Here is our quick rundown of Oklahoma's opponents and our
listing of the top college football teams for 2009.
Game by
Game -- Oklahoma vs...
BYU (at
Arlington).
When we're eating $20 hotdogs and drinking $10
bottles of water at this Jerry Jones Bowl
we can only hope that we won't get fleeced by
the Mormons too. The Cougars return a
3-year starting QB and a pretty nice run game.
Should be a very good first test. Idaho
State. There's nothing here, move
on. (Ordinarily Idaho State would be playing
some Big 10 school, but the travel budget has
been cut).
Tulsa.
Fortunately the Sooners play defense and have a
high powered offense. Oklahoma will win this,
but the Golden Hurricane will score 28 points.
This is a BCS pump primer for the Sooners, given
that TU had 10 wins last year and will likely do
similar in 2009.
At
Miami. Call this the "get the bad taste
of Dolphin Stadium out of our mouths" game.
Sure, the Hurricane (how many hurricanes will OU
play this year?) are better this year, but this will be a
mild two-quarter struggle at worst for Oklahoma.
Baylor.
The Bears don't have depth. If they did,
this could be a fun game. That Baylor QB Robert
Griffin is a
star player, and dangerous. There is just no
supporting cast. Texas. Heisman winner Sam
Bradford vs. Heisman-runner up Colt McCoy.
Top "shoot out" of the year. But, it doesn't matter
which team has what players, this game is war.
Oh, and....Texas sucks. Next?
at Kansas. Fun road trip as the
leaves turn bright colors in Lawrence and fans
take the over-under on just how big an ol' boy
Mark Mangino really is. Oh, yeah, there is
a football game, but it will be secondary to
what the fans will be talking about. No,
seriously, KU QB Todd Reesing had good success
in Norman last year and hopes to do the same in
Lawrence (even though against a stouter Oklahoma
secondary). Kansas
State. The old gray haired guy is back,
but his team is not. This could be the Sooners
highest scoring game. 70. Maybe 80.
At Nebraska. We bet ABC will
have Dr. Tom and the King Switzer interviewed in
the booth before the 1st quarter is over. Oh,
and this will be a fun game to watch, but the
Sooner defense is too much for a Husker offense
which is still trying to find its identity.
Texas
A&M. This year the Aggies will
hold a band contest instead of a game, with a
touch football contest to be held at halftime.
Actually after halftime, just head for the
tailgating. You won't miss anything.
At
Texas Tech. It's at Lubbock, so
that's where the Red Raiders are supposed to get
favoritism from the officials to win. It
won't matter this year, 'cuz Sooners win by two
TDs.
Oklahoma
State. It's a good thing this
game is in Norman, because -- sorry Sooner fans
-- the Cowboys come with pistol's firin'.
(he he, that's so funny). Still, the
Sooners should hold onto a nail biter and head
down to Arlington for the championship game after this one.
A
national view
by Alex
COLUMBUS -- To show you how rabid Buckeye fans
can be, one deaf Ohio State season ticket holder
has sued the university to require closed
captioning of the public address announcer's
statements during games.
That's one of those be
careful what you ask for things.
Can you imagine what it would be like to read
Bob Barry's play-by-play? You would never know
what happened.
I've been in Columbus
three months now. That's long enough to
learn that Buckeye fans are as zealous as
Sooners. Very confident. But, there is no competition
between fans. There is no cross-state rivalry.
Akron hardly counts. Mention Cincinnati
and people think baseball. Ohio U. is kind
of a joke around here.
So these OSU-ers don't get challenged
much in football conversations and think
everyone here drinks the same gray and scarlet
red cool-aid. Guess I've disappointed a few.
Still, the one-time home of Oklahoma great Jim
Thorpe (he played for the Canton, Ohio Bulldogs
of the then fledgling NFL) has that football
frenzy that might make this place
more home-like come September. The
big game here will come early. USC comes to town
on September 12. Locals think that will set the
stage for an Ohio State run for the national
championship; but, they will be the underdog.
Alex reports from
the "Horseshoe" at Ohio State University.
The Buckeyes haven't beaten a Top 10 opponent
since Michigan in 2006. Of course I may be the
only one in this neighborhood reminding their
fans of that.
