OU vs Michigan
Sunday, Sept. 13. 4:13 pm. Chicago.
Some thoughts about the weekend while on an overnight stopover in Chicago before heading home tomorrow:
College football is crazy. And that has little to do with my Sooners’ loss as much as what happened elsewhere on Saturday. Hapless Oklahoma State embarrasses playoff contender Oregon. A week after looking like crap against Tulsa. As they say, what a difference one week makes.
Which is the thought OU fans should remember to ease their irritability on an Sunday afternoon. One week can make a difference.
In retrospect, the Sooners defense played well. Take away Bryce Underwood’s touchdown run and he averaged less than three yards a carry. Oklahoma held Michigan to just 10 points (because I don’t hold Mateer’s interception that set the Wolverines up on the plus-six yard line and led to the game-winning score, against the D).
Offense has two problems: Mateer’s inaccurate passing. And OC Ben Arbuckle’s insistence calling a quarterback draw play (which, maybe, was his way of dealing with the passing accuracy issue). Michigan figured that play out pretty quickly.
Bottom line is you can’t turn the ball over and expect to twin. You also can’t have a dozen penalties.
Ann Arbor is a good college town. Very much like other Big Ten schools — the town is the university, with the campus sprawling into surrounding neighborhoods like a river overflowing its banks.
The “Big House” is a good old-school stadium. I prefer those. No unnecessary and annoying “glitz” that newer venues have. Heck, the newest thing it had was an artificial playing surface, which makes no sense given Michigan’s lush green fescue/rye grass that was beautiful throughout town.
The other thing “old school” about the game experience is there were noticeably fewer commercial announcements on the big screen at the stadium than what OU does in Norman. And not as much blaring music between possessions. A frisbee dog was the time-out entertainment. You can’t beat dogs.
It is unlikely I’ll ever make it back to a game at Michigan, unless by some chance Oklahoma ends up in a playoff game there in future years (but even then, I’m not sure I want to be this far north in December). But, I’m glad we made the trip.
Saturday, Sept. 12. 3:11 pm. Ann Arbor, Michigan.
The Sooner fans showed up. In droves. Unfortunately, the Sooners contingent who invaded Michigan Stadium (commonly referred ato as the “Big House”) didn’t bring a football team capable of overcoming multiple penalties and overthrown passes.
Coming to Ann Arbor is a good experience. Michigan fans were cordial and friendly hosts. Not as passionate as what we are used to — maybe the aggressiveness of football fans has something to do with the uncomfortable weather at lower latitudes and that is missing in the Great Lakes region. But Michiganders are good fans nonetheless and they revere good college football.
They just didn’t see good college football today. You don’t have 20 penalties total in a game and call it that.
For us Sooner fans the offense was a disappointment. That first half had us scratching our heads to the point we must now have hairless patches. How do you call a QB run on third and 10 with 2 minutes left in the half when you are scoreless?
Remember, we have too many arm chair coaches in our midst to let that go uncriticized.
And not to dump on QB John Mateer, but how does he overthrow so many receivers, to then late in the fourth quarter, when the game was on the line, then underthrow one, resulting in an interception that set Michigan up on the Oklahoma six yard line and, in retrospect, “gave” the game to Michigan?
How John? How? Ugh.
Yes, a worthwhile trip to Ann Arbor for the experience (we can check it off the bucket list), but not a fun game to watch if you wore crimson.
The good news is that with Oklahoma’s SEC schedule they don’t have to wait more than two weeks to redeem themselves.
Saturday, Sept. 12. 10:45 am Eastern Time. Big House.
Sooners travel well. Michigan fans are friendly. All is good before the game. I have a feeling it may not be as cordial after the game, whatever the outcome may be.
Stadium is historic. Surprised the field is only 100 yards (that’s a joke).
It is artificial surface, which is surprising. The rye grass in Ann Arbor is lush.
Boomer!
Friday, Sept. 11. Midnight. Ann Arbor, Michigan.
A quiet night in Ann Arbor before tomorrow’s game. The Big House is lit up, but most of the 100,000-plus who will pack this stadium in 12 hours are getting their sleep.
Just finished the drive from O’Hare. It was six hours, most of which was bumper to bumper rush hour just getting out of Chicago.
Tired. Time to sleep. Boomer!
Friday, Sept. 11. 1:24 pm. Will Rogers Int’l Airport.
The plane ‘s doors are closed. We are off to Chicago, then a drive to Ann Arbor
Fasusi is out. Maikulla is back. Fodje at left tackle (to protect Mateer). O-line play tomorrow will be key.
Boomer!
Thursday, Sept. 10. 9:29 pm. Norman.
Packing (not much) for a trip tomorrow to Ann Arbor and the Big House.
This is a big game, which has a level of uncertainty to it caused by Michigan’s controversial one-second win last week against Western Michigan. No need to go into that.
Question is, if the Sooners prevail, will John Mateer plant a Western Michigan flag at midfield?
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