Championship November arrives
Maybe it started as just a catchy slogan for Oklahoma, but Championship November has definitely evolved into its own thing for the Sooners.
And why not? OU is undefeated in the month since 2015, and it’s the month where everything seems to fall into place with the Sooners playing their best ball.
“There’s a certain sense around this program like you get to this time. This is our favorite time,” said head coach Lincoln Riley during a Zoom press conference Tuesday. “This is the best time of the year. You work and do everything you can to put yourself in the middle of the hunt going into November.
“I think the anticipation and the expectations internally of the program are so high. The guys are ready to do it… I don’t know, just always feels a little bit differently this time of year around here. It just does. I can’t explain it, but it’s definitely a real positive thing.”
For the first time in 17 years, the Sooners are 9-0, so Championship November goes to an even different level this season.
OU will find out its initial spot in the College Football Playoff rankings Tuesday evening, but everybody knows if the Sooners win, everything will take care of itself.
It did in playoff berths for 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, and OU is in an even better position in 2021 if it just takes care of business.
“Winning the first nine and all that’s great, but this team will be remembered based on what it does here in the next couple of months,” Riley said. “And so hopefully you feel like things are starting to align for us to play our best ball. And I feel like we’ve got the right group to do it.”
OU is resting up before hitting Waco to play at Baylor next weekend.
Defense still very capable
The first month of the season was marred by offensive inconsistency. The second month saw the defense have massive struggles, but Alex Grinch’s guys did end on a high note in the 52-21 victory against Texas Tech.
OU got some key pieces back in Jalen Redmond, D.J. Graham and Delarrin Turner-Yell, and Riley is hoping those additions will help spark the group the rest of the way.
“Some of it has to do with us playing at the level we expect,” Riley said. “Because certainly, even with all the guys out, with the 11 that we’re putting out there we still feel and have felt very capable.
“And so I think if we can continue to prepare the way that we did last week, if we continue to get a few more of these bodies back, I think we’ve set ourselves up to play extremely well.”
OU has made some moves with Key Lawrence that have helped the secondary, and the big lingering question remaining is whether or not Woodi Washington will return and make an impact down the stretch run.
Receiving room getting stronger
It was great news for wide receiver Mario Williams, and it’s good news for receiver Theo Wease as the Sooners continue to slowly get some top contributors back in the fold.
Riley said Williams didn’t even practice last Monday or Tuesday, which speaks highly of Williams who had five catches for 100 yards and a touchdown vs. Tech.
“It was impressive to see a young guy come back off injury. Two parts of it — one, mentally. He had a couple errors but not many but didn’t show a whole lot of rust mentally. And then the big thing is you worry about is after an injury, coming back and cutting loose.
“To have him back was big with a couple guys obviously still out. It was good to see. What that does is we tell all our guys, that builds confidence as a coach. Next time a guy gets nicked up, you can count on him to get back in the fold and be ready to play at a high level as soon as possible. He did a really good job of handling it.”
Wease injured his foot in the spring, made his way back only to injure his foot once again just before the season started.
He’s been progressing, and Riley said he’s been able to get stronger and work on other facets of his game. Still very optimistic he can return in the final weeks.
“I don’t know that there’s a 100 percent plan in place yet, but we’re getting close,” Riley said. “I can certainly see a clear path — a defined path — to him being able to help us the last stretch of the season. I just don’t know when it will be yet, but we’re getting close.”
Riley ‘sick’ to hear about Patterson
Another week, another Big 12 coach relieved of his duties. Last week it was Matt Wells at Texas Tech. Then, in a major shock, it was announced Sunday evening that TCU’s Gary Patterson would not finish the season.
“I don’t know all of the circumstances behind it, but seeing Gary Patterson go out in the middle of a season is just... I don’t know what to think of it, man,” Riley said. “I was sick when I heard the news to be completely honest.
“I know it’s a tough business and I know our jobs are scrutinized, and we’re big boys and can live with big boy decisions but man... What he did at that place? And to not even finish out the year? I don’t know.”
Riley never lost to Patterson at OU, either as offensive coordinator or head coach, but he has spoken repeatedly about the amount of respect he has for what Patterson was able to do in Fort Worth and just his football mind.