Other non-OU games with BCS implications to
watch this season:
Alabama at Va. Tech
Sept 5 USC at Ohio State Sept 12 Michigan State at Notre
Dame Sept 19 LSU at Georgia Oct 3 Florida at LSU Oct 10 Oregon State at USC Oct 24 Texas at Oklahoma State
Oct 31 Ohio State at Penn State
Nov 7 Notre Dame at Pittsburgh
Nov 14 Ohio State at Michigan Nov
21 UCLA at USC Nov 28
Hunter's Top 25
1. Oklahoma "amazing" 2. Texas "hate 'em" 3. Florida "gonna
kill 'em in NC game" 4. USC "an OK team" 5. Va. Tech
"surprising" 6. Oregon "all
jerseys" 7. LSU "I
don't like them" 8. Georgia
"lucky" 9. Oklahoma State
"rude" 10. Alabama
"I like them" 11. Ohio State
"I don't like their town" 12. Boise St.
"never play them again" 13. Utah
"shocking" 14. Mississippi
"Who are they?" 15. Texas Tech
"good passers" 16. BYU "a
come back team" 17. Notre Dame "awful
but EZ schedule" 18. Oregon State
"decent team" 19. Kansas
"they look hungry" 20. Nebraska
"rivals" 21. California
"don't know them" 22. North Carolina
"surprising, but good" 23. TCU "a
weird mascot" 24. Pittsburgh
"good passing game" 25. Michigan State
"good run game"
Featured Video
Alex gives a preview of the top college football
games for 2009.
OU's Ups and Downs
Quarterback.
Heard of this guy named Sam Bradford? Thought
so.
Linebacker. After
last season's meltdown at linebacker it's hard
to imagine all will be happy at this position
this year. Still, Ryan Reynolds and Mike
Balogun are seniors at middle linebacker. Let's
hope they play like it, without injuries. Or
eligibility problems.
Def.
Secondary. The depth at corner and safety may be
the strength of the team. The Sooners have
Dominique Franks, Brian Jackson, Sam Proctor and
Quinton Carter returning.
Def.
line. The tackles and ends are studs.
This will be reminiscent of the 70s when a
family from Eufaula controlled college football.
This time remember the names McCoy, Taylor, Beal
and English. Add to that list Alexander,
Granger, Moore and King and you have a very
strong front four on defense that will stop most
run games of opponents.
Wide
Receiver. Yeah, you're thinking
"what?"
Fact is the Sooners catchers helped Sam Bradford
win the Heisman, catching about anything thrown
their way. As much as we like Ryan Broyles, and
as interesting as it is to move Mossis Madu to a
slot position, there is no Joaquin Iglasias or
Mark Clayton on this team. That will show up big
time in big games, placing more pressure on the
Sooner offense to run the football.
Idaho
State. There's nothing here, move
on. (Ordinarily Idaho State would be playing
some Big 10 school, but the travel budget has
been cut).
Tulsa.
Fortunately the Sooners play defense and have a
high powered offense. Oklahoma will win this,
but the Golden Hurricane will score 28 points.
This is a BCS pump primer for the Sooners, given
that TU had 10 wins last year and will likely do
similar in 2009.
At
Miami. Call this the "get the bad taste
of Dolphin Stadium out of our mouths" game.
Sure, the Hurricane (how many hurricanes will OU
play this year?) are better this year, but this will be a
mild two-quarter struggle at worst for Oklahoma.
Baylor.
The Bears don't have depth. If they did,
this could be a fun game. That Baylor QB Robert
Griffin is a
star player, and dangerous. There is just no
supporting cast.
at Kansas. Fun road trip as the
leaves turn bright colors in Lawrence and fans
take the over-under on just how big an ol' boy
Mark Mangino really is. Oh, yeah, there is
a football game, but it will be secondary to
what the fans will be talking about. No,
seriously, KU QB Todd Reesing had good success
in Norman last year and hopes to do the same in
Lawrence (even though against a stouter Oklahoma
secondary).
Kansas
State. The old gray haired guy is back,
but his team is not. This could be the Sooners
highest scoring game. 70. Maybe 80.
At Nebraska. We bet ABC will
have Dr. Tom and the King Switzer interviewed in
the booth before the 1st quarter is over. Oh,
and this will be a fun game to watch, but the
Sooner defense is too much for a Husker offense
which is still trying to find its identity.
Texas
A&M. This year the Aggies will
hold a band contest instead of a game, with a
touch football contest to be held at halftime.
Actually after halftime, just head for the
tailgating. You won't miss anything.
At
Texas Tech. It's at Lubbock, so
that's where the Red Raiders are supposed to get
favoritism from the officials to win. It
won't matter this year, 'cuz Sooners win by two
TDs.
Oklahoma
State. It's a good thing this
game is in Norman, because -- sorry Sooner fans
-- the Cowboys come with pistol's firin'.
(he he, that's so funny). Still, the
Sooners should hold onto a nail biter and head
down to Arlington for the championship game after this one.
Hunter's Top 25 
Quarterback.
Heard of this guy named Sam Bradford? Thought
so.