OU has no wins vs. teams above .500

[SoonerfanTU]

When the real games start OU is going to be a handful for anybody in the nation.

Not this year. Too many holes. KU is going to paste us if both teams play their average games.

 

[bocabull]

Kansas is the #1 team in the country and that game is in Lawrence so that's a safe assumption TU. Especially since Big XII refs are such homers.

I'm looking for 11-5 or 10-6 in conference. Would love to see us go undefeated at home and I think we can.

 

[thebigabd]

I'm looking for 11-5 or 10-6 in conference.

I'm looking for 9-7 or 8-8.

 

[campbest]

The two unlucky ones for the Sooners are Arkansas and Arizona, but it doesn't take John Wooden to see that Arkansas is really hurting from not having a third of their team and two of their best players, and that Arizona is extremely young, but has a lot of potential to do damage in a terrible league.

We all know RPI isn't everything, but it does play an important factor in the selection committee's preference on which teams get a bid. If Arkansas and Arizona are not going to get any RPI boosting wins and have bad losses as of now, how is playing in the their weak conferences going to help us? It's going to be really tough for these teams to rebound from such a horrid start.

Luckily for us the Big XII is strong enough this year that we can base a lot of our resume off that, much like the Big East used their pedigree last year to get teams with losing records in conference in the dance.

Usually I would say San Diego is probably the second team from the WCC this year, but Portland has a much better resume up to this point...and you can never throw out Bennett and St. Mary's.

To be honest, I couldn't care less what the records of MSM, ULM and USD are because I expect to beat those programs regardless. Unfortunately we have don't have a barometer of how good this team is because the only two legitimate programs we have played were at home and are in disarray. What Arkansas and Arizona are doing right now does matter.

I will add though that there doesn't seem to be a large group of "tournament worthy" teams outside the Big East, ACC and Big XII, which is a plus for OU.

 

[DenverSooner]

I'm looking for 9-7 or 8-8.

Is it that you don't think OU can win on the road in the Big XII? OU has Baylor, OSU, A&M, Tech, Nebraska and CU as winnable road games. Additionally, I think OU has enough talent to pull an upset against either Texas or KU. I am not remotely saying I think OU will upset either KU or Texas and beat all those other teams, I just think this team has enough talent to win 3-5 road games and to hold serve at home (maybe one upset). That puts OU at 10-13 wins. I may be too optimistic, but I think you are too pessimistic.

 

[Sam]

Is it that you don't think OU can win on the road in the Big XII? OU has Baylor, OSU, A&M, Tech, Nebraska and CU as winnable road games. Additionally, I think OU has enough talent to pull an upset against either Texas or KU. I am not remotely saying I think OU will upset either KU or Texas and beat all those other teams, I just think this team has enough talent to win 3-5 road games and to hold serve at home (maybe one upset). That puts OU at 10-13 wins. I may be too optimistic, but I think you are too pessimistic.

Given the youth of this team and till we see them actually play well on the road I think CU and Nebraska are the only true winnable road games right now. We have the talent to win at some other places but if I was a betting man I wouldn't bet on it right now.

 

[thebigabd]

Is it that you don't think OU can win on the road in the Big XII?

Bingo... I bet OU loses on the road to every south team this year.

 

[campbest]

Is it that you don't think OU can win on the road in the Big XII? OU has Baylor, OSU, A&M, Tech, Nebraska and CU as winnable road games. Additionally, I think OU has enough talent to pull an upset against either Texas or KU. I am not remotely saying I think OU will upset either KU or Texas and beat all those other teams, I just think this team has enough talent to win 3-5 road games and to hold serve at home (maybe one upset). That puts OU at 10-13 wins. I may be too optimistic, but I think you are too pessimistic.

We've done nothing to prove we can at Baylor and A&M. Could we? Sure, but penciling us in for a "W" is pretty gracious.

 

[bocabull]

Bingo... I bet OU loses on the road to every south team this year.

If I had a nickel for all the times people said OU would finally lose to Baylor.

 

[campbest]

If I had a nickel for all the times people said OU would finally lose to Baylor.

...you would probably have around a $1.

 

[DenverSooner]

We've done nothing to prove we can at Baylor and A&M. Could we? Sure, but penciling us in for a "W" is pretty gracious.

WTF has Baylor done to prove they can beat OU? Baylor has not beaten OU since the 1970s and OU is 11-3 against A&M in College Station. OU is 9-4 in Lubbock since the Big XII was formed.

