| Each week during the season, Joel Buchsbaum highlights key college games.
In this issue, Buchsbaum previews Texas vs. Oklahoma. He breaks down each team, provides a
scout’s perspective on key players and picks a final score.
| Texas vs.
Oklahoma |
Saturday, Oct. 6
at Norman, Okla. |
|
Sooners LB
Rocky Calmus
|
This game probably will decide who wins the Big 12’s South Division and could have
a lot to say about which team plays for the national championship. No team has recruited
better than Texas since Mack Brown arrived, but last year no team did a better job of
scheming and coaching than Oklahoma. That’s why Oklahoma was able to beat a
physically superior Texas team by 49 points last year. Despite the fact the Longhorns lost
63-14 last season, many people feel they should win this year. However, if they lose badly
again, the heat will be on Brown, who to date has not done very well against teams he must
beat to get to the top.
At North Carolina, Brown had some supertalented teams loaded with top draft picks, such
as Greg Ellis, Vonnie Holliday and Ebenezer Ekuban, and still never came close to beating
Florida State.
The key to this game is going to be how well Texas reacts to what Oklahoma does on both
sides of the ball. Last year the Longhorns were clueless, totally confused and frustrated
by the Sooners’ spread-type offense and attacking defense. To try to combat the
Sooners, the Longhorns have stressed speed over size on defense this year, moving safeties
to linebacker, linebackers to defensive end and ends to tackle. They now feel they have
their fastest defense in recent memory and one that can combat the Sooners. However,
Houston, a passing team, really exposed Texas’ defense earlier this year.
On offense, Oklahoma no longer has QB Josh Heupel, who did a great job of running the
offense in last year’s game. But the Sooners still have Quentin Griffin at running
back. Last year Griffin scored six times in the win over Texas.
Texas counters with strong-armed Chris Simms at quarterback and a phenomenal group of
young receivers, led by Roy Williams. The Longhorns also have a very good offensive line
and a freshman running back, Cedric Benson, who is supposed to be in the same class as the
Longhorns’ great backs of years past.
Quarterbacks — Simms is a king-sized southpaw with a very strong
but not always accurate arm who still has not lived up to all the hype. A big game against
the Sooners could be just what the doctor ordered for his career. Unlike last year, Simms
isn’t playing musical quarterbacks with Major Applewhite. But Simms still tends to
lock on to his primary receiver and does not always use good passing technique, which
hurts his accuracy. Nate Hybl starts for the Sooners and went a long way toward
establishing himself with a strong and gutty showing vs. Kansas State’s blitzing
defense last week. On one deep pass, he stood in against a fierce pass rush and held the
ball until the last second before throwing a key TD pass — despite knowing he was
going to get clobbered in the process.
Running backs — Oklahoma’s Griffin is a very productive,
all-purpose back with a low center of gravity and quick feet. He catches the ball well and
has a nose for the endzone. Last year he scored six times against the Longhorns.
Texas’ Benson is not a sprinter or an Earl Campbell type of bull, but he has the type
of moves, vision, instincts and balance you can’t teach. Ivan Williams is the
Longhorns’ power runner and a good one who can make his own holes. He appears to have
taken over as the team’s featured back after last week’s strong showing vs.
Texas Tech. Victor Ike is a good back but not a special one.
Receivers — Texas’ Williams has awesome size, speed and
ability and is already being compared to Randy Moss. While he is very special, he is not
in Moss’ category yet and needs to refine his skills and improve his concentration
and attention to detail. B.J. Johnson has good size and speed and very good skills. He can
be both a big-play maker and a possession guy. Sloan Thomas, a third super sophomore,
could start for most teams, and the Longhorns have three tight ends who are good enough to
start. Among that group, Bo Scaife is the best receiver. Oklahoma is loaded with good
receivers, but nobody on the Sooners’ roster has the upside of a Williams. Trent
Smith is a good pass-catching tight end who can’t be ignored. Outside, Antwone Savage
had a monster game vs. Kansas State and is the Sooners’ top home-run hitter.
Offensive linemen — The Longhorns’ huge right tackle, Mike
Williams, has awesome size and ability, but he has some lapses and does get beaten at
times. OLT Robbie Doane handled North Carolina’s Julius Peppers earlier this year.
Antwan Kirk-Hughes and Derrick Dockery are king-sized guards, and at 300 pounds, C Matt
Anderson is the smallest of the group. He is also a smart and steady player but may be the
weakest link on a very large and talented line. The Sooners are not nearly as big across
the line, but they are very proud of their left tackle, Frank Romero, and Howard Duncan
has stepped it up at right tackle.
Defense — Texas will have a much faster and smaller defense than
last year, but unless the Longhorns’ linebackers play better, they could be in
trouble. Cory Redding is a standout at defensive end, and DT Marcus Tubbs can be special.
LBs D.D. Lewis, Lee Jackson, Everick Rawls and Tyrone Jones are all seniors who are being
scouted, but they must read and react quicker and make more plays to get drafted and to
help the Longhorns beat the Sooners. Jones is probably the fastest and least productive of
the group.
In the secondary, Quentin Jammer is a special player at cornerback, but he will get
sloppy about his technique at times and still draws too many flags. The Longhorns’
other corner, Roderick Babers, will get beaten deep at times. With Lee Jackson, a former
strong safety, moving to linebacker, the Longhorns are using more CB-type safeties whose
forte is coverage and who can cover slot receivers. However, they did not play well
against Houston.
Oklahoma’s defensive leader is LB Rocky Calmus, who is not a great physical talent
but has exceptional instincts and a knack for making big plays in big games. SS Roy
Williams is a real stud. The Sooners like to play him up in the box like an extra
linebacker. Derrick Strait is becoming a big-time corner, and some believe that, in time,
Antonio Perkins can become an All-American. Freshman DT Tommie Harris has a chance to be
really special.
Special teams — Oklahoma has two solid senior kickers in PK Tim
Duncan and P Jeff Ferguson, while Texas’ young kickers have been effective to date.
Oklahoma is a good kick-block and kick-return team, and Texas may be exploited in these
areas. The Sooners also used a unique throw-back punt fake play vs. Kansas State, taking
advantage of some strong arms on their special teams to score a key touchdown.
Coaching — Last year the Sooners’ coaches completely
outcoached the Longhorns’ staff, and in the end, wound up humiliating them. Unless
Texas can counter the Sooners’ moves, coaching and preparation could make the
difference again this year. If the Sooners have a weakness, it is that they don’t do
a very good job of protecting huge leads and let other teams battle back just enough to
make it interesting.
Prediction: Oklahoma 35, Texas 23 |
