Sports Agent Corner: UFL vs CFL, “Runners”, and the Stay-or-Go Debate

(Editor’s Note: The Sports Agent Corner is our periodic Q&A with Dallas-based sports agent Gary Glick of Synergy Sports, Inc. Learn more about Gary and see his list of past and present clients at the Synergy Sports website.)

MSF: Give us an update on your players currently on NFL rosters.

Gary Glick: Interesting year so far.  We had several that were released and several doing well.  One of the ones to watch is Mike Adams at Arizona (#27).  He is small at 5’8” but has been very effective on special teams and is a very sure tackler.

MSF: How does the beginning of the UFL influence your  landscape? Is this a place where you are going to actively direct your clients who cannot make it on an NFL roster right now? Is the UFL immediately on par, better than, worse than the CFL?

… Continue Reading

I’ll Tell You This: The Meaning of Bradford’s Injury, ND’s Win, and Why the Jets and Lions are Making a Mistake

[Editor's note: This is the second installment of Big MB's weekly post entitled I'll Tell You This, in which he tells us all what in the sports world -- to quote the great Peter Griffin -- is grinding his gears. Enjoy...and stay tuned for an upcoming appearance by Big MB on the soon-to-be resume MSF podcast.]

——————–

1. Sam Bradford

This past Saturday, Oklahoma was upset in new the Dallas Cowboys stadium by BYU. What’s worse is that last year’s Heisman Trophy winning quarterback, Sam Bradford, injured his throwing shoulder on his way to the ground. Sooner Nation stopped breathing for a moment, however with recent reports it seems that the Sooner’s Slinger will only miss 2-4 weeks.

I’ll Tell You This: For all of you skeptics of Mark Sanchez and other athletes coming to pro sports early, and for all of you haters of high schoolers jumping to NBA, this is the case against you. Bradford decided to stick around one more year when he could have been the #1 pick last year. What if this was a career ending injury? Even though it’s not at this point, what if it severely affects Bradford’s play?  Bradford would possibly never get to live his dream of playing pro football. And worse, what would be his future profession after dumping all of his time into becoming an A-level quarterback?

2. Saving Weis?

Charlie Weis and all of South Bend (and those who support the Irish) may breathe just a little easier after Notre Dame pitched a shutout against Nevada. Jimmy Clausen finally looked like the quarterback that he has been hyped to be, completing 15 of 18 passes for 315 yards and 4 touchdowns.

I’ll Tell You This: No coach in sports is under as much pressure as Charlie Weis is right now. Notre Dame MUST win, and look good in doing so. However, this was Nevada. It’s the first week of the season. The team that should have won did. Next week brings bitter rival the Big Blue of Michigan. Someone shoot Charlie a text and let him know his job is still on the line.

3. Al Davis Strikes Again

Once again, Bill Bellicheck is a genius and Al Davis is a fool. This past weekend the New England Patriots traded DE Richard Seymour to the Oakland Raiders for a first round pick in 2011. Seymour is getting older and has seemingly started to lose a step, but is still an upgrade to a porous Raiders D-Line. However, the question remains: is he worth a first round pick?

I’ll Tell You This: There is not a soul on the earth that can honestly tell me that Al Davis made a good move, or ever will. Seymour is a “right now” type of guy, and Oakland is FAR from a “right now” type of team. There is no doubt that the Patriots will likely be picking top 5 in the 2011 draft, and that is something that no one in the entire NFL (save for New England) wants to see (and it’s possible that Al Davis won’t even live long enough to see). Al Davis needs to let go of this historic NFL franchise or they will never succeed. It’s definitely the black hole….a place where NFL players and winning go to die.

4. The Rookies

NFL rookies take the cake this year as both Matthew Stafford of the Detroit Lions and Mark Sanchez of the New York Jets will both get the starting nod at quarterback for their respective teams this season.

I’ll Tell You This: Although I think both guys are talented and will be good quarterbacks in the NFL, both teams are making mistakes starting them. Yes, some quarterbacks do well when thrown right into the mix (see Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts). However, in many cases it hurls what may have been a talented superstar into the cursed pool of the draft day flops (See Ryan Leaf, Joey Harrington, and David Carr). And some never can turn it around afterwards. Both teams have respectable veteran starters in Daunte Culpepper (Detroit) and Kellen Clemens (NY).  I can only hope for the sake of these two QB’s that they follow Peyton’s path to success and not Ryan Leaf’s path to America’s Funniest Home Videos.

