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Looking out for No. 1

Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops has guided the Sooners to the No.1 ranking for the first time since 2003. MICHAEL WYKE/Tulsa World

 
By JOHN E. HOOVER World Sports Writer
Published: 10/1/2008  2:05 AM
Last Modified: 10/1/2008  2:20 AM

Audio: Listen to a one-minute answer from Sam Bradford talking about the differences a year makes. He says he doesn’t get rattled as much as he did last year as a freshman and mentions a few games in which he felt like he was out of his comfort zone last season.



Recent history says Sooners should watch their backs



NORMAN — Being No. 1 isn't what it used to be.

During the entire 1995 season, only two teams sat atop the Associated Press poll — Florida State and Nebraska.

In 1998, it was Ohio State and Tennessee. In '99, Florida State went wire-to-wire. Nebraska and Oklahoma switched just once in 2000. In 2003, the Sooners nearly finished off a preseason No. 1 ranking. In '04 and '05, USC started and finished at No. 1 before losing the '05 title game to Texas. And in '06, Ohio State ran the table from start to finish before falling in the championship game to Florida.

Starting in 2007, though, college football's No. 1-ranked team might as well be one of those ducks at the midway shooting gallery, just as susceptible to being picked off as teams at No. 6, 13 or 25.

This week, it is Oklahoma.

"It's an old story anymore," OU coach Bob Stoops said. "Through the years, in every conference, you see upsets. If you're not prepared to play at your best, you can be beat. And it's happened to everybody out there."

The Sooners (4-0) are No. 1 for the first time since 2003.

They take a trip to Waco, Texas, on Saturday for an 11:30 a.m. game against unranked Baylor (2-2).

Other than the fact that Baylor has never beaten OU (0-17), and has never beaten a No. 1-ranked team (0-10-1), there are no indications that the Sooners are invulnerable this week.

"Us being the University of Oklahoma, we've always got a target on our back," OU wide receiver Manuel Johnson said.

"I think we're kind of like the Yankees; everybody wants to beat us. But with the No. 1 on our back, we're going to have to step it up. They saw Ole Miss beat Florida; they saw Oregon State beat USC. So I'm sure they're thinking, 'Why can't (we) do it?' "

Last season, troubled — and hunted — was the head that wore the crown.

Five No. 1-ranked teams lost last year.

So did a whole bunch of No. 2's and 3's (OU, for example, three times).

The top spot changed hands seven times, the most volatile it has been since 1981.

"It's kind of like they say, 'Poison will only kill you if you swallow it,' " Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said. "The only burden is if you start listening to folks' glowing reports and discussion of what may be ahead of you in the future and all the things that you're supposedly going to accomplish. If you start believing that and listening to that and allowing it to distract you, there's no question about it, it's a tough position to be in."

Tressel's Buckeyes started last year 10-0 and sat at No. 1 for four weeks — but only after USC and LSU already had been knocked off. Then Ohio State lost a regular-season game to unranked Illinois. The Buckeyes also were ranked No. 1 when they lost to LSU in the national championship game. LSU earlier in the year had become the first No. 1-ranked team to lose twice in a season since Notre Dame in 1990, but still won the national title.

"I think the bull's-eye is always on folks like Oklahoma," Tressel said. "It's not like there's going to be a renewed bull's-eye or something. The Sooners face it every week, no matter who they're playing."

Missouri was ranked No. 1 last year when OU defeated it in the Big 12 championship game. Had they prevailed, the Tigers likely would have played Ohio State for the national title instead of LSU.

Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel said being No. 1 was not a burden, adding, "it's just a number." But he later said, "I think there was definitely a lot of burden on our backs. I don't think we looked at it that way going in, but we obviously knew that, 'If we take care of business this game, then we're playing for the national championship game in Louisiana.' "

West Virginia didn't make it to the top of the AP poll, but the Mountaineers were No. 1 in the one that counts toward the Bowl Championship Series standings and the BCS national championship game — for one week.

Then they lost to an unranked Pittsburgh team in the final week of the regular season.

"I think the biggest thing as coaches is just go through your daily process and don't change anything you're doing whether you're ranked highly or not," Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez said, who coached that Mountaineers team. "That way, the players can understand things are the same every week."

In the Barry Switzer Center, USC's loss to Oregon State and the Sooners' victory over TCU — and the ensuing shuffle at the top of the polls — were not exactly cause for celebration.

"I'm not going to sit here and act like it's a horrible thing. But I'm not jumping up and down, either," Stoops said. "The bottom line is this is what we've done to this point in the year. All that matters now is what we do this week."

"There ain't no satisfaction," linebacker Keenan Clayton said. "On Jan. 9, if we're still No. 1, then we'll be satisfied."

Perils of the peak



Facts about No. 1-ranked teams in the Associated Press college football poll:

  • From 1991 to 2006, No. 1 lost 19 times, but only three times to unranked teams. (The last was OU’s 30-26 defeat at Texas A&M in 2002.)


  • Last season and so far this season, the No. 1 team in the Associated Press poll lost six times, and four of those — LSU twice (to Kentucky and Arkansas last year) and USC twice (to Stanford last year and again last week to Oregon State) — came against unranked teams.


  • In 1990, the top-ranked team lost five times — including two by Notre Dame. That had not happened again before last season, when both Ohio State and LSU each lost twice as the No. 1 team.


