THE CRIMSON PIGSKIN e-LETTER
IN VISIBLE
The weather was cold. Not unlike the next coupla months in Oklahoma are likely to be. It was one of those mornings when even the slightest breeze cut through nearly any winter coat. A thick layer of frost covered everything.
The shiny green Mustang eased slowly into the intersection. The driver couldn't see anything. Evidence of this was the fact the car didn't make a right or left turn onto the street it was crossing. Instead, the vehicle took a diagonal tack.
Lack of a course correction allowed the automobile to roll into a drainage ditch. Momentum carried it up the opposite slope. Then since inertia had taken control, driver and any passengers onboard rolled into the corner of a neighbor's yard. An impromptu extreme home makeover was a possibility had the 'Stang not come to rest when the front bumper met with a telephone cable box. Leaning the box over, the loose cannon stopped.
When visibility reaches a minimum this winter, remember to clear those windows before driving. Even in the most familiar neighborhoods, if the driver can't see where to drive, anything can happen. Or, move to New York City and no one will know the difference. This has been a public service announcement from the CPEL. CPEL,…protecting drivers and passengers for 11 years.
66 REASONS
Lindy from Lantana, Texas adds the following reasons Oklahoma is a great place to live, work and enjoy college football.
- I grew up watching OU play Nebraska every Thanksgiving at my grandmother's house in Purcell.
- Watching the leaves change their colors in the fall.
- Eating at one of the best hamburger restaurants ever made,…GOLDIE'S.
- Having snow in December.
- Going to hometown basketball games.
- Graduating from high school in Sand Springs.
- Meeting my husband in Sapulpa.
- Looking for the basketball goal at my in-laws house from the highway.
- Belonging to a bigger family in Oklahoma…either the Cowboys or the Sooners.
- Being able to see horses from I-35 coming from Texas.
- RED RIVER RIVALRY
IT'S THAT TIME
CPEL would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone to set the clocks back one hour Saturday night, November 1st, 2008. Otherwise, Marty McFly may see you an hour into the future and information like that could shred the space-time continuum. That's the last thing anyone needs. Set the clocks back! Yet another public service announcement of the CPEL.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
There have been some scary picks and some spooky ballgames already this season. CPEL would like to wish everyone a very happy and safe Halloween. Especially those of you reading in Stillwater, Oklahoma where All Saints' Eve is celebrated 365 days a year, excluding leap years when it is celebrated 366 days a year. Make that dental appointment, pick up that costume and hit the streets running.
TULSA
The Golden Hurricane, ranked as high as 18th in the current Coaches' Poll, hosted Conference USA nemesis Central Florida Sunday night at Skelly Field. The game was televised nationally on ESPN. After two quarters of the very well-coached, Golden Knights holding their own, Tulsa pulled away in the third quarter and went on to a great win. The final score was 49-19.
Sunday's outing was only the third time in eight games TU has scored less than 50 points against an opponent. In comparison to last week's 77-35 overpowering of UTEP, the Hurricane appeared to have downgraded to a tropical depression but that was in part to an outstanding freshman UCF quarterback and four freshman running backs who are sharing carries. The only seniors on the field for the Knights were playing in the defensive secondary. Game announcers thought each of the four would make it in the National Football League.
At 8-0, with pressure building on Tulsa coach, Todd Graham and the team did some very good work pulling off the 30-point victory. That pressure has jumped to another energy level this week in anticipation of a visit to Fayetteville, Arkansas to play the Razorbacks. Kick-off in this throwback contest is at 1pm CDT.
While the Hogs have struggled to win this year, against clearly superior competition, it will be up to the Arkansas defense to stop quarterback David Johnson and his very active receiving corps. Johnson has racked up some amazing statistics and Sunday, Tulsa showed they can score at will once the golden juggernaut gets rolling. The Razorbacks on the other hand, with the sour taste of five losses and doubtless bad slop somewhere along the way, may prove too much for the boys in the shiny yellow helmets.
"The Picker" wrote in a Tulsa World column, "If this game doesn't get televised, someone should be arrested." Well, it's being televised to the tune of $34.95 on pay-per-view, just an Alexander Hamilton short of the game ticket price of $45.00. Call the police back and send them to the network that's getting away with this. Tulsa is nationally ranked and undefeated and the best fans can hope for is pay-per-view. The price of success in a small sports market?
As much as the U of A defense has to be up to the task, Tulsa needs to be able to stop the Hogs when they are rooting around the red zone. The 'Cane defense has given up what seems to be an obligatory 30 points to opponents but CPEL will give the fired up youngsters from T-Town the benefit of the doubt. Tulsa 41, Arkansas 31.
