There are certain perks about knowing who the third string running back for the Baylor Bears will get you - this column is one of them. Jeff is originally from Nebraska, but is a self-proclaimed Husker Hater. He married into the OU family and has learned all the necessary traditions and cheers to become a fan. He also cheers for Colorado for which we forgive him. But he's a good guy and can answer nearly every sports question you can come up with, so please come find him and play Stump the Stats Guy.

Insight Bowl- OU vs. Iowa

 

Happy almost new year Sooner fans! It has been a while since we last got together, but we hope you had a great holiday and are set to cheer on your Sooners for the final time in 2011.

Insight Bowl Preview

On Friday night, our Sooners will be in Arizona, but not quite the location they originally planned on at the beginning of the year.  After a loss to OSU in the final week of the season, OU will face Iowa in the Insight Bowl in Tempe, Arizona on the campus of Arizona State University. Coach Bob Stoops, an Iowa alum, has had his team hard at work to prepare for the 7-5 Hawkeyes.  Leading the offensive attack is Landry Jones who completed 63 percent of his passes for 4302 yards and 28 touchdowns during the regular season. Blake Bell has come on in the past few games as a major threat in short yardage and goal line situations.  The Sooner offense ranks fourth in the country in total yards per game at just over 532 and tenth in points scored at 40 per game. After a season ending injury to Ryan Broyles late in the season, it has been learned that starting wideout Jaz Reynolds, tailback Brandon Williams and fullback Aaron Ripkowski will all miss the Insight Bowl.

The Hawkeyes were in the Insight Bowl a season ago, taking on Missouri. It has to be a little bit of Déjà Vu for the Hawks who enter Friday as an unranked team, taking on a top-20 Big XII opponent, and losers of 3 of their last 5 games. The Hawkeye offense is led by running back Marcus Coker who rushed for 1384 yards and 15 touchdowns in the regular season.  In last year’s Insight Bowl, Coker rushed for 219 yards and two scores. However, the Big Ten’s second leading rusher will be sidelined for this Friday’s game after being suspended for violation of the university’s student-athlete code of conduct.  That will leave the Hawkeyes in a tough position, who do not have another running back with more than 80 yards on the season.  The key should be turnovers, as the Sooners were able to force 24 in their 9 wins, yet just 1 in their 3 losses.  OU and Iowa have met just one other time, in 1979, with the Sooners victorious 21-6. However, Iowa has won a school record three straight bowl games.

Join us on Friday night at The Franchise for a 9:00 kick and help the OU Club close out the year with a Sooner victory!