West of Everest: An Oklahoma Football Podcast

Ep. 190 - Suspended Players Precede OU’s Spring Game

In the opening take, Lee hits on Trejan Bridges and Seth McGowan being suspended and how we'll handle that situation moving forward. Then Grant joins to discuss a potential Justin Broiles resurgence (4:00)? The last OU DB to be drafted in the First Round was Andre Woolfolk in 2003. Has Brent Venables produced a lot of First Round DBs at Clemson (13:30)? Grant gives his thoughts on the Bridges/McGowan situation. Lee also looks back at the Will Sunderland situation from 2017 to get an idea of a possible timeline for this current matter (19:05). We move on to more unserious issues as Lee goes over the things that have stood out to him in the last week, beginning with Lincoln Riley and Spencer Rattler (33:20). Moving on, Marvin Mims is playing in the slot, Mikey Henderson is looking good, Rattler said an interesting thing about Eric Gray, and Lee thinks it's weird that Caleb Williams and Billy Bowman are still taking high school courses (44:30). Defensively, Calvin Thibodeaux told us that Josh Ellison has been running with the 1's this spring, Isaiah Coe sounds like he's super strong, and is D-Line depth going to be insane this year (56:05)? When you watch football on TV, what are you watching specifically on each snap? And we talk about Quentin Griffin (1:06:00). We move on to Saturday's spring game. The guys go over each position group/players they're most interested to watch this Saturday (1:09:10). Which position group/player would you be most disappointed in, if they don't play very well this weekend (1:20:35)? Bold prediction time: Which random player or position group is going to surprise us this Saturday (1:24:15)? This is stupid, so we make the dumb joke about what's actually going to happen on Saturday (1:29:00). Stick around for some random NFL Draft talk. Is all the pre-Draft talk boring this year? Also we revisit the QBs from the 2018 class (1:32:00). Like the show on Facebook: @westofeverest | Follow Grant on Twitter: @GrantBenson25 | Follow Lee on Twitter: @LeeBensonNews9

Ep. 189 - The Eric Gray Hype Train Takes Off

No opening take today, so the guys immediately jump into the things that have happened around OU football that's caught our attention since the last episode. First up: the hype train for Eric Gray has left the station, just listen to DeMarco Murray (2:15). Lee criticizes Eric Gray's former offensive coordinator Jim Chaney, which Grant jumps in to defend Chaney's old Georgia offense (13:05). DeMarco Murray said Eric Gray and Mikey Henderson are the best pass catching running backs this spring (17:20). Jadon Haselwood and the wide receivers are quite aware that they dropped a lot of touchdowns in 2020. Also Trejan Bridges loves practice now (23:00). The wide receiver room looks a little different in 2021, and would you take the 2019 OU offense or the 2020 OU offense (33:35)? After the 5-star WR trio had mostly limited roles in 2019, will incoming freshman 5-star WR Mario Williams actually flash and contribute more than any of those players from the 2019 class (36:50)? Grant brings up Wanya Morris, and also what's the deal with Austin Stogner (42:40)? Brian Odom recently went down the list of every player in his linebacker room. Should we read into the order in which he listed the players (47:35)? Should we be getting ready for the Shane Whitter breakout year (54:40)? Okay this freshman class has been talked up so much that Lee wonders if these are the best football players who have ever played football (59:30)? Roy Manning let us know that Woodi Washington has been limited this spring and has not practiced much. Plus Nik Bonitto loves football more than you do. Probably (1:07:50). Lee provides a brief update on his OU DB 2020 rewatch (1:15:20). Finally, Grant's got an outside the box take on OU hiring Porter Moser (1:21:00). Like the show on Facebook: @westofeverest | Follow Grant on Twitter: @GrantBenson25 | Follow Lee on Twitter: @LeeBensonNews9

Ep. 188 - Top 5 Most Intriguing Players This Spring

In the opening take, Lee showcases a major difference he's noticed between Spring 2019 and Spring 2021. Then Grant joins as Lee goes into more detail about how dire everything was for OU's defense back in the Spring of 2019 (7:10). The hype train for Jeremiah Criddell has left the station (10:10). A listener wants to know if OU's defensive depth is up to par -- or if the Sooners still need 1-2 more classes to get where Alex Grinch would like to be (12:20)? We go through all the defensive players at every level that could start and/or contribute significantly in 2021. It's a lot (19:45). We get to Lee's list of defensive players who interest and/or intrigue him as spring practice continues, beginning with a young defensive back (25:40). Lee's No. 4 player is someone who's not playing a position right now that we expected (42:20). Lee's No. 3 player is a newcomer that is a total unknown right now -- but in theory has a chance to play a lot of snaps in 2021 (47:00). After watching high school tape of No. 2, Lee completely shifted his rankings. This is a player Alex Grinch will want to get on the field as soon as possible (51:35). Lee cheats a little bit with No. 1 by choosing two separate players (58:45). Lee's got some "Honorable Mention" players that just missed out on the list (1:05:40). The guys differ quite a bit on how they see the linebackers (1:10:45). Perrion Winfrey told a great story from when he blocked that kick against Texas last year (1:18:10). We saw some more evidence from David Ugwoegbu that OU's mindset is in the right place heading into spring (1:22:05). Lee asked Jamar Cain if he concurs with Alex Grinch that the incoming freshmen class is ahead of schedule (1:27:25)? We get back to some more listener questions. Travis wants to talk trenches and who will be OU's WR1 (1:32:05)? Grant wants to talk some OU basketball and the future of the program, Lee reflects on Lon Kruger's retirement press conference, plus some hot Kelvin Sampson talk (1:40:05). | Like the show on Facebook: @westofeverest | Follow Grant on Twitter: @GrantBenson25 | Follow Lee on Twitter: @LeeBensonNews9

Ep. 187 - A Lot to Talk About as Spring Practice Begins

In the opening take, Grant gives you probably the smartest breakdown of the Chandler Morris OU/TCU transfer situation you'll hear. Then Lee joins to ask a question about that whole thing before we get to the meat of the show which is the beginning of OU spring football (10:45). Lee asked Delarrin Turner-Yell, Nik Bonitto, and Spencer Rattler questions about 2021 expectations. We play their answers and decide if we like what they're saying, or not. Grant makes fun of lifting weights and we have a great time with everything. Plus Grant has some takes about Texas and Iowa State that are pretty interesting (14:30). What's the Nickel position going to look like now that Bookie and Tre Norwood are out of the picture? Jeremiah Criddell seems he may have the inside track to win the job. Who else could get a look? Lee looked into true freshman Billy Bowman and right now Lee is a believer (33:30). Pat Fields will miss most if not all of spring practice. Alex Grinch has a lot of awesome things to say about the incoming freshman -- and we know Grinch isn't one to BS us. Plus who's going to get more reps in place of Fields this spring (47:05)? Grinch gives us an update on Justin Harrington. Lee's a little more optimistic about Harrington than Grant, but Grant makes a point that Lee didn't consider (57:00). We move over to the offense for some brief news and notes from Lincoln Riley's Wednesday presser. Most of the talk is about Mikey Henderson joining the RB room (1:03:35). Bookie transfers to Washington. We give our initial thoughts, then Lee updates his Bookie rewatch with full thoughts on the 2019 season. Lee was surprised by what he saw from Bookie in 2019. Then a listener chimes in with his detailed thoughts on Bookie, which may largely speak for the OU fan base (1:12:00). | Like the show on Facebook: @westofeverest | Follow Grant on Twitter: @GrantBenson25 | Follow Lee on Twitter: @LeeBensonNews9

Ep. 186 - Which Offensive Players Need to Have a Big Spring?

