The way too early 2010 depth chart.

Oklahoma has heard some good news over the last few days while the Sooners have been preparing to face Toby Gerhart and the Stanford Cardinal in the Sun Bowl. Almost everyone suffering from anything other than a season ending injury is back and there has been some positive talk about play makers coming back to spend their Junior and Senior years in Norman.

TBB presents to you, the way too early 2010 depth chart.

Offense:

QB: Landry Jones

RB: Demarco Murray* / Jermie Calhoun/ Jonathan Miller

FB: Brandon Crow

WR: Ryan Broyles* / Cameron Kenny

WR: DeJuan Miller / Brandon Caleb

TE: Trent Ratterree / James Hanna

T: Donald Stephenson

LG: Stephen Good

C: Ben Habern

RG: Tyler Evans

T: Jarvis Jones / Cory Brandon

Defense:

DE: Jeremy Beal / David King

DT: Adrian Taylor* / Justin Chaisson

DT: Jamarcus McFarland / Stacy McGee

DE: Frank Alexander / RJ Washington

Will: Travis Lewis* / Austin Box

Mike: Tom Wort

Sam: Ronnell Lewis

FCB: DeMontre Hurst / Gabe Lynn

SS: Sam Proctor / Joseph Ibiloye

FS: Quinton Carter

CB: Jonathan Nelson / Jamell Flemming

*Eligible to declare for the NFL

Interviews from practice have told nothing but positives for DeMarco Murray, Travis Lewis, Dominique Franks, and Ryan Broyles all submitting paperwork to the league but likely coming back for at least one more year.

Heisman Picks and Sooner tid-bits.

The Boomer Blog has been offline for some time due to the fact that we have been dealing with a season of unfortunate circumstances, but we're back. The Heisman ceremony is tomorrow night and there have been some recent tid-bits of information during bowl game preparation that Sooner fans will find very interesting

It's Heisman time...

Let's be honest, this years Heisman race is nothing like it was hyped up to be in August, and we're not just talking about Sooner fans. Sam Bradford went down early, real early. And it's a sad state of events for the most coveted individual trophy in all of sports when a guy that missed the first three games of the season could have easily pulled himself back into the race if it weren't for re-injuring himself in Dallas. Tim Tebow has played himself out of the "greatest player of all time" discussion, and Colt McCoy has been outplayed by a few underclassmen with less than stellar supporting casts.

In the eyes of TBB, there has been only one player in the nation who has consistently played at, and many times beyond, a Heisman level. Luckily this Heisman bill will be presented in print so there is no chance for what would surely be a slaughtering of the young DT's name.

1. Ndamukong Suh: DT Nebraska

- I said it during the Missouri game and I'll say it again. If you can make Gerald McCoy and Terrance Cody irrelevant you deserve a bigger trophy than the Heisman. Suh has played big in every game this year for the Huskers, and quite honestly put a sub-par Nebraska team into games they had no business being a part of. In fact, if Suh would have played a season like this last year TBB would have voted him first, over Sam Bradford.

2. Toby Gerhart: RB Stanford

- Whether you saw it or not, Gerhard was the most consistently great offensive player in '09. And it is the firm belief of this blog that the Cardinal running back shouldn't suffer for the fact that his games weren't televised.

3. Mark Ingram: RB Alabama

- Ingram played his biggest games on the largest stages this year, including a ridiculous performance against one of the top defensive units in the nation during the SEC Championship. Sure, the guy had 5 games with under 100 yards, but he still deserves to be number three on this list.

4. Kellen Moore: QB Boise State

- Kellen Moore was the best quarterback in the nation this year, and after playing an entire season of mistake free football he will have nothing to show for it. The Boise State QB finished the season with 3325 passing yards and a 64.6 completion percentage with only three interceptions to his 39 touchdowns. Moore wasn't even invited to the Heisman ceremony which is a little ridiculous after looking at his numbers. Looks like Moore gets to play the role of Graham Harrell this season. But we all know who really shouldn't have been invited...

5. Colt McCoy: QB Texas

- Colt McCoy did have some stellar football games this season, but nothing in comparison to the big wins and the big numbers of '08. And putting up big numbers in game like Oklahoma State, Baylor, and Kansas is really not very impressive considering he was out played by Landry Jones (FR), Jerrod Johnson (Soph.), and only looked slightly better than Zach Lee in the Big 12 Championship. It's been a great season for the Longhorns but people would be a lot more excited about the BCS Championship game if they were playing now like they did last year.

Honorable Mention

Tim Tebow: QB Florida

- Tim obviously gave his heart and soul this season as can be seen by his whimpering after getting his butt kicked in the SEC Championship game. Maybe if Florida had Percy Harvin America wouldn't have had to see Tebow drowning in his own tears. This is a man who has two National Championship rings, a Heisman trophy, and will be finishing his career playing for one of the better BCS bowls. Nobody feels sorry for you Tim.

