OU vs BYU
What's everyone's opinion on this game. I love my sooners but I don't think they cover 21.5
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Also OU's starting center and their backup are both hurt. The 2nd string TE has been moved to center now. Not goodComment -
No I heard it on my local sports radio, but the source has always been very reliable. Also Demarco Murry has a hamstring injury and is out for 2 weeks. OU had an open practice this evening so I should be able to find out more.Comment -
The center hurt his back lifting weights during summer workouts. He should be able to play, but not anywhere close to 100%.Comment -
Thats all I listen to at work. They were talking about it a couple of days ago on the middle of the day show.Comment -
BYU has to replace 4 of 5 guys on offensive line and they also lost Collie the good WR to the draft. They have a WR coming back from a mission that may take his place. They return 7 of 11 on defense and should be better than last year but I think several linemen hasn't decided on missions yet. I think BYU can hang early but OU's depth should take over in the 2nd half. Bradford is too experienced and I expect the running game to over power BYU eventually. OU's defense should be able to control BYU's offensive line and it could get ugly if BYU can't move the ball.
BYU has a very tough schedule this year and if they can get an upset win over OU (I highly doubt) this could be a huge year. It should be nice with both teams playing in the new Dallas stadium but I expect the crowd to be overwhelmingly Sooners.Comment -
I do think BYU may have an edge in special teams..Comment -
If it's played at Oklahoma than the -21.5 could be covered but BYU is a solid program. I have to do more researchComment -
It's played in Dallas at the new stadium. Major home field advantage for OU.Comment -
I like the Mormons getting 21.5 BYU should have a very nice year.Comment -
Losses on the O line will hurt OU a lot, I think BYU will barely coverComment -
LOL ou by 35+, rout cityComment -
I am surprised a lot of you guys bet on your own teams one way or another.
That always proves to be a recipe for disaster.Comment -
interesting matchup for sure...no real opinion at this point...Comment -
gotta say i like BYU hereComment -
great thread guys...Originally posted by pags11Originally posted by BuddyBearOriginally posted by curiousComment -
un derComment -
I like BYU but won't be betting either sideComment -
that's right because you are betting under 68 all the way down to 65 for as much as you canComment -
Not touching it.Comment -
I love BYU +21.5. There wont be that big of a home field advantage for Oklahoma. The Mormons will be out in full force. BYU has the offense to keep up with Oklahoma. An elite quarterback, and a deep backfield full of huge Samoans, an all american candidate tight end, and young talented WR's. I haven't seen the Over/Under yet, but I'm leaning Over big timeComment -
OU will be too fast and will probably have this covered by halftime.....if it was at BYU I would be a little more hesitant to make such a statement, but since it's pretty much a home game for Oklahoma I like them to get the cover. Stoops will not let off the gas, even if they are up 35 late in the 4th he will still be throwing 50 yard bombs and running fake funts to get those style points.Comment -
Food for thought:
BYU
The BYU football team held their first official scrimmage of the season at Lavell Edwards Stadium Saturday. The offensive line continues to be a question mark after the team received word on Friday that Jason Speredon, starting left guard, was out for the season with a shoulder injury. Redshirt freshman Marco Thorson will take Speredon's place as the starter. The Cougars could go into the Oklahoma game with two redshirt freshmen starting on the left side of their offensive line.
The Cougars entered fall camp confident about senior quarterback Max Hall who
completed 69 percent of his passes last season while throwing for 3,957 yards and 35 touchdowns.
BYU still has bruising back Harvey Unga to keep defenses from focusing only on the pass. Unga has averaged almost 5 yards per carry in his career and is 841 yards short of Curtis Brown’s school rushing record.
Penalties were definitely an issue, made especially evident on the final drive of the scrimmage, when the offense marched down the field to a first and goal situation, then with a combination of holding and personal foul calls were backed up clear behind the 30-yard line.
