Ramsey likes Eric Morris hire but says resources remain the biggest issue; bowl game should be the first goal
This week on The Jones Report, Roundtable Sooners publisher Tyler Jones and Roundtable OkState editor Thomas Bridges covered the biggest headlines heading into the final weekend of the regular season in both the Big 12 and SEC.
The featured guest was The Franchise Oklahoma City radio host Jerry Ramsey, who shared his thoughts on Oklahoma’s College Football Playoff chances, the Sooners’ upcoming matchup with LSU, Oklahoma State’s hiring of Eric Morris, and even the red-hot Oklahoma City Thunder.
On Brent Venables’ program, Ramsey was extremely complimentary, saying the Sooners have finally built the team the right way for the SEC.
He emphasized that OU’s defensive identity and physical style of play is exactly what’s required to compete in the league, and that Lincoln Riley’s finesse, Air Raid approach would not have translated well against the SEC’s front seven.
Ramsey acknowledged that Oklahoma took their lumps during the early years of the Venables era, but believes the staff has navigated the new world of NIL and the transfer portal as well as anyone.
He feels the program is now positioned for long-term success in the conference.
Looking ahead to Saturday’s game against LSU in Norman, Ramsey warned that the Tigers cannot be overlooked despite the Tigers firing Brian Kelly and coming off a disappointing season. He called it a classic trap game, pointing out that LSU still boasts one of the most talented rosters in America and will be playing with nothing to lose under interim leadership.
Ramsey also discussed Oklahoma State’s decision to hire North Texas head coach Eric Morris as Mike Gundy’s replacement. While he likes that Morris is a proven offensive mind and quarterback developer, Ramsey stressed that the Cowboys’ biggest challenges remain off the field.
He believes OSU is currently lagging behind in resources and investment compared to the rest of the new-look Big 12.
In a league that now featuring programs like Texas Tech, BYU, Utah, Arizona State, and Arizona, all spending aggressively, Ramsey said Morris has significant work ahead just to get Oklahoma State back to bowl eligibility.
He noted that getting back to a bowl game next season would be a legitimate success after the program’s rapid decline—the Cowboys haven’t won a Big 12 game in almost two full seasons and were in the 2023 Big 12 Championship just two years ago.
Jones argued that the Big 12 is wide open without Oklahoma and Texas and that there’s an opportunity for OSU to re-emerge quickly, but Ramsey countered that the first things first: the Cowboys need to become a consistent six- or seven-win team again before talking about contending.
Ramsey closed his segment by praising the 18-1 Oklahoma City Thunder, who currently own the best record in the NBA.
The show also featured discussion on Lane Kiffin’s future at Ole Miss, the latest College Football Playoff rankings, chaos in other Power 4 conference races, and several other topics as rivalry week and the playoff picture come into focus.