 

[thebigabd]

OU is 11-3 against A&M in College Station. OU is 9-4 in Lubbock since the Big XII was formed.

Tech and A&M are both good and very experienced this year. I would be shocked if OU won in college station or lubbock this year.

 

[BigTime]

Tech and A&M are both good and very experienced this year. I would be shocked if OU won in college station or lubbock this year.

Shocked is a strong word. I wouldn't be shocked with either of those two or Baylor. I would be shocked if OU won at Texas or at Kansas.

Now that said, you are right in that the Sooners could easily drop all three of those games...

The key for OU this year is to protect the home court and to make sure and get road wins against some of the lesser Big 12 teams, meaning Nebraska, Colorado, and Tech. Before you jump me, I still think Tech will finish really low in the Big 12, and will not be ranked for very long. If they beat WSU (@WSU) then I might start to change my mind....

 

[campbest]

WTF has Baylor done to prove they can beat OU? Baylor has not beaten OU since the 1970s and OU is 11-3 against A&M in College Station. OU is 9-4 in Lubbock since the Big XII was formed.

You're right, they shouldn't even play the game. Baylor beat Xavier (neutral) and a 6-2 Arizona State (road), those are two noteworthy wins out of conference. I find it ironic that you've been campaigning for 8 or 9 teams from the Big XII to get into the Dance, but then downplay competition within the conference.

If you can't see that two of those teams have improved (so far) compared to last year and one has been a big surprise, then I don't know what to tell you.

 

[thebigabd]

I find it ironic that you've been campaigning for 8 or 9 teams from the Big XII to get into the Dance, but then downplay competition within the conference.

love it.

The key for OU this year is to protect the home court and to make sure and get road wins against some of the lesser Big 12 teams, meaning Nebraska, Colorado, and Tech.

Those three games terrify me. How bout you?

 

[Sooner Quick]

We're DOOMED!! DOOMED I tell ya!!!!!

I don't care what anyones records are that we've played. I've seen the improvement in our team with my own eyes.

By the way Kansas beat a HORRIBLE UCLA team by 12! We beat Arkansas and Arizona, both better teams than UCLA by a greater margin. Come conference time this team is going to be legit and you can take it to the bank!

 

[Edmond_Sooner]

Cant argue the point...we really havent beat anyone this year that is all that impressive...

But watching the Arkansas and Arizona wins, what made them important was the way we did it...we dominated both contests for the most part and have played much more inspired ball on both ends of the court...

So we basically did what we were supposed to against inferior competition, something good teams do (not just win, but roll)...and i think this team is getting better fast...

For me, seeing it on the road will solidify the progress...

 

[BigTime]

love it.



Those three games terrify me. How bout you?

Oh I don't feel real comfortable about any road game right now, abd.

I am just hoping that this team will continue to take steps. A win at Utah will be another one. I guess I am just more confident than you that this team will be there by the time conference season rolls around.

But then again, it is really important for everyone to realize that unlike in previous years that even the bottom feeders are not going to go down easy (especially on their home floors).

 

[DenverSooner]

You're right, they shouldn't even play the game. Baylor beat Xavier (neutral) and a 6-2 Arizona State (road), those are two noteworthy wins out of conference. I find it ironic that you've been campaigning for 8 or 9 teams from the Big XII to get into the Dance, but then downplay competition within the conference.

If you can't see that two of those teams have improved (so far) compared to last year and one has been a big surprise, then I don't know what to tell you.

I didn't say they shouldn't play the game. I just find it odd that an OU fan would assume OU is going to lose to Baylor, Tech or A&M on the road. OU has a 42% winning percentage against OSU in Stillwater and a 35% winning percentage over the last 20 years in Stillwater. I don't remotely see any of those games as losses that should be penciled in on the schedule before the game is played. In fact, the only games I think OU is likely to lose in conference play are at KU and at Texas. This is not the same thing as saying I think OU will win 14 games. I just can't look at the schedule and say, OU will probably lose game X.

Promoting the conference is a lot different than saying OU can't win a road game. The conference can be good and OU can be good. Those are not mutually exclusive things.

 

[DenverSooner]

Those three games terrify me. How bout you?

I have watched Big XII / Big 8 basketball long enough to know that every team in the conference can lose any road game. A few years ago, KU got beat in Lubbock and I don't think anyone saw that coming. OSU went a year or so without a road win. OU has dropped games in Boulder.

With that said, I fully expect OU to win some road games. OU is a good road team and I don't think that is going to change in a year when OU has 3 McD AA.