In the opening take, Lee says he's noticed a cultural shift surrounding fans in the stands. Then Grant joins to apologize for jinxing the OU men's basketball team on our last show (5:35). More hot fans in the stands talk as Grant weighs in on OU planning to allow max capacity at Owen Field this fall (10:40). OU's spring game is scheduled for April 24th, which will be at 25 percent capacity (21:25). Grant's got five offensive players who he thinks needs to have a big spring. Lee chimes in with his thoughts on each player and a whole bunch of other offensive spring related topics (26:15). Lee has a brief update on his Bookie rewatch (1:21:55). Finally we give our takes on ESPN's list of the top QBs from the 2000s. Who's ranked too high? Who's too low? Who should be on the list that isn't? Plus Lee gets tired of talking about old college football stuff(1:24:45). | Like the show on Facebook: @westofeverest | Follow Grant on Twitter: @GrantBenson25 | Follow Lee on Twitter: @LeeBensonNews9

Ep. 185 - On the 2021 Schedule, Bookie, and the Future of NCAA Video Games

In the opening take, Grant provides his early thoughts on OU's 2021 schedule. Then Lee joins the fold as the guys briefly talk about how Allen Patrick was super underrated when he played for the Sooners (4:10). The Big 12's schedule release told us that they don't think covid will be much of an impact in 2021, plus what will stadiums look like next year (9:00)? The Sooners play 9 games in a row to start the season and Lee goes back many years to see if this has happened before (19:30). What's OU's toughest game? Also, will Nebraska be any good and is Scott Frost a good coach (25:55)? There looks to be a pretty obvious trap game on the schedule, but Grant thinks there's also another game that is not as obvious (36:50). Bookie is still in the transfer portal. Does this mean he'll be back with OU in 2021 (41:50)? Lee gives us an update on his Bookie rewatch. He's got thoughts on the full 2018 season and 6 games of 2019. The beginning of the 2019 season has been pleasantly surprising, although there's one consistent shortcoming (47:00). For those of you who are interested in football video games and specifically NCAA Football and Madden/NFL2K this is the part of the show for you (1:01:15). We check for comments from social media and also mention that bar fight involving Spencer Jones (1:24:50). Finally we do a little OU basketball talk because Grant reminds us that he predicted in November the Sooners would be pretty good this year. And yes we talked about this before OU lost to K-State Tuesday night (1:28:50). Lee forgot to mention something during the Bookie rewatch talk. We go over some notable PFF grades from the 2018 season (1:34:40). | Like the show on Facebook: @westofeverest | Follow Grant on Twitter: @GrantBenson25 | Follow Lee on Twitter: @LeeBensonNews9

Ep. 184 - As Bookie Enters the Transfer Portal, Lee Begins a Rewatch

In the opening take, Lee talks about a project he's working on that involves Bookie and reminds us all about how bad the 2018 OU defense was. Then Grant joins to talk more about the terrible 2018 Sooners' defense (5:30). We move on to specifically talk about Bookie entering the transfer portal. We go back to the beginning when the hype was as high as ever -- and even some of the OU coaches were saying that he was really good before he ever took a snap (16:15). Did OU's coaching staff fail Bookie by not playing him at corner? When Alex Grinch came in, did Bookie ever get a look at corner? If Bookie transfers to a team that lets him play corner and he does well, that will be an indictment on Mike Stoops and Alex Grinch (22:20). Lee says it's perfectly okay to criticize college kids as long as you're being fair and have the evidence to back it up. We talk about Bookie being a great teammate, plus Lee has found an interesting stat regarding Bookie's 2018 season so far. Also, Bookie didn't really play nickel right away at OU, he was playing free safety (31:40). Lee noticed so far through his rewatch that Bookie missed out on a lot of chances at potential big plays in 2018 (38:45). Caleb Kelly is a 5-star player who didn't live up to potential. Why does he not get as much criticism as Bookie (52:40)? Eric Gray is officially with the Sooners and he could be OU's best running back this fall (56:35). OU is very high in the 2021 preseason SP+ rankings, which Grant loves (1:02:25). The defensive line should be fantastic in 2021, plus a listener wants us to provide an update on what we should be able to expect from Jalen Redmond(1:12:30)? Grant wants to clarify some NFL comments he made a couple of weeks ago that relate to Sunday's Super Bowl. Plus Grant does what every single sports show has done this week and praises Tom Brady. Lee tries to take another angle on Brady because he's bored by all the Brady GOAT talk (1:17:30). | Like the show on Facebook: @westofeverest | Follow Grant on Twitter: @GrantBenson25 | Follow Lee on Twitter: @LeeBensonNews9

Ep. 183 - The Sooners Dip Into the Transfer Portal

No opening take today, but we reminisce about the time when football stadiums were full and it's crazy how we took the atmosphere of those games for granted (1:40). A bunch of stuff has happened since our last show (6:00). Wanya Morris has transferred to OU. He was one of the best freshman tackles back in 2019, but why did he take a step back in 2020? What does he do well on tape? What doesn't he do well? Plus what is Morris' outlook at OU for 2021? (9:30). OU's offensive line got another boost in Robert Congel transferring in from Arizona. Sounds like he could compete for the Center job and should provide excellent depth in the interior of the line. And Grant tells us as of today what he wants the starting offensive line to look like in Week 1 (22:35). OU's secondary gets a boost with former 4-star safety Key Lawrence transferring in from Tennessee. We both aren't sure how good this guy is right now (30:00). Just for fun, how would we like the starting secondary to look starting Week 1? And Grant really likes the upside of incoming freshman Latrell McCutchin (37:20). Is transfer quarterback Micah Bowens basically a replacement for Chandler Morris? Lee watched a little bit of Bowens' high school tape and goes over the pros and cons (45:00). Thoughts on Joe Jon Finley joining the OU coaching staff (48:40). We go to Facebook for listener questions. A couple of questions want to know when the Sooners are going to get a running back out of the transfer portal? Lee's watched tape of Tennessee RB Eric Gray -- could OU be interested in other backs? Also, Lee presents a crackpot theory that involves Camar Wheaton just for fun (53:10). Grant goes over one more incoming freshman that he's excited to see play at OU (1:09:15). If you're interested, we go into the Mike Stoops/Texas saga. Lee has been somewhat plugged in on that whole story, so he shares some his what he's heard along with a very detailed report from AL.com. There's a lot of circumstantial evidence that makes it look like Steve Sarkisian was forced to not hire Stoops (1:10:15). Philosophical talk about time passing by (1:30:35). Some Baker Mayfield playoff talk to finish up the episode (1:36:00). | Like the show on Facebook: @westofeverest | Follow Grant on Twitter: @GrantBenson25 | Follow Lee on Twitter: @LeeBensonNews9

