It's chilly here in the Land of the Sun

<p><em class="gnmEkDate">Originally Published: Dec 30, 2010 9:10 PM CDT</em></p><P>Id love to see the one-plus bowl playoff. But youve gotta admit the bowl season is hard to beat.</P><P><BR/>Two weeks

Thursday, May 26th 2011, 1:31 pm

By: News 9


Originally Published: Dec 30, 2010 9:10 PM CDT

Id love to see the one-plus bowl playoff. But youve gotta admit the bowl season is hard to beat.


Two weeks ago on our award-winning Blitz segment “Playing the Percentages” I predicted the state teams had only a  25 percent chance of sweeping in the bowls. I was wrong. The logic was that Tulsa was a double-digit underdog against Hawaii.  OSU was a slight favorite over a hot and cold Arizona team. And OU has lost five..well, you know how that sentence ends. That prediction winds up being dead wrong.

 

TU routed Hawaii in its Road Bowl and OSU  rolled over Arizona. Mighty impressive for both. OU will win if they come close to executing the way those two did. A win by the Sooners would make the first time the Sooners and Cowboys won a bowl game in the same season


Saw a staggering stat that supported an issue that’s stung OU’s defense all season and that UConn must see continue if they want to pull off the biggest upset in BCS history. The stat is the Sooners have given up 42 plays of 15 yards of longer. A ridiculously high number considering the speed and athleticism on their defense. That’s the most of any of the other 69 teams in bowl gamesmost of any team with a winning record.


UConn must have some success early to avoid becoming one-dimensional. OU’s pass rush will haunt them if they fall behind and are forced to throw it more than their game plan expects. . Todman is a great back and can hide behind pulling guards to rip off a couple of long plays. And OU’s safeties can’t be overly-aggressive trying to shut down Todman and get caught peeking and allow Frazer to play-action them deep. UConn will probably not be able to go 80 yards without OU giving up a couple of big runs or passes.


We just rolled into frigid Glendale leaving behind friends who were golfing in OKC and seeing friends who cancelled golf plans in Phoenix. Bad break if you didn’t really want to fork out the dough to come out here for a costly trip that is not expected to be a great game and then get hosed on the golf!


The Big 12 is no monster league, but get ready to start hearing it and reading it. Right now the league is 1 and 3 (NU getting ready to play). That’ll be focused on the next few days. Truth is Missouri and K-State were in toss-ups (Mizz should’ve actually won). So it could just as easily be 3 and 1. People who want to evaluate a conference on a couple of teams losing games that could have gone either way at the end should get another job.
                      

I don’t like it when coaches publically state that specific players should not leave early for the NFL. It comes off as self-serving and does not put the kid in a good position when he hears he needs to work on certain aspects of his game. Go ahead and tell him that, bug do it away from the mics. And Jim Tressel seems to be making rare mistakes in handling his player controversy. I’m a big fan of The OSU coach,  but if he made Terrell Pryor and the four other suspended plays commit to remaining in school or they wouldn’t be allowed to play in the Sugar Bowl, that’s just not right.

Our Oklahoma Sports crew that’s been here a few days tell us Bob Stoops has been especially loose out here in Arizona. That might change with game time nearing and his little brother having a very long night against the Cowboys.


 

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