OU Football: Take no one for granted
By Joe Buettner
September 1 could go several ways. One way is the Sooners blow out the Miners, and allow the fans to turn in early. Another way is the Miners steal Oklahoma’s playbook and upset the fourth-ranked team in the country, but I’m not sure if that would be enough. The last way is UTEP puts up a fight, because Oklahoma allows it.
Put your baises aside, OU is the much better team than UTEP. They have the talent, resources, and coaches to win a Big 12 championship, so beating UT-El Paso should be no problem, right? Well, as we have seen in the past, it is a matter if Oklahoma is up for the game.
It will be a long Saturday for the team, and hopefully, they can stay motivated from the time they wake up to the time they take the field. The Sooners have sleepwalked through the beginning of less-hyped games in the past, but then again, they have done the same in big games.
Maybe a few Oklahoma teams have not been as good as we thought they were, but one thing is for sure. Take no one for granted.
Who could forget the month of September in 2010? A year, following a disaster of a 2009, that was not as hyped, and the way the 2010 Sooners started, it seemed apparent they were not at championship caliber.
So before we book a hotel room in South Beach, let’s see how Oklahoma does this Saturday. Can they travel down to the Sun Bowl and take care of business, or will they struggle on the road like they have done in the past?
It is imperative Oklahoma does not look over UTEP or Florida A&M. Yes, I make jokes that OU’s season does not really start until September 22, but that does not mean the team should take it to heart. The Miners get a rare opportunity to host a juggernaut on opening weekend, so there is no question they will be fired up for this one.
The late kickoff worries me. The fact that this game is not in Norman is more of an inconvenience than anything. However, OU’s character will show a bit Saturday. Can they walk in to the Sun Bowl and get a road win? That is for the boys in crimson to decide.