CollegeKingRex
CTG Regular
Should be an interesting game tonight in northeast Oklahoma when Tulsa entertains top-five Oklahoma, who travels up the Turner Turnpike for the two hour trip to Skelly Stadium.
The Sooners opened up 20-point favorites, but were quickly bet up to 23 on Monday, with the total diving to 67 or 67.5 when it was released Tuesday.
Each team is unbeaten. Oklahoma has feasted on North Texas, Miami and Utah State in its first three - as each were overmatched on both sides of the ball. Miami was bogged down by woeful quarterback play on offense; the other two were just overwhelmed. Tulsa's defense should have its hands full, but that won't be the case on offense.
The Hurricane opened with a win in Monroe against one of the Sun Belt's best teams before beating a solid BYU team at home last week. The Cougars never figured out new Tulsa offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn's hurry-up, no-huddle offense, which through two games is piling up yards and averaging 45 points a game. The gadgetry and misdirection that BYU
coach Mendenhall complained about ... well, that isn't anything Tulsa drummed up for the Cougars.
That's Gus Malzahn's offense. He wrote the book (no, really, he did write a book) on the hurry-up, no-huddle offense while a head coach, piling up state high school championships in Arkansas. The Razorbacks wanted no part of this offense in the SEC, but new Tulsa head coach Todd Graham, who is known more for what he can accomplish on the defensive side of the ball, embraced it.
In watching last week's tape, Tulsa lined up in formations that made it possible for a reverse on almost every play, with wide receivers routinely circling the backfield. Linebacker Chris Chamberlain appeared in the backfield, taking a direct snap against BYU and running for 9 yards on play. Backup quarterback David Johnson, wearing No. 28 for the BYU game, fired a 36-yard completion off a reverse from a wide receiver spot.
Scary triggerman Paul Smith lined up at wideout on another play. Smith should be ready. He's a senior now - and was the starter at QB two
years ago when he put Tulsa in position during the fourth quarter to win in Norman. OU was saved in part by two fabulous runs from Adrian Peterson.
The Golden Hurricane are sixth in America in passing offense, at 398.5 yards per game. The Sooners are 11th, at 324 yards per contest. In total offense, Oklahoma ranks third, with 6.3 more yards per game than Tulsa, which checks in fourth.
The problems come on the other side of the ball for Tulsa: The Golden Hurricane allowed 694 yards of total offense to BYU, including 537 yards (!) passing. Last year, Tulsa had a good defense, but this year only 11 schools have allowed more yards per game than the Golden Hurricane.
With a first-year coach and system, sometimes it takes more than two games to get on the same page.
Yes, it was a good win beating BYU last week, but this is a different beast. Tulsa will only keep it close if OU is caught napping (and if the out-of-state players underestimate Tulsa, which hasn't happened many times under Stoops) and if the defense forces some turnovers.
The offense will score, but not enough to give them a chance to win late. Score it 48-33 in favor of the Sooners.
The plays: OVER 67 for a medium bet and Tulsa plus 23 for a medium bet.
GL!
:cheers:
The Sooners opened up 20-point favorites, but were quickly bet up to 23 on Monday, with the total diving to 67 or 67.5 when it was released Tuesday.
Each team is unbeaten. Oklahoma has feasted on North Texas, Miami and Utah State in its first three - as each were overmatched on both sides of the ball. Miami was bogged down by woeful quarterback play on offense; the other two were just overwhelmed. Tulsa's defense should have its hands full, but that won't be the case on offense.
The Hurricane opened with a win in Monroe against one of the Sun Belt's best teams before beating a solid BYU team at home last week. The Cougars never figured out new Tulsa offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn's hurry-up, no-huddle offense, which through two games is piling up yards and averaging 45 points a game. The gadgetry and misdirection that BYU
coach Mendenhall complained about ... well, that isn't anything Tulsa drummed up for the Cougars.
That's Gus Malzahn's offense. He wrote the book (no, really, he did write a book) on the hurry-up, no-huddle offense while a head coach, piling up state high school championships in Arkansas. The Razorbacks wanted no part of this offense in the SEC, but new Tulsa head coach Todd Graham, who is known more for what he can accomplish on the defensive side of the ball, embraced it.
In watching last week's tape, Tulsa lined up in formations that made it possible for a reverse on almost every play, with wide receivers routinely circling the backfield. Linebacker Chris Chamberlain appeared in the backfield, taking a direct snap against BYU and running for 9 yards on play. Backup quarterback David Johnson, wearing No. 28 for the BYU game, fired a 36-yard completion off a reverse from a wide receiver spot.
Scary triggerman Paul Smith lined up at wideout on another play. Smith should be ready. He's a senior now - and was the starter at QB two
years ago when he put Tulsa in position during the fourth quarter to win in Norman. OU was saved in part by two fabulous runs from Adrian Peterson.
The Golden Hurricane are sixth in America in passing offense, at 398.5 yards per game. The Sooners are 11th, at 324 yards per contest. In total offense, Oklahoma ranks third, with 6.3 more yards per game than Tulsa, which checks in fourth.
The problems come on the other side of the ball for Tulsa: The Golden Hurricane allowed 694 yards of total offense to BYU, including 537 yards (!) passing. Last year, Tulsa had a good defense, but this year only 11 schools have allowed more yards per game than the Golden Hurricane.
With a first-year coach and system, sometimes it takes more than two games to get on the same page.
Yes, it was a good win beating BYU last week, but this is a different beast. Tulsa will only keep it close if OU is caught napping (and if the out-of-state players underestimate Tulsa, which hasn't happened many times under Stoops) and if the defense forces some turnovers.
The offense will score, but not enough to give them a chance to win late. Score it 48-33 in favor of the Sooners.
The plays: OVER 67 for a medium bet and Tulsa plus 23 for a medium bet.
GL!
:cheers:
