Bleacher Report - Articles by Tim Bond

2009 Oklahoma Sooners: Special Teams

Tim Bond — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 06:45:35 -0400

In every season but one under Bob Stoops, the Oklahoma Sooners have been one of the top 20 programs in the nation in special teams play.

In 2008, however, the special teams weren't so “special.”

What went wrong? How can one team go from being fearless at special teams play to being the laughing stock of the FBS programs?

Well, as most football enthusiasts know, special teams takes special dedication, discipline, and passion to play.

Not only do most teams place their starters on special teams, but they must play with a disciplined and ruthless abandon.

On kick-off return defense, they must stay in their designated lanes, same with punt return defense. Players can't just kick the ball and go straight for the runner at whatever angle they wish.

In 14 games a season ago, Oklahoma kicked off 122 times with just 15 touch backs. They kicked the ball out of bounds, deep onside, or failed at an onside kick four times. This left OU having to cover 103 returns, the most in the nation (Tulsa was second at 94). They also allowed four kick offs to be returned for touchdowns, which was also the most in the country.

The coaches know that they must do a better job of preparing and playing the right guys.

“I spent more time this year during the off time studying other people, seeing what they do, seeing what we can do better in regards to scheme and personnel,” said Chris Wilson, OU special teams coordinator.

“It's been one of the big things we've focused on. We went to see the Saints. We've been able to study Alabama a little bit. We had a chance to see some people who've done it fairly decent. And then I went back and studied some opponents who were really good in our conference.”

Who will be playing on the special teams?

“It's guys wanting to be on the team, realizing it is called special teams for a reason," Wilson continued. “It's got to be one of those things where guys go, 'Hey, every starter should want to be on that team.' It shows the character of our football team.”

Until the season starts, we will not know if Oklahoma has improved. But with at least another year of experience under most of their belts, the players' attitudes will be different.

Oklahoma boasted a kicker in sophomore Jimmy Stevens that was not called upon much. He kicked just 12 field goals last season. Stevens made just eight of those field goal attempts, with his longest being just 42 yards.

In the fall camp, Stevens has shown a lot of improvement with accuracy and range. In doing so, he has solidified his job status.

Last season, Stevens was also the kicker after OU scored one of their many touchdowns. Stevens went 94 of 99 in the PAT aspect of his game.

The punter from last year is now gone. So who will replace Matthew Mooreland?

Coming into the fall camp, the position was still a toss up, with redshirt freshman Tress Way and incoming JUCO transfer Cam Kenney battling for the position.

Though Kenney impressed fans and coaches alike, Way has been absolutely stellar in the fall camp, booting balls with massive hang time and 45-plus yards down the field.

This has all but shut the door on Kenney. If Way struggles in games, then at least Stoops knows he has a big leg replacement.

Returning kicks and punts is no guarantee from one season to the next. However, it seems that sophomore Ryan Broyles and junior Dominique Franks will be doing the honors when Oklahoma travels to Dallas to take on BYU and begin its season.

Deep snapper for punts will most likely be sophomore James Winchester, while senior Ben Hampton will most likely be the deep snapper on PAT and field goals.

In between these players will be starters and players that want to get on the field.

As long as Oklahoma can stay disciplined and get the right guys on the field, the special teams play should vastly improve.

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A Look at the 2009 Oklahoma Sooners: Defense

Tim Bond — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 05:27:04 -0400

Ever since the arrival of Bob Stoops, Oklahoma has been known as a program with a very respectable defense—until 2008, that is.

In 2008, Oklahoma's defense was the poorest it has been in the Stoops era, finishing 68th overall.

Why is that?

Some say it was due to the injury bug. Some say it was due to playing against so many prolific offenses.

When Oklahoma finally got to the BCS Championship game, everyone was talking about how great their offense was and how weak their defense was.

Though Oklahoma did not win the BCS Championship against a very good Florida Gator team, they did show that their defense was better than the “experts” tried to portray them.

After holding the Florida Gators to season lows in points and yards, the Sooner defense looks like they could be once again among the top defenses in 2009.

Coming into the 2009 season, the Sooners return nine defensive starters. The only two positions that need to be filled—both safety positions—are very key in run support as well as pass defense.

Sophomore Sam Proctor and true freshman Javon Harris are battling for the chance to replace Nic Harris.

Proctor is the more experienced of the two, obviously. Redshirted his freshman year, Proctor saw action in every game last season in special teams, racking up a total of 10 special teams tackles and averaging over one tackle per game last season.

At 6'0", 208 pounds, Proctor could be a natural fit at the Strong Safety position.

Harris may lack experience of any kind in the college ranks, but he is not without talent. Harris was ranked as high as the No. 12 safety coming out of high school last year.

When Oklahoma travels to Dallas to take on the Cougars of BYU, look for the defense to look like this:

Defensive ends will be senior Auston English and junior Jeremy Beal.

English had a breakout season in 2007, where he recorded 9.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss, and was named to the All-Big 12 first team.

In 2008, English started the first nine games before having to leave the Nebraska game with a sprained knee. He missed the next three games due to this injury.

Beal started his career as a linebacker before moving to the defensive line due to injuries in 2007.

In 2008, Beal led the Sooners with 8.5 sacks and led the entire defensive line in tackles. He was also named to the AP All-Big 12 first team in 2008.

Defensive tackles will be junior Gerald McCoy and junior Adrian Taylor.

McCoy is among the best in the country when it comes to defensive tackles. Named the Defensive Freshman of the Year of the Big 12 in 2007, he was also named to the Freshman All-American team by Sporting News, Rivals, and CollegeFootballNews.com.

McCoy has been a menace to the opposition from his first start, collecting over 49 tackles and 8.5 sacks in his first two seasons.

Taylor started all 14 games as a defensive tackle for the Sooners in 2008 and the Fiesta Bowl in 2007. He has recorded 5.5 total sacks, one interception, and a fumble recovery in his playing career.

Weak side linebacker will be incumbent sophomore Travis Lewis. In 2008, Lewis broke Brian Bosworth's freshman record for tackles in a season with 144 tackles.

He recorded double-digit tackles in six games and tied Bosworth's record of 19 tackles in a single game by a freshman. He was also named the Defensive Newcomer of the Year by the Big 12.

Lewis also finished tied for most interceptions on the team with four.

Middle linebacker will be senior Ryan Reynolds. Reynolds was the leader of the Sooner defense until suffering a season-ending injury against Texas. He has started 19 games for the Sooners, recording over 100 tackles, including 13 tackles for loss, and two sacks.

Strong side linebacker will be senior Keenan Clayton. Originally coming to Oklahoma as a defensive back, Clayton started all 14 games last season at the SAM backer position.

He recorded 82 total tackles, 4.5 sacks, and 10 tackles for loss in 2008. He set a record for six forced fumbles on the season, was named to the second team All-Big 12, and recorded the second most passes broken up by a linebacker in OU history with nine.

Field corner will be junior Dominique Franks. Tied with Lewis with four interceptions on the season, Franks is a smothering corner.

Franks broke up 10 passes and returned an interception for a touchdown, as well as a fumble. He's regarded by the coaches as the best shutdown corner on the team.

Boundary corner will be senior Brian Jackson. Jackson was fifth on the team with tackles, compiling 72 a season ago. He also tied with Franks with 10 passes broken up. He finished 2008 with two interceptions and two forced fumbles.

Strong safety will be Sam Proctor. As noted before, Proctor brings in good size and speed. Though this will be his first starting assignment while wearing a Sooner uniform, the coaches and players have nothing but good reviews of Proctor.

Free safety will be Quinton Carter. Carter is known on the team as a hard hitter. He started two games in 2008 when the defense went to starting five defensive backs. In his two starts, he recorded 18 total tackles and broke up two passes.

Leading into the 2009 season, the fans of the Oklahoma Sooners have a lot to be enthusiastic about. They return the bulk of their defense and perhaps the best defensive front seven in the country.

Many fans are looking at this defense as potentially the best in the Stoops Era.

If the BCS title game was any indication of what this defense is capable of, then 2009 is promising to be a very special season for the Oklahoma Sooners.

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A Look at the 2009 Oklahoma Sooners: Offense

Tim Bond — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 06:41:39 -0400

Leading into the 2009 season, the biggest question for Oklahoma's offense is who will start on the Sooners' offensive line.

With Trent Williams being the only starter from the 2008 BCS Championship game returning, who will be there to help protect the 2008 Heisman Trophy winner, Sam Bradford?

Oklahoma does not have a playing time experience question, what they have is a unit question when it comes to the o-line.

If there is a problem when it comes to the line, it is a problem that will be fixed with more starts as a unit, not personnel.

When Oklahoma travels to Dallas to play BYU, the offensive line will most likely look like this:

Senior Trent Williams will be the starter at left tackle.

Williams has started 26 games as a Sooner over the last three seasons. He was named to the Sporting News All-Freshman team in 2006 after starting the final six games of the season. In 2008, he was named to the All-Big 12 first team by the coaches.

Senior Brian Simmons will most likely be starting at left guard. Simmons has played in 35 games with four starts. He has taken over 500 snaps as a guard for the Sooners, totaling over 131 knockdown blocks.

At the center, redshirt freshman Ben Habern should be named the starter. Habern received a medical redshirt last year after suffering an ankle injury against Baylor. He played in three games (including the Baylor game) before the injury and recorded nine knockdown blocks in nine plays against Baylor.

Sophomore Stephen Good will most likely be the starting right guard. Good saw action in four games last season. His best game came against Nebraska recording four knockdown blocks. Good was rated the No. 29 player overall by Rivals.com coming out of high school.

