SB Nation - Brian Jackson

Franks Coming Back Others Possibly Leaning Towards Staying

ccmachine — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:29:51 -0000

Oklahoma's defense could be pretty salty again next year as key members of what has possibly been the best defense of the Stoops era are deciding to return for another season. Adrian Taylor announced he'd be returning next season and now Dominique Franks is the next to say he'll be returning to Norman to play ball in 2010.

"I'm not worried about it at all," Franks said. "I'm coming back."

"I'm done with it. I'm just focusing on this last game. That's all I'm worried about," Franks said. "I'm not worried about talking to anybody or being at that next level."

Keenan Clayton, Auston English, Brian Jackson and Ryan Reynolds are all gone due to graduation but only Clayton and Jackson were every down every game players. Reynolds and English missed time because of injury but in their place Austin Box and Frank Alexander performed very well. Both were key contributors to shutting out Oklahoma State on the final weekend of the season and both will be around next season as well.

In addition to Taylor and Franks linebacker Travis Lewis, defensive end Jeremy Beal and defensive tackle Gerald McCoy are among the top underclassmen who could be throwing their names in next spring's NFL draft. It's widely speculated that McCoy is gone and while there's been absolutely not official word from him I'd be surprised to see him in crimson and cream in 2010. Instead we'll be looking at Jamarkus McFarland who while not yet at the level of McCoy did show flashes of greatness this year as a true freshman.

It's been rumored that Jeremy Beal is leaning towards staying as well even though he's not talking. The only thing that he's said is that he's focused on Stanford and will address that once the bowl game is over. That doesn't give me a lot of confidence to be honest but until he gives us something solid to go with all we have is speculation.

"I'm thinking about Stanford and getting better every day at practice," said Beal, who was chosen to the All-Big 12 first team. "I'm not thinking about the NFL."

"We've still got one more game and I'll think about that after the Stanford game," he added.

Travis Lewis hasn't stated whether he's staying or going either but he's at least given us the criteria for his departure. Lewis wants to be a first round draft pick and says he won't leave Oklahoma early unless that is guaranteed.

"It'd have to be pretty high. I have high standards for myself and everybody wants to go in the first round to take care of your family for the rest of your life," Lewis said. "Whether it's this year, next year or the year after. I've got two more years to play. I think eventually I'll be there."

"It's all about me and patience-how patient I am staying here and bettering myself to get to that No. 1, that first round."

There will be plenty of new faces on next year's defense but the key to success is blending the new guys with veteran leadership. Marcus Trice is going to make a push at replacing Brian Jackson, Ronnell Lewis, Tom Wort and Austin Box are going to battle for the middle linebacker position and depending what others do, we may see more. The thing is, the more we see guys like Taylor, Franks, Lewis and Beal the more experience and leadership we'll see on the field to go along with young talent. In a nutshell the learning curve will be smaller and that's exactly what we're looking for.

Breaking Down Bedlam

ccmachine — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 08:16:33 -0000

More photos » by Sue Ogrocki - AP

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There are so many things that could go right or wrong for Oklahoma in today's Bedlam football game that I really have no idea what to expect. On one hand you consider how well the Sooners play at home and you think that they have an outstanding chance to win. Then you consider how bad they've played in their five losses and add the fact that the competition at home hasn't been that great and suddenly there's a huge knot in your stomach because you realize the realistic possibility that the nation's longest home winning steak very well could come to an end.

The roles are already reversed coming into the game. O-State is the ranked team with a shot at going to a BCS Bowl. Regardless of what the final score is the Cowboys are going to finish ahead of the Sooners in the Big 12 standings and will get a better bowl invitation. The only thing left to happen is for OSU to actually win the game and they come in as a legitimate favorite and for OU to avoid losing their sixth game of the season they must win one of the game match-ups that they're not supposed to.

Quarterbacks

Landry Jones is completing 58% of his passes this year and has 23 touchdowns to 13 interceptions. At times he's look exceptional and then at other moments he's look completely out of his element. The knocks against him are that he's not stable in the pocket and doesn't read through his progressions.

Zac Robinson has completed 63% of his passes with a touchdown to interception ration of 15 to 7. Robinson is a dual-threat quarterback who has rushed for 302 yards this year but has also been known for turning the ball over on a big hit when he runs.

Robinson's experience and leadership give him a clear advantage over Jones but there's the chance that he may not play due to injury or that he'll be playing at less than 100%.