Arkansas played Ole Miss last weekend and lost 23-21. Can sour grapes propel them to give TU its first loss of the season? Drop by Buffalo Wild Wings and spend that 34.95 on wings. What the heck,…invite a few friends for that price. If BWW is too far, listen to it on the radio.
TENNESSEE
Saturday evening at 6:00 CDT, UT faces South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina. USC coach Steve Spurrier seems to know just the right game plan to give the Volunteers fits. This outing should prove to be just like the others. Stephen Garcia will be starting for the home team in place of Chris Smelley (Figure that one out.). Three-win Tennessee loses another heartbreaker 27-24. Look out Wyoming!
OKLAHOMA STATE
The Cowboys are for real. They have the Arena Football League looking uniforms to prove it. According to sports commentator Jim Traber, the Oklahoma State offense was responsible for a narrow 28-24 loss to the Texas Longhorns in Austin, Texas last Saturday. A late fumble gave UT the advantage they needed to post the victory and remain the top-ranked team in the nation.
Highlights of the game included a very hard-hitting OSU defense which held the 'Horns in check all afternoon until the fumble made 4800 square yards of Lone Star State soil look like Halloweentown. Quarterback Zac Robinson and his teammates played the best game of the year when they needed it but when the pigskin hit the turf, their chances of winning hit the proverbial Bevo pattie.
OSU message boards were buzzing with post-game tales of Texas fans sending well-wishes to some common opponents. "Beat the cheaters!" and "Beat OU" could be heard coming from jubilant fans who just moments earlier had been gasping for air when Oklahoma State had an opportunity to win the game. While some would say this obsession with OU is unhealthy, it continues to grow as Thanksgiving weekend nears. Will Pete's Comet (an infrequent phenomenon during which Oklahoma State defeats OU in football) visit T. Boone Pickens Stadium on November 29th?
At 7-1 on the year, the Pokes have finally turned the corner and it's a wonderful thing. Next up for the men of O-State (41 year-old and otherwise), is a cream puff in the form of Iowa State. The cyclones couldn't be considered a cool Oklahoma breeze this season. After the indigestion caused by last week's Bevo burger, a cream puff fits nicely into the scheme of things entering November. OSU mops the field with the children of the corn and whips them with their own stalks. OSU 58, ISU 10.
OKLAHOMA
Pandemonium is a good description of what went on during the first half of the Oklahoma versus Kansas State football game in Manhattan, Kansas Saturday. Oklahoma, with a 7-1 win-loss record, jumped out to a 28-7 lead during the first quarter like a Wildcat jumps on a Jayhawk (whatever that is). That's when the "fun" started.
KSU scored 21 unanswered points to tie the game at 28-28, then in a flurry of K-State turnovers and TD (no, not Tom Dirato) punt returns bigger than a Michigan snow storm in January, the Sooners erupted for another 27 points before halftime. Oklahoma took an incredible 55-28 lead to the locker room with two quarters of play to go.
Just when all those watching and listening to the contest thought the defenses were playing hooky, the Sooners settled for running time off the clock and adding only three points on a 2nd half field goal to the final tally of 58-35 with the Wildcats (excuse me, PowerCats) accounting for KSU's sole 2nd half touchdown.
Meanwhile, back in Norman, Oklahoma preparations are being made for the arrival of the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Kick-off for the OU-NU game is set for 7pm CDT. Former shucker assistant and interim head coach as well as former OU and LSU co-defensive coordinator Bo Pelini returns to the sidelines at Owen Field in his first meeting with Oklahoma since taking over the helm this season in Lincoln, Nebraska. This time Lil' Red and all the other shuckers hope he coaches like he's for the team in white and scarlet. Couldn't say as much for the last coach whose tired old bones Cletus brought in there before.
As of this writing, there are a number of student tickets for the Sooners' game going on sale at the OU ticket office. Maybe it's the economy? Maybe it's the 7pm kick-off? Maybe it's the fact no one in the student section remembers when this game meant anything at all? Maybe they're all planning post-game parties in Stillwater since the Cowboys are playing so much better than Oklahoma is at this time?
Won't matter much come game time Saturday night. Oklahoma has to win to keep itself out of the Cotton Bowl this January and Nebraska doesn't need the win because it won't help them in the Northern Division of the Big 12 Conference. Here's hoping NU imports some fans who remember what the game used to be and the players compete on the high level OU/NU has become synonymous with over the years. Put down the pepper spray,…Oklahoma 45, NU 31.
THE PERCENTAGES
Posting another 5-0 mark last weekend on the picks has propelled the CPEL's record to 31-4. That's 89% for all those Nebraska and Iowa corn syrup extractors out there.
Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!
Carlos
www.crimsonpigskin.com
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