  • Last year, the No. 1 ranking changed hands seven times. That had happened previously only three times, in 1960, ’62 and ’81.


  • No. 1 teams in the coaches poll are not immune. West Virginia was No. 1 in that edition before losing to unranked Pittsburgh in 2007.


More quality players exist, leading to parity



No. 1 teams so susceptible to being upset, particularly by unranked opponents."

Apparently, there is more parity in college football than there was just five years ago.

The root goes back to high school. More high school programs nationally do a better job developing players, so there are more quality prospects than ever.

Quarterbacks and receivers, in particular, are more advanced, said OU defensive coordinator Brent Venables. Credit that to the ubiquitous offseason camps and scouting combines, which emphasize passing and receciving skills.

College coaching also has evolved, particularly on offense, where the spread has leveled many playing fields.

“It’s parity, ability to shorten the game, ability to make some big plays, conversions, turnovers —that’s the game, you know?” Venables said. “Very seldom anymore can you just go out there and outman them. There’s a lot more schemes to it. No one is lining up (and running power) lead plays very often.

“Look at the USC game; (Oregon State) was able to control clock. If you have one or two guys who don’t play well, it doesn’t matter what the other nine do. They can attack a weakness.

I think you saw that a couple of nights ago. (Oregon State) hit them on a couple big plays. It doesn’t take much. Everyone has good players anymore.”



John E. Hoover 581-8384
john.hoover@tulsaworld.com
By JOHN E. HOOVER World Sports Writer

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COMMENTS 
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10 comments have been made for this team so far. Tell us what you think below!
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If you see a comment that violates our terms and conditions, please help us by clicking the "Report this Comment" link next to a comment. That will alert the web staff to review the comment. Thank you.  -- Web Editor Jason Collington
 

 
Report Comment
tulsaOUfan, Tulsa (10/1/2008 7:02:12 AM)
What's the point of this story? That number ones get beat? Duh

The TW sports people just can't stand it that OU is at #1 in the polls. "Why, oh, why can't they just put okie state there instead. I's just don't understands it."
Report Comment
JDW, (10/1/2008 8:50:35 AM)
A sports fan complaining that the press hates their team, but loves their rival. How original.
Report Comment
oak, (10/1/2008 9:32:59 AM)
typical OU fans...... always crying
Report Comment
Stonewall, (10/1/2008 11:16:41 AM)
Still mad because the Sooners took the Hurricanes behind the woodshed for a smackdown.
Report Comment
wsums2, Cincinnati (10/1/2008 11:19:43 AM)
AS an OU fan all my life, it's refreshing to be atop the polls again. Everyone wants their team to be #1. I always worry about too much press and our own team reading their own press clippings. It's a hard game and even more disfficult to stay on top. Everyone knows we have the team to go all the way, if all players, play great in every game, have no injuries, and get lucky a lot. Parity is now a fact of live, look at BYU, S. Florida, Boise St., Utah, Miss St., etc.

As Barry Switzer once coined the phrase, "Humility is only one week away in this business!" Too early for chest pounding and besides, if we didn't have any of those other good teams to play, we wouldn't have much to brag about.

Undefeated teams in Big 12, Missouri, OSU, Nebraska, Texas, Tx Tech. To win a the BCS NC, we have to beat all of them plus Kanasas, K-st, tA&M to. We just can't ever relax. GO SOONERS!
Report Comment
lovinlife@40, Broken Arrow (10/1/2008 1:57:51 PM)
Typical OU haters; always jumping on an OU article and posting negative comments about the fans. Sour grapes? BOOMER SOONER!
Report Comment
Sooner Alum 04, (10/1/2008 3:06:32 PM)
The article is rather pointless but let's be real when it comes to the TW sports writers; we're just lucky T. Boone hasn't bought the paper yet. Anyways, this team is hungrier than I've seen in a long time and definitely have the talent and attitude to go all the way. I bet OSU can make the Independence Bowl again? Who knows?
Report Comment
Chicago Sooner44, (10/1/2008 5:51:44 PM)
I am a Sooner fan from way back....And by the way a OSU fan and TU fan... excep when they are playng OU. Sometimes, fans embrass me. They behave like children. And no school has a corner on the rude fan. Obviously, they can type to because they have shown up in your blog. Your article is right on. Play at your best, you have a chance. Do not play at your best and your chances narrow. I am proud of OU achieving # 1. But the real measurement is how they end the season. Tressel is right. There is always a target on OU's back. Just just gets bigger when you # 1.
Report Comment
Have that, America (10/2/2008 11:03:49 AM)
Baylor is looking much better this year than they have in the past, but I still don't see this as much of a real test for this OU team.

OU's first test will be against Texas...should be a good game. Don't think either side should expect a blowout, and I won't be suprised if either side wins/loses. I don't see how it could be considered an upset when its played on a neutral field, against a rival ranked in the top 5.
Report Comment
Drumie, Palatine, IL (10/3/2008 9:45:56 PM)
If OU can get to the BCS championship game, OU will probably have to run the table on the rest of its games. I just hope that they are not too beat up if they make it that far. Then they will have to go up against the likes of LSU and/or USC. They have not done too well in bowl games in the past few years. I am still smarting because of the Boise State game.
 

 
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