Oklahoma Sooners 2009 Football Betting Preview

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Oklahoma 2008 Record: (12-2, 7-1)
Oklahoma 2008 Bowl: BCS National Championship vs. Florida (L 14-24)
Oklahoma Coach: Bob Stoops (109-24 at Oklahoma, 109-24 overall)
Oklahoma Offensive Coordinator: Kevin Wilson
Oklahoma Defensive Coordinator: Brent Venables
Oklahoma Returning Stats Leaders:

• Rushing: Chris Brown, RB, 1,220 yards
• Passing: Sam Bradford, QB, 4,720 yards
• Receiving: Jermaine Gresham, TE, 950 yards
• Tackles: Travis Lewis, LB, 144
• Sacks: Jeremy Beal, DE, 8.5
• Interceptions: Dominique Franks, CB, 4; Travis Lewis, LB, 4

Notable Oklahoma Returning Players: WR Ryan Broyes, LB Keenan Clayton, DE Auston English, CB Brian Jackson, DT Gerald McCoy, RB DeMarco Murray, LB Ryan Reynolds, DT Adrian Taylor, OT Trent Williams

Oklahoma Key Losses: C Jon Cooper, S Nic Harris, S Lendy Holmes, WR Juaquin Iglesias, WR Manuel Johnson, OT Phil Loadholt, G Duke Robinson, G Brandon Walker

Bob Stoops has to be going nuts right now. The Sooners posted a 12-1 mark to earn a berth in the BCS Championship game in 2008 but their vaunted offense was stopped inside the ten yard line twice and OU lost their 5 th consecutive BCS game by the score of 24-14 to Florida. If I were Stoops, I’d be very anxious to get my super high powered offense led by the defending Heisman Trophy winner back out on the field and get to work after having to hear all offseason how I’ve lost my touch in big games. Can Oklahoma win their 4th consecutive Big XII Title this season?

The Oklahoma offense was the country’s best last fall, averaging over 51 points per game! Junior quarterback Sam Bradford threw for 4,700 yards and 50 touchdowns en route to winning the Heisman Trophy. Bradford turned down the NFL for one more chance at a National Title and should have a huge year. However, OU wasn’t all about the passing game last fall as senior Chris Brown and junior DeMarco Murray both were thousand yard rushers, combining for over 2,200 yards and 34 rushing touchdowns! Their exploits led Oklahoma to average 200 yards per game on the ground and both will be very dangerous once again this fall.

That said, there are some big concerns for the Sooners. Two of their top three receivers moved on to NFL careers and they accounted for nearly 1,900 yards and 19 touchdowns last fall. The good news is that senior tight end Jermaine Gresham was a 1st team All-Big XII choice last fall and sophomore receiver Ryan Broyles added 46 catches and 6 touchdowns, so expect Bradford to have plenty of targets to throw to. The real concern is the offensive line, where only one starter is back after four multiyear starters graduated last season. Bradford had what seemed like a decade to throw thanks to great protection and retooling the line could be an issue. However, OU recruits as well as anyone and should have plenty of talent available to step in. Expect a solid line but it won’t match up to last year’s exceptional unit. While I’m concerned about Bradford having time to throw, Oklahoma could score two less touchdowns per game and still field an extremely prolific offense! Expect another strong season from the defending Heisman Trophy winner and his offense should be one of the best in the country.

While the Sooners lost a lot of key parts on offense, the vast majority of the 2nd toughest defense in the Big XII returns intact, including the entire front seven! Everything will start up front with junior tackle Gerald McCoy, who was a 2 nd team All-American and turned down a shot at being drafted in the top 10 this past April. McCoy should anchor a powerful run defense and he also combined with fellow tackle Adrian Taylor for 11 sacks last season. OU’s ends are also exceptional as senior Austin English was a 1st team All-Big XII selection in 2007 before fighting through injuries last fall and junior Jeremy Beal earned 2nd team All-Big XII honors in 2008 thanks to his 61 tackles and 8.5 sacks! This is the best defensive line in the entire conference and they’ll be vicious against both pass and run.