5. The Knockout Heard Round the World

Everyone has seen it. Most of us saw it every hour for 48 straight hours on every sport program on television. And while for a fan of MMA like myself it was somewhat exciting to watch, America was once again taken aback by another sports thug when Oregon standout running back LeGarrette Blount sucker punched Boise State’s Byron Hout after Hout spouted a little trash talk to Blount. Blount made things worse by almost going Ron Artest-style on a couple fans on his way to the locker room. It took 4 or 5 police officers and building security to keep him from broaching the stands.

I’ll Tell You This: Although it is very sad to see a player throw away his career for lack of ability to keep his attitude in control, I do find it funny that the game started with both teams meeting at midfield for a handshake in light of “Good Sportmanship Week.” What I also find funny is that Blount ran his mouth ALL week before the game and then after getting held in check and to career lows, couldn’t take what he had been dishing out. The senior received a one year suspension, thus ending his college career. What will he do with his time off? Maybe he should give the Winnepeg Blue Bombers a call. He can hang out with Pacman Jones. They would make a cute couple. Canada can have him too.

**********

You can follow BigMB on Twitter by going to www.twitter.com/mylesb3269.

Sam Bradford Injury Update: Sprained Right Throwing Shoulder (Updated)

The new Cowboys’ Stadium, the entire state of Oklahoma, and Sam Bradford’s future bank account all were left speechless earlier tonight when Bradford, last year’s Heisman Trophy winner, got slammed to the ground and took a shot to his throwing shoulder.

The latest: it’s not the best case scenario, but at least it’s not the worst case scenario.

According to the ESPN telecast, Bradford has a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder but the X-Rays were negative.  

After watching Bradford walk to the locker room with what Brad Nessler aptly described as “an imaginary sling” I’d say this is about as good as could be hoped. I think everyone watching thought Bradford had probably separated the shoulder.

Bradford is obviously out for the rest of tonight’s game (and, strangely, got a bloody nose while standing on the sideline) and is currently watching his Sooner teammates try to stave off a game BYU club that is currently on the goalline with the score tied at 10-10 as I type this. 

Now, onto the most important question: will Sam Bradford play against Texas? It is obviously too early to tell now, and we probably won’t know more until Monday. But — and this is an important but — if the initial prognosis (at least, according to ESPN) of 2-4 weeks proves accurate, Bradford should be back for the October 17th Red River Shootout. 

Follow the link to StubHub for great deals on tickets to the Red River Shootout between Oklahoma and Texas.

In between now and then the Sooners face Idaho State, Tulsa, Miami (FL), and Baylor. If they can find a way to tonight, they should be able to win those four games even without Bradford, thus making the Red River Shootout still a potentially monumental game between two top-5 teams.

Of course, winning tonight will now be much harder after BYU scored a TD.  14-13 Cougars with 3:00 minutes left in the 4th quarter.

More info to come as it becomes available.

Update 10/7: The latest word on Monday is the Bradford’ shoulder injury appears worse than initially hoped. According to Bob Stoops (via College Football Talk), who provided an update on Sam Bradford’s injury today, Bradford has a Grade II or Grade III sprain of the AC joint in his throwing shoulder. Stoops said the team is still 1-2 weeks away from even having a timetable for Bradford’s return. Needless to say, not good.

**********

* – Sam Bradford photo credit: OU Math Club

After the 2008 Year of the Sooners, it is Time for a Playoff in College Football

(Photo Art by Midwest Sports Fans.)

First off, I want to congratulate Sam Bradford on winning the Heisman Trophy. He put up some of the most ridiculous numbers college football has ever seen this year, and led the Oklahoma Sooners to five straight 60-point outings to close out the season. That is remarkable.

And I want to congratulate the Oklahoma Sooners on becoming Big 12 Champs and being selected to play the Florida Gators in the BCS National Championship game. The Sooners are on quite a roll right now and the Oklahoma-Florida matchup to determine the champion should be exciting.

But what the hell did the University of Texas do to become the toilet of college football in 2008? All they did was go 11-1, beat Oklahoma, and have a QB set the NCAA record for completion percentage. With all that said, let’s count the ways that Texas has been shit on this season:

1 — Despite having an identical 11-1 record with Oklahoma, and owning the head-to-head tie-breaker with the Sooners, Texas was left home during the Big 12 Championship while Oklahoma played Missouri.