Advantage: OSU

Running Backs

Chris Brown and DeMarco Murray are averaging 4.3 and 4.4 yards respectfully with 12 touchdowns between them but they are a far cry from the dynamic duo that we saw them become last season. After rushing for over 1,000 each last season the two have a combined 1,251 yards this year. The problem has been getting them in space to make plays and clearing holes for them to run in between the tackles. That's on the line and not necessarily the running backs.

Keith Toston is the Big 12's second leading rusher with 1,130 yards. He's averaging 5.5 yards per carry and has crossed the goal line rushing the football 11 times. He's a powerful runner with good speed and is one of only two players (KSU's Daniel Thomas) to average over 100 yards rushing per game.

Toston has clearly had the better season of these three backs and despite Murray having the added dimension of being Oklahoma's second leading receiver the Sooners don't have a rushing threat like Toston has been this season.

Advantage: OSU

Receivers/Tight Ends

Ryan Broyles is one of the most electrifying receivers in the country. He's averaging 12.9 yards per reception and has 861 yards with 12 touchdowns. He's on target to break 1,000 receiving yards this season and it would go a long way for the Sooners if he surpassed that mark today. Behind Broyles is a massive drop off as Brandon Caleb has almost 40 fewer receptions and only 2 touchdowns. Dejuan Miller is coming on and is has pretty much inserted himself as Oklahoma's #2 receiver.

O-State was dealt a huge blow when the NCAA took Dez Bryant away from them. Since then Hubert Anyiam has become the Pokes' top receiver. He's caught 39 passes for 482 yards and 3 touchdowns.

After Anyiam the Cowboys don't have another receiver playing in this game with more than 15 receptions. Conversely the Sooners have four receivers with more than 20 receptions. What's a tight end?

Advantage: OU

Offensive Line

I don't have the words to describe how disappointing Oklahoma's offensive line has been this season. Now this unit has become decimated with injuries and literally a walking triage unit. The latest victim is Trent Williams who may have to sit out today's Bedlam game due to a head injury. Oklahoma has given up 12 sacks this season.

Oklahoma State has only given up 7 sacks this year and is much stronger in both run and pass blocking than the Sooners are. The have a future NFL All-Pro in Russell Okung as their anchor.

Advantage: OSU

Defensive Line

Oklahoma's defensive line against OSU's offensive line is the match-up that could determine the game. Jeremy Beal is third in the conference in sacks with 11 and third in tackles for loss with 16. Gerald McCoy is fifth in the Big 12 in tackles for loss with 14.5.

Ugo Chinasa has 4 sacks for the Pokes and 6.5 tackles for loss. However, you have to go all the way down to 11^th O-States leader board for tackles to find Chinasa, a defensive lineman, listed.

Advantage: OU

Linebackers

Travis Lewis is third in the Big 12 in total tackles with 99 and Keenan Clayton is 39^th with 58. Oklahoma will be without Ryan Reynolds who is a field general for the Sooners defense and that may hurt the Sooners more than missing his 67 tackles. In his place Austin Box will step in and try to get a head start on taking over the middle linebacker position full time next season.

Donald Booker leads the Cowboys in sacks with 5 and tackles for loss with 7. He and Patrick Lavine lead the team in tackles with 80 and 67 tackles respectively. Lavine also leads the team in interceptions with 5.

Both team's linebacker units attack down hill and are solid run stuffers. O-State is second in the conference against the rush (82.6 yards per game) and the Sooners are third (91 yards per game)

Advantage: Even

Secondary

Oklahoma is second in the conference against the pass by holding opponents to just 197.5 yards per game. The OU secondary has a combined 11 interceptions led by Brian Jackson's 4. Jackson and Dominique Franks are one of the best corner duos in the conference and safety Quinton Carter is a hard hitter who's second on the team in tackles with 76.

Perrish Cox is not only the best athlete in Oklahoma State's secondary he's most likely the best athlete on the team. He has 32 tackles and 4 interceptions but as a whole the Cowboys are 9^th in the conference in pass defense.

Advantage: OU

Special Teams

Oklahoma State is last in the Big 12 in kickoff return average (18.6 yards per return) and while the Sooners aren't sitting pretty at #10 (21.2 yards per return) at least they're not last. Punt returns are a different issue for the Sooners where their 14.3 yards per return average are tops in the Big 12. OSU isn't too far behind at 13.9 yards per return which places them 3^rd in the Big 12.

In punting average the Sooners have a 39.6 (Best in the Big 12) to 37.5 advantage. Oklahoma's place kickers have missed seven field goal attempts this season while the Cowboys have missed five.

If this game becomes a field goal kicking contest then I'm not sure that I like Oklahoma's chances. However, in the battle for field position OU's special teams units are outperforming O-State's in just about every category.