The linebackers have a ton of experience thanks to major injury issues in 2008. Senior Ryan Reynolds’ importance to the team became very clear after he hurt his knee against Texas, leading OU to turn an 8 point lead into a 10 point loss in a quarter and a half! Reynolds’ health is a major concern because he’s already had 2 ACL injuries during his time at OU and keeping him on the field will be paramount. Luckily, senior Keenan Clayton was great last year with 82 tackles, 4.5 sacks and a pick and sophomore Travis Lewis led the team in tackles with 144 while adding 3.5 sacks and 4 interceptions! That earned Lewis Big XII Freshman Defensive Player of the Year honors. Expect Oklahoma to field a great group of linebackers. The secondary is the only part of the team that has any losses as both safeties must be replaced. Junior Quinton Carter was solid in a reserve role last fall but OU will miss Lendy Holmes’ playmaking abilities. However, with both cornerbacks returning and a ton of talent waiting in the wings, I expect another solid year in pass defense. Overall, Oklahoma could easily field the toughest defense in the conference this fall thanks to their powerful presence up front.

Their schedule is a very tough slate, beginning with three big non-conference games. OU opens up in Arlington against BYU before hosting upstart Tulsa two weeks later. Their only BCS matchup comes as they travel to Miami to take on the vastly improved Hurricanes, giving them the Big XII’s toughest out of conference lineup. In Big XII play, OU only has three true road games, though they do have to travel to Kansas, Nebraska and Texas Tech. As always, the Red River Shootout will be in Dallas and that should be one of the biggest games in college football this year.

Overall, it is really hard to not like the Sooners. They have the returning Heisman Trophy winner at quarterback, two 1,000 yard rushers and the league’s best tight end on offense. Their defense is big, fast and nasty and should be much healthier this fall. Their offensive line is a concern but Oklahoma always fields strong units no matter how many starters they lose. The Sooners have a tough schedule, drawing the two favorites out of the North and a trip to Texas Tech. OU will probably play six ranked teams this season! Along with the two neutral site games and the trip to Miami, that means that six of the Sooners’ seven biggest games will take place away from Norman! That’s big because Oklahoma has only lost one home game since 2001! However, I expect Bradford to lead a powerful offense that will be only slightly less explosive than last year’s record-setting edition. Furthermore, Oklahoma has a great defense that will shut down the majority of opponents. The only reason I’m not picking them to win the South is that there is a very angry Texas team who beat them last fall but was passed over for a chance to play at for the National Title waiting for them in Dallas and I think that the Longhorns match up better with OU. However, if the Sooners knock off Texas, they’re immediately the favorite to win the South Division and Oklahoma is definitely a National Title contender in 2009.

Oklahoma Big Games: Sept. 5th vs. BYU ( Arlington), Oct. 3rd @ Miami, Oct. 17th vs. Texas (Dallas), Oct. 24th @ Kansas, Nov. 7th @ Nebraska, Nov. 21st @ Texas Tech, Nov. 28th vs. Ok St

Oklahoma’s Strength:

Bradford threw for an amazing 4,720 yards and 50 touchdowns last year. What can he do for an encore? The offense has some major losses, but they are not in the backfield. Running backs Chris Brown and DeMarco Murray both eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark and it is quite possible that they both will again this year too. Oklahoma was known for their offense last season, but it could be the defense that turns the Sooners into a top five team. Besides safeties Nic Harris and Lendy Holmes, Oklahoma returns their entire defense. The team tallied three sacks per game last year and that lofty number could get even more impressive with the return of ends Jeremy Beal and Auston English and tackle Gerald McCoy. The group in the middle of the defense is equally impressive anchored by Travis Lewis, Keenan Clayton and Ryan Reynolds. As long as the new safeties can hold their own, this will be a very strong defense.

Oklahoma’s Weakness:

On the field the problem is the offensive line. Williams is back and will be a great tackle, but the best o-line in football has to replace Phil Loadholt, Duke Robinson, Jon Cooper and Brandon Walker. Certainly Coach Bob Stoops has plenty of big horses in the stable, but the Sooners line will not be as effective without those four. With Gresham back Bradford has his safety outlet, but who are going to be the new deep threats? Juaquin Iglesias and Manuel Johnson were the two most productive receivers last season and now they are gone. That leaves Ryan Broyles as the main target and a handful of inexperienced players who have to step up and be ready to contribute.

Our Prediction for the 2009 Sooners:

Despite the on-field issues, which will likely not be issues at all since Oklahoma will reload quite quickly, the real problem could be the team’s mindset. The Sooners have lost some big games over the last few years, including last year’s national championship. Can this team win the big game? The answer is probably yes, but is this the group that can win it all and put that stigma behind them?

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