2 — Again, despite having the same record as Oklahoma and beating them, Texas experienced their one loss a few weeks later in the season and fell behind Oklahoma in the polls and BCS standings. This is what gave Oklahoma the right to play in the Big 12 Championship game and make it to the BCS National Championship game…despite the ugly fact that a team with an identical record, and that they lost to, will have to watch the championship game from home.

3 — Colt McCoy was sensational in his head-to-head matchup against Sam Bradford. He made the plays to win his school’s biggest game of the year. Sam Bradford did not. The #1 and #2 vote-getters in the Heisman balloting met on the same field, and the the guy who lost and played worse ended up winning the award for Most Oustanding Player in America.

If I were a Texas fan, I’d be feeling a little salty right now. If I were an Oklahoma fan, I’d be thanking my lucky stars that the 2008 Sooners somehow defied the most basic logic that is supposed to govern sports: nothing is more important than what happens on the field.

Oh wait — this is college football we are talking about, the sport where logic is nowhere to be found.

I am having a hard time coming up with a more egregious set of circumstances to end a season and determine a national champion than what has happened this year. And if the Illogical Quagmire of 2008 cannot galvanize change and inspire a movement towards a playoff, I’m not sure what will. If you have the same record as another team, but you beat them on the field of play, you should take priority and be rewarded. That did not happen this year, and Texas got royally screwed because of it.

And if choosing the winner of an individual honor requires the splitting of hairs, as this year’s Heisman Trophy voting clearly did (based on the fact that the difference between #1 and #3 was smaller than the typical difference between #1 and #2), then beating the other candidate head-to-head should carry some pretty serious weight. Obviously it did not in this case, as Sam Bradford came out ahead of Colt McCoy.

And here’s the really sad thing: I know a lot of people are reading this and chomping at the bit to get the comments and tell me I’m an idiot for arguing about Texas and ignoring Texas Tech. Well guess what? That is even more proof for my point!

Texas Tech beat Texas who beat Oklahoma who beat Texas Tech. And yet, the big argument at the end of the season was between Texas and Oklahoma, with Texas Tech all but forgotten. Sure, Oklahoma wiped the floor with Texas Tech. And I would rank them 3rd out of those three on my own personal ballot. But who cares!? Does the old saying, “That’s why they play games” mean anything in college football?

Apparently not.

Not only was Texas Tech shut out of the Big 12 championship game, shut out of the BCS, and shut out of even getting an invite to the Heisman ceremony (despite having the #4 and #5 vote-getters in Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree), but they weren’t even in the conversation! How ridiculous is that?

Unfortunately, that is college football.

I love college football. I grew up going to games every Saturday, and I love nothing more than watching, debating, and reading about college football all Fall long. But I love college basketball more, and for one extremely important reason: champions are determined on the court, and not through media politicking or in a computer.

Oklahoma had a historic season in many ways in 2008. One feat that should definitely go down in the record books is that they recorded the first loss in the history of college football that, apparently, was not a loss.

In the absence of a playoff, when two teams with identical records do not play eachother, subjective opinions must be solicited to attempt to determine who is better. This has always been a part of college football, and there is no way around it to a certain degree. But when teams play eachother on the field, that game has to mean something. In this case, Oklahoma may as well have just won that game 45-35 instead of what actually happened. Oklahoma was treated like a 12-0 team, while Texas was dealt the fate of a team that went 10-2 and lost to the Sooners.

Oh yeah, and don’t forget about Texas Tech.

My head is starting to hurt just writing this, because it is such a sad and ridiculous circle of idiocy. The only thing standing between college football and a playoff is excuses. College basketball does it. The other college football divisions do it. And somehow, a better method simply has to be implemented to determine champions.

One of the most popular arguments bandied about in opposition of a playoff is that a playoff would lessen the importance of the regular season, that what makes college football different is that a game in October is just as meaningful as a game in January. Well to all of the people who make that argument, I present the 2008 college football season as the quintessential counter-argument that you simply cannot refute.

How meaningful is the college football regular season when Texas can beat Oklahoma, yet Oklahoma goes to the Big 12 championship, the national championship, and the Oklahoma QB beats out the Texas QB for the Heisman?

How meaningful is the college football regular season when Texas Tech can beat Texas, and their arguments are not even taken seriously, for the most part because they do not have the same prestige as Texas and Oklahoma?

