Stat, I agree with you to a point. Obviously MB wants to beat OU every year. I was trying to point out the difference with Ohio St. It's a burning desire of no comparison how much Ohio St bases the success of their program on beating Michigan. I've never seen anything quite like it. IMO, Stoops and OU treat their annual showdown with Texas the same way. It's a MUST to win that game I just don't believe that Brown has the burning desire to put it all on the line to beat OU. He's shown too many times how timid he is in offensive play calling. And for that reason Brown doesn't "get it" that beating OU is absolutely necessary to the success of the Texas program
Dear god people... I really don't care if you disagree with DKR stats, if his season was shorter, etc. My point is a general point and my analogy was not meant to be scientifically iron clad. The general point was DKR had down years and in the link I posted it has posters that talked about people calling for DKR's job. I'm sure hundreds of coaches have been in the same situation throughout the years and come back to prove people wrong. In that aspect, it is analogous. That's it. That's all I was going for. And also:
I think Mack gets the importance of OU. I just think his style is not conducive to that game, or any game where someone hits you in the mouth. Oftentimes we have the athletes to overcome being hit in the mouth. With OU, we don't b/c more times than not the talent is damn near equal. Everything about Mack's approach to the game can be summed up with his advice to Ash in last year's game as a true freshman, when he said, "Just don't lose it for us." Note, this is anecdotal and I don't have a link. But do you think Stoops has ever said to any player "don't lose it for us?" No, those sister ******* are trained to kick us in the balls, and when we're on the ground, to step on our throats until Mack makes his way to the post-game presser to apologize to the world and talk about how great of a team OU is. With their athletes, we simply cannot overcome that, absent VY or Colt, and we haven't one time, except in '99 in Stoops' first year. They have never been that much better than us; with Mack's team's timid approach, it has snowballed on us 4 times. Now, we're wasting time speculating on Mack's feelings toward the game. I think he approaches it with earnest, but highly flawed effort and some of you don't; it doesn't matter. Facts matter, and the facts are that Mack has been embarassed twice in this 3-year stretch by OU (and countless other times). Again, there is no ******* way the OP's analogy with DKR is logical in any form except maybe on the surface if you discount 2010's losing campaign.
Serious question, did any other teams/players "scare DKR to death"? B/C MB quakes at the feet of everyone we play and that is grossly evident in the psychological make-up of his teams. They are soft and scared....that should never be the case at UT. The only reason Mack had his great seasons is b/c of two exceptional QB talents...that's it. So unless you see another VY or CM on the roster, he isn't turning this thing around, he's running it into the ground.
THIS vvvvvv Rex nailed it - read this again: "I think Mack gets the importance of OU. I just think his style is not conducive to that game, or any game where someone hits you in the mouth. Oftentimes we have the athletes to overcome being hit in the mouth. With OU, we don't b/c more times than not the talent is damn near equal. Everything about Mack's approach to the game can be summed up with his advice to Ash in last year's game as a true freshman, when he said, "Just don't lose it for us." Note, this is anecdotal and I don't have a link. But do you think Stoops has ever said to any player "don't lose it for us?" No, those sister ******* are trained to kick us in the balls, and when we're on the ground, to step on our throats until Mack makes his way to the post-game presser to apologize to the world and talk about how great of a team OU is. With their athletes, we simply cannot overcome that, absent VY or Colt, and we haven't one time, except in '99 in Stoops' first year. They have never been that much better than us; with Mack's team's timid approach, it has snowballed on us 4 times. Now, we're wasting time speculating on Mack's feelings toward the game. I think he approaches it with earnest, but highly flawed effort and some of you don't; it doesn't matter. Facts matter, and the facts are that Mack has been embarassed twice in this 3-year stretch by OU (and countless other times). Again, there is no ******* way the OP's analogy with DKR is logical in any form except maybe on the surface if you discount 2010's losing campaign." Some of you may remember at a post game presser several years ago, after another loss to ou, I heard Mack say something to the effect of: "ou is just another game (or just one game), a conference game but it is not the end of our season, we can still reach our goals... blah, blah, blah" I remember saying out loud - hell no it is not just another game Mack! But that is the way he has looked at it from 1998 on. What Mack should be telling them prior to the RRR - we are going to WAR, were not here to not lose, were not here because of the longtime rivalry & excitement of the game, were here to play smash mouth football for 60 minutes. Every play, EVERY play is critical to the outcome of the game and we need everyone playing 110%. We are going to go out there and kick their asses! Etc. Etc.
I agree that Mack's style is the problem versus OU. He may get the importance but some people just can't summon the emotional response needed to act with a sense of urgency. I noticed him taking notes during the OU game while we were geting stomped. Why take notes at that point? He was not deviating from his habits; he should have thrown the notes away and become engaged with the players and the moment itself. It was like he was a teacher writing someone up, "I'm gonna have to talk to them about this later."
"More crucially, that mentality trickled into the minds of at least some of (if not a lot of) the players. In 2003, Roy Williams said something to the effect of "we don't have to beat OU to win the South" BEFORE the ******* RRS that season. See, that right there is a perfect display of a loser's mentality. "Oh it's ok, we can still backdoor a championship even if our arch rival smacks the ever loving **** out of us." Slugga - I too remember RW saying that - it really pissed me off! You are right, that is a loser's mentality
Also think about the fact that their were THREE experienced linebackers making up that UNIT. A. Keenan Robinson B. Emmanuel Acho and then C. Jordan Hicks From that to A. Tevin Jackson very few snaps B. Steve Edmond's ditto C. Kendall Thompson or De Marco Cobb's ditto again Huge differences between the upper set and the second set. And no, I to am not convinced Diaz should stay. He was very stubborn in trying to force exotic blitzes on guys that should have been playing good, solid, fundamental BASE defense considering the lack of experience he had at the position. And that got him and our team burned way to many times this season.
The yardstick Mack is 1976 - TX vs ou. DKR brought in a team that had numerous injuries and two unproven and mediocre QB's - Cordero and Constanzo (forgive me on the spelling from 35 + years ago). ou was highly ranked and skillfully exceeded us at many positions. BUT - DKR had 'em ready to give the FIGHT of their lives that day- GO TO WAR - like it should be every RRR. THAT GAME TO THIS DAY IS THE MOST HARD HITTING UT OR COLLEGE GAME I EVER SAW. Every play was an intense F-in' train wreck. There was genuine hate, venom and a unbelieveable desire to win on both sides that day. I won't rehash the game but UT largely outplayed a better ou squad that day but only got a 6-6 tie. The point is that is how EVERY UT team should go into that game as if going to WAR. Memo to Mack
I was there at the end of Royal's stewardship. He was getting beat regularly by Switzer. It was just as clear then it was time for a change as it is now. Akers changed that and had a winning record against Switzer; though he did not win a national title. The Akers teams always brought it to the cotton bowl but they stunk come bowltime.
"OU has been the most favored team in the country by the polls - every single time it's been up to the voters to choose between OU and teams X & Y for anything (big 12 championships over Texas, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma State, BCS Title Game berths over USC, Auburn, and Texas), the voters go with OU." Stat, I think the reason for this above, if its true, is that ou began beating Texas, their arch rival, regularly and soundly beginning in 2000. Stoops hung 60 on us in 2002, and Mack's teams earned a reputation of softness. Mack, Texas, and soft were constantly used in the same sentence in all forms of sports media. Vince and Colt saved our asses for a few years, but now its back in spades. That is why ou may get the nod in voters determining rankings and BCS participation. Like Shark 4 said above, when tOSU beats UM, the buckeyes win their conference, get media love, and go to BCS games.
