Lebby will get lots of pressure this year

[walt]

This year is going to be a critical year for Jeff Lebby. If his offense doesn't show up as so many OIU fans thought he was a great choice. I wasn't one of those fans who didn't jump in on Lebby from the start. I hope he gets his offense up and running up the scores. This is OU, and OU has usually had a great OC and a great offense scheme. I do give Lebby that the most recent head coach who headed to USC really hurt the OU offense by losing two very good QBs. It is impossible to guess if Dillion will be make a huge step in his play this year, and do that from the start of the season to the end. If Dillion doesn't make a big jump this year, then will we see Jackson take over?

The other issue for Lebby is the WR room. The Dillion and the WRs weren't great and It looks like to me we will have to come up with two or three young WRs to give a huge upgrade from last year.

I've been an OU fan since the early 1950s and seen some great players and coaches, and some great OU teams, not many college football teams have best than OU.

I hope that Lebby gets the OU offense up and running from the first offensive play to the last.

[OU Guy]

Last year was such a strange year with all the changes and challenges. I do think Lebby can get the job done but he’ll need to score more like stated. Thats what its all about, scoring

Here’s some stats that at first blush shows Lebby can move the ball but is lacking in the final but most important stat which is scoring. I compared 3 stats to the last 3 years. These are rankings compared to 128 teams.

3rd down conversion rate
2020: 66th
2021: 53rd
2022: 42nd

Yards per game
2020: 13th
2021: 26th
2022: 11th

Points per play
2020: 7th
2021: 6th
2022: 41st

What this shows is we can move the ball but we lack in scoring. The Tx game does hurt scoring stats and I do fault Lebby for not using a backup qb and attempt some passes. It was like we gave up before the game even started.

But I alao think we have more weapons. And our new wr coach did great with wrs at his last job. I expect improved qb play due to ability to run DG more and having a great backup plus an improved wr coach who will maximize oir young receivers. We’ll have more stability. I think we’ll run more. And I expect a vastly improved defense which can help our offense score more (can take more chances knowng they have your back). And if defense reduces opponents time on field it increases offenses time equally.

We did and can move the ball now we need to finish. Stogner is back and will give us more red zone options as well.

[captnop]

I personally think the RB room will be better. I mean Gray was good, but after him Barnes was a freshman and as usual Marcus Major gets hurt, that with a potentially better WR core should help. However if DG is still sailing balls over the head of wide open WR's then I expect at some point Jackson Arnold takes over.

[RussC]

Good info and makes sense. Who’s the stats provider? In case I want to start an argument with someone over Rattler.

[OU Guy]

https://www.teamrankings.com/college-fo ... 2021-01-12

Can toggle at top to get different stat comparisons.

[walt]

https://www.teamrankings.com/college-fo ... 2021-01-12

Can toggle at top to get different stat comparisons.

Wow, when was in about any offensive stat and this one was a big one.

[OU Guy]

Keep in mind the link goes to my last inquiry which was 2020 3rd down so need to toggle at top to change years or type of data.

My take is Lebby can move the ball however he must work on scoring and running the ball more. We rank 51 in College FB Team Red Zone Scores per Game (TDs and FGs). That has to improve and I think it will.

[OU Guy]

By the way Walt, great to see you post! Hope all is well with you and yours. Don’t be a stranger, we have good times ahead. The funnest years are when no one gives us a chance and thats pretty much this year.

I follow this team year around closely and we will be much improved. The challenge is does that mean 9-3 or 11-1. And the margins are thin. But being our last year in B12 and so many improvements, I think we close out with a B12 ring.

So many fanbases/pundits have written off BV based on last year. They will change their tune. One off the beaten path thing of note, we don’t have players getting on trouble since BV arrived. That tells me all players are bought in. And buy in means investment. These are very young kids and they all seem focused. They know it has to be earned not given.

The coaches know they have to win now. Someone asked Lebby during interview earlier this week “will you score against Tx”? And Lebby said “if I don’t then I won’t be here next year”. He and the rest know they must win and must beat Tx. Last year was all new coaches and players so everyone got a pass. Not so this uear and I sense some urgency in what I’ve read to date.

[OU Guy]

Something I wanted to bring up is comparing 2021 and 2022. 21 had several advantages due to a Heisman type qb amd roster/coaching stability. My main point is to show how close the margins can be.

What I did was flipped the 1 score wins in 2021 to losses and the 1 score losses in 2022 to wins. This shows how close we were to a worse 2021 and a better 2022. Yes the records stand but it shows we were not as bad last year and were not as good in 2021.

2021: 11-2. Flip 1 score wins to losses it is 5-8

2022: 6-7. Flip 1 score losses to wins it is 11-2

This is what I look at to illistrate how close margins can be. And that with stability and roster improvements we can be much better this year. Its not as far apart as records indicate. CW saved 4 games alone in 2021, and we did not have that type qb play in 22. Had CW stayed then 22 is looked at differently. I expect DG to play better but if not then I expect JA to step in and shine. Just like CW stepped in in 21, I think JA has all the talent in the world and coikd be ready if called upon.

Anyways, just my 2 cents but its why I’m high on 23, alomg with many other reasons I expect a much better w/l record.

[Zgeo]

Sure i agree, minor tweaking can yield huge improvements. Slightly more QB runs, Slightly faster RB, More Height and length in WR across the middle, more speed in WR to stretch the field and separate, and we are a completely different offense,,,,I get the feeling all of the above is likely….

I would like to see the defense shut out some teams….

[captnop]

A better defense would've won OU a couple of more games last year too. Having the 120th ranked D did the O no favors.


Also to be honest having a bunch of quick 3 and out in a row, at times, did the D no favors as well. Hopefully both sides are better and they can play complementary football.

[OU Guy]

Really good almost 2 min video of Lebby mic’d up coaching. Gives a bit more insight and shows things we rarely see.

Lets keep in mind if Lebby isn’t here neither is Jackson Arnold. And JA helped recruit in major some 2023 class talent. And 24/25 offensive recruits know JA is going to be the qb and that drew them in as well (and still is).

[captnop]

Look there were two hot Coordinators to pick at the time .. Lebby and Muleshoe's little bro... I would rather have the OU guy than another weasel from Muleshoe. The people that hate on Lebby after ONE SEASON are as dumb as the people hating on Todd Bates are ONE SEASON. It's probably MOL the same people. Wish we could ship those fans the B12 too.

[RussC]

Look there were two hot Coordinators to pick at the time .. Lebby and Muleshoe's little bro... I would rather have the OU guy than another weasel from Muleshoe. The people that hate on Lebby after ONE SEASON are as dumb as the people hating on Todd Bates are ONE SEASON. It's probably MOL the same people. Wish we could ship those fans the B12 too.

Yep. I heard a lot of folks saying we need a real QB position coach instead of Lebby.

[OldTimer]

I personally think the RB room will be better. I mean Gray was good, but after him Barnes was a freshman and as usual Marcus Major gets hurt, that with a potentially better WR core should help. However if DG is still sailing balls over the head of wide open WR's then I expect at some point Jackson Arnold takes over.

The potential to be good is there, but I don’t believe there is much depth even though we have the bodies. Major seems to always minor and not hearing any buzz about him this year. When he came here I thought he was our next great running back.