It doesn’t seem all that meaningful to me. Not after this season.

What do you think?

 Loading ...

So congratulations to Oklahoma. 2008 truly has been the Year of the Sooners, because somehow Oklahoma was able to defy sports logic and completely erase the typical consequences of losing. And this is not a knock on Oklahoma, their coaches, or their players — they have an amazing team. And it is hard to argue that they are not deserving of a spot in the championship game. The problem is that it is not hard to argue for Texas or Texas Tech either.

So the knock is not on Oklahoma, but rather on the idiotic system of college football over which the Sooners have no control.

I just hope that 2008 was a step backwards that can ultimately lead to a giant leap forward — in the form of a playoff. All of this illogical BS has gone on for far too long in college football and it is time for what happens on the field to matter more than what happens on a ballot.

Discussion Questions for Comments Section:

1. Do you think that Texas and Texas Tech got screwed in 2008?
2. Do you want to see a playoff in college football? Why or why not?

Looking forward to everyone’s responses on this topic. And let’s just hope that one of these days, logic can actually become a part of college football.

Sam Bradford Wins Heisman Trophy Over Tim Tebow and Colt McCoy

In one of the most hotly contested Heisman races ever, Sam Bradford of Oklahoma came away as the victor of the 74th Heisman Trophy.

He gave a very nice and heartfelt speech in which he thanked “everyone in his life.” He becomes the second straight sophomore to win the trophy, joining Tim Tebow from last season. They are the only two sophomores to ever win the Heisman Trophy.

Sam Bradford is a member of the Cherokee Indian tribe. I did not realize that until earlier today.

What do you think of Sam Bradford winning the Heisman Trophy?

 Loading ...

Okay, so here is how the voting broke down:

Sam Bradford – 1,726 votes

Colt McCoy – 1,604 votes

Tim Tebow – 1,575 votes

Graham Harrell, Michael Crabtree, Shonn Greene, and Pat White rounded out the top 7.

Interestingly, Tim Tebow received the most first place votes, but still finished in third place.

Here is the statistical breakdown from the 2008 season for Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford and his two closest competitors, Colt McCoy and Tim Tebow:

Sam Bradford, Oklahoma:

• QB Rating: 186.29
• Passing Yards: 4,464
• Passing Touchdowns: 48
• Completion: 68.3%
• Yards Per Attempt: 10.10
• Interceptions: 6
• Rushing Yards: 65
• Rushing TDs: 5

Colt McCoy, Texas:

• QB Rating: 179.2
• Passing Yards: 3,445
• Passing Touchdowns: 32
• Completion: 77.6%
• Yards Per Attempt: 9.19
• Interceptions: 7
• Rushing Yards: 576
• Rushing TDs: 10

Tim Tebow, Florida:

• QB Rating: 176.74
• Passing Yards: 2,515
• Passing Touchdowns: 28
• Completion: 64.9%
• Yards Per Attempt: 9.4
• Interceptions: 2
• Rushing Yards: 564
• Rushing TDs: 12

Interesting historical note: The only other time that the margin between the first and third place finisher was close was back in 2001. That season, Eric Crouch of Nebraska won the Heisman Trophy, while Rex Grossman of Florida and Ken Dorsey of Miami finished second and third, respectively.

Heisman Trophy Presentation – Preview and Prediction

Update: Sam Bradford has won the Heisman Trophy over Colt McCoy and Tim Tebow

Tonight, one college football player will have their name permanently etched alongside the all-time greats. For Sam Bradford or Colt McCoy, winning the Heisman Trophy forever place their name on the greatest individual list of players in the history of college football. For Tim Tebow, winning a second Heisman Trophy would place him in one of the most exclusive clubs in all of sports: 2-time Heisman Trophy winners. Currently, only Archie Griffin is a member. Tim Tebow could become the second.

In all of my years following college football and the Heisman Trophy, I can remember few that were this up in the air. Literally any of these three guys could be announced the winner and it would not surprise me in the slightest. I remember the 1989 race was pretty open. Andre Ware of Houston ended up beating out Anthony Thompson of Indiana, primarily because the Hoosiers choked against Purdue and finished 5-6. But this race has three legitimate candidates.

