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From the Other Side: Talking OU with Eric Bailey

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Baker Mayfield still mans the on-field helm for the Sooners, but there is a lot different for this year’s OU team, including a new head coach, and new names at several offensive skill positions.

To help get to know this “new look” Sooner team before Saturday’s Bedlam showdown, I spoke with Eric Bailey, who covers the Sooners for the Tulsa World.

We talked about OU’s suspect secondary and the best player in that position group, the offensive skill players to keep an eye on, and his prediction for the game.

If you’re interested, the full audio interview is available to listen to at the bottom of this post. As always, I apologize for my shortcomings as an interviewer.


Phillip Slavin: Give me your impression of OU so far this season?

Eric Bailey: “Really, after Week 2 you thought ‘this is a team that could win a national championship’ by what they did at Ohio State, getting that win on the road. 31-16 was the final but I think it was more dominating than that. You got a sense that this could be a special football team. Since then they haven’t played at that level, even starting the next week against Tulane. Of course all their Big 12 games have been close, except for Texas Tech last week, they were able to pull away. They’re not as dominant as Oklahoma fans think, but the potential is there to be a good football team. It’s just if they can put it all together.”

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PS: The Sooner secondary hasn’t been great. What is the biggest issue with OU’s secondary?

EB: “It’s just giving up the big play. They give up a lot of long pass plays. It’s funny because through the first three they didn’t give up a touchdown pass. … Then they started giving up big plays, big chunk plays. Then last week it was interesting too, because Texas Tech was able to run the ball in the first quarter. Texas Tech scored three first quarter touchdowns, basically by running the ball to set up the pass. The balance really gave Oklahoma problems. I think it’s just something that’s been a trend the past couple of seasons, just pass defense is not consistent. If there’s really an Achilles heel, that’s where it’s been the past few seasons.”

PS: Is there a player in OU’s secondary that has performed well this season?

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EB: “You would say Parnell Motley who is a first year starter. He’s pretty dynamic at cornerback. It’s strange to say that because you have an All-Big 12 cornerback on the other side in Jordan Thomas. But Thomas has given up some really big plays, a lot of touchdown passes this season. So I have to go with Motley as your lockdown corner. I say that but in the same breath he had a tough game against Texas Tech, and he’s going to have to have an enormous bounce-back game to have success against Oklahoma State this Saturday.”

PS: Obviously we all know Baker Mayfield is great for OU, but who else on the offense is performing well for the Sooners this season?

EB: “You look at the running backs, they really are running back by committee. For the first time 2008 they have three different running backs who have at least 400 yards. All three have multiple games where they’ve led the team in rushing. They’re really balanced with Trey Sermon, who’s the leader with 487. Abdul Adams has 67, and Rodney Anderson has 410. Those three games are the big names at running back.”

“Then passing, Ceedee Lamb, just a true freshman, really really dynamic, leads the team with six touchdown catches. He really was that playmaker that they needed to replace Dede Westbrook. Now he’s just a freshman so he’s still learning, but he’s really filled the role quite well. Then you’ve got Mark Andrews, the tight end, who going into the season everyone expected him to lead the team in receiving yards and that’s where he’s at now. He’s got the most catches at 36, the most yards at 599, so Andrews and Lamb are probable Baker Mayfield’s top targets out there.”

PS: OSU has shown an ability for big touchdown plays. Meanwhile, OU has six different players with a 40-plus yard touchdown catch. What does OU do that makes them good so explosive?

EB: “I really think it’s a product of Lincoln Riley’s offense. Plus, it’s Baker Mayfield. He really is efficient. Oklahoma State fans are used to seeing Mason Rudolph throw perfect passes. That’s how Baker is. Leads the nation at passing efficiency — 23 touchdown passes, only three interceptions all year. He really does well finding the open receiver and making those big plays. A lot of times, it can be extended by his feet too, because his scrambling ability allows guys to break free also. He doesn’t put the ball in harm’s way. I think it’s part Mayfield, part these receivers getting open, and Lincoln Riley’s offense. This is the third-straight year he’s called plays and they’ve really been successful with Riley.”

PS: What are the biggest differences you’ve seen between the Bob Stoops era and Lincoln Riley’s first season?

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EB: “With him coming in and already being in the system for two years, there wasn’t a lot of change. There wasn’t really a lot of time to make a lot of changes because he was hired in June and the season started a couple months later. I think for the offense, this has been big to have him in place because they know what he expects. I think personally as a coach, Lincoln is learning how to deal with being the CEO of an entire program. Different things like the media obligations, working with Mike Stoops and the defense. I think he’s learned that. But with the offense, I think it was so successful over the two years before he got promoted that that’s really helped this year, in what they’ve been able to do moving the football.”

PS: Do you have a prediction for the game?

EB: “I’m leaning toward Oklahoma just because of the kind of success they’ve had in these kinds of games. I have a ton of respect for Oklahoma State, I really do. I’m just so impressed by what they’ve done over there, especially this year with all the veterans on that team. I just think Oklahoma has played in these big games before and they really play better when their backs are against the wall. It’s really rare for them to be an underdog, they’re an underdog going into this game.

“Baker Mayfield has not lost in an opposing stadium. He’s 12-0 in road games. He seems to play his best on the road when he has a chip on his shoulder. I’m kinda leaning toward Oklahoma right now, but nothing like last year. Not a double-digit game that’s for sure. Oklahoma’s played in close games four of their five Big 12 games have been one possession wins so… I really think it’s going to be a close game, I think it’s going to be an exciting game. Right now middle of the week I’m leaning toward Oklahoma.”

If you have 12 and a half minutes, take a listen to the full interview. We also talk about whether OU will be able to execute the same style of defense that Texas and TCU used against OSU, which players to watch in a third-and-long situation for OU’s offense, and whether he thinks Gundy’s Bedlam problem is an OU problem or was a Bob Stoops problem.

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