Advantage: OU

Big Red Rivalry Advantages Favor OU

ccmachine — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 05:00:26 -0000

by ALONZO ADAMS - AP

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Oklahoma should be able to come away with a win in Lincoln but I don't expect it to be easy. Nebraska's defense is too nasty for the Sooners to come by a lot of points but the Husker offense may be at even a larger disadvantage than OU's. Looking at the unit breakdowns I'm gaining more confidence in Oklahoma's ability to score their 6^th win of the season.

Quarterbacks

I'll take Landry Jones over either one of Nebraska's signal callers. Zac Lee was benched after the Huskers went 1-2 to start conference play and Cody Green would only be making his second ever career start Saturday night. Either way it goes Jones is the better quarterback.

Advantage: OU

Running Backs

DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown are averaging 4.7 and 4.2 yards per carry with each back scoring 5 rushing touchdowns. Nebraska's Roy Helu is averaging 5.6 yards per carry and has scored 6 rushing touchdowns.

Advantage: Huskers

Receivers/Tight Ends

Just about anyone is going to have an advantage over Oklahoma's tight ends at this point but the Sooners have one of the most explosive receivers in the country in Ryan Broyles with Dejuan Miller and Adron Tennell starting to become actual playmakers in the offense as well. After Niles Paul the Huskers don't have a receiver with more that 16 receptions.

Advantage: OU

Offensive Line

Despite all the early struggles and even with the continuation of dumb penalties Oklahoma's offensive line has shown improvement. The Sooners have given up a total of 7 sacks this season. Nebraska has seen their quarterbacks get put down 10 times this season. While neither unit is eye popping good Oklahoma's has faced stronger defenses and knows what pressure is.

Advantage: OU

Defensive Line

Two of the best defensive tackles in the nation will be on the field today but regardless of how much publicity they get they won't be going head-to-head. This game will be won or lost by the other guys that stack up the line and not just the two superstars. Fortunately for both sides they've got guys like Jeremy Beal and Jared Crick that prevents them from being one man shows.

Advantage: Even

Linebackers

The Sooners are giving up 2.6 yards per carry and Nebraska 2.7 to their opponents. Both teams are stellar against the run but Oklahoma's experience has to account for something.

Advantage: OU

Secondary

Brian Jackson and Dominique Franks may not be Thorpe finalists but they are one of the best cornerback duos in the country. However, Nebraska leads the conference in pass defense and their secondary is a big reason for that.

Advantage: Nebraska

Kicking Game

Tress Way is now performing both punting and kicking duties and doing a solid job at it. However, Alex Henery is one of the best place kickers in the country.

Advantage: Nebraska

Bottom Line

I think that Nebraska's offense will struggle considerably more that Oklahoma's. Not because one defense is better than the other but because the Huskers don't have as many playmakers on offense as OU.

Post Baylor Game Quotes And Thoughts

ccmachine — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 06:17:11 -0000

More photos » by Sue Ogrocki - AP

2 months ago: Oklahoma's Cameron Kenney, left, bobbles a pass in front of Baylor defender Tim Atchinson, right, in the first quarter of an NCAA college football game in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

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Quotes From Bob Stoops

"It was a good solid win here today. Our compliments to Art Biles and Baylor. They really played disciplined, good football. They are in a bad position. I thought their quarterback did a really good job but obviously he doesn't have the experience their other quarterback has. We caught a break that way, but overall I think they have done a good job all year."

Reading between the lines Bob Stoops is saying that it nice to finally be the team playing someone else without their starting quarterback instead of being the team without the starting quarterback.

Baylor's Nick Florence completed 53.7% (22/40) of his passes for 220 yards with one touchdown and one pick. Unfortunately for the Bears he was Baylor's only source of offense as the Bears were held to just 7 net rushing yards. Baylor's offense was so bad that I couldn't tell how much of their futility had to do with the Sooner defense and how much was attributed to the ineptness stemming from not having Griffin.

"It was pleasing to win a good football game. I thought it was pleasing to go in at half, 14-7, and come back in the second half and play so well and so solid throughout the game. Anytime you have an offensive day when you have no turnovers and fewer penalties, you rush the ball for over 200 yards and throw for near 400 yards and you are doing things that are positive. I was disappointed in the drops, but again I think a lot of that is inexperience. We have all kinds of yardage and big plays, if we just catch the ball better. I'm hopeful and I believe the ability is there. It's just time and time on the field to make improvement and to make those plays when they are there to make."

Sam Bradford might have had a career day had it not been for the drops. I know that frustrations were high with them. There were several murmurs in the crowd, screaming from the coaches and even a little body language from Bradford himself. This has been an issue troubling the Sooners all season long but has never been on display more than it was on Saturday when just about every skill position player on the field dropped a ball.