Let’s run through a quick 2008 Heisman Trophy Preview:

• Who: Sam Bradford, Oklahoma; Colt McCoy, Texas; Tim Tebow, Florida
• What: 2008 Heisman Trophy Presentation
• When: December 13 at 8:00 ET on ESPN
• Where: Downtown Athletic Club, New York
• Why: Because it’s presented every year, and it is the single most prestigious individual honor in sport.

A quick statistical comparison between the three candidates:

Sam Bradford, Oklahoma:

• QB Rating: 186.29
• Passing Yards: 4,464
• Passing Touchdowns: 48
• Completion: 68.3%
• Yards Per Attempt: 10.10
• Interceptions: 6
• Rushing Yards: 65
• Rushing TDs: 5

Colt McCoy, Texas:

• QB Rating: 179.2
• Passing Yards: 3,445
• Passing Touchdowns: 32
• Completion: 77.6%
• Yards Per Attempt: 9.19
• Interceptions: 7
• Rushing Yards: 576
• Rushing TDs: 10

Tim Tebow, Florida:

• QB Rating: 176.74
• Passing Yards: 2,515
• Passing Touchdowns: 28
• Completion: 64.9%
• Yards Per Attempt: 9.4
• Interceptions: 2
• Rushing Yards: 564
• Rushing TDs: 12

As you can see from comparing the stats, no one stands out so far above the pack that the decision is easy. Sure, Sam Bradford has plenty more yards and TDs, but he does not have the rushing that McCoy and Tebow bring to the table. And Colt McCoy broke Daunte Culpepper’s Division I record for completion percentage. You can stare at the stats all day long and I don’t think it makes the decision any more clear.

Let’s take a quick rundown and see how the “experts” are picking:

Ivan Maisel, ESPN: Sam Bradford, Oklahoma

Pat Forde, ESPN: Colt McCoy, Texas

Mark Schlabach, ESPN: Tim Tebow, Florida

Beano Cook, ESPN: Tim Tebow, Florida

Mel Kiper, Jr., ESPN: Colt McCoy, Texas

Stewart Mandel, SI.com: Tim Tebow, Florida

(Update: Just caught this on SI.com. They actually reveal the official Heisman ballots of the voters who write for SI. Pretty interesting. Based on this tiny sample, looks like it’s a two-man race between Tim Tebow and Colt McCoy.)

I just realized there is really no point in doing this. These guys don’t know any more than you or I do about who will win, or who deserves it to win. This year’s Heisman Trophy will come down to how each individual voter defines “most outstanding”.

For me, I give the slight edge to Colt McCoy. He does not have the superstar talent around him that Sam Bradford and Tim Tebow have, and has been forced to do more on his own. He set the NCAA record for completion percentage, and if Texas had finished undefeated McCoy would be a shoe-in. Well, it was only a dropped INT by a Texas DB that prevented them from beating Texas Tech. Colt McCoy did everything he could in that game. And in the head-to-head matchup between McCoy and Bradford, McCoy lifted his team to victory.

So my vote goes to Colt McCoy. Who does your vote go to?

 Loading ...

Use the comments to defend your selection and argue for you candidate. And for the record, I think it stinks that Graham Harrell didn’t get an invite to New York. Whether he had a legit chance to win or not, he should have been there. His team had one loss in the same conference as McCoy and Bradford and his stats were incredible. He got jobbed.

It’s Time for Bedlam: Oklahoma-Oklahoma State Preview and Prediction

The next “Game of the Year” in the Big 12 is upon us, as Bob Stoops and the Oklahoma Sooners travel toStillwater to take on the 40-year old man (Mike Gundy) and the Oklahoma State Mothers…of Children in the latest installment of the Bedlam Series.

I know, I know — Mike Gundy is now 41 and his press conference rant is over a year old. Still, it does not make it any less funny. In fact, let’s take a quick trip down memory lane before we jump into the preview. But rather than listen to Mike Gundy rant about some “garbage” newspaper story, let’s watch him provide a weather report in the heart of a nasty storm.

And now, onto the serious stuff.

Here are the particulars for today’s Bedlam Series game between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State:

Matchup: #3 Oklahoma Sooners (10-1) at #12 Oklahoma State Cowboys (9-2)

Where: Stillwater, Oklahoma

Time: 8:00 ET

TV: ABC

Announcer Pairing: Brent Musberger, Kirk Herbstreit, Lisa Salters

Point Spread: Oklahoma -7 ½

Over-Under: 72

 Loading ...

