Probable bad news as KU kickoff nears

Originally Published: Oct 24, 2009 11:6 AM CDT

It’s not confirmed. But three people in Lawrence right now who should know, tell me OU star running back DeMarco Murray’s ankle is not going to allow him to play against Kansas.

I was told last night and then again this morning by solid sources that Murray will not be able to play in a game where rushing the football effectively is critical.

Even if Murray plays, he will be slowed. The ankle he hurt at Texas is tender. If he’s not close to one-hundred percent and if there’s a good chance of tweaking it and making him struggle with it the rest of the year, I’d hold him out.

Don’t underestimate this possible loss. OU has finally starting getting him as many touches as possible both in the backfield and in the slot. Just check out how many times his number was called down the stretch in the Texas game to see where OU goes when it’s gut-cuttin’ time.

OU must keep the ball out of KU QB Todd Reesing’s hands. He and his receivers are capable of putting more points on the board than the shaky Sooners can match with Sam Bradford standing with the offensive sideline huddle and not in the huddle on the field.

Talk about bad luck for Bob Stoops and his 3-3 club. All-world TE Gresham?All-world QB Bradford?star receiver Ryan Broyles?.and now most likely you can add the fourth difference-maker to the list of players who have been out of the lineup.

Speculation from Lawrence last night had another important player being held out of today’s game. Regardless, OU will line up with 11 players on offense that Kansas would have loved to have signed.

They’ll be lined up against 11 from KU’s defense that OU likely didn’t pursue at all or didn’t lose sleep when they signed with KU. So even with the incredible string of nightmare losses of talent and games, the Sooners have no excuses if they lose.

An Oklahoma is supposed to be a Kansas. We’re not talking basketball.

However here’s I see it a couple of hours from kickoff. If Murray is indeed out, the big-play threat is gone from OU’s offense. Chris Brown will be solid-but-not-DeMarco-spectacular and the game will come down once again to frosh QB Landry Jones.

Mark Mangino is smart. Very smart. The KU coach knows his team will have a huge advantage mentally. He knows his offense will find a way to score enough points that if his defense can come up with a turnover advantage, his club has a tremendous opportunity to notch an upset. It would be devastating to an OU team that is reeling from the obvious.

We don’t have a confident feeling about the prediction. But I’m going with Stoops. OU 27-24.

Have a good one and check us out on the Saturday College Football Blitz tonight—the normal sportscast followed by a comprehensive 25-minute wrap-up around 10:30p. I’ll be in-studio and also at the laptop for in-game chat.

Join me????.DB