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Thoughts on tickets for FAU vs. OU Game

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SoonerManiac said

Assuming their was a hint of a joke there, but if not, you can always call the ticket office and ask.
Posted On: Aug 11th 2018, 5:29 PM #379334

I am a complete jokester - I mean, I tweeted Kiffin about sharing a Coke with Lane today - and I do love me some college football.

And I especially appreciate and respect an opposing fan that's will to come to the message boards and have good, honest, football related discussions.

Think you'll win?  Great!  Tell me why.  Let's talk X's and O's.  Only want to spout off insults and claims with no facts?  Not interested.

So, welcome aboard and let's keep the conversation going.
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Hoot_N_Holler said

SoonerManiac said

Assuming their was a hint of a joke there, but if not, you can always call the ticket office and ask.
Posted On: Aug 11th 2018, 5:29 PM #379334

I am a complete jokester - I mean, I tweeted Kiffin about sharing a Coke with Lane today - and I do love me some college football.

And I especially appreciate and respect an opposing fan that's will to come to the message boards and have good, honest, football related discussions.

Think you'll win?  Great!  Tell me why.  Let's talk X's and O's.  Only want to spout off insults and claims with no facts?  Not interested.

So, welcome aboard and let's keep the conversation going.
Posted On: Aug 11th 2018, 10:24 PM #379338

I 100% agree. I don't go to boards to start crap. I just enjoy learning things about my passion…football.

I'll admit to having Crimson glasses on when posting this, so just bear with me and take it FWIW to you. It ended up being waaaay longer than I intended. But HnH, it's your turn for FAU now.  :Smug:

And yes, I think OU wins. But I dont' think it's a blow out. OU's past 2 recruiting classes should boost OU up substantially.

Let's talk about the weakness of OU:
We are young on defense, but from reports(yeah, everything is positive at this time of year) OU's defense is really improved. Kenneth Murray, who was our MLB last year as a true freshman(first in 30years at OU), has spent more time in the film room than anyone else. This will also be the first time, ever, that he has played the same position 2 years in a row. This includes HS. He's a freak athlete and imo will be an AA by the time he leaves OU. But man, the growing pains were rough last year as he was out of position a lot(Georgia game for example). LB depth last year was non-existant, which is why we had a TF there. That position gains 3 players that were hurt last year that would have played ahead of KM. He's now locked the MLB position down. Caleb Kelly is becoming a great player at the will backer position. OU's depth at LB is pretty ridiculous this year. And we're still pretty young there.

OU's secondary is going to see a lot of change, so it's hard to tell how, if at all, improved it'll be. OU will likely be playing true freshman Bookie(boo-key) Radley-Hiles. Coaches are saying he plays like a 3 year starter already. He's taken over the secondary's leadership position. Not sure what that says about the rest of them, but Bookie has definitely improved the nickel back position. CB depth seems to be improved as well. OU's youth has taken over most of the secondary with Jordan Parker being the exception. He's moved from CB to S because the younger guys have kind of pushed him out. Really not sure what to expect with this group yet. Lots of unknowns and a lot of positions are still unsettled on who's starting. Particularly the CBs.

Our DL is going to be good, but not great. As it stands, and unless someone stands out, there isn't a player that will jump off the table at you as a great DL. Our ends are probably more solid than our DT position. That said, the DL has been holding it's own against what is looking to be another good OL from coach Bedenbaugh(personally I think he's one of the top 3 OL coaches/recruiters in the country.)

Offense:
Let's get this out of the way…the QB position will obviously take a drop in production. Baker Mayfield was a once-in-a-generation type QB. I think Riley/Mayfield were just a deadly combo. That said, OU has recruited very well at the QB position. Austin Kendall is supposedly the most consistent/efficient QB on the team. And the offense would go well with him at the helm. Kyler Murray though has the potential for the big play every down. Rumored to be why he's going to be named the starter. He's a legit 4.3 guy. I expect to see more QB run plays than with Mayfield.

RBs are pretty deep at OU. Our starter, Rodney Anderson ran for over 1000 yards last year in essentially what amounted to just 8 games. He played in all of them, but he became the starter later in the year. He was just getting a handful of snaps before that. Trey Sermon is a bruiser that threw Georgia defenders down throughout the Rose Bowl last year. Ohio State couldn't stop him either. OU losing HB Dimitri Flowers could be critical. He was our everything FB/HB/TE hybrid. The offense actually revolved around him a lot more than people know because he was so good at everything he did.