What’s at stake: This game will help determine who goes to the Big 12 Championship Game from the Big 12 South division.

Texas took care of Texas A&M on Thursday night, as expected. This means that if the favorites hold serve, with Oklahoma beating OSU and Texas Tech beating Baylor, then there will be a three-way tie in the Big 12 South. By tiebreaker rule, whichever team is tanked higher in the BCS Standings would then go on to play Missouri in the Big 12 Championship Game. This scenario is the only possible way that Oklahoma could play in the Big 12 Championship.

If Oklahoma loses today and Texas Tech beats Baylor, then Texas Tech will play in the Big 12 Championship based on its victory over Texas. If Texas Tech loses to Baylor and Oklahoma beats Oklahoma State, Texas goes to the Big 12 Championship game because the Longhorns beat Oklahoma earlier this year.

So there’s just a little bit at stake tonight in Stillwater.

Let’s take a quick look at what some of the “experts” are predicting:

Dennis Dodd, Senior Writer at CBS Sportsline: Oklahoma State 31 | Oklahoma 23

“I had this vision Saturday night of Mike Gundy sitting on a trunk somewhere drawing up ball plays as he watched OU on TV out of the corner of his eye. People are just assuming that Oklahoma is going to cruise past the Cowboys. The reason it won’t is Kendall Hunter. Gundy will use its All-America-worthy back to control the clock. OSU’s defense is underrated. The fans will be out for blood.”

For the record, the other four prognosticators at CBS Sportsline all picked Oklahoma to win.

John Tamanaha, Official Prognosticator at NBCSports.com: Oklahoma 48 | Oklahoma State 31

“With Mike Gundy calling the shots, Zac Robinson hooking up with Dez Bryant, and Kendall Hunter running the rock, Oklahoma State is more than capable of getting into a shootout with Oklahoma, especially at home in Stillwater. But the Cowboys won’t be able to come up with enough stops to stay within striking distance in the fourth quarter.”

Stewart Mandel, College Football Oracle at SI.com: Oklahoma 48 | Oklahoma State 24

“Theoretically, the Sooners are walking into a “hostile” atmosphere — except there will be 15,000 empty seats due to OSU’s inane policy requiring fans to buy season tickets in order to attend this one.”

And, for the record, 83% of the fans who had voted by 10:15 ET this morning had picked Oklahoma.
Sounds reasonable to me.

Here is why I think Oklahoma will win:

1 – Karma is a bitch

Oklahoma State instituted an insane policy this year that no single-game tickets would be sold for the Oklahoma-Oklahoma State game, instead forcing people to buy season tickets. Now, it is estimated that there will be 10,000-15,000 empty seats – for one of the biggest games of the season! Mike Gundy wants to talk about something being garbage? That’s garbage. No way the cosmic forces of college football allow Oklahoma State to win under such circumstances.

2 – Bob Stoops is better than Mike Gundy

It’s that simple. Look no further that the two team’s respective performances against Texas Tech. Graham Harrell made Oklahoma State look foolish, and Mike Gundy may as well have let T. Boone Pickens call the offensive plays. We all know what Stoops and the Sooners did to Texas Tech. Mike Gundy may be a man, but Bob Stoops is the man in the Big 12.

3 – The BCS is a bitch

If Oklahoma wins and Texas Tech wins, as explained earlier, all hell breaks loose. As any college football fan knows, the evil and diabolical BCS demon is not happy unless it has created as much carnage and controversy as possible. Texas Tech and Oklahoma will both win today, forcing the three-way tie in the Big 12 South that will be determined by politics and BS. And nothing says BCS better than politics and BS.

My prediction: Oklahoma 49 | Oklahoma State 31

And now, if you are a betting man, I’d run out an bet every last dollar on Oklahoma State pulling off the upset. I’m as accurate with my predictions as Lee Corso is sane. Just remember that I picked Texas Tech over Oklahoma as you click away from his prediction as fast as humanly possible.

Game of the Week: Texas Tech-Oklahoma Preview and Prediction

With apologies to KVB, the college football Game of the Week is in Norman, Oklahoma, not in Columbus, Ohio. True, the Michigan-Ohio State game has more history and is a bigger game on a yearly basis; but the battle for Big 12 supremacy in Norman this weekend could very well be the Game of the Year when all is said and done.

