Tulsa World: Saturday is a battle of which team flinches first

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Saturday is a battle of which team flinches first

By DAVE SITTLER World Sports Columnist
Published: 11/20/2008 3:30 AM
Last Modified: 11/21/2008 8:44 AM

Correction
This column misspelled the name of Texas Tech’s Jake Ratliff.

NORMAN — If one listened closely Tuesday at Bob Stoops’ weekly press conference, you might have heard some telling comments.

That wasn’t an easy task, however. Most everything was drowned out by all the noise made over the lack of crowd noise at Oklahoma’s home games.

But there were some interesting words dispensed about No. 5 OU’s (9-1, 5-1 Big 12) showdown Saturday at Memorial Stadium against No. 2 Texas Tech (10-0, 6-0) in this week’s version of the Big 12 Conference’s Game of the Century.

For example, if you were fortunate enough to pick up what soft-spoken OU wide receiver Juaquin Iglesias said about the offensive game plan against the Red Raiders, you got an inkling of how OU intends to make its fans go bonkers once the 7 p.m. contest kicks off.

“We’re going to show them something they haven’t gone against this year,” Iglesias said.

“We’re going to bring the game to them and try to be more physical than they are and try to make plays.”

Now we’re talking. Most everybody already knew what Stoops confirmed at the press gathering when OU’s coach acknowledged that Memorial Stadium isn’t the toughest venue for opponents because Sooner supporters often sit on their hands with their mouths shut.

But Iglesias revealed some insider news — Tech’s new, improved defense may be the result of its physical play, but OU’s offense intends to win this football version of a Toughman Contest.

Once you cut through all the hype surrounding a game with national-title implications, the critical question is if OU’s offense can continue the scoring jag its been on all season and especially the last four games.

Yes, Tech’s potent offense versus Stoops’ defense is also a key matchup. But the Sooner defenders, who have helped OU lead the nation in turnover margin, will make some plays on their home turf.

OU’s defensive unit also figures to get burned a time or two by the big-play problem that has bugged it all season. That’s almost a given against quarterback Graham Harrell, wide receiver Michael Crabtree and the rest of an explosive Tech offense that leads the nation in passing, is second in total offense and third in scoring.

So, can OU match Tech touchdown for touchdown until it makes the Red Raiders’ defense blink? Or can it even dent a Tech unit that has played with wild-eyed enthusiasm ever since Ruffin McNeill took over as defensive coordinator midway through the 2007 season."

If McNeill’s unit finds a way to stop the nation’s topscoring offense, the Sooners can blame it on Oklahoma State. It was after the Cowboys pinned a 49-45 loss on Tech last year that head coach Mike Leach fired his D-coordinator the next day and promoted McNeill.

Jack Ratliff, a Lawton native who starts at defensive end for Tech, recalled this week that McNeill didn’t take long to inform his players that the new sheriff on campus intended to instill a physical mind-set.

“It was that Sunday’s practice,” Ratliff said of the day after the OSU defeat. “It’s usually not that intense of a practice, but it got intense real fast.

“We came out with pads on and started tackling. He (McNeill) was tired of seeing missed tackles and blown assignments, so he decided to get his point across right then.”

Ratliff said McNeill sliced Tech’s defensive playbook in half and told the Red Raiders to stop thinking so much and start attacking.

The attitude change has resulted in Tech ranking third in the Big 12 in total defense and second in scoring defense.

“He wants the defensive line to pin its ears back and get upfield and just play football the way it’s supposed to be played,” Ratliff said. “The basics of football is what we got back to, really.”

So what happens when an OU offense that is averaging 51.4 points a game collides with a Tech defense that is giving up 22.2 points per contest?

In the four games since its only loss of the season to Texas, the Sooner offense has increased its output in each successive game by scoring 45, 58, 62 and 66 points for a 57.7 average.

“People talk about (Tech’s) offense, but their defense is doing a good job and that’s a big part of why they are winning games,” Iglesias said. “The thing that is different about them is that they are so physical.

“We always talk as an offense to stay aggressive. So we have to bring the game to them.”

That noise you hear Saturday night above the Stoops-inspired din from Sooner fans, will be helmets colliding and pads popping in a mano-a-mano confrontation as OU’s offense attempts to take it to a Tech defense that won’t be in an accepting mood. By DAVE SITTLER World Sports Columnist

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Dr. Strangelove, Tulsa (11/20/2008 7:24:29 AM)

It should be an awesome game. I wish the Sooners the best of luck.

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