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Is the Stoops Defense Current?
Published: 11/22/2011 3:15 PM
Last Modified: 11/22/2011 3:15 PM

On the heels of one of the worst defensive performances in OU football history, and after the single most disgusting press conference ever, during which fans disguised as media lobbed mushballs to the head coach, and as homers cried out for Mike Stoops to join the staff, yes, that Mike Stoops, the one who couldn't stop tumbleweed traffic at Arizona, it is time to ask this question:

Has the game left the Stoops/Venables defense behind?

It happens. The game passed the old bull coach Spurrier years ago. And talk about lost, meet Mack Brown, who here in November still doesn't know who his best quarterback is, if anybody.

The Stoops/Venables defensive philosophy is based on this musty premise: stop the run first.

Guess what kids, nobody runs anymore.

You have to stop the pass first. And second. And third.

Stop the run first if you play Army.

And what's up with asking safeties to cover wide receivers?

The Excuse Machine is working around the clock in Norman, as Stoops now says winning the leaky conference would constitute a "great year."

They don't call this the homer state for nothing.

Heads up, here comes another cotton candy question.







Reader Comments 10 Total

laz (last year)
man oh man i'll bet your name is mud in norman pick. gonna have to hire some body guards!
Danomite Dandy Dan (last year)
I see this 'homer' tossed out here and there.
I assume it's an OU insult?
So, do we seek Stoops ouster
or do we demand a defensive change?
I'm open to suggestions,
but not sure that the REAL homers are listening. :)

Solo (last year)
Airhead media questions? They seem terrified of being banished if they provoke the coach - who owns them...

Mack is doing what Les does with his QBs but with far less talent to work with...painful to watch.

Nobody runs anymore? Excuse me? Go back and watch a little more college game film. The great ones pound you on the ground and thru the air.

Safeties on WRs? hello...you get 4+ out wide and you better walk up a safety to help out...key here is having safeties who can fly and know what the heck they're doing and where they're supposed to be.
Danomite Dandy Dan (last year)
Mack is certainly painful to watch.
norsemustang (last year)
Whatever defense a coach chooses to run, the players must be able to execute that defense without mistakes before they can expect to stop any team. Sounds to me like OU's defensive scheme is too complicated for the players. Either that or the coaches throw too much at their players on day one instead of teaching and installing their defensive system in increments. I agree, however, that OU's defense isn't the best fit for the conference they are in.

That being said, I'm sick of hearing coaches say "we are a 4-3 defense" or "we are a 3-4 defense". A team's defense shouldn't be limited to a single personnel group. A coach that thinks he can defend every offensive team in every situation with a single personnel group is kidding himself.
amron warrior (last year)
Typical fun, perspicacious column. Thanks, Picker.
Username (last year)
Cool story bro.

Nobody runs anymore? Tell that to Trent Richardson.
dcood (last year)
Stick with the columns and the cynical, albeit funny, commentary. Your assessment of OU's defensive problems are misguided at best. If you wanna say their blitz patterns are predictable and tired and their LBs are overrated and undersized, ok, but they have been lining up very frequently in a 'dime' look with 6 DBs and even did it today some. Thats not how you 'stop the run first'. You dont stop the run with 5 in the box like they frequently have...if they lined up in an okie front every down and played only cover 3 (look it up) then your criticism might be valid. You ever think about giving Robert Griffin a little credit?
Glenn616 (last year)
"The game passed the old bull coach Spurrier years ago."

Mr. Picker, Steve Spurrier has led South Carolina to just its second ten-win season in school history. They even won at a pretty good Georgia team. That's despite having to go with a back-up QB for a good portion of the season.
Glenn616 (last year)
As for the Stoops press conference last week? What a joke. That is all.
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Out Pick The Picker

The Picker began entertaining – and infuriating – sports fans in 1993. Each week during football season, he writes about his picks of college and NFL games in his Thursday Sports column. He's never afraid of sharing his opinions about the game and the personalities who play it. Readers have a chance to go against him each season in the Outpick the Picker contest. He welcomes the competition.

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