Kansas vs. Oklahoma Team Matchups

by Owen Kemp on Oct 20, 2009 6:15 AM CDT Comment 17 comments

Why Kansas?	Edge	Scenario	Edge	Why Oklahoma?
Turnovers killed the Kansas offense against Colorado and a minimal 55 yards of offense was the result in the first 28 minutes of the game last week. Still Kansas is the number five offense in the country and I do expect them to compete regardless of the opponent. Kansas wins this battle if they can get back to the balanced attack they showed early on. Make the Sooners defend the run, help give Todd more time when it's a passing play and Kansas can compete. It won't be easy though	I'm going push on this one because both units are very good at what they do. Make no mistake though if Kansas comes out as they did against Colorado the Sooners will have a field day defensively.	KU Offense vs. Oklahoma Defense		The 3-3 Oklahoma Sooners are a much better team than the record indicates. Perhaps their strength this year due to some unfortunate breaks on the offensive side of the ball is their defense. Ranked #8 in the country in terms of total defense and #3 in scoring defense the Sooners will want to force the Jayhawks to abandon the run early and then tee off with their excellent defensive line making Todd Reesing uncomfortable all day long in the process. If they can do that, it'll be tough for Kansas to outscore the Sooners.
The Kansas defense has been good at times and bad at times. Against Colorado they probably took some more heat than they deserved so hopefully that will put a little further chip on their shoulders for this weeks matchup. Kansas has to figure a way to get pressure as they did last week against CU but this time they have to finish it off. Throw in the mix another strong performance against the running game and the Jayhawk defense will put themselves in a position to be successful.		KU Defense vs. Oklahoma Offense		Sam Bradford potentially out, Jermaine Gresham out and a young offensive line. This offense that looked like one of the top in the country is now merely a top 20 offense (hopefully you catch the sarcasm). Oklahoma needs to avoid mistakes, keep it balanced and handle their business up front and they're tough to stop.
Two long field goals, a fake punt, solid punt coverage but Kansas is still missing a pretty key component in the kickoff coverage unit and kick return unit not giving much assistance. Kansas needs to focus better on the kick coverage first and foremost and find a way to get some semblance of a kick return going as well. Field position is too important for the current trends to continue.	Don't see any other way to call this one other than a push again. Just haven't seen enough from Kansas and statistically speaking OU is about the same. Good in some areas, average in others.	Special Teams		OU is decent in the punting game but like Kansas sometimes struggles in the kickoff and kickoff return phase. Whichever team capitalizes more on the others ineptitude will go a long way in this one in my opinion.
Coach Mangino has always been competitive against the Sooners but he has yet to truly have a big time upset or win against a Big 12 South opponent. This will take one of his better coaching jobs and if he pulls it off the big man will get some major kudos. Until then though, Stoops still has his number.		Coaching		While big game Bob hasn't lived up to the name recently he still does have that National Championship ring. If I could just remember who his offensive coordinator was that year it might help me make a decision on this one.

Well this was one at the beginning of the year that was looked at as a loss. After the last two weeks the temptation would be to say it still is. However, this college football season has been so full of ups and downs across the country that I'm going into this one with the opinion that anything can happen.

Coach Mangino has consistently fared decent against his former employer and with both teams looking for some redemption this one could be a battle that is no different.

My hope is the offense clicks, the defense is serviceable, the coaches have a good plan and the slightly later start time gives our crowd a much needed boost for the biggest game of the year in Lawrence to date. Time to rally Jayhawks, let's see if we can't surprise some folks.

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I think it comes down to KU's offense

Because OU’s defense is so good, but their offense isn’t as good as it can be. I think this game could, and should be a win.

"That pitch wasn’t down and in, that pitch was down and up." Tim McCarver

by wrigleyrocker12 on Oct 20, 2009 7:17 AM CDT reply actions

I don't know....

Going into Kyle Field and whipping A&M was a big-time win over a South opponent…so I’m not sure I would say Coach Mangino doesn’t have a big time win over a South opponent. But that’s in the past…….

I also wouldn’t hold out any hope of a crowd factor. Denver we have to face it: our football crowd just stinks. It starts with the students and ends with the old fogeys on the west side. The students won’t stay and the fogeys won’t stand. The only way to change that is for Coach Mangino to hire Coach Self as a coordinator and put Cole Aldrich in as a TE (split him out wide….just for fun). The students might stay for that……maybe.

The one good thing about this match up is that our offense is designed to take what the defense gives them. The OU D is fantastic and doesn’t give much of anything. However, if there’s any offense in the country that can still pick it appart, it’s ours. Assuming, of course, that Todd doesn’t run into Jeff Spikes or throw a pass to a crimson jersey….which is almost sure to happen at least once.

Sawin' wood

by Rivethead on Oct 20, 2009 7:43 AM CDT reply actions

Based on what has happened...

to A&M I just can’t call that a big time win over a South Opponent. I would be more inclined to count the Okie State win of that year a big time win. Either way though, we haven’t beaten a ranked South opponent.