"Defensively in particular, I thought in the first half even though we held them to seven, there were some plays we could have definitely played them a little bit better and been in better position, and we did in the second half. Anytime you hold someone to six yards rushing, that is positive, and hold them to seven points with as a wide open offense they have, and formations and adjustments they give you. I thought in the second half we really settled in and played good disciplined football to be where we needed to be."

It's a lot easier to hold a team scoreless when you don't have the type of coverage breakdowns that led to Baylor's first and only score. Yes, it was only better but it should be noted that the Bears were averaging 36.2 points per game coming into Norman and had it not been for one defensive breakdown in the first half this might have been Oklahoma's third shutout of the season.

Quotes From Offensive Coordinator Kevin Wilson

(Discussing the Red Zone) "We had a couple of drops a couple of times that got us into some third-and-eights. We tried to stay in some spread stuff instead of some big guy stuff when it came to our approach. We got down there quite a lot and other than finishing the drive, I thought that our guys played pretty solid. So we will look at what we are doing and look to find how to finish things off."

At least we didn't see any draw plays on third and long. As much grief as we gave Wilson last week it has to be said, this week, that its awful had to call plays when your receivers are dropping passes all over the field.

"We have to work our way into some positive momentum. We had to force it in today and when the guy dropped it, we would throw it right back to him the next play. We have to stay positive and stay aggressive and for the most part we did. The run game will come in time, they were a little committed to load the box. We had a fair amount of pass yards, but we have some inconsistency right now and we have to play through it. I thought our kids battled as hard as they did all year and I was proud of them."

Oklahoma had 25 rushing yards at the half and ended the game with over 200. That's not a bad turnaround. As long as receivers are dropping passes Oklahoma's opponents are going to stack the box and force them to win through the air. As soon as they are able to find success in their air it will open up on the ground as well. Saturday was a perfect example of this.

Quotes From Defensive Coordinator Brent Venables

"I thought that we responded really well in the second half. I thought that they made a few plays on us obviously in the first half. They threw up some balls in the first half and did a good job competing for it and we had a couple of breakdowns. The guys came back and played a lot better in the second half."

"Outside for the most part, when they scored, we had a couple of things during that drive that happened. Overall, I thought that they played pretty well."

In addition to holding Baylor to 29 points below their season average the Sooners also put the brakes on the Bears' running game. Baylor was averaging 196.2 yards per game on the ground which only makes the 7 yards that OU held them to even more impressive. However, like last week the breakdowns in the defensive secondary were costly.

Individual Performances

Travis Lewis - Led the defense in tackles with 7
Brian Jackson - 2 pass breakups, 1 interception
Jordan Lake (Baylor) - This kid has his name called all afternoon! Finished the day with 14 total tackles.
Jimmy Stevens - 4/4 on field goal attempts, 2/2 on extra points
Brandon Caleb - 7 receptions, 139 yards
Sam Bradford - 27/49, 389 yards, 1 touchdown
DeMarco Murray - 17 carries, 82 yards, 4.8 average

Tulsa Game Position Grades

ccmachine — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 05:28:19 -0000

More photos » by ALONZO ADAMS - AP

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I have to admit, I expected a much tighter game against Tulsa last Saturday. I didn't think it would be the kind of game to be won by a field goal or anything but I did expect the Golden Hurricane to at least score. To say that the Sooners played good is an understatement and to say that Tulsa was a Top 25 caliber opponent is an overstatement. However, TU should have been a stronger test for the Sooners and their inability to impress had a lot more to do with OU than it did with us touting an opponent too highly. Good Grades are in abundance this week!

Quarterback A

Let's hear it for the Big 12's Offensive Player of the Week! Landry Jones completed 25 of 37 passes for 336 yards and a school record 6 touchdowns. He did throw two interceptions on two really bad passes and he still seems to occasionally lock in on a receiver without reading through his progressions so there is room for improvement but we must applaud the effort.

Running Backs A+

DeMarco Murray averaged 6 yards per carry and Chris Brown 4.6. Neither back scored on the ground but Murray made and amazing touchdown catch in which he spun around twice and flipped into the end zone. Murray had two catches for 38 yards and a score. In mop up time Jonathan Miller, for the second week in a row, looked stronger and faster than Jermie Calhoun. As a team the Sooners rushed for 193 yards.

