Stinks/Doesn’t Stink: On Afternoon Kicks, Ramon, and Texas Tech

We’re starting a newly weekly column here at PFB where I’ll attempt to sift through things that stink, and those that don’t, across the OSU and Big 12 landscape. We’re hitting the ground running mid-season and I’ve got my hot take cannon loaded up with gunpowder. Let’s burn this thing down, baby.

(Side bar: If you’ve got topic suggestions for this column in the future, hit me up on the Twitter.)

Texas Tech

I was not at all impressed by OSU’s slim win over Texas Tech 3 weeks ago and was effectively crucified for saying the Red Raiders flat out stink. At the time, OSU was its only loss with close wins over Houston and Arizona State to its name. But I am happy to report my thesis has aged like a fine wine.

Texas Tech has now lost three of its last four, including a 13-point egg-laying this past weekend against Iowa State. I’ve even heard smarter people than I suggest they should consider a mid-season QB change!

With OU, K-State, TCU and Texas still on the schedule, I see one … maybe two more wins on the schedule. Bowl eligibility (and Kingsbury’s future) seem bleak to me.

Verdict: Tech Stinks.

Ramon Richards

This is a copy + pasted comment I read on the website very recently.

“Sorry, but I’m not thinking of Ramon Richards when I think of OSU’s best defensive players. Out of all the starters Richards is like the 8th best player (maybe) on this year’s defense.”

Some comments on the site (including this one), I choose not to put too much stock in. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But four-fourths of that statement is inackurut, and I feel a responsibility to make sure it’s corrected on the official record.

Look, Richards is in his first year at a new position on the back end of OSU’s defense. So I guess that makes it easy to pick on him (especially considering his freshman season.) But he’s been awesome this year and graded out especially well this past weekend. He is fourth on the team in tackles behind Flowers, Whitener and Phillips, and has more tackles for loss than all but one of OSU’s defensive ends!

PFF Week 8 – Big 12 Team of the Week – Defense pic.twitter.com/2k6bW2eG2M

— PFF College (@PFF_College) October 24, 2017

Verdict: Ramon doesn’t stink

Afternoon games

After this coming weekend, OSU will have played back-to-back 11:00 a.m. kicks on the road, and returns next Saturday for Bedlam in Stillwater … at 3:00 p.m., the third consecutive afternoon game in Big 12 play at home.

I’ve read the grumblings about an afternoon kick on FS1 (College Gameday seems unlikely, OU gets off the hook by avoiding a night game, etc.), but I disagree. I think an afternoon game is ideal for OSU for two reasons: Mike Gundy has come out in favor of that time slot previously, and recent history suggests it’s a good time in the Bedlam series. Of OSU’s two Bedlam wins since 2005, one (2014) was in the 2:30 slot (in Norman) — the other was a 7:00 kick in 2011 where that team would have won if it was a 5:00 a.m. kick.

Bottom line: Good teams win no matter the time. I’ve got no problem with it, and considering the dreaded 11:00 kick was avoided, I think an afternoon kick is far from the worst case scenario.

Verdict: Doesn’t stink

Big 12’s playoff chances

TCU is unbeaten, and OSU, OU, West Virginia and … Iowa State (!) are all tied for second in the league standings.

Where are we at in society?!

I don’t think the Big 12’s chances of sending a team to the CFP are dead yet, but right now its chances seem to be riding squarely on the shoulders of TCU just in terms of national perception. The Big 12 needs TCU to not lay an egg and remain undefeated before it faces OU in a few weeks, and I do not trust that because I do not trust Kenny Hill.

In my opinion, if OSU/OU wins out, they’re in (as would be TCU, which to me seems unlikely.) But TCU-OU/OSU-OU have yet to play. It kind of feels like all the good teams are just going to cannibalize one another and we’re going to have a bunch of good (not great) teams wishing OSU had beat TCU and OU hadn’t been shocked by Iowa State. Win and you’re in, but the margin of error is extra small even for the teams at the top.

Verdict: Stinks