At right tackle, look for junior Cory Brandon to get the nod as the starter. Brandon has saw action in a total of 17 games. In his career as a backup, he has recorded over 20 knockdown blocks.

This unit has the potential to be better than a year ago. All they need is time to jell and more work as a unit.

With the potential offensive line starters out of the way, the rest of the offense looks much like it did a season ago, minus the receivers.

Sam Bradford, the 2008 Heisman Trophy winner will return as the starting quarterback. With two seasons under his belt, Oklahoma should be adding more plays and giving Bradford more responsibility when it comes to audibles. He has been nothing less than spectacular as a starter, finishing both seasons as the No. 1 rated passer in the nation.

The starting running backs will be the same. Oklahoma returns two 1,000-yard rushers in DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown. However, they also have the benefit of Mossis Madu and Jermie Calhoun to give them both much needed rest if the need arises.

Matt Clapp will be the fullback. Clapp is an exceptional blocker and can catch out of the backfield.

Ryan Broyles and Adron Tennell will most likely be the wide receivers. The split end will most likely feature Mossis Madu along with Jameel Owens.

The tight ends will be Preseason All-American Jermaine Gresham along with Brody Eldridge. Eldridge took snaps as a center earlier in the week, while the backup center sat out due to a minor injury. He is also heralded as the best blocker on the team.

In 2008, Oklahoma ran a hurry up, fast-paced offense. This led to more points and more plays for their offense. Look for Oklahoma to run much of the same in 2009.

Not many programs have the versatility that Oklahoma does.

When in the hurry up offense, Oklahoma does not need to substitute its personnel. This leads to defenses being unable to substitute as well as wearing down the opponent.

If Oklahoma can shore up its offensive line and give Sam Bradford four to five seconds a snap, look for the 2009 Oklahoma team to replicate its record-breaking offense from a season ago, and repeat once again as the Big 12 Champions, earning a potential trip to the BCS Championship game in Pasadena.

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The Big 12's Top Five Quarterbacks for 2009

Tim Bond — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 05:48:33 -0400

In 2008, the Big 12 had a great season when it comes to offensive output. These offenses were led by some very good quarterbacks that will not be back in 2009, like Graham Harrell and Chase Daniel. How will the Big 12 quarterback situation look in 2009? There are going to be some very good ones. So here are the top 5.

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Previewing The Oklahoma Sooners' Opponents: BYU

Tim Bond — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 20:48:36 -0400

BYU had a decent season in 2008. After being projected to be at the top of the Mountain West Conference last season, the Cougars ended the season in third place behind Utah and TCU, respectively.

They finished the 2008 season 10-3, losing the Las Vegas Bowl against Arizona.

Key returners for the Cougars are:

QB Max Hall. He is projected as one of the top 10 quarterbacks in the nation coming into the 2009 season. Last year, he passed for 3,957 yards on 330 completions. He was a 69.18% passer and had 35 touchdowns to 14 interceptions. He passing efficiency last season was 11^th best in the nation at 157.21.

RB Harvey Unga. He rushed for 1,132 yards and 11 touchdowns on 240 carries in 2008. In two seasons for the Cougars, Harvey has rushed the ball 488 times for 2,368 yards and 25 touchdowns, while averaging 4.85 yards per carry.

TE Dennis Pitta. Dennis Pitta ranks as one of the better Tight Ends in the country coming into the season this year. He is the leading receiver back for BYU in 2009. He caught 83 passes for 1,083 yards and six touchdowns.

LB Matt Bauman. Matt Bauman is a force at Linebacker. In 2008, he had 50 solo tackles, 58 assisted tackles, 10 total tackles for a loss, and two sacks. He led the team in total tackles and was fourth on the team for sacks.

BYU Strengths:

In 2008, the defense was nothing special for the Cougars. However, coming into the 2009 campaign, they return eight of 11 starters. All eight of the returning starts are seniors, so they have the experience that many teams do not have.

Each level of defense lost one starter last year. Meaning there are no real question marks to fill coming into the 2009 season on defense.

On offense, when you have one of the nations top quarterbacks returning, it is always a plus. What adds to that is the fact that they also return their leading rusher from 2008, as well as their second leading receiver.

BYU Weaknesses:

In 2008, the BYU offense was one of the nation's top offenses. They averaged over 34 points and over 444 yards of offense every game.

They may return Max Hall and Harvey Unga, but what makes the offense a weakness is the fact that they need to replace four offensive line starters. They also need to replace their deep threat from 2008, Austin Collie.

Outlook:

The defense will be rock solid and improved from the 2008 season. BYU has senior leadership on both sides of the ball. The biggest concern is the offensive line. If they can protect Hall and block for Unga, BYU will be a very difficult opponent.

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Oklahoma Sooner Legend: Steve Owens

Tim Bond — Sun, 31 May 2009 07:41:23 -0400

Steve Owens was born December 9, 1947 in Gore, Oklahoma and was raised in Miami, Oklahoma.

His love of Oklahoma Sooner football began when he was just six years old. It was at that time when Oklahoma started their amazing 47 game winning streak. He was 10 when the streak ended.

He played halfback at Miami, OK High School. In his amazing high school career he averaged 7.2 yards per carry and gained over 4,000 yards.

In 1966 he arrived in Norman to play for the Oklahoma Sooners.

His freshman year, then assistant coach Barry Switzer could not decide where to play him. They almost decided to play him at Tight End before settling on Halfback.

Also in his freshman year, he skipped home games to be with his high school sweetheart. He stated that one weekend he went home to break up with her and ended up getting engaged instead. It seemed the married life agreed with Steve Owens.

In 1967, Owens Sophomore season, he help lead the Oklahoma Sooners to a 10-1 record. He rushed for 813 yards and scored 12 touchdowns. However, it was not until the following season when Steve started to gain some attention.

In 1968, Steve Owens gained over 1,500 net yards and 21 touchdowns. On four occasions, the UPI would name Owens to their National Backfield of the Week. He set Big 8 records for rushing yards in a season (1,536) and most net yards in two seasons (2,344).

Also in 1968, Steve Owens broke O.J. Simpson's record of most carries in one season (355) by carrying the ball 357 times. In which he received a phone call from Simpson predicting that Owens would win the Heisman in 1969. Simpson was the 1968 Heisman winner.

In 1969, Steve Owens kept racking up the records for the Oklahoma Sooners. He would go on to rush for at least 100 yards in a game 17 straight times, which still stands as the NCAA record. He would also go on to set since broken records of most career carries (905), most rushing yards (3867), touchdowns (57), and points (336).

Steven Owens would go on to win the 1969 Heisman Trophy, just like O.J. Simpson predicted.

Individual achievements were not that important to Steve Owens. In a game against Colorado in 1969, with Oklahoma winning 42-30 late into the game, Owens had not yet hit the 100 yard mark. He told his teammates, “Let's just fall on the ball and forget the 100 yard stuff. It's not that important”

That is when an offensive guard, Bill Effstrom fired back, “It might not be important to you, but it is sure important to us.” Owens would go on to finish the game with 112 yards and four touchdowns.

In 1970, Steve Owens was drafted 19th overall by the Detroit Lions, but separated a shoulder in a pre-season game. He only played six games that season rushing for 122 yards on 36 carries.

In 1971, Steve Owens became the first Lion to rush for over 1,000 yards. He finished the 1971 season with 1,035 yards on 246 carries. Being just the twenty-eighth player at the time to do so in the NFL.

In 1972, he had a 74 yard touchdown run and was also named to the All-Pro team.

His NFL career was shorten do to a plague of injuries starting in 1975 where he missed the entire season. He retired from the NFL in 1977.

Life after football has not been bad for Steve Owens, in some ways it may be better.

In 1991, Miami High School retired the number he wore (42). His brothers and a nephew also wore the same number while playing there.

He was also inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame and the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame in 1991.

In the mid 1990s, Steve Owens served as the Athletic Director of OU.

He currently owns a brokerage firm in Norman where he resides.

On September 2, 2007, Steve Owens had a statue dedicated to him in Heisman Park, east of Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, commemorating his Heisman Trophy career with the Oklahoma Sooners.

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Oklahoma Sooner Legend: Granville Liggins

Tim Bond — Sun, 31 May 2009 06:21:35 -0400

Granville Liggins was born on June 2, 1946 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

When he was younger, Granville succeeded at sports. No matter what the sport, he was exceptional.

After he graduated high school, he attended the University of Oklahoma.

While at Oklahoma from 1964 to 1967, Granville became the first Sooner athlete to became an All-American in two different sports: football (1966-67) and wrestling (1967).

Liggins played nose guard for the Sooners and was an exceptional defensive player.

In 1967, Granville finished as a two-time All-American, All-Big Eight, and UPI Lineman of the Year. He came in seventh in the Heisman race.

He was a member of the Sooner team that won the 1968 Orange Bowl, beating then No. 2 Tennessee 26-24. He was matched up against the Volunteers All-American center, Bob Johnson. And it got to the point that in the second half Tennessee had to start double- and triple-teaming Liggins in order to stop his pass rush.

Legendary Texas Longhorn coach and Oklahoma player Darrell K. Royal once said of Liggins, “He moves so fast that he looks like he is offsides.” He continues, “Many times he hits the center before the center can even get the ball to the quarterback.”

After his career with Oklahoma, Granville Liggins went on to play professional football.

He was drafted in the tenth round by the Detroit Lions (No. 256 overall). However, instead of playing for the Lions, he decided to take his talents north to Canada. His Canadian Football League career lasted 11 seasons.

He first played for the Calgary Stampeders from 1968 until 1972, earning CFL All-Star status in 1971. Next he played for the Toronto Argonauts from 1973 to 1978, where he earned CFL All-Star status again in 1976.

