themselves deadly. They have a combined 8 sacks over the last 3 games and Jeffcoat had a fumble recovery TD against WVU last week. The Sooner offensive line will need to block, block and block some more in order to give Landry Jones the time he needs to get the ball out. Another Longhorn name you need to remember for Saturday is CB Quandre Diggs. Diggs has three interceptions so far on the year and will be playing across from Sooners receiver, Kenny Stills. Going to be an interesting match-up.
The Longhorns rush defense has been suspect. They have allowed two players to have over 406 yards rushing in the last two games and this was just two guys. This could be the week that the Sooner running backs have a breakout performance unless they make adjustments. Blake Bell and his Belldozer package might be the Longhorns worst enemy.
The key is going to be containing turnovers. If offensive turnovers get out of hand, the pendulum may swing in the way of Longhorns. Jones needs to keep it to a minimum and come into the game like he did last week; focused and determined to prove people wrong.
The 107th meeting between the these two teams is the same year end and year out. It is completely unpredictable and most of the time, always exciting.
The spread right now has Oklahoma by 3, but I wouldn’t put any money on that. Going to be a barn-burner in Dallas this weekend.
It what was a long week for most of Sooner Nation after the loss to Kansas State last Saturday, the Oklahoma Sooners are on BYE again this weekend. This is their second BYE in a 3 week span. But just because the Sooners are off this weekend, there are plenty of games that the Sooner Nation probably needs to pay attention to. The Big XII is now more wide open than ever and with the slate of games lined up across FBS football, it may be time to focus on what’s going down in our own backyard.
Texas is heading to Stillwater to take on the Oklahoma State Cowboys in what could be a decent game. The No. 12 Longhorns are looking to improve on last years record, which wouldn’t be a stretch. They have missed the postseason for two consecutive years now and are looking for some redemption. They have started out fairly well, with their defense looking great and even QB David Ash is showing some signs of improvement. I think if the Horns get ahead early, they will run all over the Pokes in their own house. Oklahoma State is missing key components on the offense, mostly to the NFL, but Frosh QB Wes Lunt is still not 100% and will most likely not play this Saturday. Advantage – Longhorns
TCU and SMU are playing in Dallas in the annual Iron Skillet game. This is the 92nd Iron Skillet match-up and they play for exactly what you think they do with a game being called “Iron Skillet Game”, an actual Iron Skillet. In a rivalry that is less than an hours drive away from each other, it gets as heated as it can get between these two schools during this week. SMU is the current owner of the skillet, but I think TCU wins this one back easily, even with all the missing pieces on the team. Advantage – TCU
Texas Tech takes on Iowa State in Ames. This game could actually go either way. I’d expect Iowa State to come out on top but it’s a toss-up. Texas Tech brings in the No. 1 defense in the COUNTRY and the No. 4 offense. Yes you read that right, not in the Big XII, but in the country. Granted, they have played absolutely no one of substance and I suspect a struggle. We will see Texas Tech’s true colors in Ames. Advantage – Toss Up
The game I am most interested to see is the Baylor and West Virginia match-up. In what I think we will be the battle of a gazillion points and absolutely no defense, I am interested to see the Mountaineers in their first Big XII game since joining. West Virginia has huge offensive weapons with Geno Smith and Tavon Austin, but lets not count Baylor out yet. Baylor, even with out RGIII is pretty potent offensively. Both of these teams are well coached and it should make for an interesting game, if you aren’t a fan of defense. Still, since it’s being played in Morgantown, I give it to the Mountaineers. Advantage – West Virginia
So sit back, enjoy the week off and watch some of the other Big XII games. Who do you think goes down this weekend?
These new trainwreck uniforms have been floating around the internet as possibly the new uniforms for the Texas Longhorns for the 2012 season. I’m not sure who told them it was a good idea, but Daddy DeLoss needs to lose these and fast. You don’t need to fix what isn’t broke..The team needs help but the uniforms were just fine. The athletic department certainly isn’t living up to the phrase, “Dont Mess With Texas.” Someone clearly did. And its bad.
Hopefully for the Horns, these are just concept. Who am I kidding, no I don’t.
Please wear these in Dallas for Red River. The fancy burnt orange one, please.
In what is always a slugfest at the annual Red River Shootout, the OU/Texas game ended with a bang. A huge 55-17 bang.
The first quarter consisted of a battle of the field goals. Oklahoma got on the board first, making it 3-0 early after the first drive. Oklahoma started out with a couple red zone issues, keeping it only 6-3 early on. Second quarter opened the flood gates. Oklahoma scored in the first couple seconds of the second quarter with a beautiful touchdown pass from Sooner QB Landry Jones to Kenny Stills to make the score 13-3.