The offensive line was responsible for the majority of the penalties, and Mendenhall acknowledged the fact that this unit needs some work.
Part of the problem for the guys vying to be Hall's backup was the snaps -- several were too low or too high. With the team down to 10 healthy offensive linemen, Mendenhall said coaches are "cross-training" the big boys to play more than one position, "and that's how we are going to have to establish our depth."
“I think it’s a work in progress, as I’ve said before… it’s gonna take every bit of work we could have all the way up to our first game to get that right,” Mendenhall said. “And now we’re not very deep, so the key dynamic is gonna be how much work we can get against how much injury we can sustain.”
The scrimmage was shorter than originally planned, and Mendenhall acknowledged that the lack of depth influenced that decision. He said up to 24 players have at least one ailment
Mendenhall announced Matt Reynolds, senior offensive lineman and the lone returning starter on the line who broke his hand Wednesday and had surgery Thursday, was participating in meetings and planning on being ready to play against Oklahoma. Reynolds suffered what the trainers are calling a fracture in his hand. After getting an X-ray on Wednesday, Reynolds is set to see a specialist Thursday to be evaluated.
08/13/2009
BYU left tackle Matt Reynolds had surgery on his fractured left hand and will likely be out for two or three weeks, Cougars' coach Bronco Mendenhall said after the team practiced in full pads on Thursday. If he does return for the opener, Reynolds will likely have to wear a "rubberized splint," much like the one former running back FuiVakapunawore on his broken hand a few years ago.
Redshirt freshman Braden Hansen will be Reynolds' replacement at starting left tackle. Nick Alletto, who was battling Hansen for the starting right tackle spot, will now be the starter there until Reynolds returns. The Cougars still are awaiting the camp arrival of offensive lineman Jesse Taufi . Mendenhall said Taufi is still having academic issues regarding three summer school classes and won't join the team until fall classes start.
BYU Football: Defense responding
Thursday, 13 August 2009
The first team scored only once in the first scrimmage, capped by a 30-yard pass from Hall to McKay Jacobson.
Jacobson was a revelation on offense. Speedy and conditioned as if he had never left for a mission, Jacobson shined in scrimmages and drills. He was able to create space no matter which defensive back was trying to stay with him, and he looks to be a solid deep threat for the upcoming season. Although Cougar fans may never forget the name Austin Collie, Jacobson may ease the pain of losing Collie to the draft last season. He and Hall already appear to be on the same page, and Jacobson could be the most productive receiver for BYU this coming season.
During the second scrimmage, the defense held the first-team offense to three-and-out once, and also stopped drives by units running with backup quarterbacks Brendan Gaskins and Riley Nelson. Max Hall responded by leading a drive up the field for a field goal, and the offense scored a touchdown on their next possession.
Overall, the wide receiver corps may be the most exciting group of players on the team. They are very big, and very fast. If their ability to run routes improves, this could end up being the best unit on the team.
Linebacker Terrance Hooks is out from a hamstring injury and is expected to be held out of practice for two weeks.
Junior cornerback Brandon Bradley suffered a knee strain, but should be able to continue to play, although he was held out of practice on Wednesday.
Junior linebacker Grant Nelson suffered a shoulder separation, and senior linebacker Dan Vansweden suffered a strained hip flexor. Sophomore defensive back Blake Morgan struggled with a hamstring injury as well.
Sophomore linebacker Jordan Pendleton also left the field with an injury during the scrimmage, but his status is currently unknown.
08/09/2009
Russell Tialavea surprised Cougar Nation months ago when he announced he was giving up football to serve an LDS mission. This left big question marks regarding the defensive line, namely at the nose tackle position.
After recording 17 tackles, two and a half tackles for loss, two pass breakups and a blocked field goal last year, Tialavea is poised to make an even greater impact this season
Since he originally decided to leave the team, the senior has lost some weight, which some fans see as cause for concern. Coach Bronco Mendenhall sees it differently.