After his playing career ended, Granville decided to stay in Canada, eventually earning his Canadian citizenship.

In 2004, Granville was featured on the Toronto Parks and Recreation “Contributions of African Canadians” poster created for Black History Month.

He currently resides in Oakville, Ontario and is a member of The Pigskin Club of Washington, D.C., and the National Intercollegiate All-American Football Players Honor Roll.

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Oklahoma Sooner Legend: Billy Vessels

Tim Bond — Sun, 31 May 2009 06:03:20 -0400

Billy “Curly” Vessels was born on Mar. 22, 1931 in Cleveland, OK.

At an early age, Billy found his niche in football, due to a very unstable family life. When he was just 14 years old, his parents and older brother decided to move from Cleveland to Oklahoma City, Billy refused to move with his family.

After his family moved, Billy bounced from friends house to friends house until Robert H. Breeden, then publisher of the Cleveland Newspaper and later Oklahoma State Senator, took him under his wing. That is when Billy Vessels started to see the Oklahoma Sooners in action and decided that is where he was going after he graduated high school.

Billy attended the University of Oklahoma from 1949-1952. However, he did not break into the starting backfield until his Sophomore season at OU.

In 1950, Billy Vessels helped lead the Sooners to their first ever national championship. He rushed for 938 yards on 152 carries and 13 touchdowns. He averaged 6.2 yards per carry.

In 1951, Billy Vessels injured his knee in the second game against Texas A&M. He would miss the rest of the season and his future was grim at that point.

In 1952, Billy worked hard to return to the starting lineup for the Sooners. That summer, back home in Cleveland, OK, he would run barefoot on the sand banks of the Arkansas River to rebuild his knee. The hard work paid off too.

That season, Billy Vessels rushed for 1,072 yards, 17 touchdowns, on 167 carries. He averaged 6.4 yards per carry.

However, he did more than just that. The 5-0-2 Oklahoma Sooners traveled to South Bend, IN to play Notre Dame. In the first ever nationally televised game, Vessels rushed for two touchdowns and caught a third against the Fighting Irish. His rushing touchdowns went for 44 yards and 62 yards, respectively. His touchdown reception was for 27 yards.

Though Oklahoma lost the game 27-21, Billy's performance launched him into greatness forever. Later that season he would be named the winner of the Heisman Trophy, an award honoring the Most Outstanding College Football Player of that season.

Life after Oklahoma was filled with just as much excitement.

In 1953, he was drafted No. 2 overall in the NFL by the Baltimore Colts, but he did not join the Colts after they drafted him. He decided instead to join the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. Where he played only one season, winning the Schenley Award for the best CFL player.

It was not until after a one year stint as an Army Officer, when Billy Vessels would return to football. This time to play for the Baltimore Colts.

Like his CFL career, he ended his NFL, and football, career after just one season. The reason was because of what he remembered coach Bud Wilkinson taught them, “When it ceases to be fun, don't play.”

Billy Vessels then moved to Coral Gables, FL where he took up real estate.

While living in Coral Gables, Billy began serving on the South Florida Coordinating Council, which represented Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties. He also spent many years on Florida's Pari-Mutual Commission, which regulated horse and dog racing, and Jai Alai betting and wagering.

In 1974, Billy Vessels was elected into the College Football Hall of Fame.

On Nov. 17, 2001 Billy Vessels died in Coral Gables, Florida at the age of 70 years old.

In September 2003, Cleveland, OK High School renamed their football stadium, “Billy Vessels Memorial Stadium” in honor of this great Sooner Legend.

On Sept. 9, 2005, the University of Oklahoma dedicated a heroic sized statue of Billy Vessels on the east side of Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. The statue was the first of four current statues honoring the Oklahoma Players that have won the Heisman Trophy. The park is appropriately named, "Heisman Park."

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Oklahoma Sooner Legend: Dr. Prentice Gautt

Tim Bond — Thu, 28 May 2009 05:48:02 -0400

Prentice Gautt was born on Feb. 8, 1939 in Oklahoma City, OK.

In his early years, Gautt played high school football for Douglass High School in Oklahoma City. While playing high school football, he became the first African-American athlete in the state of Oklahoma to play in the All-State football game, where he was chosen as the MVP.

After he graduated high school, Prentice Gautt decided to attend the University of Oklahoma.

When he arrived in Norman, OK in 1956, he became the first African-American to start for the Sooners. However, he was not the first African-American to walk on.

As a freshman, local black doctors and pharmacists donated to the University of Oklahoma to allow Prentice Gautt to attend without having to fund the tuition himself. The reason Prentice was denied a scholarship by Bud Wilkinson was not entirely on Bud himself.

Coach Wilkinson was pressured by donors and boosters not to offer Prentice a scholarship. That only lasted until Prentice's second season. Prentice graduated from OU in 1959.

In his career at Oklahoma, Prentice Gautt became a two time All-Big Eight selection, as well as being named to the Academic All-American team his senior season.

Prentice Gautt averaged 5.5 yards a carry in his career for the Sooners. He also rushed for 1,301 yards on 235 carries with 6 career touchdowns.

After playing for the Sooners, Prentice Gautt played seven seasons in the NFL. He played one season with the Cleveland Browns, where he was drafted in the second round, and six with the St. Louis Cardinals.

After his seven year NFL career, Prentice Gautt went on to coach at the University of Missouri, where he also earned his doctorate in Psychology.

After attaining his Ph.D, Gautt began a life in athletic administration. He first served as an assistant commissioner for the Big Eight Conference. Later he served as a special assistant to the commissioner of the Big 12 conference, where he served until his death.

On Mar. 17, 2005, Prentice Gautt passed away at the age of 66 in Lawrence, KS due to a bacterial infection.

After his death, Prentice Gautt was posthumously given the 2005 Outstanding Contribution to Amateur Football Award by the College Football Hall of Fame and the National Football Foundation, in May of 2005.

In his playing career for the Oklahoma Sooners, Prentice Gautt, ushered in a new era of Sooner football. He was courageous enough to face the scrutiny and ridicule from other races, even teammates, to do what he believed in.

In doing so, Prentice Gautt changed Oklahoma football forever.

Remembering Wayman Tisdale: A Sooner Legend

Tim Bond — Tue, 26 May 2009 04:27:15 -0400

Wayman Lawrence Tisdale was born on June 9, 1964 in Fort Worth, Texas. His father, Louis Tisdale, was a long time pastor of the Friendship Church in Tulsa, OK until he passed away in 1997.

In his early years, Tisdale really did take to the sport of basketball. Sure, he would play pick up games with his older brothers, Weldon and William, but would often quit the games early to go play elsewhere.

It was not until his eighth grade year when Wayman decided to give basketball a legitimate shot in his life.

A product of Booker T. Washington high school, in Tulsa, Wayman decided to go to Oklahoma after he graduated high school.

From 1983-1985, Wayman Tisdale was a force to be reckoned with on the basketball court. He holds the scoring record in a career at Oklahoma.

It stands at 2,661 points in just three seasons. He also holds three of the top six scoring seasons, including the top two spots, in Sooner history.

When it was all said and done at Oklahoma, Wayman held the the school records in scoring, (2,661) rebounding, (1,048) field goals, (1,077) and free throws made (507).

He was also the first three-time Big Eight Conference Player of the Year, as well as the first three-time All-American in Oklahoma history.

His life after Oklahoma is just as accomplished. He won a gold medal in the 1984 Olympics. He also played 13 seasons in the NBA after being drafted No. 2 overall by the Indiana Pacers.

In the NBA, he scored 12,878 points. Grabbed 5,177 rebounds and dished out 1,077 assists. He played for three different NBA franchises in his 13 seasons.

From 1985-1989, he played for the Indiana Pacers. From 1989-1994, he played for the Sacramento Kings, and he finished his NBA career in 1997 with the Phoenix Suns.

Though Wayman Tisdale was able to succeed on the basketball court, his greatest love was not basketball.

It was the art of music.

Wayman was a very talented musician, primarily playing the bass guitar. His first record, Power Forward, was released in 1995 by Motown. He released a total of eight contemporary jazz albums in his music career, with the 2001 release of Face to Face reaching No. 1 on the billboard contemporary jazz charts.

In 2002, Wayman Tisdale was awarded the Legacy Tribute award by the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame.

In March of 2007, Wayman was diagnosed with cancer, stemming from a fall that broke his leg in February of 2007.

In August of 2008, Wayman Tisdale had part of his right leg amputated in an attempt to stop the spread of the cancer. During a halftime game in September, the Sooner athletic department displayed a video message from Wayman Tisdale affirming he was doing well, and that he was at peace in life.

Even though Wayman suffered so much toward the end of his life, you never see him without a smile. He seemed always at peace with life and with God.

No matter how hard it seemed to get, he continued to smile and inspire.

On May 15, 2009, God decided Wayman Lawrence Tisdale had inspired enough people and suffered enough personally, that He took Mr. Tisdale from this world at the age of 44.

Though he is now gone, he will always and forever be listed among the best Ambassadors, not only for the University of Oklahoma, but for the entire state of Oklahoma as well.

The Ultimate NBA Dream Team

Tim Bond — Sun, 17 May 2009 06:49:59 -0400

As you all very well know, the NBA is the supreme league in the world when it comes to professional basketball.

This league has produced players like Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, among others.

However, if you had to choose, who would your ultimate NBA dream team include?

Below is my starting five. I will include each position from Point Guard to Center. I will then list my second overall team.

I know not all will agree, and if you do not, please post a comment listing your ultimate NBA dream team.

My Ultimate Dream Team:

PG: Earvin "Magic" Johnson

SG: Michael Jordan

SF: Larry Bird

PF: Karl Malone

C: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

My second team:

PG: John Stockton

SG: Julius "Dr. J" Erving

SF: Elgin Baylor

PF: Tim Duncan

C: Wilt Chamberlain

And so you have it, my ultimate NBA dream team.