As far as the crowd, I agree…I’m just hopeful that the 2:30 kickoff means the students will be a little more awake and not so in need of sleeping off their hangover. Kansas football fans have a ways to go…but these 11am kickoffs don’t do anyone any favors.

Some people are like Slinkies...not really good for anything but they make you smile when pushed down the stairs.

by Owen Kemp on Oct 20, 2009 8:52 AM CDT up reply actions

The Big 10/11 schools laugh at us

They have 11am games all the time and they never seem to have a problem with getting up for those.

A 2:30pm game just means less time at the bar before the 2am close……….that will be the excuse this week!

Sawin' wood

by Rivethead on Oct 20, 2009 9:15 AM CDT up reply actions

I was thinking the same thing as I wrote that…They definitely have the drinking thing down in Big 10 country so you’d think we could take that and learn from it…not the case apparently. Our students need the extra 3 and a half hours to rid of the hangover from the night before or something.

Some people are like Slinkies...not really good for anything but they make you smile when pushed down the stairs.

by Owen Kemp on Oct 20, 2009 9:37 AM CDT up reply actions

Yeah, but you can sleep through a big 10 game.

The students can stay in the stands and not risk having their hangover nap disturbed by anything exciting happening in the game.

by play4'ships on Oct 20, 2009 1:11 PM CDT up reply actions

Those Iowa kids might disagree

Sawin' wood

by Rivethead on Oct 20, 2009 1:19 PM CDT up reply actions

I'm from Iowa originally.

Watched the Iowa ISU game on TV, have a good friend from KU at Penn State. All evidence points to Iowa not being very good. Top 25, yes, but not as good as their record. If they make a BCS game, it will be an UGLY day for hawkeye fans.

by play4'ships on Oct 20, 2009 3:36 PM CDT up reply actions

I made every game, and was assuredly hung over from the night before.

There were some passionate loud fans around me. Problem is there just aren’t enough of them. Also KU girls do not care about football at all, which is a bummer. They are 55% of our population haha.

Another problem is getting people into the stadium. Please don’t let any of this offend anyone, but everytime I walk past the frats and sororities on game day, there are like 100 people loud, drunk and decked out in awesome crimson and blue. And not one of them goes in and watches the game…

by KU Grad 08 on Oct 20, 2009 3:39 PM CDT up reply actions

I imagine there is some truth to that...

when I was up in Boulder this weekend I have to say that the Kansas fans were there to party their asses off and Colorado fans seemed there to have some beers, food and catch the game.

I would be comfortable in saying that if I were one of the 25-30 next to me tailgating and taking swigs of jack between shotgunning beers that I would have a hard time making it through 4 quarters of football.

I’m glad we like to have fun but good god.

The team definitely deserve better now, it’s time to change football from being an excuse to party to being the party. Go have a good time, catch the game and then go out and drink yourself stupid because you as a student were a part of the win. Make sense to me, I think?

Some people are like Slinkies...not really good for anything but they make you smile when pushed down the stairs.

by Owen Kemp on Oct 20, 2009 3:44 PM CDT up reply actions

Totally

I mean games are at 11:00. I used to go to all the games my frosh/soph year with an older buddy of mine (who usually was responsible for purchasing what had made me drunk the night before haha) and we used to joke that sitting through a KU football game was the best way to sober up, you get to go chill outside, get some fresh air, etc. I mean even a 2:30 game ends its about, what, 6 p.m.? That gives you a really long time to party.

I did my fair share of partying in school (wow I sound old now) but I loved going to games, even when we I knew we were heading for a L a lot of times. I mean lets face it, most college students can drink/go out most nights of the week if you got your hw done and don’t have a test the next day (or in my case, and yours in the J-school, you don’t have a paper, commercial, etc).

Be nice if more students made an effort to go and support the team. Our student section is usually pretty full, its just the kids who leave early or don’t care that bug me. End grad turning into old man and being responsible rant.

Last year my girlfriend and I went to the OU game in Norman, and she was taken aback by how big and loud the stadium was. She asked if Memorial would ever get that big, and I had to answer no, there is no need really. I think we got it as filled as we can. Its more full now than 2004, but, yeah. I guess thinking back to those days I should stop complaining haha.

by KU Grad 08 on Oct 20, 2009 10:18 PM CDT up reply actions

As much as I dislike the SEC hype machine, it only takes watching one game to understand why. Those people have some serious football passion. You’d be hard pressed to find an empty seat at an SEC battle before the postgame celebration is over let alone the game.

Some people are like Slinkies...not really good for anything but they make you smile when pushed down the stairs.

by Owen Kemp on Oct 21, 2009 8:55 AM CDT up reply actions

And a lot of Big10 schools

Wisconsin students stay for the 5th quarter, where the band goes out and plays and runs around and etc, its a lot of fun. If Big10 schools, whose football games usually have a final score of 16-10 can get fans there the whole time, shouldn’t us in the big12, were our last home game for example netted a final score of 41-36?

by KU Grad 08 on Oct 21, 2009 12:09 PM CDT up reply actions