“He’s very quick. He’s so light, but I think he likes playing at this weight,” Mendenhall said. “I think he’s the best he’s ever been.”
The Cougars need Tialavea to have a solid year, as they are thin at the nose tackle position. This was magnified when it was announced Rick Wolfley decided to leave the team
The projected starting cornerbacks -- Brandon Bradley(sore knee) and Robbie Buckner(hamstring) -- sat out of the situational scrimmages, clearing the way for juco transfers Lee Aguirre and Corby Easonto get some playing time with the first-string defense.
08/14/2009
Almost everyone associated with BYU football agrees that the Cougars were a step -- make that a lot of steps -- slow when they faced Mountain West Conference rivals TCU and Utah last season. The Cougars lost those games by a combined 49 points.
Most notably, the Cougars turned to the junior college ranks and brought in three cornerbacks in hopes that at least one of them could be the lock-down cover guy they so desperately need.
Defensive coordinator-defensive backs coach Jaime Hill says they are on the right track.
"They are faster, but they have to play faster," Hills said. "Foot speed is really irrelevant. It is how fast you play the game. They are not playing the game fast enough because they do not know the material yet. At some point, they will know the material, and they will play to their speed."
Junior cornerback Brandon Bradley, who will start at boundary corner and across from whomever emerges at field corner, said he agrees "to a certain extent" that the Cougars-are-slow criticism was valid last year.
OKLAHOMO
Offensive question marks
“[The offensive line] is a concern because those guys have played a limited amount,” Stoops said. “You just want to see consistency and see how they work here through two-a-days and work through the season. We’ve got to keep developing those guys. They had a pretty good spring going up against a pretty good defensive line of our own.”
Because the Sooners are replacing four starters from last year’s offensive line that included a first and second round draft pick, it is easy to doubt the inexperience.
Moving Trent Williams to left tackle should be an excellent move as he protects Bradford’s back side. Williams, a 6-foot-5, 318-pound senior has been said among the coaches as having the potential to be the best that has ever had come through during the Stoops regime.
Oklahoma’s offensive line will continue to be questioned until it plays an actual game. Besides only having two returning starters and one key injury.
Projected starting center Ben Habern has been limited during the first week of practice due to a back injury. Over the last week, the Sooners have used guard Stephen Good, tackle Trent Williams and tight end Brody Eldridge at the position. The good news for the offensive line is Habern is expected to be cleared to do more practice work starting Monday
Ushering in new faces like Ben Habern and Stephen Good across the front has the potential to pay off as both players enter as highly-touted throughout the recruiting world.
Then there is the question mark at wide receiver with the losses of Manuel Johnson, Juaquin Iglesias and Quentin Chaney.
Playing to their strengths is something this team will have to do, as sophomore Ryan Broyles moves to the outside, and Mossis Madu, making the switch from running back to receiver gets a chance at the slot position.
By CHUCK CARLTON / The Dallas Morning News
The Sooners have the best collection of running backs in the Big 12. How many teams could see a 1,000-yard rusher hobbled and turn to another 1,000-yard rusher? Even with DeMarco Murray (1,002 yards, 14 TDs) slowed by a hamstring injury in preseason camp, Oklahoma still has Chris Brown (1,220 yards, 20 touchdowns).
Quarterback Sam Bradford, running back Chris Brown, tight end Jermaine Gresham and running back DeMarco Murray represent the Sooners on the Maxwell Watch list.
Defense expects big things
OU is returning with eight starters from the defensive side of the ball; a unit good enough to be in the top-3 of every Big 12 statistical category with All-American defensive lineman Gerald McCoy and ’08 Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the year Travis Lewis
Oklahoma assistant coach Chris Wilson says the competition at defensive end is still wide open. Sophomore Frank Alexander and redshirt freshman R.J. Washington have impressed coaches, but none have played to the level of Jeremy Beal, who Wilson said was the only player he could name as a starter this early in camp.