Receiver/Tight End A

Adron Tennell's dropped touchdown pass was surprisingly not shocking based on his on field productivity so far this season. Trent Ratterree also joined Tennell in dropping a touchdown pass and while this has been a recurring theme for Oklahoma this season it was only a subplot on Saturday while Brandon Caleb having his breakout game was the main story. Caleb hauled in 5 passes for 104 and two touchdowns to become the perfect complement to Ryan Broyles who added 128 and three touchdowns on 11 catches. Landry Jones also found his tight ends on his record day as a Sooner. Jones completed passes to James Hanna and Eric Mensik.

Offensive Line A

No one is ready to anoint this group as championship ready but they've come a long way since opening night. The line gave up no sacks on Saturday afternoon and helped Oklahoma to an average of 6.5 yards per play on offense. This line looks more mentally focused than they've been all season which is good because they are about to face a stretch in which the level of their success will define the rest of Oklahoma's season.

Defensive Line A

Oklahoma's defensive line had Tulsa quarterback G.J. Kinne running for his life all day long. Jeremy Beal had three sacks and a forced fumble, Adrian Taylor recovered a fumble and Oklahoma ran a plethora of players through the line.

Linebackers A+

Ryan Reynolds let the team in tackles with 13 and was followed by Keenan Clayton who had 11. Travis Lewis added 7 tackles to the linebackers totals giving the starters 31 total tackles. Reynolds also had two sacks and Lewis had one.

Secondary A+

This was a physical game for Oklahoma's secondary and it needed to be. As we stated in our pregame coverage, Oklahoma's secondary making sure tackles and big plays would be the key to shutting down the Tulsa offense. Brian Jackson and Quinton Carter responded with 9 tackles and an interception each. Sam Proctor also added 5 tackles.

Special Teams A

The chief criticism with this unit was the missed field goal but as a whole they had a very solid game. I guess we could also call out the partially blocked punt. However, OU averaged 42 yards per punt and held Tulsa without a return. They also held Tulsa to just 21 yards per kickoff return while taking their lone kickoff return 32 yards.

With A Injury To Gresham James Hanna Must Step Up

ccmachine — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 04:43:13 -0000

With Jermaine Gresham being out for an undetermined time Oklahoma will be in major need of another playmaker to step up and take his place. Offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson stated on Thursday that Brody Eldridge would remain as the team’s center which leaves Trent Ratterree and James Hanna as the tight ends on the two deep.

Ratterree joined the Sooners as a walk-on while Hanna was a highly touted recruit and yet it was Ratterree who was listed behind Gresham on the depth chart. While all the kudos in the world should be given to Ratterree for working hard to make it as far as he has you have to think that at some point it’ll be Hanna that becomes the more productive of the two.

We should see both players on the field against BYU and more than likely there will be times whew we see them on the field at the same time because OU has a few multi tight end sets. It may be easier to dig up information on Jason Bourne than Trent Ratterree. After searching several internet sites he’s what we know. He’s a sophomore, is listed at 6-3/225, wears jersey #47 and is from Weatherford, Oklahoma. He has no stats at Oklahoma and no bio is found on his profile.

Meanwhile, Hanna came to Oklahoma as a four-star recruit. He was ranked as the nation’s 11^th tight end by Rivals, 13^th by ESPN, 20^th by Scout and was the 32^nd overall player in the state of Texas by Rivals. He’s currently listed at 6-4/243. That’s only giving up two inches and fifteen pounds to Gresham. I’m not in any way suggesting that Hanna is a Gresham replica and match Gresham’s athleticism but he’s a long way from being a slouch. His senior year of High School he averaged 29 yards per punt return. In Oklahoma’s spring conditioning tests he bench pressed 355 lbs (the highest among the tight ends), ran a 4.56 forty (equal to Gresham) and has a 37.5 inch vertical (tied Brian Jackson for 3^rd highest on the team).

Being the second most athletic tight end on the roster doesn’t amount for anything if you can’t work your way onto the field. Hanna appeared in all but one of Oklahoma’s games last season as a reserve tight end and a special team’s player but there’s a reason that he’s behind Ratterree on the depth chart. Perhaps it’s a motivational ploy by the coaching staff or possibly Ratterree has legitimately beaten him out thus far. That doesn’t change the fact that Oklahoma needs someone to step up big to replace an injured star and James Hanna is the best candidate to do it.

Countdown To Kickoff

ccmachine — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 21:35:19 -0000

BYU Preview: Cougar Offense VS Sooner Defense

ccmachine — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 15:01:30 -0000

How Oklahoma’s defense fares against BYU’s offense is hinged largely on controlling the line of scrimmage and that’s a match up that I like very much to favor OU. I don’t think any Sooner fan should realistically expect to see the Cougars shutout but I do believe that Oklahoma should hold them to well under their 34 points per game average of a year ago. Quarterback Max Hall, running backs Manase Tonga and Harvey Unga are the strength of the BYU offensive attack and they’ll be attacking Oklahoma’s front seven which is the strength of the Sooner defense. It’ll make for some great football but the Cougars are going to need help from an outmatched offensive line and unproven receivers to have a shot at success.