Texas Tech comes into Saturday night’s matchup (at 8:00 ET on ABC) with an 10-0 record, a #2 ranking, and off of back-to-back wins over top 10 teams Texas and Oklahoma State. The Oklahoma Sooners will defend their home turf Saturday with a 9-1 record, a #5 ranking, and a loss to Texas (in Dallas at the Cotton Bowl) as their only blemish of the year.

Both teams have offenses that are pretty much ridiculous. Texas Tech, powered by the lethal combo of Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree, is #1 in the nation in passing yards per game with 438.6, and they are #2 in overall offense. Oklahoma is led by superstar sophomore Sam Bradford and is #4 in total offense and #3 in passing offense. Holy crap I am getting excited for this game.

If the over-under is anything less 100, take the over.

What are the keys to victory? I’ll run down a few in the preview and then offer up a prediction. But first, chime in with your prediction:

 Loading ...

Texas Tech-Oklahoma Preview: Keys to victory for Texas Tech

1 — Emotion and Mindset

For two straight weeks, Texas Tech has played “the biggest game in school history” and they have won both of them. The Texas game was a knock down, drag out fight that they were able to pull out by the skin of their teeth with an incredible touchdown pass from Graham Harrell to Michael Crabtree in the final seconds. It is the kind of play a team makes when they are that season’s “darling of destiny.” (Case in point: think about Tennessee in 1998 and how they won a game on a phantom pass interference and another when Clint Stoerner fumbled while attempting to run out the clock. Some teams just get all the breaks for an entire season.)

Texas Tech needed no breaks against Oklahoma State, however. They thoroughly whooped the Cowboys, who failed to get Dez Bryant enough play-making opportunities. Now, the Red Raiders are 10-0 and have spent a two weeks since the Texas win listening to everyone tell them they are the greatest thing since sliced bread. Not to mention, they have played with a very high level of emotion and concentration for two consecutive weeks.

Can they maintain it? That is the key question. Norman will be a hostile environment and Oklahoma usually jumps out to early leads with their high-octane offense. If Texas Tech gets down, they can’t panic or lose their emotion. Emotion and mindset have been a strength of Texas Tech all year. It needs to be again.

2 — Pressure Sam Bradford to force turnovers

In Oklahoma’s lone loss this year, Sam Bradford was picked off twice by Texas. He has only been picked off four times in their other 9 games. Texas fell behind early but was able to come back because of timely special teams plays and turnovers. Sam Bradford has been spectacular through nearly two seasons, but has shown a propensity to lose his poise late in games or when Oklahoma is down. Texas Tech needs to capitalize on this and get to him every chance they can.

3 — Establish a ground game

Texas Tech is known for its aerial assault, but Texas won because they stayed committed to running the football. Colt McCoy threw 35 passes and as a team they ran it 35 times. Texas Tech doesn’t need such an even split (McCoy ran it 14 times himself, while Harrell won’t do that), but they do need to try to control the ball, especially late if they have a lead. The top two running backs for Texas Tech average over 5 yards per carry. The Red Raiders will rack up points behind the superb ability of Graham Harrell in leading the spread, but they can salt away a victory by pounding a struggling Oklahoma defense with the run.

Texas Tech-Oklahoma Preview: Keys to victory for Oklahoma

1 — Special frieking teams

Oklahoma has been plagued by special teams breakdowns all season long. They had Texas dead to rights with a 14-3 lead and all of the momentum before Jordan Shipley gave the Longhorns a glimmer of hope with a kickoff return for a TD. Oklahoma scored on the very next possession and could have been up 21-3. Instead, it was 21-10, and Texas got it back to 21-20 before the half. The Sooners dominated the first half in every way, but led by only one at the break. Take away the special teams failure and the game could have had a drastically different outcome.

Oklahoma almost always jumps out and has their offense clicking early. Texas Tech’s D has played well this year, but the offenses in the Big 12 this year, and Oklahoma specifically, have proven they could rack up points with 15 defenders on the field. If Oklahoma gets up early at home, they need to maintain their lead. If a special teams play can spark a struggling Red Raiders team, it could be deja vu all over again for Oklahoma in a big game at home.

2 — Sam Bradford needs to be better than Graham Harrell

In each of the key Big 12 games this year, the quarterback who has played better has been on the winning team. Colt McCoy outdueled Sam Bradford in Dallas, and Texas won. Graham Harrell made one more play that Colt McCoy in Lubbock, and Texas Tech won. Graham Harrell was better than Zack Robinson, Colt McCoy was better than Chase Daniel, and so on it goes.

