From: merklin@rtsg.mot.com (Teresa B. Merklin)
Subject: Tie One for the Gibber (was Re: OU over OSU woof)
Organization: Motorola Inc., Cellular Infrastructure Group
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 13:13:20 GMT

Bill "Oliver Who?" Dostalik writes:
>
>The last time the pokes beat OU Gerald Ford was president.  This is the best
>chance for the aggies since 1988 when Barry Sanders and Mike Gaddis had their
>epic battle (both with 210+ yards).  But the Sooners prevailed (barely!) in
>that one, and they will prevail (not so barely) in this one.  I have become
           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I would only suggest that you examine Oliver's Woofing Theorem (tm).

>convinced ever since that game in '83(?) when OU came back and won with a
>successful but *accidental* on-side kick off the helmet of a poke player that
>OSU cannot beat Sooner Magic.  Every single close game with the pokes in the
>last 15 years has been given to the Sooners seemingly by divine intervention.
>(Of course, we've blown them out a few times, too).  

I find it interesting that you bring up "Sooner Magic". For years my OU 
friends claimed that what I saw as lucky breaks year after year after year,
was really just the result of superior talent and coaching. This year, one
of those people called me Sunday afternoon (to woof about something almost
unrelated) and mentioned that Oklahoma State got all the breaks in this game,
but it was all "luck", rather than talent.

>Consider 1990, the players are headed into the lockerroom for halftime, but OSU
>coach Pat Jones demands time be put on the clock so OU will kick on 4th down.
>Of course, OU didn't kick since there was time for only one play, so Gundy
>heaves a Hail Mary to Adrian Cooper for a TD.  The pokes are snake-bit again.

Actually your facts are a little skewed. Jones called the time out right away,
but the officials were jogging off the team with the players, and before he
could get their attention, there was only time for one play. Jones was 
insisting that time be put back on the clock to the time in which he called 
the time out, but didn't get it. Not a bad coaching move, IMHO, but a mistake
by the officials. Of course the real Sooner Magic in this game came when
Brent Jones dropped the game winning touchdown on fourth down. It was there,
it was in his hands, he was wide open... He just *dropped* it...
>
>Jones and OSU have done a great job this year, in fact I'm not sure Pat Jones
>doesn't deserve Big 8 coach of the year honors over Glen Mason.  Debatable.

I have to give the nod to Mason (besides it's his last chance to win this!)
but I have to agree that Jones has done an outstanding job in this first
year free of NCAA Sanctions.

Result: Oklahoma 15 Oklahoma State 15

I was disappointed that Gibbs played for the tie, and would like to think
that Jones would have gone for the TD, but to be honest I don't even think
that Jones can say for certain what he would have done in that situation.
Any quote from Jones shedding light on that question was conspicuously
absent from _The_Sunday_Oklahoman_ yesterday. (If I were a reporter, it's
the first question that I would have asked him...)

Teresa
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// Teresa Barley Merklin                    / Internet: tmerklin@mot.com   //
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