Talking Sooner Football - 2010 Big 12 Media Days

Looking at the transcript for Bob Stoops yesterday at Big 12 Media Days, I'm surprised he was asked only one question about conference realignment, and that was a tangential question about the perception of the texas-OU game as a top rivalry game. If a sportswriter really wanted to get a rise out of Stoops, they should ask why Oklahoma is the only football powerhouse in the nation at the mercy of its rivals when it comes to conference realignment. Because the Oklahoma state legislature is dominated by Oklahoma State alumni, Oklahoma cannot go anywhere in realignment without OSU. This fact pretty much means the OU's only option in realignment, should it happen again following the 2011 season as I predict, is a conference like the Pac-10, a conference willing to accept OSU as a member to get OU. Even though OU was offered by the SEC in the last round of realignment talks, they couldn't accept the offer, because the SEC wasn't interested in adding OSU. Politically speaking, OU is at the mercy of their in-state rival when it comes to realignment. Economically, OU is at the mercy of texas when it comes to realignment. Oklahoma makes way too much money off of the donations tied to tickets for the texas-OU game in the Cotton Bowl to risk losing that game in a conference shuffle. This is why Sooner athletic director Joe Castiglione pledged Sooner allegiance to wherever texas ended up when conference realignment was over. OU needs to stay in a conference with texas, not only to preserve the rivalry (their rivalry game was played as a non-conference game for decades when OU was in the Big 8 and texas in the SWC, after all), but also to prevent a non-conference schedule that would include a rivalry double-dip, with OU facing OSU and texas before playing a conference slate. The prospect of playing both Okie State and texas in non-conference play plus the SEC regular season schedule really made the SEC a non-starter for OU, and made the Pac-10, who was willing to accept OSU, a lot more attractive. If a sportswriter really wanted to get a reaction from Stoops, they should have asked why Sooners can't get political hegemony in their own state, and why the financial livelihood of their program is so closely tied to their out-of-state divisional arch rival.

Looking at the rest of Stoops press conference, the most interesting comments involved their tight ends. With Eric Mensik, a 6'6 290 lb senior, at the top of their depth chart, OU has something of a tell when they're going to run the ball. Unless Stoops wants teams to believe he is going to consistently throw the ball to college football's heaviest wide receiver, it is a safe bet Mensik will only be in the game to run block. Mensik played some right tackle last season, particulalry in the OSU and bowl game, but it looks like they are committed to making him a blocking tight end. Trent Ratterree, Mensik's junior backup, is more of a prototypical receiver size at 6'3, 225 lbs. Ratterree had no receptions last season, while Mensik caught two passes for 14 yards. If OU does try to use Mensik as a receiving threat, texas should pay attention, because they may have their own offensive-lineman-masquerading-as-a-tight-end situation if Austin Seferian-Jenkins ends up in Austin. Stoops also mentioned Gabe Ikard, a 6'4, 282 lb redshirt freshman from Tulsa who caught 29 passes for 542 yards and 9 TDs his senior season in high school. It will be very interesting to watch how OU uses their TEs in 2010, because a big part of their offensive success in 2008 was the ability of Jermaine Gresham to be a valid receiving threat in the slot. Gresham allowed OU to play a power offense or spread the field without changing personnel; if Ikard or Mensik are not able to be a valid receiving threat, this takes away an advantage of their no-huddle attack. Opposing defenses will be able to scheme them based on personnel substitutions.Mensik's presence alone may mean strongside linebackers can ignore their pass responsibilities, and just focus on stopping the running game. Stoops seems really high on Mensik as a blocker, but I'm disappointed no one asked how he will function as a receiver.

When A&M faces off with the Sooners on November 6, one of our defense's biggest challenges will be stopping the Sooners' power running game behind Mensik and RT Cory Brandon.