2008 Oklahoma Sooners
Season Preview:
Courtesy of the GreyFox

Oklahoma is a historic juggernaut from the Big 12. This program needs no introduction to even the most square of college football fans. It harkens memories of teams that went multiple seasons without losing a game. Sooner fans have witnessed seven National Championships, 42 conference championships, 146 All-Americans, four Heisman Trophy Winners and a 47 game unbeaten streak. The program has been home to some of college football’s best coaches and players for decades. Coaching is currently strong for OU, as Bob Stoops stands at the wheelhouse for the boys in Crimson and Cream.

Starting his 11^th year, Stoops posts a career record of 97-22 (65-13 Big 12), with a 3-2 record against hated arch rival Texas over the past five campaigns. The biggest hurdle facing this program is escaping its division, and once it does that, it is going to have to find a way to erase the current 1-4 bowl run. Texas and Texas Tech are fielding veteran, tough teams this season, and battling for the Big 12 South is going to bring great bloodshed.

The team that does escape is likely to find itself in a National Championship game against a wounded representative from the S.E.C., or a Southern California team that is tanned and well rested after an off season of beating up on the mediocre Pac-10.

The program may capture yet another conference championship. The schedule looks favorable for the Sooners. They will have to travel away from Norman to face Washington, Baylor, Kansas State, Texas A&M, Texas (neutral), and Oklahoma State. This is far from a formidable road schedule for a program of this stature. The concern is not with the talent on this Sooner team but the potential clash with Texas on October 11. Yes, this is always a huge game with its own nickname, site and crazed fans like all great college rivalries. However, this year is the 1^st season for new Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp. This man is a walking defensive genius, and is going to be a head coach in the near future. He has been at Auburn and L.S.U. since 2001, with a brief stint to coach a stingy Dolphin Defense in the N.F.L. Muschamp will bring the defenses of which the Big 12 has never seen. Texas under the guidance and leadership of the same head coach and offensive coordinator has averaged over 40 points a game in their 10 year tenure. Now they add a defensive coordinator who has allowed less than twenty points per game in his career.

Muschamp will still be dealing with another coaches recruits and players, and that his system may take a year to get everyone on the same page. This is why Oklahoma has the best chance to capture the South Division. Once Muschamp is entrenched and has his players in place, this rivalry will shift to the Longhorns favor.

The most difficult challenge on the road is the October 25 date at Kansas State. Ron Prince is one of the top coaches in the country. The third year coach has yet to lose to Texas during his tenure (2-0), and while lacking the talent of the big boys, always give top notch opponents a competitive game. The Sooners draw Kansas State in a good spot on the schedule, and should out talent the Wildcats in their first shot at Prince.

Many are the high on the talented Red Raiders of Texas Tech. Tech has won two of the previous five against Oklahoma but they were both in Lubbock. The Sooners generally force Texas Tech into a myriad of mistakes, while showing off its coaching edge and defensive domination. OU should find a way to defeat the Red Raiders in Norman.

Nebraska is hardly a rivalry anymore…Bill Callahan saw to that!! Once this comatose head coach was removed, Husker faithful breathed a collective sigh of relief. From 2003-2007, the Sooners have outscored their Husker foes 72-34…and Nebraska scored 21 of those points in one game. Bo Pelini may be the answer for Nebraska, but this season looks to be a building year for them with a lot of young talent being fed to the lions. Look for the Sooners to relish the role of lion in the November 1^st contest with Nebraska.

Offensively, Oklahoma brings back eight starters, including the nation’s leader in pass efficiency, Sam Bradford. Bradford set an NCAA Record with 37 touchdown passes as a freshman last season. Yes, he could suffer the sophomore jinx, but this a very smart football player, and he is surrounded by talent. He is smart, has good physical skills and an accurate, strong arm. He has also shown the ability to hit the open streaking receiver. With two returning seniors flanking him to the outside, Bradford should have a solid year.

The WR position has returning senior Juaquin Iglesias who has compiled 25 starts over the last three seasons, and averages close to 14 yards per reception. Manuel Johnson (senior) has 12 starts and also loves to catch the ball and turn short throws into big plays. The TE Jermaine Gresham has 4.5 speed and averages an impressive 15 yards per catch.

HB DeMarco Murray has tremendous speed with times ranging in the mid 4.3’s. Murray has yet to bear the brunt of a full Big 12 season, and it will be interesting to see how his body holds up, but he will be running behind returning All Big 12 fullback (Brody Eldridge) and a veteran offensive line. The line brings back six players who started games last year, and their 130 combined starts ranks them the most veteran of all units in college football.

Defensively this team returns 5 starters from a unit that has shown improvement since midseason ‘07. They only allowed 17 points to Oklahoma State and Missouri in their last two regular season contests, and at that time, both offensives were putting up gaudy numbers.

OU returns a stellar defensive front, which should help the inexperienced defensive backfield grow as the season progresses. DE Auston Englsih is coming off an All Big 12 season and boasted 9.5 sacks last season. The middle of this unit should be stout. DeMarcus Granger brings experience, size and speed, and Gerald McCoy was Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the year last year, starting all 13 games.

The secondary, while it lacks in experience, will feature speed, with only Nic Harris returning as a starter at SS. The unit will have the opportunity to make big play with the aggressive front seven attacking the quarterback. Harris should make up for the inexperience around him by covering deep, and with 23 starts under his belt, and 142 tackles the past two seasons, he has shown toughness and the ability to come up and stuff the run.

The schedule seems to fit the Sooners this year. Their first big test will come against Texas in the seventh week of the season. If the Sooners take care of business in this game, they can make a potential run at the national championship. Coach Stoops has lost four straight BCS Bowl games but none of them have been for the BCS Championship. Of Oklahoma’s last 7 losses, four have come on the final play of the game!

The Sooners don’t have to play a highly rated Missouri team from the Big 12 North, and they draw their toughest opponents in Memorial Stadium. If they stay healthy, and the secondary gels as the season progresses OU will finish the season in a BCS Bowl Game…the question is…can all the pieces fall into place for that magical title they long for in Norman?