Sam Bradford’s statistics are incredible. But the one whisper I continuously hear from people who watch the Big 12 closely is that Sam Bradford, while he has the prototypical body and arm of an NFL quarterback, lacks the moxie and winning ability of Colt McCoy and Graham Harrell. This game will be Sam Bradford’s chance to prove that he is a legit Heisman contender and that he can lead a team to victory in a hue game. He failed against Texas, but Oklahoma needs him to be better than the de facto Heisman front-runner right now, Graham Harrell. And part of Sam Bradford being able to do this will be the ability of his offensive line to protect him adequately.

3 — Bob Stoops needs to be better than Mike Leach

Last week, Texas Tech kicked the snot out of Oklahoma State because Mike Leach had his team mentally, emotionally, and tactically more prepared to play than Mike Gundy did. Oklahoma State inexplicably did not use Dez Bryant correctly, and their defense had no answer for Texas Tech. The defense part is not so egregious, because no defense can stop Texas Tech.

But no defense has been able to stop Oklahoma either. And while Texas Tech possesses one of the better defense’s Oklahoma has faced all year, they shouldn’t be able to contain Sam Bradford and the balanced attack of the Sooners — if Bob Stoops doesn’t screw it up, that is. His offense has been superb all year, but coaches sometimes outthink themselves and try to do “special” things in big games. I think this is what has made Mike Leach such a great coach: Texas Tech does what it does and it doesn’t seem to change from the preseason to regular season. They just execute and understand their identity.

Bob Stoops, however, does not have the reputation of a great big game coach; and I think part of the reason why is that he makes the same mistake other coaches make by not staying committed to doing the things they do well. Stoops and the Oklahoma coaches need to let Sam Bradford run the show and not outthink themselves. You know that Mike Leach will do so for Graham Harrell, which is why Graham Harrell has been so good in key spots.

Texas Tech-Oklahoma Prediction

I was really leaning towards picking Oklahoma when I began writing this. They are at home, Texas Tech has to be emotionally drained from the last two weeks, and Oklahoma’s offense is, overall, every bit as good as Texas Tech’s.

But there are two key differences between Texas Tech and Oklahoma: Graham Harrell-Mike Leach and Sam Bradford-Bob Stoops.

Graham Harrell has proven that he is clutch this season, and that he is the type of zone where he believes that he can make every play. Sam Bradford couldn’t do this in his biggest test of the season against Texas. And despite Bob Stoops longer and more decorated coaching resume, I actually trust Mike Leach more in a big game to have his team ready to play, and to not lose its identity. Bob Stoops and Sam Bradford can change my mind with a win Saturday night, but I’m not ready to bank my credibility as a prognosticator on it.

The Sooners are favored by somewhere around 6, but I’m taking the Red Raiders outright (and, like I said, the over if it’s anywhere under 100).

Texas Tech 56 – Oklahoma 52 in an another 2008 Big 12 instant classic.

[tags]texas tech red raiders, oklahoma sooners, college football, big 12[/tags]

Sports Agent Corner: Gary Glick on Colt McCoy Staying at Texas and Mike Sherman

Editor’s Note: Welcome to the second edition of the Sports Agents Corner. Each week, we run through a list of hot topics with Dallas-based sports agent Gary Glick of Synergy Sports, Inc.

Go to the Sports Agent Corner page to view past editions, and feel free to send an email to the Sports Agent Corner if there is a specific question you would like Gary to address in future weeks.)

__________

Midwest Sports Fans: From a scout’s perspective, projecting forward with respect to his potential NFL career, how good of an overall on- and off-field prospect is Colt McCoy?

Gary Glick: Honestly, I’m not as familiar with Colt McCoy as I should be because last year, I simply did not see him as that good of a QB. In fact, I have spoken with NFL Scouts who thought that Stephen McGee (Texas A&M) was a better Pro Prospect. Colt McCoy has really turned it around this year and looks to be not only a versatile QB who can pass and run the ball, he looks to be the leader of the team on Offense. From those persons with whom I’ve spoken, he seems to be a sincere player who is strong in his beliefs and convictions. I will be curious to watch the scouting reports and to see how far he moves up.

MSF: Colt McCoy recently stated that he is planning to return for his senior season. What are your thoughts on his decision, and players leaving school early in general?

… Continue Reading