The Picker: OU can take comfort in midpack status
BY The Picker
Thursday, November 22, 2012
11/22/12 at 6:00 AM
NOW THAT CERTAIN points have been made, it's time to celebrate.
One issue that has been settled is the OU football program's role in society.
OU is good, not great; sometimes very good, seldom, if ever, great.
It is in the wrong offense and its place is firmly entrenched between fifth and 15th nationally.
This team has one high-quality playmaker, receiver Stills, who catches all the third-and-long passes, and a very good but not great quarterback, a second-round NFL pick.
The Stoops brothers, well, Bob is good, Mike hasn't made a play yet.
As regards to the foreseeable future, OU looks like a two- or three-loss team, a major bowl threat, not a national title contender.
And the Sooner fans are to be commended for accepting, in a calm and orderly fashion, the team's station in life: Go Thunder.
The other point settled with a thud is that the spread offense is dead again.
Look at the polls. Real-man football teams are up there. Again.
Part of the problem the public has had with the spread formation is many don't even know what it is. Tebow and the K-State guy didn't run the spread. They used the single wing, the quarterback as battering ram running back. OU and Oregon and West Virginia and the Techs of the world are spreaders.
The problem with spread teams is you can't hand off and run for one yard against a good team.
Every year somebody like Oregon beats people 85-10 until somebody punches it in the mouth.
Proof of the spread's gimmicky nature is its inventor, Mike Leach, scored about three points per game this season while stinking it up at Wash State.
Winning big is about the players, not the formation.
To celebrate the brightening of the sports world, we would like to announce one of the greatest contests ever: Out Bowl The Picker.
First prize is a 52-inch HDTV.
Players will pick all the college bowls against the point spread.
Bowls will be filled Dec. 2. The contest will open Dec. 3. Leaderboard updates will be posted through the bowl season.
If, as expected, we out-pick the thousands of bowl contest participants, we'll have to do something charitable with the prize.
Here's a picking tip: Do the opposite of what you've done during the regular season and you should be okay.
PICKS Today
Houston (-3) at Detroit: Great three-game pro card minimizes mindless chatter with aunt what's-her-name.
Houston by 5.
Washington at Dallas (- 4 1/2): Cowboy coach Garrett exudes all the leadership tendencies of a ticket-taker.
Dallas by 4.
New England (-7) at the Jets: Jet fan a candidate to be a float in next year's Macy parade as another cartoon character.
New England by 6.
Friday
LSU (-12) at Arkansas: OSU's Gundy rumored to be an Ark target.
Which is the best job, Ark or OSU?
Ark.
LSU by 10.
Saturday
Oklahoma State at OU (-8): Even chilly-weather football a thing of the past - perfect mid-50 temps due.
Both of these have one post-season goal: Avoid the Aggies and High School Harry at quarterback!
One thing in OU's favor, the defense cannot get any worse.
If Mike Stoops was any good, he wouldn't be here, would he?
OU by 10.
Tulsa (-5) at SMU: Football lite.
To get the big crowds at home, TU can't lose to dogs like Iowa State and Ark.
TU by 7.
Michigan at Ohio State (-5): Had State dragged out its NCAA battle, it could have been playing for the national title.
Ohio State by 7.
Georgia Tech at Georgia (-13 1/2): Georgia is vastly overrated but Tech runs the wishbone.
Georgia by 14.
Texas Tech versus Baylor (-2): At Jerry's World. Plenty of seats remain. Also plenty of sections.
Baylor by 7.
Stanford (-1 1/2) at UCLA: Sounds big, to play out mediocre.
UCLA by 3.
Oregon (-10) at Oregon State: Visitor back to bowl bully role.
Oregon by 3.
Florida at Florida State (-7): Blown opportunity of the year - loss by one at N.C. State kept salty FSU out of the national title game.
State by 13.
Notre Dame (-1) at USC: Sets up 11-10 title bowl final score versus Alabama.
The USC coach, who has left a trail of broken teams behind him, got a vote of confidence from the AD, which means he's probably gone.
ND by 7.
Sunday
Steelers (-2) at Cleveland: Weeden still auditioning for the job.
Steelers down to equipment manager at QB.
Cleveland by 3.
Green Bay at the Giants (-2 1/2): Better than most playoff games.
Giants by 3.
Monday
Carolina at the Eagles (-2 1/2): Just when you think Monday night games can't get any worse, this lowers the bar to the ground.
Carolina by 3.
Original Print Headline: OU can take comfort in midpack role
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