Max Hall/TE/WR’s vs. OU Secondary

Max Hall is incredibly accurate with his throws. Last season he completed nearly 70% of his passes and despite a youth movement among his receivers he looks to continue with a hot hand in `09.

		QB Max Hall 6-1/201
WR McKay Jacobson 5-11/189			TE Dennis Pitta 6-5/247	WR O'Neill Chambers 6-2/210

CB Brian Jackson 6-1/200				CB Dominique Franks 6-0/192
	FS Quinton Carter 6-1/193		SS Sam Proctor 6-0/208

There isn’t much give and take when you compare the size of the BYU receivers to the Oklahoma cornerbacks. The biggest difference between the two is experience. Both Dominique Franks and Brian Jackson are returning starters who have shutdown ability in one-on-one coverage while questions about BYU’s inexperience at receiver will linger until we see what they do on the field.

The position that concerns me here is Cougar tight end Dennis Pitta. At 6-5/248 he could be described as a poor man’s Jermaine Gresham and he’ll most likely draw linebacker or safety coverage. Oklahoma’s safeties carry the inexperienced label themselves and while former safety, and current linebacker, Keenan Clayton may be able to run with him we just don’t know how the Sooners will deal with his size and speed which no doubt will be a tall task for Oklahoma’s secondary.

Even with the possible damage done by Pitta I still like Oklahoma’s secondary to win this battle based on talent and experience. For any team to beat Oklahoma through the air it will have to be more than a one man show and I think that at best that is what BYU is going to get going up against Oklahoma’s secondary.

Advantage: Oklahoma

BYU Running Backs vs. OU Linebackers

	RB Harvey Unga 6-0/237
	RB Manase Tonga 6-0/238
	QB

SLB Keenan Clayton 6-1/221	MLB Ryan Reynolds 6-2/225	WLB Travis Lewis 6-2/232

The hits here are going to be phenomenal. Tonga and Unga are both bruising backs who can hurt you in their own ways. Tonga thrives in short burst and will be called on in short yardage situations. He’s also likely to clear through the line and find a linebacker on the second level remove from the play. Meanwhile Unga will get most of the carries and while busting through the middle will more than likely be decided by the lines Unga can also bounce outside. He has deceptive speed and sure hands which can allow him to quickly turn a five yard swing pass into a thirty yard gain.

Oklahoma’s linebackers are going to have to shed blocks and be sure tacklers. Both outside linebackers have good speed and can make up ground in pursuit. Ryan Reynolds may not have blazing speed but has the sure tackling mastered. For that matter so do the guys on the outsides. Travis Lewis led the team in tackles in 2008 and Keenan Clayton was third.

The Cougars must run the ball effectively in order to accomplish what they want with their passing game. It will be up to Oklahoma’s linebackers to take away the run and then pin their ears back and come after Hall on third and long situations.

Advantage: Even

BYU O-Line vs. OU D-Line

T Matt Reynolds 6-6/329	G Marco Thorson 6-3/321	C R.J. Willing 6-5/308	G Terence Brown 6-3/340	T Nick Alletto 6-6/329

DE Jeremy Beal 6-2/261	DT Adrain Taylor 6-4/291		DT Gerald McCoy 6-4/297	DE Auston English 6-3/251

BYU’s offensive line averages 6-4/325 and Oklahoma’s defensive line averages 6-4/275. In a perfect world the Cougars would use that extra weight to wear down the Sooners by the third and fourth quarters. In the real world BYU is going to struggle with Oklahoma’s speed and the depth that the Sooners have at defensive line will allow for a consistent rotation of fresh bodies in every position along the line.

Advantage: OU

Intangibles

The battle of the line is huge and must not be overlooked. BYU is going to try to spread the field and Max Hall is a master at ball distribution. If Oklahoma can pressure the quarterback and make plays behind the line of scrimmage without blitzing then that gives them the upper hand.

Having the linebackers free to pursue and make tackles is huge as well and once again that is on the defensive line to make it happen. Oklahoma has a fast defense as it is and if the linebackers don’t have to shed blocks because the d-line isn’t letting anything through just makes them that much quicker.