Ep. 182 - Players Are Out The Door, But 2021 Hopes Still High

In the opening take, Lee tells you why it's unlikely that Lincoln Riley has any interest in jumping to the NFL right now. Then Grant joins to give his thoughts on the latest Lincoln Riley/NFL rumors (5:15). Ronnie Perkins and Rhamondre Stevenson are off to the NFL. Is Rhamondre one of the top running backs in the 2021 class (7:15)? Taking a look at the current OU running back room (15:20). Adrian Ealy is off to the NFL -- but what's more shocking is that Tre Norwood declared for the draft (18:10). Grant says losing Adrian Ealy isn't that big of a deal (31:20). Will Chandler Morris be starting a game against OU down the line (35:00)? Charleston Rambo is off to Miami (38:10). Jon-Michael Terry and Robert Barnes are also out the door (40:40). As of now, what percent chance would you give OU to win the 2021 National Championship (45:40). OU's starting guards are back in 2021. What's the offensive line going to look like (53:20)? With Perkins departing, how is the defensive line shaping up? Is it fair to expect Jalen Redmond to quickly get back to playing at a high level (57:30)? What's going on with Jadon Haselwood? Plus Lee says OU's receivers must be MUCH better in 2021 if the Sooners are serious about a Championship run (1:03:30). Grant Calcaterra is back on the market (1:15:15). Bob Stoops was an easy pick for the College Football Hall of Fame (1:17:00). Lee usually doesn't enjoy talking Texas because they've been irrelevant. However, he's intrigued by Steve Sarkisian coming to Austin. Then we rip Ohio State's defensive game plan against Alabama in the Title Game (1:26:20). Things are going off the rails because for some reason we talk about Jim Harbaugh staying at Michigan and Lee dusts off an old classic rant about the one really important thing Harbaugh can't figure out (1:36:20). Finally, we've got to talk about Baker Mayfield and the Browns winning a playoff game. But we weirdly talk probably too much about Ben Roethlisberger (1:41:15). The lack of fans in Pittsburgh diminished the feel of that Browns win. Can Cleveland beat the Chiefs (1:47:05)? We're in full NFL mode. Josh Allen got to be awesome and we are still surprised by his development (1:51:20). Lee is still annoyed with Lamar Jackson and the Ravens offense? Plus some random comparison to Tom Brady that may be absurd (1:58:50). | Like the show on Facebook: @westofeverest | Follow Grant on Twitter: @GrantBenson25 | Follow Lee on Twitter: @LeeBensonNews9

Ep. 181 - Smoked Gator: Sooners Roll in Cotton Bowl, Eye 2021

In the opening take, Grant applauds OU for a Cotton Bowl victory in what he believes was a complete joke of a game. Then Lee joins to congratulate Grant on correctly predicting the outcome of the game and Grant expands on why he was so annoyed with Florida. Lee wasn't as annoyed and was mostly happy with what he saw in the Cotton Bowl (4:30). Lee thinks Kyle Trask's teammates hung him out to dry in that game (13:00). We jump into the "3-word reviews" as they drive the show beginning with OU's historical rushing effort. Marcus Major was fantastic, so will we have to eat crow (16:15)? It was cool to see OU's offense go up against a non-Big 12 defense. How weird is that (21:50)? Creed Humprhey declares for the NFL Draft. Who else will leave (24:20)? Get ready for a bunch of National Championship hype leading into 2021. Can this team handle it (35:00)? Let's all give it up for Tre Norwood (42:00). Don't worry about Alex Grinch going anywhere for now (47:30). Lee wasn't as bothered by Dan Mullen's postgame comments as some people, but there was one thing he said that Lee thought was ridiculous (50:40). OU finished it off in the second half and Grant noticed something that really shows the transformation of OU's defense from 2017 to now (54:40). Quickly looking back at some PFF grades from OU defensive players in the 2017 Rose Bowl (58:00). Woodi Washington and D.J. Graham may have bright futures (1:00:40). Although we're trying to stay positive, we've got to acknowledge the defense didn't play all that well against Florida (1:04:00). Lee has one more interesting PFF nugget from the Cotton Bowl (1:08:25). Spencer Rattler continues to be fun to watch, but perhaps his one weakness is working the middle of the field (1:11:40). We continue on with "3-word reviews" from Twitter (1:14:00). Lee doesn't get the appeal of the Malcolm Kelly freestyle rap, but Grant thinks it's awesome (1:16:20). This season had so many similarities to the 2016 season (1:19:00). Although Creed Humphrey didn't think anybody believed in the team at 1-2, we at West of Everest sure did (1:21:50). There's gonna be a lot of pressure on OU this offseason. Plus is a wide receiver going to win the Heisman (1:24:00)? Final thoughts as we wrap up another season of OU football (1:29:10). | Like the show on Facebook: @westofeverest | Follow Grant on Twitter: @GrantBenson25 | Follow Lee on Twitter: @LeeBensonNews9