Oklahoma Football: How Can Sooners Regain No. 1 Ranking?

The Oklahoma Sooners are currently ranked No. 3 in the BCS poll behind LSU and Alabama.

Now, those teams still have to play each other and that will give OU the No. 2 slot. However, there are still some things this OU team needs to do to regain their No. 1 ranking.

What five things must OU do to claim their spot on top of the national standings? Read on to find out.

5) Keep Landry Jones Protected

The Sooners have done a pretty good job of this so far.

After giving up 19 sacks last year, this offense line has only let opposing teams get to Landry Jones' twice.

There's still a lot of season left to play and things could go wrong, but that's an impressive number at this point.

That said, Jones's doesn't have the best composure in the pocket. When he feels pressure he begins to get jittery, shuffle his feet and make mistakes.

The Sooners don't have to worry as much about those mistakes when they're playing a lesser team, but they'll need to clean it up against teams like Oklahoma State.

Jones has six interceptions on the year, which isn't a huge number. However, when he goes up against a ball-hawking unit like OK State, those bad passes other teams let fall to the ground might be picked off.

The line will have to make sure he stays comfortable back there so they can avoid disaster. 

4) Cut Down on Mental Lapses in the Secondary

OU's defense has been much better than I'd thought it'd be, particularly the front seven.

The defensive line has been racking up sacks and the linebackers have been stout since regaining Travis Lewis from injury.

However, the secondary, or the "Sharks" as they call themselves, has been inconsistent.

This isn't to say that they're playing bad; in fact, they're only giving up 201 yards passing per game.

That said, they tend to make mental mistakes and get themselves out of position from time to time.

Much like Landry Jones' problems with pressure, the Sooners have been able to play through their secondaries mental lapses because they were more talented than their opponents.

Against stiffer competition, guys OU's interception leader Tony Jefferson are going to have to step up their mental game and help the team pick up the victory. 

3) Up the Return Game

While Bob Stoops has enjoyed great play on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball, the same can't be said for the return game. 

The team's leading kickoff returner Trey Franks is averaging 23 yards a return this year, but the team is only averaging 19.2 yards and has yet to bring back a touchdown.

Obviously, the Sooners have been able to play well without great field position off of opponent scores, but it would be very helpful if Franks could start them closer to pay dirt.

On the other side of the return game, Ryan Broyles is only averaging 9.85 yards per return and has yet to break one for a score.

The special teams coach might think about taking him off of punt return duty to focus on his other more important position.

If Broyles comes off and just plays wide receiver I'm not sure who would step into his place, but someone electric needs to be back there making things happen.

The Sooners haven't had a problem starting from further back in their own half so far this year. However, they may need all the help they can get as they move into the real meat of their schedule.

Someone like Franks needs to give the offense a smaller playing field and then they can score even easier.

2) Improve Red-Zone Efficiency

Last week against the Kansas Jayhawks, the Sooners were able to make it past the Jayhawks' 28 times.

However, they only came away with three scores. That kind of play must be turned around before this team goes into Stillwater for Bedlam.

Ryan Broyles is one of the best, if not the best, receivers in the nation. He's only 5'10" and doesn't have height advantage down in the red zone.

The Sooners need one of their six foot plus receivers to step up. Kenny Stills has five touchdowns on the year, but most of them have come on longer throws.

The 6'2" Jaz Reynolds might be the answer. He's really been coming on strong of late and has the body frame you look for in a red-zone target.

Whoever the team decides to go to when they have a chance to score is going to have to step up and perform when called upon.

Reynolds and Stills both have the ability to become a reliable target in the end zone, they just need to perform on a more consistent basis. 

1) Don't Get Caught Looking Ahead

The biggest mistake the Sooners could make is to think they can easily beat every team on their schedule, until the late season showdown with Oklahoma State.

If they are caught looking ahead to the biggest game of the season, one of their many quality opponents will take advantage.

This will ruin OU's dreams before they ever really started. 

With so many quality opponents left to go, the Sooners aren't going to have an easy ride to an undefeated season.

After this week's matchup with Texas Tech, they have back-to-back games against Top-20 teams in the Kansas State Wildcats and the Texas A&M Aggies.

Then they have to go into Waco and face the very dangerous Robert Griffin III, before going to Stillwater for a game against the white hot Cowboys.

That last game is obviously the most important one because it represents OU's biggest chance of losing a game.

That said, Bob Stoops would be making a big mistake if he doesn't make sure his team is only focusing on the next game and not risking getting caught looking ahead.