Tin soldiers and Mixon's coming...

GoSooners · Mar 1, 2015

Okay, I couldn't resist using the old CSN&Y line. Joe Mixon will be back in the lineup this season after a one year suspension. Personally, I think this kid will be the best RB in the country if he sticks around for one more year. But I might be biased. He'll be flanking Perine in the backfield. So it will be OU's version of the Pony Express. Despite the two studs in the backfield, I still think this is the worst OU team of the last 10 years. I would set their over/under at 4 losses. But I wouldn't trade this backfield with any team in the country.

Joe Mixon back with Sooners

Updated: February 4, 2015, 10:35 PM ET
By Jake Trotter | ESPN.com

Freshman running back Joe Mixon, who was suspended from the Oklahoma football program for the 2014 season after he was charged with a misdemeanor for punching a female student, has rejoined the team, Sooners running backs coach Cale Gundy told reporters Wednesday.

Max Olson/ESPN"He made a split-second and wrong decision, and he knows that," running backs coach Cale Gundy said of Joe Mixon.

"He made a split-second and wrong decision, and he knows that," Gundy said during Oklahoma's signing day news conference. "He is a super, super kid. And I use the term 'kid' because he still is like a kid. He's still very young."
Mixon, who was the gem of Oklahoma's 2014 signing class, entered an Alford plea in his misdemeanor assault case Oct. 30, and agreed to perform 100 hours of community service and undergo counseling. Surveillance video showed Mixon punching the student, who police said suffered several fractures to her face and had to be treated at Norman Regional Hospital.
Mixon was allowed to remain in school but wasn't allowed to participate in any team activities.
"Obviously he was punished, and rightfully so," Gundy said. "There were things he had to do that kept him away from our football team and our locker room and our weight room, and it was hard on him. It was a tough deal, but he did a tremendous job. He did very well in school. He was working out on his own and staying up on that."
Mixon is expected to flank Samaje Perine in the Sooners' backfield next season. Perine, who rushed for more than 1,700 yards and broke the Football Bowl Subdivision record with 427 rushing yards in a game, is the reigning Big 12 offensive freshman of the year.
Mixon, however, was the higher-rated running back coming out of high school last year. He was No. 53 in the ESPN 300; Perine was No. 220.
"He's been like a caged tiger, I can tell you that," Gundy said of Mixon. "Whenever we cut that lock off that cage, my man came out running."

BigdaddyQH · Mar 2, 2015

So you think that OU may have the best bakfield in the nation (which is almost laughable) but you still predict 3-4 losses for OU. Is the rest of the team that bad? They are playing in a conference that should guarantee them at least 5 wins, and they play a soft non-con schedule. That is 8 wins right off the bat. Texas should give them 9 wins. They also get TCU at home, 6 days before TCU hosts Baylor. Do you think that TCU may be looking ahead? If OU cannot make a decent show of themselves this season, it is time for a new head coach.

GoSooners · Mar 2, 2015

BigdaddyQH said:
So you think that OU may have the best bakfield in the nation (which is almost laughable) but you still predict 3-4 losses for OU. Is the rest of the team that bad? They are playing in a conference that should guarantee them at least 5 wins, and they play a soft non-con schedule. That is 8 wins right off the bat. Texas should give them 9 wins. They also get TCU at home, 6 days before TCU hosts Baylor. Do you think that TCU may be looking ahead? If OU cannot make a decent show of themselves this season, it is time for a new head coach.

USC had one of the best QB's in the country last year, but still managed to lose 4 times against an easy Pac-12 schedule. So I'm not sure what one has to do with another. Last time I looked college football was a TEAM sport. OU had an easy schedule this past season and still managed to lose 5 times. They had OSU, Kansas State and Baylor at home and lost all three. They nearly lost to Texas and should have, and they lost to TCU. This year OU will lose to Tennessee when they go to Knoxville. The Vols will have superior lines on both sides of the ball. Texas is always a tossup. OSU has a hot new QB and will also be a tossup in Stillwater. OU will lose to Baylor because in the last 3 years Stoops hasn't figured out how to play their offense. I actually think OU has a decent chance to beat TCU. They get them late in the season when OU's young defense should be improved depending whether or not Mike Stoops still has his head up his ass. I'll give OU an over/under of 4 losses. It will all depend on how fast their defense comes together, and if Stoops has a QB that will fit his new offense. Mayfield should. But the starting QB position hasn't been decided. Too many questions with the Sooners right now for me to make a true evaluation of the team. I'm mainly going by returning starters and the pattern that Stoops has shown with this team for the last few years. I do think that Mixon and Perine will have a good season despite the OL situation. I expect Mixon to get around 800 yards rushing and about 350 receiving. With Mixon in the backfield I don't think Perine will have the offensive production he had as far as yards go from his excellent freshman season, but I think his yards per carry will go up.

ChrisParadise · Mar 2, 2015

I'll take Hurd/Kamara over those two. I'd take Henry/Drake also.

Perine lost THREE redshirt Seniors from his oline and another senior olineman and his senior tight end . I could have ran for 1000 yards behind all that experience against Kansas.

Mixon is a player though. Good news for Sooner fans.

GoSooners · Mar 2, 2015

Chris Paradise said:
I'll take Hurd/Kamara over those two. I'd take Henry/Drake also.

Perine lost THREE redshirt Seniors from his oline and another senior olineman and his senior tight end . I could have ran for 1000 yards behind all that experience against Kansas.

Mixon is a player though. Good news for Sooner fans.

Perine is a player too. He was just in a bad system last year, and had to carry a heavy load on offense because of some inexperienced WR's and a terrible offensive coordinator. He is a load, and I think he would have earned freshman of the year honors in any conference he played in. OU will have a good combination of size and speed in the backfield. And Perine will only help Mixon because he's also a good blocker.