If the stars aligned and we ran the table, this schedule is good enough to get us in the playoffs.
Will we run the table? Most likely not. But who saw 2015 happening before the season.
UH offense/King & the WRs should be fine.
-Barring something unexpected, they can score vs anyone & OK had their worst defense in decades.
-They were last in B12 in total defense & scoring defense & 130 in pass defense in 2018.
-Grinch from Ohio State is the new Def C w 9 starters back.
-LB Kenneth Murray was their only all B12 player (2nd team) & he is back.
I don’t see as huge a mismatch vs the UH defense as most are expecting.
Oklahoma has no film on this new UH defense and they had
4 OL drafted high (2nd, 3d, 4th, 4th) from a line that won the Joe Moore award as the nation best OL. The center is back but was hurt all spring.
8 drafted overall. Most since 2005.
Granted OK just reloads but regardless of talent they will need to adjust to what the UH defense brings before they keep pounding out their mismatches.
Samp, good take. I am cautiously optimistic our defense will play well.
I see the Polytrain is boarding EARLY … again … and where is dd and his goofy choo-choo
Holgerson has never beaten OU and he is taking a 4 TD underdog into Norman who was last embarrassed BADLY by Army …
Yep he has made some improvements … coaching-wise … but realistically we former GusBus participants have our usual outlook going into Norman …
You totally make sense. I don’t see victory. Just not the thrashing expected.
Something worth noting is that BOTH teams have a new DC. Dont turn the ball over and keep the pressure on Hurts. Also add in the fact that while our guys will be on the road dealing with crowd noise, the pressure will be on OU to break in a QB who is NOT a good passer, an OLine that will have to get on the same page quickly, and overall pressure to not lose. Keep in mind this is the same OU program that struggles with the TCUs, and Iowa State’s of the world.
Our guys can play loose and have fun and that’s a recipe for upset. Just wait.
The team that will be on the field in Norman is going to be far from the team that faced Army in that bowl, can’t go by that game. There are other reasons to be cautious, but that ain’t one of them
We have a MAJOR difference this season as compared to last. Last season our offense and defense operated in spite of each other, not in unison as a complete team. Often times, when our D needed a breather, Briles was oblivious to this fact, ran a light speed 3 and out and put our D is a position to fail time and time again.
I can only imagine this season will be drastically different. We’ve added pieces to our secondary, we return our Offensive with a few major O-line additions. Let’s control the line of scrimmage and the clock and put our defense in a position to limit the amount of times they have to defend Oklahoma.
It will be a tough game…but if we can maintain that type of momentum…we have a legitimate chance to pull out the W.
At the start of the 2015 NOBODY and I mean NOBODY would have predicted our squad, that had just fired Levine, would be good enough to beat a Florida State team that made the playoff the year before. And that was with a rookie head coach!
But it HAPPENED!
You can’t go by last year, this is a different tream with a different staff. But to put things in perspective, we went 2-8 in 1975 even losing to a poor UNT team 28-0. In 1976 we were the SWC and Cotton Bowl champions finishing #4 in the country.
I am feeling good about this season and think we have a decent chance to win in Norman. Regardless, thaty is just one of 12 games on the season.
@PAWRFUL isn’t only going by last year’s team vs this year’s team. He is going by our coach’s record against OU.
This game could go a lot of ways, but more than likely we will lose by over 20 pts.
You can never compare one Team to another. Writing this it is obvious that we were clueless from a Coaching point of view. That alone will be the biggest test for me. I want to see some consistency on both offense and defense. In case we are able to do both we have a chance. Let’s see how we do in the next few months leading to our first game.
Oh Davy, I am here as always! All Aboard the train!!! Come off the Gus Bus, just once Davy, I promise you, you will never return!!!
We will beat OU, you watch! Dana first win over OU and I am calling it on July 4, 2019. Remember this thread!
We win, you on the Polly Train for life!
You had me at “beat OU.”
All aboard!!!
Our offense won’t skip a beat I believe. We can score with just about anyone in the country, if we score first and score early and maybe jump to. 10-0 /14-0 lead the boys will be hyped and can maybe pull it off.
That’s a big if, but I feel way better about playing OU with our new HC and new DC. Our new DC hire is already 10x better than Coach No D we had the last two years.
Agreed. If this was Applewhite, I would concede to this game being a loss. With Dana, I feel we will win… His first over OU. It is payback time for that 63 - 13 loss from our last Norman, OK visit under Briles/Kolb.
Then , why did he mention “…he is taking a 4 TD underdog into Norman who was last embarrassed BADLY by Army …” ?
Holgerson is NOT taking that team that was embarrassed BADLY by Army. If he loses by more than 20 pts., as you so confidently predict, it will be because he did not prepare the new team properly, or, the Sooners will simply play better than the Cougars that day.
I’ll say this about Holgerson, he can either win or go away. He left us in a lurch for a sorry p5 team and I’m still smarting over that. I like the guy and all but I’m not going all in over a coach till he proves to me he has the integrity to stick around and give 100% to our team for the entire season when the calls start coming in. 0 integrity coaches can pack sand.
Clearly the OU team has much higher rated talent & depth than the UH team. If the game is close going into the 4th quarter it will be because of terrific coaching by the UH coaching staff.
Irregardless, it is highly unlikely that UH beats OU at home, just as it is highly unlikely that Southern Miss beats Alabama at home. Either could hypothetically happen, but the chances are Slim and None and I think that Slim might have already left town.
Agreed…and I am normally pessimistic when we play ranked teams on the road…no matter what we do in that opener I still have good vibes about this team.
And by winning, or at least playing the Sooners close, I think it would do wonders for our attendance this year…