Defense looks to limit big plays In 2008, only one Big 12 team, Texas, ranked in the top 50 in scoring defense, and no team was among the top 50 in total defense. The first step the OU defense must take to get to that level is limiting big plays.
Perhaps OU’s deepest position this season will be at defensive end, where Jeremy Beal and Auston English have already proven to be all-Big 12 players and sophomore Frank Alexander is coming off a breakout season. OU also has R.J. Washington, who was one of the top recruits in the nation a year ago, coming off a redshirt season.
By the end of last season, Beal, English and Alexander rotated between the two spots and all three were often on the field in passing situations. Wilson said the emergence of Washington could create a true four-man rotation this season.
Auston English, a fifth-year senior, has proven to be a disruptive force on the defensive line when his body allows him. In 2007 when English experienced a breakout season, he registered 91/2 sacks his first eight games and had many projecting him as one of the best defensive ends in Sooner history. That breakout season was tempered by an ankle injury late in the season that caused him to miss three games. A year ago, English was standing on the sidelines during preseason workouts following an apendectomy. A knee sprain caused him to miss another three games late last season. For the Sooner defense to run at top speed, it needs English.
Oklahoma announced Friday that middle linebacker Mike Balogun’s eligibilty has been de-certified by the NCAA. Balogun is eligible to continue practicing until Wednesday, but could be sidelined afterwards. “From there, we’ll see what the NCAA determines,” OU coach Bob Stoops said
Balogun has been competing for the starting job at middle linebacker with Ryan Reynolds since preseason camp started. If Balogun doesn’t regain his eligibility, freshman Tom Wort will likely move up to No. 2 on the depth chart behind Reynolds.
Balogun played in 10 games last season, making 13 tackles. He started against Florida in the BCS title game.
Kick coverage was a sore spot last season. The Sooners gave up 23.8 yards per return to finish 102nd in the country and allowed four returns for touchdowns.
The coaching staff put in extra work in the offseason to beef up the unit. They visited the New Orleans Saints training camp last month and also spent some time at Alabama. Asst coach Chris Wilson spent more time studying opponents’ special teams units.
Last played in '94, a 31-6 BYU W.
Okl has covered L3 as >21 pt Favs. Scored > 57 pts L6 Reg season games.
BYU allowed 48, 24, 42, and 34 L4 reg season Rd games.
Can't back BYU here and Stoops known to lay it on o'matched opps.
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BYU may get the doors blown off. 2 Freshman offensive linemen going against OU's experienced defense is a recipe for disaster. I'm placing a small wager on OU.Comment -
leaving it alone
but i would buy the .5 and go with the sooners
stoops loves style pointsComment -
keep in mind UTAH beat this BYU team 48-24 last year
I mean Utah was GREAT last year, but OK woulda thrown up 60+ on byu
calling it.... OU 55, BYU 13Comment -
tough call here, lots of people are on the BYU wagon but i like the +21Comment -
thanks for the info. bearmz...Comment -
Just can't see the rationale for backing BYU here....both teams have suffered some losses/injuries, but OU is certainly more equipped to reload....however, for argument's sake, lets assume they are both substantially similar same as last year....
These teams actually had 2 common opponents last year, TCU and Washington......the only game I didn't see fully was the TCU/Oklahoma game, but OU went up 35-3 into the 4th before a late TD by TCU (although TCU did play them tough from what I understand).....I watched the other 3 games in full and there is one HUGE difference here.....the speed of OU will be way too much for BYU...it is so obvious to me...yes, Hall is good...blah, blah, blah...sooner defense will shut this offense down just like TCU did last season....and Bradford will have no probelm carving up this cougar defense (that gave up 30+ in 4 of last 6 regular season MWC games)..
Not making a big play on OU here, as crazy things can happen late with big leads and a team that can throw.....but no rationale for backing the cougars IMO....I really see a 49-14 type game....
GLComment