Justin Chaisson: Should He Be Allowed in Norman?

Tim Bond — Sat, 02 May 2009 05:30:17 -0400

Should athletes who have a criminal history, convicted or not, be allowed to play college football?

Should Bob Stoops and the University of Oklahoma continue to honor Justin Chaisson's commitment to play for the Sooners?

Justin Chaisson has pleaded no contest to charges stemming from a March 19, 2009, arrest.

He is accused of holding a screwdriver to his ex-girlfriend and threatening to kill her. As of right now, he has been ordered to one year of probation, where he must attend some sort of domestic violence class.

He still has a court date on May 6 in the Eighth Judicial District Court, where he could still be sentenced to some jail time.

With that said, it is obvious that the District Attorney of the county he lives in agrees to the plea. If the D.A. did not, then there would be no plea and Justin would be headed to trial soon.

Here is what I found on a No Contest Plea:

"However, while the person charged with the crime is not pleading guilty or contesting the charges, he or she is often considered guilty when pleading no contest. If sentencing for a crime is immediate, then the plea does not carry any special weight when a judge considers sentencing.

In fact, a person who wants a trial to defend his or her innocence would probably not use a no-contest plea. Sometimes a court can be petitioned for a change of plea, but this is not always allowed.

Instead, the no-contest plea is almost always used when the plea results in immediate sentencing. Additionally, a person convicted of a crime who pleaded no contest is just as guilty as if he or she pleaded guilty.

In some cases, however, clients who feel they would not win at charges but assert their innocence are convinced to plead no contest since this will result in a plea bargain.

If the case really seems unwinnable in a trial by jury, a shorter sentence option may be more attractive. Yet the person still wants to somehow not make an absolute statement of guilt.

In this case, one may plead no contest to suggest that one is resigned to accepting punishment for the charges but is not making an assertion of guilt.

This may not always be an effective strategy, particularly if the person asserting innocence may also be facing civil court for behaviors for which he or she is pleading no contest.

In fact, a no contest plea is often looked at as a plea of guilty by the civil court, and thus the person is likely to lose lawsuits in civil court that result from damages incurred by the alleged crime.

The no-contest plea does not keep the court from finding the person guilty. In fact, it almost always results in conviction." View Source

Maybe Chaisson does not want to get bogged down in the court. Maybe he wants to move on with his life and get to OU? That, I do not know.

Maybe there are other reasons behind it. Maybe some of what was reported is true, but most of it is blown out of proportion? That too, I do not know.

But what I do know is this: The DA and Justin Chaisson has agreed to a plea bargain, meaning his charges were greatly reduced.
I also know this: the two families are close friends.

Maybe they just wanted to allow both children to get on with their lives and hope that both have learned a valuable lesson?

Hell, maybe the Chaissons (not poor by any stretch of the imagination) decided to give the girl's family some money or whatever? I do not know that, just speculation on my part.

With all that BS said, Since Chaisson has reached an agreement with the D.A., it seems he will only be serving probation time. I think the kid deserves a second chance to make good in his life.

Remember a few years back, the Defensive Lineman for OU (Dusty Dvoracek) that beat the crap out of one of his "friends?" He damn near killed that friend of his. The case was more violent than the one Justin Chaisson is going through.

Since they were such close friends, the guy he put in the hospital and his family did not want to press charges.

Nothing happened to Dvoracek except that Bob Stoops kicked him off the team indefinitely.

Well, Dusty Dvoracek decided to make the best of it. He decided he had a problem. He checked himself into rehab and AA. He cleaned himself up and Bob Stoops gave the young man a second chance.

Needless to say, Dusty Dvoracek, as far as I know, has not been in trouble since then.

So why is it so hard for some of us to give a young person a second chance? It does not matter what team he decided to play for. If he was headed to Austin or Stillwater, I would still feel the same way about it.

He made a mistake. I hope to God he does not make another similar to the one he has already made. No, I hope he learns from this and becomes a very good role model for people.

However, my mind is still reserved for change. If he does it again, or gets into any type of trouble, I think OU needs to kick him off campus and say "see ya" to him.

So again, I ask:

1.) Should athletes who have a criminal history, convicted or not, be allowed to play college football?

2.) Should Bob Stoops and the University of Oklahoma continue to honor Justin Chaisson's commitment to play for the Sooners?

True Role Models: Athletes Who Did More

Tim Bond — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 01:29:26 -0400

We all know about Tim Tebow, Terrell Owens, Tiger Woods, and other well known sports figures. A lot of younger kids look up to them as role models, which is understandable.

Athletes are easy targets for being role models because they are usually more high profile than most. But there are those athletes who you may not have heard of that are true role models. Athletes like Pat Tillman, Carl Pendleton, and Myron Rolle.

These players have decided to move away from their passion for sport to continue their education, to put others' safety first, or to help a child when most wouldn't.

Pat Tillman played for the National Football League's Arizona Cardinals.

After September 11, 2001, Mr. Tillman decided to leave the big money and fast life of the NFL to join the military. While in the military (he was an Army Ranger) he was deployed to Iraq and later to Afghanistan.

While in Afghanistan Mr. Tillman was killed on patrol by a friendly fire incident.

His death is not what made him a true role model. No, it was the fact that he was willing to give up wealth and fame to fight for his country, to fight for those of us that are not willing to do so.

Myron Rolle was a safety for the Florida State Seminoles.

Instead of declaring for the NFL Draft in 2009, Myron Rolle decided to take advantage of a very rare opportunity. He decided that football could be put on hold for at least one season, to become a Rhodes Scholar.

Mr. Rolle is the most prominent athlete to receive a Rhodes Scholar since Bill Bradley did so in 1965.

For continuing his education and putting instant wealth on hold for at least one season, Myron Rolle is a true role model for kids. For those kids that look up to him, they will remember what he did, and hopefully work harder on their education.

Carl Pendleton was a defensive lineman for the Oklahoma Sooners.

Mr. Pendleton bypassed his final year of eligibility in college football (2005) to adopt his stepbrother. He went on to graduate from Oklahoma while giving back to his community and his younger brother.

Mr. Pendleton travels every week around the state of Oklahoma to speak to schools, churches, and youth groups. He is also an active member in the Big Brothers/Sisters of Oklahoma organization.

Passing up football is not what makes Carl Pendleton a true role model; what he has done in life does.

What do all these athletes have in common?

They all decided to better themselves as people over the fame and wealth of professional athletics.

No matter if it is to serve your country in time of need, to get one of the best educations the world has to offer, or to become the legal guardian of a child so the child does not have to grow up in the system, true role models do the things beyond what is called for, on and off the field or court.

True role models could care less about the fame and wealth. They go beyond just to help others and set good examples for those who look up to them.

SoonersNews.com's 2009 Oklahoma Football Preview: Post-Spring Edition

Tim Bond — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 19:40:34 -0400

2009 could be a very magical season for Oklahoma. They will be vying for yet another Big 12 and National Championship.

After 2008 was complete, there were questions on which underclassmen were going to leave early and which would stay.

In a rarely before seen move, all of Oklahoma's NFL eligible underclassmen decided to stay and try for that elusive eighth National Championship.

However, in 2009, there are still some questions that need to be answered before they can make that run. Following the 2009 annual Spring Crimson/Cream game, Oklahoma still has a few problems to fix, but has a better gauge of their future team, and the future looks very promising to say the least.

Without further ado, I present to you the SoonersNews.com's 2009 Sooner Preview.

Offense

Oklahoma will have a pretty familiar look heading into the 2009 season. The back four are all the same as last year, with some very dangerous additions. The wide receivers, though inexperienced, will be able to step in and do their jobs and will be one of the most underrated wide receiving corps in the nation in 2009.

The only real question mark on offense will be the starting offensive linemen, since they lost four from 2008.

During the spring game, this unit did some very good things while making some mistakes. Granted, the new offensive line had to go up against one of the best defensive fronts in all of college football. But the real key lies in whether this unit can give Bradford four to five seconds every snap, which will make OU a very dangerous offense once again.

Quarterback

Sam Bradford looked like Sam Bradford in the annual spring game. He went 11-for-13 for 97 yards and one touchdown. Those numbers are impressive by themselves, but what makes these numbers even more impressive was the fact he was seeing a lot of pressure from the defensive front and was sacked one time.

Sam Bradford's backup will be Landry Jones. Jones struggled in the spring game, going 5-for-12 for 73 yards. He threw one touchdown against one interception. However, his pocket presence and mobility looked very impressive. At this point, if something happens to Bradford, Landry will be able to fill in nicely for the Sooners.

Running Backs

During the Crimson/Cream game, the two star running backs for Oklahoma, Chris Brown and DeMarco Murray, sat on the sidelines. However, Mossis Madu did what he was able to do in either of their absences last season: lead the team in rushing.

Madu finished the spring game with 44 yards rushing on just nine carries.

During the spring game, Oklahoma was seeing what the newcomers could do. Running backs Jeremie Calhoun and Justin Johnson got the bulk of the carries, and both struggled.

Jeremie carried the ball 19 times for just 19 yards, while Johnson carried the rock 14 times for just four yards.

Though the running backs struggled in the spring game, the Sooners will have quality depth, speed, and runners. The starters will be Brown and Murray, but Madu is proving too valuable to be left on the sidelines for this Sooner squad. Look for him to play more in the slot when not getting quality carries at the tailback spot.

Calhoun and Johnson will provide quality depth and an added dimension to the Sooner offense.

