Hard to say for sure, because it's difficult to tell how good Miami really is. But OU answered some doubts against Miami that they couldn't answer against North Texas. Miami brought more athletes, better running backs and more complex defensive schemes to Norman, but none of that fazed the Sooners.
With the move to No. 3 in the Associated Press poll, will it be difficult for the players to stay motivated this week?
After two fairly easy victories, it could be easy for focus to slip in a week of preparation for Utah State, which has one win in its last 14 games. But the coaches can use positional competition to push players if they see motivation drop off.
With the depth at a variety of positions, especially on offense, the idea of lost playing time will keep players pushing each other.
"You challenge them in a way that you hope they will always respond in the right way,” offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said. "With the things we went through last year, I think it gave us a mindset, a demeanor about not taking things for granted.”
Should Saturday's mediocre rushing total of 116 yards be a concern?
Not at all. Rushing statistics can easily be skewed, especially with a big negative play like the Sooners suffered Saturday. The 42 yards lost when a snap sailed over punter Michael Cohen's head in the first quarter counted against the rushing total, as did the eight yards lost by Sam Bradford when he was sacked.
OU's three tailbacks rushed for 153 yards on 37 carries, an average of 4.1 yards per attempt.
What was the biggest negative from Saturday's win?
Fumbles. Chris Brown and Juaquin Iglesias both turned the ball over near midfield Saturday. As to how to solve that problem, Bob Stoops says it's not magic.
"We do all the drills everybody does,” he said. "You've got to take pride in it, you've got to take care of the ball.
"There's no magic formula to doing it.”
By Scott Wright
Thank you for joining our conversations on newsok. We encourage your discussions but ask that you stay within the bounds of our terms and conditions. Please help us by reporting comments that violate these guidelines. To review our rules of engagement, go to Commenting and posting policy.
I don't think it's a stretch to call this team good, we just don't know how good yet. I wouldn't put much stock in early season rankings, look at where Michigan was ranked.
Everyone should settle down and take a deep breath. It is still too early to tell how good this team will be. There is still a lot of football left to play. Early indications are good, though.
3
Prev
Something to say about this topic? Submit a Letter to the Editor online
Thank you for joining our conversations on newsok. We encourage your discussions but ask that you stay within the bounds of our terms and conditions. Please help us by reporting comments that violate these guidelines. To review our rules of engagement, go to Commenting and posting policy.
Log in below or sign up (it's free).
Consider miami wasnt event rated.