Once the Sooners got rolling, the game was out of the Longhorns control. Oklahoma scored the first 4 times they had possession and the defense was swarming around the Longhorn offense like it was shark bait. (In case you didn’t know, the Sooner defense have dubbed themselves the sharks this season) The Sooners broke a school record of defensive touchdowns scored in a game, with 3.
Oklahoma held the Longhorns to only one offensive touchdown… the entire game. Their only other touchdown came off a 100 yard kickoff return by Fozzy Whitaker. A case of the rookie QB’s also haunted the Horns as Case McCoy fumbled the ball twice, and David Ash threw two interceptions.
Going into the half, the Sooners were up by 24 and continued the momentum throughout. Making it impossible for the Longhorns to recover. They were out-played, out-coached and completely out of their element. This Longhorn team is young, and in a couple years will be outstanding. This year, like last year, isn’t going to be the return of the Mack (Brown).
There was one point in the game that the Oklahoma defense had the Longhorns in a 4th and 49 situation. Talk about being in over your head. The Sooner defense also had 8 sacks, 3 coming from Frank Alexander and 2 from Ronnell Lewis. During the middle of the 3rd quarter, the burnt orange half of the field started leaving in herds. They serve beer right outside the Cotton Bowl doors at the state fair, just saying.
Landry Jones and company were defintely trying to make a case to pollsters on where they should be ranked. The Sooners were ready for the Longhorns and this team wanted it more. The Sooners are playing with more determination and heart then ive seen out of one their squads in a long time. And this Sooner D has quickly turned into one of my all time favorites.
Every year, on the Friday before game day, Interstate 35 is a sight to behold. Travelling northbound, we have the Texas Longhorns team caravan. Travelling southbound, is the Oklahoma Sooner team. Both will meet almost exactly in the middle I-35 in Dallas, Texas at the Cotton Bowl (Austin is actually only 7 miles further).
The I-35 drive is a sight to see. The team buses headed down the freeway, cars pulling up along side of the buses, holding signs, waving, and cheering. It’s amazing to watch. Almost like the boys are going into battle…
Oklahoma and Texas have been playing since 1900, when Oklahoma was still just a U.S. Territory, and the University of Oklahoma campus was still part of the Oklahoma territory. They have only been playing the game as a conference match-up for 15 years, the start of the Big XII conference.
If you have never been to the Red River game, it is one of those iconic college match-ups everyone should experience once in their life.
The Cotton Bowl is split directly in the middle of a sea of crimson and burnt orange
It has to be one of the best sports experiences around. The Cotton Bowl is in the middle of the State fair of Texas, which is held annually during the month of September/October. You have the game noises, the rides, the fried food; which I hear there is actually fried biscuits and gravy this year. To check out all that the fair has to offer, look at the official State Fair website.
Besides the food, the rides, and the concerts, their is actually football being played this weekend. And this year, the Red River is actually back to one of its finer moments. Both teams are ranked, Oklahoma is No. 3 and Texas has been sneaking up on everyone and has landed at No. 11. This is only the second time in seven years, both teams have come into the game 4-0.
The Longhorns go into this game with a lot of confidence on their shoulders. A team who was unranked at the beginning of the season and wasn’t given a chance is now in the mix. Granted, they are 4-0 playing Rice, BYU, UCLA and Iowa State. So most really wouldn’t call those marquee wins. They have been improving though on the offensive side of the ball.
Quite a few Texas fans are also touting the Longhorns new offensive coordinator from Boise State, Brian Harsin. Yes, he is a great play caller and everyone remembers the Boise State Fiesta Bowl trickery. He plans on running a two QB system with Case McCoy and David Ash against the Sooners on Saturday. The last time the Longhorns ran a two QB system against the Sooners was the Chris Simms and Major Applewhite combo. Texas went with Simms, and much to all the Texas fans dismay, this happened.
I can see this happening. Just replace Roy Williams with Travis Lewis and Teddy Lehman with Tom Wort. The Longhorns haven’t played a defense as physical as the Sooners and will be or an offense that runs the hurry up like Oklahoma does. Not saying Texas can’t hang, they have vastly improved over the last couple of weeks, but this Horn team is very young, and the big game factor is lacking for most of them. Garrett Gilbert, their QB who did have the experience with big games is out for the rest of the season and is actually transferring out next year.
“I always think Texas is good,” Sooners coach Bob Stoops said about the match-up. ”It’s always hard to gauge where we’re at, where they’re at. You go into the game, and you’ve got to play it. You get each other’s best shot, so it’s always a little bit different than maybe how you might play against somebody else.”
The Red River Shootout is one of those games that always can go either way. This year, I have a feeling it will be going in favor of the crimson. Yes, I am biased, but looking at the numbers and the heart and chemistry of this Sooner team, the odds are in their favor.
ESPN’s College Game Day will be at Dallas’ Fair Park Saturday morning doing their show live. The game will be showed nationally on ABC with a 11:00 AM CST kickoff.