Tight Ends

Oklahoma did not have Brody Eldridge or Jermaine Gresham for the spring game, so they were able to use the other three tight ends more. This formation was not bad, but at this point in time none of Trent Ratterree, Eric Mensik, or James Hanna can be compared to Gresham or Eldridge.

When Oklahoma takes the field in Dallas against BYU, Gresham will be the starter without question. He is among the nation's best tight ends and could have been the first tight end drafted in the 2009 draft had he decided to go pro after last season.

Look for Eldridge to fill in for Gresham when Jermaine is in need of a rest or whenever Oklahoma goes to a two or three tight end set, with the third being Hanna.

Wide Receivers

The second biggest question mark coming into the spring practices can be found here at the wide receiver unit.

Oklahoma is missing all three starters from the 2008 team, but do not take that as a step back for Oklahoma.

Oklahoma is filled with talent, size, and speed in this unit. During the spring game, Ryan Broyles, the leading returning receiver, had a solid performance, catching four passes from Bradford for 59 yards.

The other starter will most likely be Adron Tennell. Look for Tennell to be a deep threat-type receiver in 2009. Also look for Jameel Owens to be starting come this fall.

Owens appeared to be more of a possession-type receiver for the Sooners in the spring game, though they did try the deep ball with him a few times. With good speed and size, he will be a very hard receiver to bring down after he catches the ball.

Others that will see the field are Brandon Caleb, Carter Whitson, and Dejuan Miller.

Offensive Linemen

Led by left tackle Trent Williams, the offensive line has some major holes to fill when the season begins.

Judging from what I saw at the spring game, this unit is still searching for its identity.

Brian Simmons should start at left guard. He and Williams did a fine job in the spring game protecting the quarterback's blind side.

Starting at center should be Ben Habern. However, Brian Lepak will be pushing for that starting job as well.

The right side of the ball should be Jarvis Jones (transfer from LSU) at guard and Donald Stephenson at tackle.

Also look for Stephen Good, Jeff Vinson, Kody Cooke, Cory Brandon, and Alex Williams all to vie for starting and backup spots.

Overall, in 2009 the O-line could be better and a lot more athletic than in 2008. They just need the time to gel and get used to playing with each other.

Defense

Oklahoma had a defense last year that many thought was below average.

They seemed to get lethargic when the powerful and high-scoring offense was able to do what they pleased. This led to misleading stats and misunderstanding from the media.

In 2009, this group will once again be a typical Bob Stoops defense, maybe even better. They return all but two starters from last year's team.

The biggest question on defense is which next great safety will be able to step up and shine in 2009.

Defensive Line

The defensive line in 2009 will be the most experienced unit on the team. They may also be the best overall defensive line in the country entering 2009. All starters return for the Sooners.

Led by Gerald McCoy, this unit will rotate seven to nine guys. The starters will most likely be DE Jeremy Beal, NT Adrian Taylor, DT Gerald McCoy, and DE Auston English. Look for Frank Alexander, DeMarcus Granger, Pryce Macon, and others to play quite often in 2009.

Linebackers

2008 was very unkind for the linebacker corps at Oklahoma. However, they have gained valuable experience for 2009. Led by WLB Travis Lewis, this unit will be very intimidating for opposing offenses. They are huge and extremely fast.

With Ryan Reynolds and Austin Box still recouping from injuries, Mike Balogun was able to take over as the middle linebacker and is now showing the coaches what they thought he was capable of. Oklahoma will be fine in the middle with quality and depth.

The strong side will also look familiar for Oklahoma. Returning starter Keenan Clayton will start this season.

Look for all these linebackers to be pushed though. Stoops loves playing the best guy over the incumbent if it is needed. Senior J.R. Bryant and first semester freshman Tom Wort have added much-needed depth for the Sooners. Both had pretty solid spring games.

Defensive Backs

In 2008 this unit was solid, but not great. They lost Nic Harris and Lendy Holmes, both safeties. However, the cornerbacks will be back, and if they improve from 2008, this will be yet another ball-hawking unit for the Sooner defense in 2009.

Boundary cornerback Brian Jackson and field cornerback Dominique Franks both return this season. Look for Quinton Carter to take over at strong safety and Desmond Jackson to take over at free safety for Holmes.

Others that will be vying for a starting spot in 2009 include Joseph Ibiloye, Sam Proctor, and Cortney Carter. Incoming freshman Gabe Lynn and Javon Harris could also make a push to get into the mix before the season starts.

Special Teams

Look for redshirt freshman Tress Way and incumbent Jimmy Stevens to battle for kicking duties in 2009. Way will handle the kickoff duties and the punting duties in 2009.

Oklahoma's 2009 Schedule and My Predictions

09/05/09	BYU (Dallas)	Win
09/12/09	Idaho State	Win
09/19/09	Tulsa	Win
10/03/09	Miami	Win
10/10/09	Baylor	Win
10/17/09	Texas (Dallas)	Win
10/24/09	Kansas	Win
10/31/09	Kansas State	Win
11/07/09	Nebraska	Win
11/14/09	Texas A&M	Win
11/21/09	Texas Tech	Win
11/28/09	Oklahoma State	Win

Home Games

Outlook

Oklahoma will have the defense and the firepower on offense to win every single game in 2009. The biggest inquiry heading into the 2009 season is, who will beat them?

I understand that every game and every week is a different challenge and a difficult task. To win every single game takes tremendous luck and concentration.

I also understand that it will take their best performance each and every week to go undefeated.

With that said, the biggest hurdles for Oklahoma in 2009 will be their trips to Miami, Dallas, Lincoln, and Lubbock. All these trips are winnable games for Oklahoma. This is not to forget Oklahoma State either.

When the Cowboys of Oklahoma State come to Norman, it will be Oklahoma's toughest home game of the season.

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Oklahoma Sooner Athletics: Nothing Else Like It!

Tim Bond — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 23:05:23 -0400

When people think about the Oklahoma Sooner athletic department, the first thought they come to is football. And rightfully so.

The football program from Norman, OK is matched by very few in this great country of ours. Seven National titles, 41 conference championships, and countless individual awards.

But outside of the successes the football program has had, what other successes can fans and knowledgeable folks think of?

Not only does Oklahoma have those seven national championships in football, they also have seven in wrestling, third in the nation behind Oklahoma State and Iowa, respectively. They also have seven in men's gymnastics, the most of any major university in the nation.

But lets go further than just championships.

When talking about football, Oklahoma has had five Heisman Trophy winners and 148 All-Americans. In 2008, the Sooners produced an NCAA record of 716 points in a 14 game season.

In men's basketball, Oklahoma was the first to produce a three-time first-team All-American in Wayman Tisdale. Wayman was a beast for Oklahoma back in the early 1980s. If not for a player named Patrick Ewing, Wayman Tisdale would be a household name.

In women's basketball, just about 13 years ago, OU was thinking about scrubbing the program due to lack of interest and attendance. Then, along came Sherri Coale to revive a rapidly declining program, and boy has she ever!

The Oklahoma women's basketball program produced the first ever four-time first-team All-American in Courtney Paris. The Lady Sooners have also produced five regular season conference titles and four postseason conference titles since 1999-2000.

Not only can OU claim 47 straight wins in football, 1500 wins in men's basketball, and the first four-time All-American in women's basketball. They can also say they are the first to have a basketball player (of eitehr gender) produce over 2,500 points and 2,000 rebounds. Courtney Paris created that record. She also holds the record for the most consecutive double-doubles (112) in both men's and women's NCAA basketball history.

Never has a single athletic program produced both the Heisman Trophy and Naismith Award winners in the same scholastic school year, until Oklahoma did it in 2008-2009. As you all know, Sam Bradford won the 2008 Heisman, while Blake Griffin won the 2009 Naismith award.

What a great athletic department OU has. And it all goes to the credit of not just the coaching staffs, but to the man who is responsible in getting those coaches to Oklahoma, Joe Castiglione, Joe C for short.

Without the best athletic director in the nation, OU would not have Bob Stoops, Jeff Capel, Sherri Coale, Patty Gasso, and the other coaches that are currently at Oklahoma.

So you fans of other teams can claim the final four wins, the national championship teams, the asterisks for conference championships, or whatever you wish.

Oklahoma may have been at the short end of the stick in football and both men and women's basketball this season. But there is no time in the history of OU athletics to be more proud to be a Sooner than now.

And it will only be getting better!

How so? In baseball, Oklahoma is ranked no. 11. Oklahoma is also ranked no. 13 in softball as of April 7th.

So as you can see, the Athletic Department in Norman is building what appears to be a monster. OU already has the best coaches. And now they are bringing in the best players in each respective sport.

Which Is the Better Basketball Job: Oklahoma or Arizona?

Tim Bond — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 00:23:52 -0400

Now, before everyone of you jump to conclusions, just stop, relax, and read on.

Arizona has had a ton of success under their longtime coach, Lute Olson.

Coach Olson went on to win 598 games for the Wildcats. In my opinion, he is one of the best teachers to ever coach the game. However, that is not what this topic or this article is about.

I am wondering what everyone's opinion is when it comes to the different jobs. I know most of you will think Arizona is far and away the better job. I will not argue with your opinions on that. However, numbers do not lie.

From here on out, you will be looking at a minture of statistical numbers showing the differences between the two programs and my opinion.

The History of Arizona Wildcat Basketball:

First Season: 1904

Games played: 2428

All-Time Record: 1567-861 (64.5%)

Conference Titles: 21

NCAA Appearances: 28

NCAA Sweet 16: 14

NCAA Elite 8: 8

NCAA Final Four: 4

National Championship Games: 2

National Championships: 1

20 win seasons: 30

30 win seasons: 3

As you can see, Arizona's history does not look that bad. In fact, it looks better than most of the 300+ programs in the NCAA division 1 league. However, you will notice later, how much of that impressive history occurred since 1983.