WRs/TE: OU returns so much experience here it's pretty sick. Ceedee Lamb should have a break out year. OU's recruiting classes have been pretty strong in this area with Riley as the playcaller/recruiter. Not talking about the freshman that will likely see the field, we have Marquise "Hollywood" Brown, Ceedee Lamb, and Co. OU had last year's top receiving TE in the nation last year in Mark Andrews. It's rumored that Grant Calcaterra has beefed up and has better hands than Andrews. He's expected to be an essential part of the offense. He's not a great blocker however, so he's a lot like Andrews in that he's more of a big receiver.

OL: OU lost LT Orlando Brown to the Ravens this year. But have recruited well. I don't expect our 5* freshman OT to start, which should tell you how deep OU's OL is. If OU can find someone to lock down the LT position, OU should do well here this year.

Okay, so that's my view through crimson glasses. OU fans are pretty excited because our last two recruiting classes have been crucial in upgrading out talent level so much that we're getting closer and closer to the "elite" level though.
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Sooner - Welcome and thanks for the input.

In case you didn't know, Baker at one time was considering coming to FAU before ultimately walking on at TTU.

What could have been!

Go Owls!
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Just for kicks and giggles,  want the FAU fans to compare the fan from Oklahoma's writing style, English, vocabulary, and all around personality to that of the Canes fans that got on TON a couple of seasons ago. Trust me SoonerManiac, this is a compliment.
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SoonerManiac said

But HnH, it's your turn for FAU now.  :Smug:
Posted On: Aug 11th 2018, 11:33 PM #379339

I'll do my best - that's some impressive analysis.  Owl fans - please feel free to correct me if I'm off base.

Weakness of FAU:

Coordinators - Hear me out Owl fans before you shoot me. We're replacing the offensive coordinator, Kendall Briles, of last years high octane offense with a first time offensive coordinator in Charlies Weis Jr.  We really don't know what to expect - there's no track record, no game film, don't think we've heard what his offensive scheme or strategy is, etc.  This could work to our advantage - too early to tell.

We're all obviously aware of his pedigree but how things are going to work out is probably between him and Kiffin right now.  How much of the Baylor offense will we maintain, how fast will we go, how many Kiffin bubble screens will we run remains to be seen.

We're also replacing the defensive coordinator, Chris Kiffin, of last years defense that was second in the nation in interceptions.  The new hire, Tony Pecoraro, is from Southern Miss and likes to run a multiple defense that creates a lot of havoc.  Looks like he previously ran a 3 man front, whereas last year we ran a 4 man front, so I'm curious to see how he handles this.  And as we've all heard in football, live by the blitz and die by the blitz, so I want to see how this pressure defensive scheme works out.

Defense:

Secondary
One of the best in the nation and a strength of the team.  Ranked #18 by Athlon Magazine.  The SS Jalen Young was second in the nation in INT's last year and is on the 2018 Thorpe watch list, along with CB Shelton Lewis.  This is one area where I hope the base havoc scheme is changed up a little, as I would prefer going man to man as opposed to a lot of zone with our talented DB's.

LB's
One of the best in the nation.  Ranked #25 by Athlon Magazine.  Led by MLB Azeez Al-Shaair, a Bednarik Award candidate.  Borderline smallish but plays huge with a ton of heart and smart.  I believe our FS Andrew Soroh has moved down to LB full time, so there's some coverage speed at that location (not sure if he's strong or weak side).  Again, don't know how this position ties into havoc - 3 or 4 LB base or 2 in the nickel.

DL
6 good guys, including the DE's, who could all start from my understanding.  I don't think there will be a drop in talent here when they substitute out.  The DT's might be a little smallish but the DE's are tall and quick.  Again, looking through the prism of the Pecoraro defense, will we be running a 3 man front without having a true nose tackle on the roster?  Would make sense, as the 6 guys could create 2 strong lines to rotate.  But we could also use a 4 man front that fits the current players with 2 guys to rotate.

Offense:

QB
Anyone's guess right now.  Open competition between RS Jr De'Andre Johnson, RS F Chris Robison, and GT Rafe Peavey.  My gut tells me Peavey may start but Johnson is a strong second.  One opinion I like a lot is that Robison won't start against OU even though he may win out long term.  Just too big a game, too much emotion - may force too much.  Johnson represents more of the future over Peavey but the latter has the advantage of age and experience.

RB's
One of the best in the nation.  Ranked #10 by Athlon Magazine.  Devin "Motor" Singletary is a Maxwell and Walter Camp award candidate with FAU supporting a Heisman campaign.  Led the nation last year with 32 rushing TD's (good for 3rd all time behind Barry Sanders and Montee Ball).  Rushed for almost 2,000 yards last year and over 1,000 as a true freshman.  The question is who picks up the slack behind him.  There's talent there and we really need to not have a dip in production when Motor is out.

