Sooners goals for Saturday and Miami getting attention

In prepping to call the pay per view scrum between OU and Idaho State a couple of things jump out.

With all due respect Idaho State looks bad on paper. Picked to finish last in the Big Sky Conference, they were hammered at Arizona State 50-3 last weekend.

Although they return their QB, offensive line, and a pair of receivers, they struggled mightily against an unranked Pac-10 team: Minus five yards rushing, 42 passing for a grand total of 35 yards of offense.

Don't know the final score-and don't see a Bradfordish '08 62-7 halftime ambush-but this is perfect tonic for an OU team needing to shore up several areas before they host TU next week.

Specifically, speaking with offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson, the goals this week include: 1. Find an identity, 2. Play harder/smarter, 3. Identify OL and WR players who you can trust and move forward with, 4. See new QB Landry Jones have success-enough that he gains the trust and respect in his mates. Bradford should be back fairly soon, but until then Jones wants to establish himself both for now and for next season when he should have the lead in the battle to replace Bradford.

M-I-A-M-I....Tougher than many expected....

Everyone who follows the Sooners closely now knows what yours truly has been saying for months: OU's game at Miami in three weeks will be very hard to win. Of course, the biggest key is whether Sam Bradford plays. Regardless, the defense will have to play a whale of a game in the Land of the Cramps.

Not many people even knew the name of Miami's QB before his monster game in the road win at FSU. They do now. But more than that fans, players and coaches saw a new terrific new offensive Coordinator-Kevin Whipple-and QB make big play after big play.

Miami QB Jacoby Harris kept his composure in the pocket and in extremely tough environs which included being behind late in the ball game. It was his mobility and calm that allowed him to "extend" plays that stood out to me. That allowed his lanky receivers time to get open. Bradford had the luxury in 2008 of an offensive line that gave him enough time to essentially "extend" the play. Not in '09.

Miami's website dropped a little knowledge out that can't hurt recruiting. Miami's season-opening win at Florida State on Labor Day night was ESPN's second-most viewed regular season college football game in the history of the network - second to only the Miami-FSU Labor Day battle in 2006. Monday's game recorded 5,820,001 household impressions had 8,406,103 viewers and drew a rating of 5.89. The Hurricanes have now been a part of four of ESPN's five most-watched regular season games on the network. The record 2006 Miami-FSU game garnered 6,329,828 household impressions and had a rating of 6.86.

Happy 80th birthday to Arnold Palmer. And thanks to my decade older father who introduced my brothers and me to The King back in the early sixties. Most players in the past 40 years will tell you Arnie did more for the game than anyone whoever chased the little white ball.