The History of Oklahoma Sooner Basketball:

First Season: 1908

Games Played: 2437

All-Time Record: 1497-940 (61.4%)

Conference Titles: 18

NCAA Appearances: 26

NCAA Sweet 16: 8

NCAA Elite 8: 6

NCAA Final Four: 4

National Championship Game: 2

National Championships: 0

20 win seasons: 28

30 win seasons: 5

As you can see, Oklahoma's history rivals that of Arizona. Yes, some things are in favor of Arizona, but overall, these stats are virtually even. So is Arizona truly the better program?

Lute Olson took over Arizona in 1983 following a 4-24 season for the Wildcats. The Wildcats were looking for a coach that had a history of turning programs around. Lute Olson was able to turn the Iowa Hawkeyes into contenders, so what better coach to get?

When he arrived at Arizona, he made an immediate impact. Like I stated earlier. I think Lute Olson was one of the best teachers to have ever coached this game.

So that brings us to the following stats. These stats show us what Arizona was able to accomplish with Lute Olson as their coach. It is very impressive.

However, on the other side of the coin, it shows Arizona lacks consistency without Lute Olson as their man.

Arizona Basketball from 1983-2007 (Under Lute Olson):

Record: 598-188 (76.1%)

Post Season Appearances (NIT and NCAA): 23 (all NCAA Tourney bids)

Sweet 16: 12

Elite 8: 7

Final Four: 4

Championship Games: 2
National Champions: 1

Oklahoma Basketball from 1983-2007:

Record: 597-227 (72.5%)

Post Season Appearances (NIT and NCAA): 24 (all but 4 are NCAA bids)

Sweet 16: 7

Elite 8: 4

Final Four: 2

Championship Games: 1

National Champions: 0

Can you see the difference?

Arizona tops Oklahoma in almost every category while Lute Olson was at the helm. However, it does show the Sooners had some very good success as well.

All these stats show Arizona might have the better history, no matter how slight it is. But it also shows Oklahoma has been the more consistent program throughout the history of each school.

So is Arizona the better basketball job over Oklahoma?

In my opinion, no. But I do think they are both very good programs and both programs are even with each other when it comes to their history in college basketball.

Contact Sport, Not Wrestling: The NCAA Needs To Curb the Excessive Play!

Tim Bond — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 01:43:44 -0400

When I was younger, I loved playing basketball. Like many of you, I would much rather have played at the local park against others, but sometimes had to settle for the driveway, alone, instead.

I did not play organized basketball past elementary school. I was a football player and wrestler. However, the sport has always had my interest.

When in college, I majored in football, with a minor in Athletic Training, so I have been around the sport for quite awhile.

With all that said, I am not a guru like many of you when it comes to basketball, but I am not totally ignorant either.

When taking some athletic training classes, they teach, very briefly, different categories of sport. Two of them being contact sports and collision sports. Basketball is in the former category.

The NCAA knows this, yet it seems as more and more seasons go by, the referees, conferences, and the NCAA itself have allowed some players to receive play against them as if it were a collision sport (football or hockey).

Take Blake Griffin, for example. He has endured some very bad shots that have not drawn much of any type of consequence.

To name some of the stuff he has endured, just this season and the consequences of the play:

Against Southern California, he got hit in the groin area. The player (Leonard Washington) who committed the foul got ejected.
When playing against Utah, Utah guard Luca Drca purposely tripped Griffin at mid-court. It drew a foul in the game, and as far as the game goes, that was it. Luca did get suspended for a game for the trip by the Utah coach.
Against Texas, Griffin was incidentally elbowed during a rebound attempt. The elbow landed in the temple region of his head and it was the leading factor that caused him to miss two and half games late in the season due to a concussion. Though usually routine by many players to secure the ball, it is against the NCAA rules to swing elbows out of the frame of the body. There should have been a foul against Texas. Nothing was called. Not even a minute later, Griffin got brushed in the face by Pittman. A foul was called. Griffin went to the bench and did not return.
While playing Morgan State, Ameer Ali apparently thought the WWE was taking auditions. Instead of playing basketball with less than eight minutes to go in the game, he decided to flip Blake Griffin over his back. Yes, Ali got ejected, but I doubt anything else happens to him. During the same game, Griffin was basically punched in the face by the same guy. The whistle never blew on that play.

It does not stop with Blake Griffin. There have been other dominating players that have had to endure terrible and dirty plays like this throughout college basketball. I point out Blake Griffin for a couple of reasons. The main reasons being he is one of the most prolific players this year and I have seen him in action more than other top players this season.

The trend for excessively rough play seems to be growing, while the referees, coaches, and the NCAA seems to be turning their heads on quite a few of these types of plays and attitudes.

It seems to be becoming a norm in college basketball. A young player goes to college because of new NBA rules stating that a player must be removed from high school at least one season.

When they get to school, they immediately impact the game for their respective team. They end up dominating their competition. Then the competition decides if you cannot beat the team, beat the star player.

However, a player (star or not) does not deserve to be roughed up by any team or any player. No matter the timing of the game or what the outcome is.

I agree with Jeff Capel, head coach of Oklahoma, when he stated, “Elite players may not want to be in college long for fear of getting hurt.”

Think about it. Players like Blake Griffin, Tyler Hansbrough, and others put the big money of the NBA aside for more than one season to play at the college level for whatever reason.

However, if the NCAA continues to allow the type of play that Griffin and others have had to endure in their college careers, then why even stay after the first year?

The risk of injury is already included in the game, why should the risk be multiplied because some thug or some thug coach wants the best player on the opposite team off the court?

To be honest, the only thing I can think the NCAA should do about it is to hand out automatic suspensions if a player gets ejected from a game other than for fouling out.

I am not talking about a one-game suspension. I am talking about a two or three-game suspension for the first offense. Five games for the second offense. And suspended for the rest of a season if more than three offenses occur in a season.

If the play seems to indicate that the coach is behind it, the coach should be ejected for a season or even life.

That may not be the right answer. But not answering the issue is not the answer, either.

I am interested in what you think. If you have a better suggestion as to how to handle the issue, please leave a comment for all to read. I will try to give my opinion on each suggestion given.

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Dear NCAA: Something Smells Fishy About Pete Carroll's Coaching Disciples

Tim Bond — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 04:44:45 -0500

I know I will get criticized and hammered for what I am about to write about. But many outside of this certain university probably agree with me.

Dear NCAA,

You have two new coaches in your college ranks from one coaching tree. Neither has coached a game at his new job. However, both have served as coordinators for the same teacher/coach.

With that said, you could say that both of these coaches learned how to recruit from this coach.

I am talking about Steve Sarkisian and Lane Kiffin.

Both of these young coaches spent time as offensive coordinators at Southern California under the direction and guidance of Pete Carroll.

So what does the new head coach (Steve Sarkisian) at the University of Washington do? Commit two recruiting violations in his short time as the new Husky head coach.

The first was giving recruits a simulation of game-day introductions and stadium entrances.

Now the Huskies have to contend with Sarkisian visiting a recruit who is a high school senior while high school underclassmen (also potential recruits) were present.

As you very well know, coaches cannot talk with or visit juniors until July 1 of the year they become seniors in high school.

Lane Kiffin, the offensive coordinator before Sarkisian, gets hired at Tennessee. What does he do? The same thing as Steve did, simulating game-day activities with recruits.

Where did these guys learn these recruiting tactics? Sure, the second violation by Sarkisian could be an innocent mistake, since the meeting with the upperclassmen was at a hair salon and later at a coffee shop. So let's leave that one for you to determine.

However, when you have two new coaches that have not been away from Southern California or Pete Carroll that long, you have to raise an eyebrow when they both commit the same exact recruiting violation.

So shouldn't you be looking at Pete Carroll and his recruiting standards?

Mr. Carroll still has some smoke floating around about the Reggie Bush ordeal. Be it true or not, when these types of things come about from very young coaches, both taught by the same guy, you have to start to question the recruiting practices of that teacher.

Say what you want. Keep your opinion about the matter to yourself. It does not matter.

Something smells like fish on the campus of Southern California. And until it is proven that Pete Carroll does not recruit in this manner, the smell will always be there.

Thanks for your time,

Concerned College Football Fan

With all that said, my opinion, nor this article, will get the NCAA interested in USC or Pete Carroll. But it sure felt good getting this off my chest.

Must be a nice luxury knowing you are above the rules set forth by the NCAA.

SoonersNews.com Presents: The Top 15 Most Prestigious College Football Programs

Tim Bond — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 08:01:33 -0500

While I watched ESPN and their ramblings about who they felt were the most prestigious programs since 1936, I thought I would do the same just to see if it matches what ESPN did. The minor difference between what Ivan Maisel did and myself is he stopped at number 119. I am doing the top 15.

Before I get to the rankings, I want to describe what I did and why I did it.

First, I put restrictions on what programs could be eligible. Restrictions that will keep teams out that are not currently in the FBS division and/or teams that are fairly new to the division.

To be eligible, a team had to be a current member of the FBS division and a member of the FBS division for at least 50 seasons beginning in 1936. So, teams that are currently members of the FBS division had to be a member since 1959.

Another thing that I did was take only AP national champions from 1936-1997 and the BCS national champion from 1998–present day. This denied split national championships being registered in my rankings. And since everyone lived and died by the AP before the BCS, what better ranking system to use prior to the BCS?

Finally, I added criteria and added a value to it. The criteria are: Winning Percentage, Bowl Winning Percentage, A Value for National Championships, A Value for Wins per Season, and a Value for Undefeated Seasons. I put all these together and divided by 5 to get an average. That average became the rating. The higher the rating, the better the ranking.

