Sooners already in the '08 hunt
Published: 1/17/2008 9:19 PM
Last Modified: 1/17/2008 9:19 PM
The fact that we're still a couple months from spring practice hasn't stopped know-it-alls from forecasting the 2008 college football season. Where does Oklahoma stack up?
Check it out...
Sporting News columnist Matt Hayes leads off his pre-preseason top 25 with the top-ranked Sooners, who come in ahead of Georgia, Missouri, USC and Texas: "I know, I know, the Sooners can't win a BCS game. The trio of QB Sam Bradford, TB DeMarco Murray and WR Juaquin Iglesias, and a bulldozing offensive line, however, will translate to the best offense in the country."
Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News puts OU No. 2, behind Georgia and just ahead of Missouri: "The Sooners did well to reach a BCS game with a freshman quarterback (Sam Bradford) and should get back there next season. But will Bob Stoops figure out how to coach in January?"
CBS analyst Gary Danielson slots the Sooners No. 3, behind USC and Florida and ahead of Mizzou and Ohio State: "Bob Stoops has experience at quarterback and a quality schedule. The Big 12 doesn't have to make any excuses for quality of play: Missouri, Kansas, Texas, Texas Tech, Colorado, Texas A&M and even Nebraska will play tough."
Stewart Mandel of SI.com also had the Sooners third coming out of the bowl games. Then Malcolm Kelly, Curtis Lofton and Reggie Smith skipped town. Now it's No. 7: "No team was hit harder by NFL defections than OU, which lost its three best players. The offense is still stacked, but the defense now has several holes."
-- Guerin Emig
Written by
Guerin Emig
Sports Writer
