Home and Away

[Sweetest OU Girl]

I noticed a statistic recently that was a bit sobering.

We have played 11 home games this year.

The fewest for any other Big-12 team is 15, with some having played 17.

It is almost impossible to evaluate how much we were helped or hurt by the "endless" road trip back in the non-conference, but I have no doubt that had we replaced 6 or so of those road games with 6 or so home games, we would have at least 20 wins by now and a home game for the 1st & 2nd rounds would be highly likely.

Hopefully we will finish strong and secure that anyway.

 

[SoonerNorm]

I know most do not agree with me but I have always said I don't see the need to play a tough non-conference season. I have yet to see evidence that a team performs better in conference as a result of playing a tough non-conference schedule. You get beat up enough in conference so why add more losses by scheduling tough teams when you don't have to, particularly, when you have a young team. I do think we would have fewer losses and ranked quite a bit higher if not for the losses we sustained early.

 

[Soonercuda]

I know most do not agree with me but I have always said I don't see the need to play a tough non-conference season. I have yet to see evidence that a team performs better in conference as a result of playing a tough non-conference schedule. You get beat up enough in conference so why add more losses by scheduling tough teams when you don't have to, particularly, when you have a young team. I do think we would have fewer losses and ranked quite a bit higher if not for the losses we sustained early.

What evidence would you require? OU played a tough non conference schedule figured out its weaknesses, improved and is going to finish 2nd in the conference. West Va played a weak non conference schedule was unprepared for conference play and is almost certainly not going to make the NCAA tourney.

Playing a bunch of scheduled wins does nothing to improve your team...it masks your true weaknesses and gives you a false sense of success. I would have preferred the UALR game to be in Norman but I understand why Sherri wants to play some tough road games in the non conference season.

 

[SoonerNorm]

What evidence would you require? OU played a tough non conference schedule figured out its weaknesses, improved and is going to finish 2nd in the conference. West Va played a weak non conference schedule was unprepared for conference play and is almost certainly not going to make the NCAA tourney.

Playing a bunch of scheduled wins does nothing to improve your team...it masks your true weaknesses and gives you a false sense of success. I would have preferred the UALR game to be in Norman but I understand why Sherri wants to play some tough road games in the non conference season.

I don't see the evidence that if OU would have played OSU's schedule, we would be any better today than we are. Maybe we would and maybe we wouldn't, who knows. I do know we are being penalized in the rankings by our win/loss record. The more losses, the lower the ranking. Sherri has the team playing against men in practice. One would think they should toughen up the team more than other tough women's teams. If not, why have them?

 

[sybarite]

What evidence would you require? OU played a tough non conference schedule figured out its weaknesses, improved and is going to finish 2nd in the conference. West Va played a weak non conference schedule was unprepared for conference play and is almost certainly not going to make the NCAA tourney.

Playing a bunch of scheduled wins does nothing to improve your team...it masks your true weaknesses and gives you a false sense of success. I would have preferred the UALR game to be in Norman but I understand why Sherri wants to play some tough road games in the non conference season.

I tend to agree with this. Especially with this team, and especially after last year, I think we needed to see what our problems were. We were young, and we had a lot to learn. We could have learned it against Prairie View A&M, but it would probably not have exposed our weaknesses. We needed to see them.

I think it does make a difference in the polls. But, assuming that we make the tournament, I think it will still make a difference in the tournament. A lot of teams lose in the tournament because they aren't used to tough games every day. They have had an opportunity to play weak teams to rest and heal. I think we might well be 20-4 if we had had OSU's schedule, but I don't think we would be as likely to succeed as we are. We have shown that we are better than OSU, at least with three games left.

Practicing against boys is not exactly the same as playing a game against the top ten. One is for real.