SoonersNews.com's Top 15 Most Prestigious Program:

Rank	School	W%	BW%	NC Value	Wins Value	UDS Value	Total
1	Oklahoma	0.74756	0.58333	0.29771	0.11908	0.25518	0.400573662
2	Alabama	0.70752	0.55769	0.25518	0.11228	0.21265	0.369065156
3	Penn State	0.72652	0.67500	0.08506	0.09867	0.21265	0.359580489
4	Notre Dame	0.70618	0.46429	0.34024	0.09527	0.17012	0.355218396
5	Southern Cal	0.69353	0.61905	0.17012	0.10122	0.12759	0.342301543
6	Ohio State	0.74194	0.46154	0.21265	0.10292	0.17012	0.337833309
7	Nebraska	0.68605	0.51111	0.21265	0.10547	0.17012	0.337080405
8	Miami (FL)	0.64573	0.58065	0.21265	0.08336	0.12759	0.329994521
9	Texas	0.71053	0.54167	0.12759	0.10633	0.12759	0.322739596
10	Florida State	0.67073	0.59459	0.08506	0.08251	0.08506	0.303590900
11	Tennessee	0.70905	0.53191	0.08506	0.10633	0.08506	0.303481270
12	Michigan	0.71803	0.47368	0.08506	0.10803	0.12759	0.302478220
13	Georgia	0.66304	0.60227	0.04253	0.09016	0.08506	0.296613961
14	Auburn	0.63534	0.58824	0.04253	0.07996	0.12759	0.294730008
15	Louisiana State	0.63882	0.53750	0.12759	0.07911	0.04253	0.285109288

For a complete look at the rankings. Please click here

This article is also featured on SoonersNews.com ... Because Fans Just Know Better

The Top 10 Active College Football Coaches

Tim Bond — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 23:49:59 -0500

College football has produced some of the most brilliant minds to ever coach the game of football. You can name coaches like Paul “Bear” Bryant, Bud Wilkinson, Tom Osborne, Bo Schembechler, Woody Hayes, and others to the list of the best coaches ever. In this ranking I am sharing with you who I feel are the top 10 active coaches over the past five or so years. If you have any comments, or if you have your own top 10 list of active coaches, please share them in the comments below. Without further ado I present to you, my top 10 list of active College Football Coaches (FBS division only):

Begin Slideshow

Previewing the 2009 Oklahoma Sooners

Tim Bond — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 07:29:37 -0500

What a great season the Oklahoma Sooners had in 2008. They fell short of their ultimate goal, but overall it was a very good season for the program.

There are a lot of things we fans can look forward to heading into spring football and into the 2009 season—things such as national signing day and the NFL draft. Also, things like watching basketball, since Oklahoma looks to be having a good season in that sport too. However, I am writing about what we will see in 2009.

As of right now we are not 100 percent positive that Sam Bradford, Jermaine Gresham, Trent Williams, and Gerald McCoy are coming back for next season. However, from what I have read around the Internet world, I would be very surprised if all of them leave. In fact, I would be surprised if any of them leave early.

Sam Bradford has told receiver recruits that he will be throwing the ball to them next season.

It has been rumored that Jermaine Gresham has stated that he and Bradford will be back in 2009.

Gerald McCoy's mother, before she passed away, made it clear that she wants him to win a National Championship at OU and to finish his degree.

Trent Williams is not expected to be drafted very high, but may have been the best overall offensive lineman OU had this year.

We all know that Manuel Johnson, Juaquin Iglesias, and Quentin Chaney will all be gone due to graduation. We all know that Nic Harris and Lendy Holmes will also be gone due to graduation. Gone too are Duke Robinson, Branndon Braxton, Phil Loadholt, Brian Walker, and Jon Cooper—all senior offensive linemen.

However, what will next season's lineup look like? Who will fill the voids of four starting linemen leaving? Who will fill in at the wide receiver slots? What will the defensive secondary look like?

I will give it my best shot at telling you who I think will be in the starting lineup (as well as some others that will be vying for starting roles) when OU hosts BYU to start the season. Of course, this is including all underclassmen. Obviously if any underclassmen leave early, I will be incorrect.

Offense

Quarterback

Sam Bradford, the 2008 Heisman Trophy winner. Sam Bradford has broken almost all school passing records. Expect him to lead the team on offense in 2009. Backing up Bradford will be Landry Jones, a redshirt freshman from New Mexico and one of the top quarterbacks coming out of high school in 2007.

Running Backs

The running back position will only get more depth. Besides studs DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown, look for Mossis Madu, Jeremy Calhoun, and Justin Johnson to get more involved in 2009. Matt Clapp (fullback) will lead the way as a punishing blocker.

Tight Ends

Jermaine Gresham is arguably the nation's best tight end. He brings great size and speed at the tight end spot. Look for 2009 to be even better with more time working on his strength and hands. Brody Eldridge will be his backup and will be in when running two and three tight end sets.

Wide Receivers

Oklahoma has just a couple of proven receivers returning in 2009. Ryan Broyles will most likely be the go-to guy for Bradford. However, he is not alone. Look for sophomore Jameel Owens, junior Brandon Caleb, senior Adron Tennell, and others to contribute. This will be the second biggest question mark for Oklahoma leading into the 2009 season.

Offensive Linemen

Trent Williams will most likely be moved from right tackle to left tackle to protect Bradford's blind side. This overall unit will be the biggest question mark for the Sooners entering the 2009 season. However, they are not without experience.

Look for the left guard to be Brian Simmons, a starter of four games in his career at OU. Center should be Jason Hannan, but he will be pushed for the starting job by Ben Habern. The right side of the ball should be Jarvis Jones (transfer from LSU) at guard and Donald Stephenson at tackle.

Also look for Stephen Good, Jeff Vinson, Kody Cooke, Cory Brandon, and Alex Williams all to vie for starting and back up spots. Overall, in 2009 the O-line could be better and a lot more athletic than in 2008.

Defense

Defensive Line

The defensive line in 2009 will be the most experienced unit on the team. They may also be the best overall defensive line entering 2009. All starters return for the Sooners.

Linebackers

Look for Austin Box and Ryan Reynolds to compete for the starting MLB position, while Keenan Clayton should be starting at SLB again in 2009. Incoming freshmen Tom Wort, Jaydan Bird, Ronnell Lewis, and Brandon Mahoney could also make contributions heading into the season.

Defensive Backs

In 2008 this unit was solid, but not great. They lose Nic Harris and Lendy Holmes, both safeties in 2008. However, the cornerbacks will be back. And if they improve from 2008, this will be yet another ball-hawking unit for the Sooner defense in 2009.

Boundary cornerback Brian Jackson and field cornerback Dominique Franks return. Look for Quinton Carter to take over at strong safety and Desmond Jackson to take over at free safety for Lendy Holmes.

Others that will be vying for a starting spot in 2009 include Joseph Ibiloye, Sam Proctor, and Cortney Carter. Incoming freshmen Gabe Lynn and Javon Harris could also make a push to get into the mix before the season starts.

Special Teams

In 2008 the special teams play was kind of lethargic to say the least. Look for redshirt freshman Tress Way and incumbent Jimmy Stevens to battle for kicking duties in 2009. Tress Way may also be the punter in 2009 if Oklahoma does not sign a punter this offseason.

Oklahoma's 2009 Schedule

(All dates and times to be determined)

Home games

BYU

Tulsa

@ Miami

TBD (should be a home game)

Baylor

vs. Texas (in Dallas)

@ Kansas

Kansas State

@ Nebraska

Texas A&M

@ Texas Tech

Oklahoma State

Eight Bowl teams on schedule so far. One open date that still needs to be filled. Toughest games should be @ Miami, Texas in Dallas, @ Nebraska, and Oklahoma State.

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Karma Will Cost the Florida Gators the National Championship

Tim Bond — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:17:10 -0500

Now, before I get too far into this article, I want to say I think Tim Tebow is a very good athlete and quarterback. I also want to say that the Florida Gators are a very good football team.

Now then, I am sick and tired of all the Florida this, Florida that, and the Tebow this, Tebow that, talk.

If you scan across the many media outlets on the internet, all you hear about is how fast and good Florida is and how bad the Oklahoma defense is.

Tom Dienhart, a senior sports writer at Rivals said this of Tebow in a recent article:

“He's 6'3", 240 pounds of All-American dream, a larger-than-life icon whose presence makes the 2009 BCS Championship Game, well, a little larger than life.”

Mr. Dienhart also went on to write, “College football's biggest star gets to play on the game's biggest stage Thursday night at Dolphin Stadium. Whatever you do, don't miss it. Cherish this moment. Program your DVR. If you're stuck in the 1990's dust off your VCR and videotape it.”

He continues, “This is Michael Jordan in the NBA Finals in 1993. This is Reggie Jackson in the 1977 World Series. This is Wayne Gretzky in the 1985 Stanley Cup Finals. This is Joe Montana in Super Bowl XXIV.”

Really? Mr. Dienhart, please come back to reality. Please.

Tim Tebow may be a great college football player. He may be an even better person. Hell, he may even be a great role model for young kids. But this kid, I repeat, KID, is not the biggest, or best, college player this year, let alone in the history of college football.

Then we have people like Lee Corso striking down Oklahoma and their defense. Stating mindless drivel after College Game Day did a piece about Gerald McCoy (DT of Oklahoma) losing his mother before he even played a down at OU.

Lee Corso made it clear that it doesn't matter what people say about McCoy, Oklahoma's defense sucks and thats that. Tasteless to say the least, or at least ill timed.