2009 OU Football Preview/Big 12 Predictions

ccmachine — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 18:29:36 -0000

We’ve put out individual position-by-position breakdowns for the 2009 Oklahoma football team but in an effort to collaborate with all the SBN Big 12 blogs we’re going to run one more overview of the team, make our conference predictions and then share a few thoughts on some questions being passed around to the Big 12 sites. Feel free to chime in with your own thoughts.

Offense: The Sooners are loaded at every skill position and if the offensive line is just average then they shouldn’t be too far off from last year’s 51.1 point per game average. Quarterback Sam Bradford makes his bid for a second consecutive Heisman Trophy with two 1,000 yard rushers from last season in DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown to keep opposing defenses honest.

When it comes time to go to the air there may not be a more accurate passer in America than Bradford. He’s got college football’s best tight end in Jermaine Gresham and while Manny Johnson, Juaquin Iglesias and Quentin Chaney are all gone from last year’s squad a new crop of talented receivers has emerged. We saw in `08 what Ryan Broyles is capable of and Adron Tennell has stepped up in camp along with JUCO transfer Cameron Kenny to turn the heads of coaches and players by providing some of those coveted, "Wow!!!" moments.

Obviously the glaring concern for Oklahoma’s offense is along the line. While some are suggesting that four new starters equates to gloom and doom for OU’s high octane offense and others tend to be overly optimistic I think that the answer probably is somewhere in between. Led by returning starter Trent Williams, this new unit gives up a little size to last year’s line (averaging 305lbs) but should be quicker on their feet allowing offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson more freedom to pull from both sides and also move the pocket. Oklahoma doesn’t have to have the biggest line to repeat the success from `08, they just need a solid unit that can do their job. With OU’s quick strike offense an average line can take them a long way. Should they gel quickly and prove to be above average then records will fall in `09.

Defense: The greatest improvement we may see in `09 from any one unit is along the special teams but the second should be in the performance of the defense. In 2009 OU was #1 in the country in turnover margin (+23) and with 8 returning starters the potential is there to duplicate that performance.

Led by All-American Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma’s defensive line doesn’t look to be pushed around by anyone. One time All-Conference defensive end is healthy again and is looking to return to the form we saw in 2007. Also in the rotation at end are Jeremy Beal, who led the team in sacks last year, and Frank Alexander who may be having the best camp of all the defensive ends. How do you pick just two starters from that trio?

The linebacking corps returns intact in `09 as well. The same group that helped Oklahoma’s defense rank a respectable 20^th in the nation against the run in `08 will be another year experienced going into this season. Travis Lewis led the team in tackles last year as a freshman with 144 total tackles and could actually see those numbers grow this year with the defensive line clearing the way.

Like the line for the offensive unit the secondary is where we find the question marks on the defense. Corners Dominique Franks and Brian Jackson will match up well with any receiver in the conference but the safety spots could be a bit unproven. Quinton Carter started a couple of games last season but played in a total of twelve where he gained a reputation of being a hard hitter who thrives on dislodging the ball from the person carrying it. Sam Proctor is the new strong safety and has more special teams experience than anything else and will have to quickly learn on the job.

Special Teams – The return game (both punts and kickoffs) is set with a quartet of guys (Dominique Franks, DeMarco Murray, Ryan Broyles and Cameron Kenny) who have game breaking speed the Sooners should be every bit as dangerous in the return game as they were last season if not more so.

The problems with Oklahoma’s special teams last season came in the kicking game and defending the returns. Both of those seem to have changed in `09. Jimmy Stevens appears to have found a more powerful and accurate leg while also finding himself on the Groza watch list and the personnel changes last year on kickoff coverage sent a clear message as it also sent players to the bench.

Predicted Final Big 12 Standings

*North*	*South*
Kansas	Oklahoma
Nebraska	Texas
Missouri	Oklahoma State
Colorado	Texas Tech
Kansas State	Baylor
Iowa State	Texas A&M

Roundtable Questions

Who wins the Big 12 North? See Above

Who wins the Big 12 South? See Above

How many Big 12 teams will be bowl eligable? Nine – Baylor, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas and Texas Tech

Which conference team do you think will show the most improvement from last season (in record only)? Baylor

Who is your Non-QB conference player of the year? Kansas wide receiver Dezmon Briscoe.

Do you believe any Big 12 coaches will be gone (fired or hired elsewhere) after this season? Colorado’s Dan Hawkins is the only coach who is on the hot seat in my opinion and I don’t see any of the other coaches moving on.

What would you prefer as the Big 12's 3rd "best" bowl game? The Holiday or Alamo? Definitely the Holiday Bowl by location only.

Better D-Lineman, Suh or McCoy? McCoy plays on the better defense but Suh is the better player.

