1 - I need to see more progress from the WR room. Route trees and play calling both looked better last week, but OSU's middle was very poor so hard to tell what was real vs placebo. Route trees and getting separation still struggled quite a bit.
2 - Continued progress in play calling. Nobody expects us to suddenly be an air raid offense, but clearly the running game isn't getting anything. OU's defense is much improved this year so I'm not expecting to see much success running up the middle. They are a bit soft in the mid-yardage pass defense so we need to attack it early and often.
3 - We need to be competitive. I hate to think we're back to the "moral victories" stage as that would suggest we've truly lost any and all momentum as a program. I don't think things are yet beyond repair, and with a bunch of young and/or undeveloped guys, we have room to grow.
1) Agreed but we're not a group that's going to excel at separation. And that's fine. That's where your second point comes into so much play.
2 (#3) I;'m confused. Because you say you hate to think we're into moral victories yet say be competitive, which is basically saying a moral victory? I guess that's what being competitive means to me. Maybe I'm misunderstanding and if I am, that's my bad.
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1) Run the ball - but not entirely as we've tried. Do a little more toss or outside along with inside and don't try to run as much. Mix up, use the pass first, but don't abandon it. Just vary it a little more.
2) Jackson, Bitter & Noel. Yes, others will play at WR but while perhaps not the most explosive grouping, I trust them the most at receiver right now.
3) Defensively, I'm not expecting to shut down Oklahoma but I'm hoping for a more crisp return to the norm under Heacock.
4) Final score, I think could be Oklahoma 27, Iowa State 10 to 13. If the offense will show its development continuing from last week, I think it could be closer or even, a chance for a shocker, but OU's defense is a lot improved, their still Oklahoma and its still a huge early road test...
based on all that, I see it being close for a while, then OU pulling a way. I'd love to beat them, especially in quite possibly the last matchup so I hope I'm wrong
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There are 4 teams I'd take moral victories against.
1) Bama
2) Georgia
3) Ohio State
4) Michigan
Yes, there are more that could probably hang 40+ and beat us 42-0 but outside of the elite programs, I don't want to hear about moral victories.