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Picker Time
Published: 7/27/2011 1:55 PM
Last Modified: 7/27/2011 5:13 PM


Landry Jones. STEPHEN PINGRY/Tulsa World file

And so now it should be abundantly clear why the Picks should be an integral part of your fall football plans: objectivity.

Plans are currently being made for the best picking contest ever, and it's only a month and 3,200 degrees of heat off.

The Big 12 Minus Two Conference just completed its media love-in and praise-fest with the following results: OU will not be merely good. It will not be simply great. It will be mega-monstrous super hero fantastic. It will cast aside embarrassing foes like Texas and the Aggies and OSU with flicks of the little finger and is the odds-on favorite to win the ESPN/BCS Invitational Title, otherwise known as the national championship. Even though the groupies can't name defensive linemen of note, or runners of title quality, OU is thought to be better than anything the SEC can put together.

Raising this question: How so?

Here at the last bastion of objectivity, OU looks very good, not great, with these positives and negatives.

Plus:

Landry Jones at home. He drops back, looks left, rockets right, touchdown.

Stoops. Even though he continues to campaign for praise for dominating a pretty lame conference comprised of OU, Texas and the Munchkins, he's a terrific coach. True, it's been a long time since he won a national title, but he runs a much cleaner than most program and still appears to be competitive as ever.

The schedule. OU has a three-game schedule, at Florida State, Texas, at OSU. Texas will dump last year's quarterback and will be much improved. Florida State is the season. OSU could be beaten down by the closer.

Minus.

Landry Jones on the road. He drops back, looks right and left and is almost sacked, then flutters one to a defensive back.

Defensive breakdowns in the pass game. There's a reason Venables hasn't gotten a head coaching job. Foes breaking open deep in crucial situations is a event seen too frequently over the years.

The SEC. You want some of Alabama? LSU? S. Carolina? Compare that with the Big 12 Minus Two.

What chance does OU have to win the ESPN/BCS Invitational? Sixteen percent.



Reader Comments 4 Total
Glenn616 (last year)
Mr. Picker,

You forgot about the kickoff coverage being a minus for OU. Last season, the OU kickoff coverage unit gave up four touchdowns and several other almost TDs. Teams that are 1-11 cover kickoffs better than OU.

Another minus: No kicker that can kick a field goal over 40 yards.
13002 (last year)
OU loses to FSU as Landry "Chicken Little" Jones throws FOUR interceptions and fumbles twice without being touched.
colhi64 (last year)
OU can go undefeated in the big 12, and can beat FSU. OU couldnt go undefeated in the SEC but they are not in that conference, so why worry on it. I don't see anyone in that conference (SEC) going unbeaten. Could OU and FSU play again in the NC game? You heard it here first.
Soonertrain (last year)
I'm guessin' that's a couple of little oswhoers chiming in on the 1st and 2nd post. How will it feel to be beaten.... for the 9th year in a row... when you had your own little, cozy field to play at two years in a row? Ouch. Salt in the wounds... 8 wounds so far.... so to be NINE.
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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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