Better Wide Receiver, Bryant or Briscoe? Both are extremely talented but Briscoe seems unstoppable at times.

Predict the worst non-conference loss (an upset) that the Big 12 will suffer. September 25^th – Missouri at Nevada

Predict the MNC participants and champion. Oklahoma vs. Virginia Tech – Sooners win number 8

Football Season Quickly Approaching

dishingoutdimes — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 21:19:36 -0000

More photos » AP

4 months ago: In this photo taken in Norman, Friday, Aug. 7, 2009, Oklahoma defensive coordinator Brent Venables is pictured during media day. Between 2000 and 2005, the Sooners were ranked among the top 13 defenses in the country every year. That slipped to 16th in 2006 and 26th in 2007 before last year's big drop-off to 68th. Now, players are talking about coming out with a new attitude, one that's mean, nasty and stingy. (AP Photo)

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Practice continues in Norman for the fast approaching football season. There has been a fair amount of information about these practices and the team, so I'll try and condense that in a short briefing here for you.

Stoops' Surprising Players (link)

Bob Stoops had high praise for Chris Brown, Frank Alexander, Auston English, Quinton Carter and Tom Wort, saying that all of these players are unheralded but have a big impact, or the potential to make a big impact. Apparently, Quinton Carter would have started last season had he not pulled a hamstring. And of Tom Wort, Stoops said:

"Tom Wort is going to be pretty special, if not this year, then awfully soon," Stoops said.

Wide Receiver Question Mark

It's hard to say who will be starting at wide receiver for the Sooners when they open up against BYU. It's pretty safe to say that Ryan Broyles has one of the spots locked up. The Sooners employ three wide receiver sets a lot, which leaves two more spots open. Junior college transfer Cameron Kenney has started with the first unit in both of the open practices in 11-on-11 drills. Apparently he has made quite a few plays. I wouldn't be surprised to see him get a shot. The other front runners appear to be Adron Tennell and Mossis Madu, the latter of whom was converted from running back this summer.

The Center of the Problem

Center is obviously a position of concern with the top two people on the depth chart suffering injuries a couple of days into practice. The Sooners have been rotating a bunch of other people into the center position at practice in the meantime, in order to have "emergency plans". The list of emergency centers include Trent Williams, Stephen Good and even Brody Eldridge who has been commonly referred to as the "team's best blocker".

The good news is that it looks like the injured centers are on their way back. From the Oklahoman:

Habern, who has participated in some contact drills, has shown gradual improvement since sustaining the injury and doesn’t appear to be too far away from being cleared all the way for practice. When that happens, Patton said Eldridge will move back to tight end, where his blocking acumen is so valuable.

And from the Monday practice report from the Tulsa World:

Ben Habern, competing to replace Jon Cooper at center while battling a strained back, took part in a one-on-one blocking drill. He drove defensive tackle DeMarcus Granger several steps backward after one snap.

Defensive Depth Chart

Here is how the defensive depth chart is shaping up, according to Jake Trotter at the Oklahoman, who watched the open practices:

At the moment, the first-team defense looks like this:
DL: Jeremy Beal, Adrian Taylor, GK McCoy, Auston English
LB: Travis Lewis, Ryan Reynolds, Keenan Clayton
DB: Brian Jackson, Dom Franks, Sam Proctor, Quinton Carter

The second-team defense look like this
DL: RJ Washington, Casey Walker, Cordero Moore, Frank Alexander
LB: Daniel Franklin, Tom Wort, Austin Box
DB: Demontre Hurst, Marcus Trice, Emmanuel Jones, Lamar Harris

No real surprises on the first team. Daniel Franklin has edged out JR Bryant at linebacker, but no significant news on the second team either. The defense is projected to be improved from last year, and they have a ton of talent two-to-three deep on their depth chart.

Bradford Still Sharp

From all accounts, it seems like Sam Bradford has benefitted from another summer of conditioning, learning the system, and practicing. I haven't heard anything negative about Bradford, and most everything has been strongly positive.

BYU Injury Problems

The Sooners' first opponent - BYU Cougars - have had their share of injury problems. Starting QB, and one of the biggest stars on their football team, Max Hall dislocated his finger in a scrimmage on Monday. Max told reporters that his finger was fine, but it is still something to take note of.

Like the Sooners, BYU also only returns one starter on the offensive line. The only returning starter (LT Matt Reynolds) had to have surgery on his left hand and his status is questionable for the OU-BYU game. To top it off, BYU also lost the odds-on-favorite at their left guard spot for the season with a shoulder injury.

This means that BYU could be short handed on Max Hall's blindside for their season opener against OU.