J.R.'s Family Bar-B-Q

Some of my friends who live outside Oklahoma, many on the east coast, have asked how I can seemingly have, as the Eagles have sung for years a “Peaceful Easy Feeling”  about the Oklahoma Sooners being ranked as the #1 college football team in the nation.

They remind me to look at what happened to all the #1’s who lost games that they were not predicted to lose last year. As recently as just last week, the top ten was turned upside down.

My answer is always the same. First of all that’s simply the way college football is today whether we like it or not. But we aren’t just any college football program. There’s only one….Oklahoma and we expect everyone’s best shot but they need to know that a Spooner reciprocates.    This Saturday morning’s scenario isn’t a new one. Stoops Troops travel out of Norman to launch the Big 12 schedule and will be looking to take the first step in playing for the Big 12 Title in Kansas City December 6. The unheralded journey to win three consecutive Big 12 Titles starts Saturday morning on the road.  

Baylor coach Art Briles rejuvenated Bears stand in the Sooners way of earning passage to the Promised Land but it doesn’t take a Wall Street analyst (bad example) to ascertain that Briles’ Bears have every thing to gain and nothing to lose when they take their home field for Saturday morning’s brunch kickoff. The 2-2 Bears aren’t looking for a “bailout” but simply an opportunity to make history. The Baylor Bears have never beaten a #1 ranked team in their school’s history. For the record, the Bears have never beaten OU and are 0-17 life time against the Crimson and Cream. Are the Bears due? I’m sure that they think so.  The game may be closer than many experts predict and I see Oklahoma winning by 25 points. BBQ’ed food for thought:

• Everything Baylor does offensively runs through true freshman quarterback Robert Griffin who is a world class athlete and who came “this close” to making the 2008 United States Olympic team as a high hurdler. #10 is 6’3”-200 lbs and is Baylor’s leading passer AND leading rusher. Griffin is an intelligent athlete who graduated 7th in his high school class at Copperas Cove High School and has already broken Baylor’s single game rushing record this season and he didn’t even start the first game.
• Oh yeah, Griffin is also the #10 ranked passer in the nation with about a 170 QB rating and has thrown NO interceptions this season which is a valued stat for any QB notwithstanding a freshman.

Read the rest of J.R.'s column at OUInsider.com »