Then you have Skip Balless, yes I know is name is Skip Bayless, but you get the point. Skip Bayless, this self-proclaimed avid Sooner fan trashes one of the starting defensive players for OU. Mr. Balless is about as unprofessional in journalism as one can get. Hell, for a “Sooner Fan,” I use the term lightly when talking about Skip, he trashes OU, Stoops, and their players at any chance he gets.

Now you can disagree with one person's comments. You can say what you wish, thank goodness for being in the “Land of the Free.” However to start calling Dominique Franks names, by changing his name to Dumbinique Franks is flat out disrespectful and childish. Yes, I know I did the same here. But it was to show people how stupid it truly was.

We, the Sooner Nation, have listened to every talking head in the national media. We have listened to all the homer fans of both teams. We have listened to the likes of Texas, USC, and Utah saying they deserve more of a shot than the Sooners. We have listened for 30 days the disrespect that our players and coaches have been receiving. And all I got to say...

Karma is a bitch!

BOOMER SOONER and good luck Gators.

Florida Vs. Oklahoma: Position Vs. Position Break Down

Tim Bond — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 08:59:36 -0500

Florida Back Seven vs. Oklahoma WRs, TEs, and RBs

The Florida secondary is a good one. However, they have only had to face a schedule that included facing teams that averaged just 205 passing yards per game. In this game, they will be facing a team that has passed for 75 yards per game more than the best passing offense they have faced.

Oklahoma WRs have not seen a secondary like this. Loaded with speed and the ability to shut down the pass, Florida has allowed just 174 yards per game through the air. The problem for Florida is the ability to not only cover the TE, but some very elusive running backs and a very fast slot receiver.

Florida will have to shut down 5 legitimate threats to take the ball all the way every time they touch the ball. Something they are not used to seeing this season.

Advantage: Oklahoma

Florida D-line vs. Oklahoma O-line

Florida is very fast on the defensive line. They are just as physical as they are speedy. However, after watching the Alabama/Utah game, the Oklahoma O-line will be the best that they have faced this season.

Oklahoma has potentially 5 NFL draftees on their starting line. No other team in FBS college football can say that. The problem coming into this game for Oklahoma is the speed off the ends.

Oklahoma's tackles have struggled in the past when facing quick and agile defensive ends.

Coming into this game, Florida has not faced an O-Line that can run and pass block like this Sooner Unit. The Oklahoma offensive line is the reason the Sooners have scored over 700 points this season.

Advantage: Even

Oklahoma Back Seven vs. Florida WRs, TEs, and RBs

The advantage Oklahoma has coming into the National Championship is the fact that they have played against some very good offenses this year. However, the straight away speed and the elusiveness of the skilled players for Florida will pose a major problem for Oklahoma. Oklahoma will definitely be challenged by the likes of Percy Harvin and Tebow. Along with Demps and other speedy small running backs. Florida can bust a big play at any moment.

Advantage: Florida

Oklahoma D-Line vs. Florida O-Line

Florida's offensive line will be one of the better O-Lines that Oklahoma will face this season. The same can be said for Florida against the Sooner D-Line.

Oklahoma is No. 3 in the nation in sacks and No. 1 in tackles for loss this season. The speed and power of both of these units will test each other early and often. Oklahoma's D-Line does have the speed to stay up with the spread option of Florida. And that should pose a big problem for Florida.

Advantage: Oklahoma

Sam Bradford vs. Florida Defense

There is a reason why this young man won the 2008 Heisman Trophy. I have had the privilege of watching Sam Bradford in person. It is impressive how quick he sees the field and how he goes from one WR to the next and then back.

I have not seen a college QB have this ability since the mid 1990s when Peyton Manning was at Tennessee. If Florida is unable to get pressure on Bradford, Sam will pick apart the Gator defense with surgical precision.

Tim Tebow vs. Oklahoma Defense

Tim Tebow set a precedent a year ago. He is a very good leader on and off the field. He wills his team to win. He runs the Florida spread option very well.

However, he is going to be going up against a defense that loves to lay the wood on opposing WRs and Runners. Tebow better be prepared for the hits. The advantage for Florida—he does not commit turnovers. He has only thrown for 2 interceptions this season. That in itself is very amazing.

The biggest problem for Tebow starts if he is forced to play out of his element and that is throwing the rock more than running the option. However, he has proven to be accurate when he does throw. But is he when he has to throw more than 25 times in a game?

Overall

This game on paper looks very even on offense and one sided on defense. It appears on paper that Florida has the edge. However, let's not discount what OU brings to the game. This game to me looks to be very evenly matched and should be fun to watch.

The spread is set at 3.5 points in favor of Florida right now. That seems about right and could go for either team in my opinion. Look for both teams to start off slow after such a long lay off.

However, watch for the fast scoring and hurry up offense of Oklahoma to take its toll on Florida's defense. Florida's offense plays into the hands of Oklahoma's defense.

Advantage: Oklahoma

Bring On The National Championship Already!

Tim Bond — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 08:55:04 -0500

When the FedEx BCS National Championship rolls around we will be watching what everyone perceives as two teams among the elite this season.

We will have the pleasure of watching two teams going against each other from arguably the two best conferences in the nation. And that has never faced each other on the field before.

As you know by now, Oklahoma will be facing Florida January 8th, 2009. What does this game have in store for us when we look at what each team has done this season?

Oklahoma has score over 700 points, 702 to be exact. This is only the third time in the history of college football that this feat has been accomplished. And the first in the modern era of college football.

The Sooners have also score at least 61 points in five straight games. This is just the second time this has occurred. Tulsa in 1919 also accomplished this feat.

This will be the second time that two Heisman winning quarterbacks will face off against each other in the BCS era. The first time was when Jason White of Oklahoma played against Matt Leinart of Southern Cal.

Florida has been as dominate as any team has been in recent history. They have a lot of speed on offense that should cause some problems for Oklahoma. This offense is led by one of the most prolific and exciting quarterbacks that college football has ever witnessed.

The Gators have a suffocating defense with tons of speed and great discipline. However, their defense will be facing a no huddle offensive juggernaut that is unrelenting in forcing their will on opposing defenses.

This game is shaping up to be an instant classic.

Throw out the perceptions of the opposing conference fans. Those of the SEC think the Big 12 does not play defense. Those of the Big 12 believe that the SEC lack any true offensive powerhouses.

You have a coach on one side that was an intricate part in helping Florida to their first ever National Championship in 1996 and getting Oklahoma out of their dark years. On the other side, you have the coach that led the Gators to their second title in 11 years.

We should see both teams score points. We should experience an exciting high scoring game. We all should be watching a game that is truly billed as a national championship game.

But will we really see all of this?

I remember in 2000, Oklahoma was facing another team from Florida, in Florida. Both teams scored a lot of points and had decent defenses. However the game produced the lowest scoring BCS Title game to date. Will we have the same type of outcome this time?

People want to think not. But it is possible. Both teams are good at ball hawking. Both teams are very disciplined and fast.

If you are a fan of either team, you are ready for this game to be played. We all are tired of the wait.

If you are a fan of a different team, you should be ready for this game. It should be a dandy. Everyone has predicted this, that, and the other. People have pulled out and compared stats from every direction. Fans have talked trash and respect about both teams on the message boards and chat rooms.

All you fans of teams not participating really want a playoff? I know it would have been good for this year. But would a playoff really create this much excitement and animosity? Would a playoff really gather this much interest, even from fans of other teams? Would a playoff really be worth what we have today? The build up of a month long wait for a game that is billed as the National Championship?

All answers lead to no.

Bring on the Gators. Bring on the Sooners.

Better yet, bring on the 2008 National Championship game already!

Big 12 Football: Chicken or The Egg?

Tim Bond — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 06:05:38 -0500

SEC fans want to talk about how bad Oklahoma's defense is. They also want to speak about how the terrible defenses in the Big 12 make the offenses look a lot better.

Now, this may be the classic chicken or egg argument. But I will say this. The SEC fans tend to forget how bad their offenses are. This tends to create a falsehood that the defenses look better than what they truly are.

Lets look at some things before we continue.

On defense Oklahoma has faced a schedule where their opponents on the season have averaged some really good numbers.

Average number of plays per game for those offenses are 69.84 plays per game. Florida's opponents averaged 65.66 plays per game on offense.
Average yards per play for those offenses are 6.36 yards/play. Florida's opponents averaged 5.37 yards per play.
Average yards per game for those offenses are 445.36 yards/game. Florida opponents averaged 352.59 yards per game.

Now when you look at the defenses that Oklahoma has faced compared to what Florida has faced, there is a huge gap compared to the offenses both have faced. And that gap leans in toward Oklahoma.

(Florida listed first)

Average number of plays per game for those defenses are 63.89 plays per game. Oklahoma's opponents averaged 71.17 plays per game.
Average yards per play for those defenses are 4.81 yards per play. Oklahoma's opponents averaged 5.65 yards per play.
Average yards per game for those defenses are 307.64 yards per game. Oklahoma opponents have averaged 401.76 yards per game.

Now these numbers are not suggesting which team is better. However, they are suggesting which team has played better competition this year. And when looking at these numbers it slightly favors Oklahoma. If these numbers are not good enough for you, try looking at current rankings.

Oklahoma has beaten No. 7 Texas Tech, No. 11 TCU, No. 12 Cincinnati, No. 13 Oklahoma State, No. 21 Missouri. They lost to No. 3 Texas.

Florida has beaten No. 4 Alabama and No. 15 Georgia. They lost to No. 25 Ole Miss.

Looking at these numbers, I will gladly take my chances on the Oklahoma Sooners to win the 2008 National Championship.

You forgetful SEC fans can use the perception of how bad the Big 12 defenses are. I will use the fact that Oklahoma has faced offenses that average a rank of No. 24 in the land.