So this week kicks off the 100 year-old tradition of the annual Red River Rivalry/Shootout/Showdown (whatever you prefer to call it). So with that being said, I would like to give you some facts about that sweet little Mascot the Longhorns lovingly call Bevo.
Bevo was not the original mascot for the Horns, it was acutally a bulldog they called ‘Piggy’. Yes, piggy. The idea of getting an actual Longhorn didn’t hit them until 1916 and his name was Bo. The Bevo moniker didn’t come till later. What I want to know is if they were the Texas Longhorns, why didn’t it hit them immediately to get an actual longhorn as the mascot? A bulldog named piggy makes so much more sense, right? Because the Texas Bulldog Piggies sounds so much better.
Bevo and his handlers, the Silver Spurs
Bevo hasn’t always been the peaceful steer you see eating hay on the sidelines in Austin. Bevo II once charged an SMU cheerleader, who was left to defend himself with only his megaphone. I’m sure he was scarred for life. An 1800-pound steer running towards you at full speed? Of course he was. Bevo III once escaped from his enclosure on campus and ran amok. He was finally lassoed 2 days later. He wanted to see the happenings on Texas’ Capitol Hill, apparently. Bevo IV once attacked a parked car, maybe it was red and it made him angry? Bevo V broke loose during a game once and charged the Baylor band.
Former President George W. Bush had Bevo XIII attend his Presidential Inaguration in 2001. This needs no commentary. Bevo is one of the most recognized college mascots in the country, and some people even claim he is the toughest looking animal mascot in sports. I think a Tiger might argue that with you, cow.
In 2002, Texas Alumni group actually suggested to have Bevo fitted with neuticles, or prosthetic testicular implants, to increase his masculinity. Okay then. No wonder he has tried to escape before.
Hook Em’ Piggies.
*DISCLAIMER- Before I get viciously attacked by Texas fans, it’s rival week. It’s all in good fun. If you are angry, please stop taking the Internet so seriously. Myself or Bevo were not harmed in the writing of this story. The SMU cheerleader? He’s still nervous.
Sooner Athletic Director, Joe Castiglione, held a press conference Monday afternoon.  Castiglione really voiced his opinion over the concern from fans for Oklahoma having their own network, one that rivals the soon-to-be launched, Longhorn Sports Network.
Castiglione said about the possibilty:
We have had a great amount of interest in the prospects of a network here. We are interacting with a variety of different media companies and we know that we will have potentially a different model than the one that people keep hearing about in regards to the one at the University of Texas.
Look, we have to build one that is sustainable for the University of Oklahoma. This isn’t like you can just go out and buy a network. It isn’t just a commodity. This is a very big undertaking… You got to remember, we have had a network for 12 years and we still have a network, this is a different type of network. You might call it a channel. You might be thinking about something that could have more of a 24-hour a day, seven day a week presence, although it might vary for that.
In our case, we are trying to position ourselves to be more available on all the emerging platforms the way the digital revolution is taking place, things we know about right now, as well as though things that from a technological standpoint can still be developed.
We are trying to position ourselves for the next wave. We have a network right now, lets make that abundantly clear. And if you have watched over the last couple of years, more than ever, live events being distributed over the state, whether it is cable or over the air…We are also trying to look into spaces online, broadband, mobile and other kind of technology that is being developed. So we have a network and we will continue to have a network. We will probably have 30 to 50 live events this coming year, just like last year. They will be online and streaming.
We are looking for the next frontier. We have a frontier spirit in Oklahoma and we have been trying to figure out the right path for us. I’m really encouraged by the progress. I like the interaction we have had with various media companies and we will find something that is truly sustainable for us. Sustainable is a key word. We want it to be around for a while and that is why we are being very diligent looking at the opportunities. What our profile is, and how we not only reach the people around this region, around this state, even the people around this country and around the world because technology can take us that far.â€
Sooner Vision, the Sooners current ‘network’, has been around for years. The improvements made over the last couple of years have been great. I believe that Oklahoma will find a solution that all fans will appreciate.
The Texas Longhorns came back to win yesterday to force a third game in the series against Arizona State. The Horns beat the Sun Devils 5-1.
The difference in the game was pitcher, Cole Green. Green has pitched 14 innings in this postseason, and has only allowed three runs while holding opponents to a .200 batting average. Green has 13 strikeouts and just one walk. Impressive.
Even when Green got behind in counts, he came up with some big pitches to work his way back into the at-bat, and he minimized innings.
The Longhorns will be back on tonight at 6:00 PM CST on ESPN… One game away from Omaha.
The Oklahoma Sooners men’s basketball team will be hosting the Texas Longhorns on Monday Night and will be televised Nationally on ESPN’s Big Monday at 8:35 CST. The Sooners (12-4, 3-1) snapped their five game winning streak after falling to the Kansas State Wildcats on Saturday, 69-60.