WR's/TE
My favorite players reside in this category.  The TE, Harrison Bryant, is the main guy to watch on offense in my opinion.  He lines up everywhere and really makes the offense go - he can lead block, pass block, and catch and run - the ultimate utility player.  This keeps the base offense from needing to substitute, which contributes to our ability to play "fast".

The slot receiver, Willie Wright, is insanely fast and a true sophomore.  A bit smallish but can fly and catch.

The outside receivers are still a bit of a question mark in my opinion.  There is size and talent here but it doesn't seem as if 2 true starters have emerged.  We've got transfers from P5 schools here - just need to have this position locked down.

OL
Solid on the outside but replacing the interior (center and guards).  Have transfers for these positions, from schools such as Tulane and UF.  Left tackle secured by three year (?) starter Reggie Bain.  

Special teams
Huge question mark.  Replacing the placekicker and the punter.  FAU hasn't been known for its returners, and I'm sure that's an area we'd all like to see improved.

Overall I'd imagine we'll start better than we did against Navy and Wisconson last year.  I think Kiffin and his staff have taught these guys how to win, and that's a mindset you have to adopt.  Much better to come into an established winning tradition like Oklahoma, even when there are coaching changes.

Looking forward to a great game.

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Your TE sounds a lot like how we play our FBs. Although we call then HB's in this offense. They are the true utility player of the offense. This is why, next to losing Mayfield, this position is critical to getting replaced.

Loved the unit rankings thrown in there. Helped put it into perspective. lol, I probably could've done that, but I'm not sure OU's defensive units would have looked that good. OU fans are at a loss as to why we're so bad here. Coaches keep saying it's talent, but lesser talented teams in the Big 12 are doing better than us, so it has to be coaching. Then again, Mike Stoops was considered the top defensive playcaller for years until he left for Arizona HC job. I'm beginning to realize Brent Venables was the true mastermind there. but even he struggled while at OU, so OU fans are puzzled.

OU runs a 3-4 and will occasionally switch to the 4-3 or 4-2-5. Unfortunately, I don't think Mike Stoops has the philosophy of the 3-4 down. He doesn't blitz as often as you should in the 3-4. He likes to react more than be proactive for some reason.

From reading other posts it sounds like your running game is going to be what you guys lean on the most. I think OU will do that quite a bit as well. Our running game props up the passing game as well. This could lend to a lower score which may lead into FAU's advantage.
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Local Owl said

Just for kicks and giggles,  want the FAU fans to compare the fan from Oklahoma's writing style, English, vocabulary, and all around personality to that of the Canes fans that got on TON a couple of seasons ago. Trust me SoonerManiac, this is a compliment.
Posted On: Aug 12th 2018, 10:13 AM #379341

Not a big fan of the Canes fanbase, so I definitely will take it as a compliment. They were brutal to get along with when we played them 9-10 years ago.
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One thing that I think benefits FAU is that it's the 1st game of the year. OU has a new QB, LT, to replace among others. OU scheduled us to be basically a tuneup game that they'd win 65-3 or something. The problem is, we're maybe the nation's fastest rising program with a 10 game winning streak. Maybe I'm wrong, but I'd at least expect OU to have some growing pains on offense Sept. 1. If there's a game to beat them it's the opener. And OU's defense, which was terrible last year, shouldn't be counted on.
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SoonerManiac said


OU runs a 3-4 and will occasionally switch to the 4-3 or 4-2-5. Unfortunately, I don't think Mike Stoops has the philosophy of the 3-4 down. He doesn't blitz as often as you should in the 3-4.

Posted On: Aug 12th 2018, 5:37 PM #379352

Nice analysis, fun talking x's and o's with someone.  We had that same discussion here a couple of weeks ago (3-4 vs 4-3).

And you're spot on - you have to blitz if you add that extra linebacker or DB.  Seems like that's what our new DC will do but just not sure yet.
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So, in game thoughts?

I would imagine both teams would come out with "scripted" plays on the first drive or two to see how the defenses react.  With both teams having a new starting QB, next comes the old adage of getting them some confidence before you take chances.

My fear is that we use the run to set up the pass.  Everyone will be keying in on Motor, so I hope they don't go to that well too often too soon.  Set up the balanced attack, take the early deep strikes down the field to get the LB's back and the safeties out of the box.

On defense, blitz right out of the gate.  Shake Murray early, don't let him get in a groove, take the home team out of the game.  Pretty much every broadcast you've ever heard.

That's how I'd call it, though I could be wrong…


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