Recruiting: Final Preditions

Yes, "The Boomer Blog" is back after what can be considered a very disappointing and intentional hiatus. Your Oklahoma Sooners are now sitting at a record of 5-4 and you're looking at a season that could potentially end without a bowl game. 

Instead, this blog is gettin' a little pick me up. We're talking recruiting, which happens to be the only real positive coming out of this season.

The Sooners are set to take a full slate of high school superstars, and TBB is going to fill you in on who Oklahoma has already rounded up, as well as guys we expect will be joining the class of 2010.

In true Boomer Blog fashion, we'll be starting off with the guys Oklahoma will be missing out on in this recruiting class. These are kids that currently hold offers from Oklahoma and are seriously considering the Sooners, but for one reason or another won't be spending their college years in Norman.

Joshua Shaw: 

Defensive Back

Palmdale, California

Shaw came in to this year as a relative unknown with great potential but has since watched his own recruitment absolutely explode. Shaw now holds offers from the entire Pac-10, as well as numerous big-time programs from across the country (Oklahoma, Florida, Notre Dame and Ohio State). Unfortunately, Oklahoma has backed off of Shaw's recruitment due to filling defensive back slots as well as what is probably a lack of interest on Shaw's part as well.

Seantrel Henderson: 

Offensive Tackle

Saint Paul, Minnesota

Oklahoma currently sits in a list of Henerson's top six schools, but things aren't looking as promising for Oklahoma as they once did. The nations almost undisputed top recruit has canceled his visiting date for Norman and will now only take visits to Notre Dame, USC, Ohio State, and Minnesota. 

Whoever lands Henderson will be taking one of the most college ready prospects in recent memory. Henderson stands around 6'8 and weighs in at 300 pounds, but more importantly has matured to the point where he will be ready to immediately take snaps at the next level.

Victor Burnett: 

Inside Linebacker

Culver City, California

Burnett was in town for an Oklahoma win over Kansas State a few weeks ago and the visit seemed to go well. At the same time we at TBB have a feeling that things between the Sooners and the young linebacker from Culver City, California won't work out in the end.

It's difficult to say in a situation like this but to be blunt about the it we believe Burnett is feeling it will be much more difficult to see the field in Norman then it will be to do the same at Washington or Arizona. Burnett is a good player but the young depth in Norman at linebacker is significant. So much so that we believe Burnett and the Sooners will eventually part ways.

George Uko: 

Defensive Tackle

Chino, California

George Uko is a player that Oklahoma would be lucky to pick up late in the recruiting process, and TBB believes that Uko is one of those players that Oklahoma won't be giving up on until the very end. With that being said Uko had yet to set up an official visit to Norman, an idea that he has been toying with since first getting involved with Oklahoma. OU currently sits among Uko's top five teams along with California, Tennessee, Oregon, and USC. But, we suspect that Uko deciding not to take an official visit when he still has two available will be a, "thanks, but no thanks" situation for the Sooners.

Throughout the Sooners 2010 recruitment there have been two players who have been more of a mystery than any other target. (Change) Jackson Jeffcoat and Kyle Prater are guys that clearly have Oklahoma on the brain, but unfortunately nobody out there in the recruiting world really knows what is going on with their recruitment...

Jackson Jeffcoat: 

Defensive End

Plano, Texas (Plano West)

 

Nobody, and we mean nobody, has any idea what the young defensive end from Plano West will be doing come January. Jackson is the son of Jim Jeffcoat, former Dallas Cowboy, and for these reasons has handled his recruitment professionally, playing everything very close to the vest.

"The Boomer Blog" is familiar with a few sources from Plano West (one in particular who is very close to the family) and we still have no idea what the hell is going on.

What we do know about Jackson:

- Very family oriented individual who's sister will be playing basketball for the Sooners and who's father is currently on Kevin Sumlin's coaching staff at the University of Houston.

- Jim Jeffcoat has publicly stated he would rather not have his son play under him at Houston, but we doubt that really makes a difference to Jackson.

- Due to his strong family ties Jackson would like to stay relatively close to home, which in theory would eliminate USC.

We at TBB believe that the nature of the Oklahoma program fits Jackson's personality well and that having his sister on campus couldn't possibly be hurting our odds. And with wanting to keep his close proximity to home and his father preferring not to coach Jackson, we believe the Sooners are in a great position to pick up a guy who has been talked about since his Freshman year in high school. (Fingers crossed)

Kyle Prater:

Wide Receiver

Hillside, Illinois

Prater is currently a soft verbal to USC but from what TBB has heard about the situation this won't be for much longer. For one reason or another Prater and his family have realized that USC isn't the place for Kyle and will be looking elsewhere for school.

In fact, Kyle Prater is scheduled to be in Norman this coming Saturday for the game against Texas A&M. This will be the second time Kyle and his family have visited Norman this year and the first trip went well enough to leave Sooner fans thinking positively about the situation.

The problem TBB has with the Prater situation is this. Why would one of the most talented receivers in the country de-commit from a program like USC, and instead choose a program like Oklahoma if his reason for de-committing from USC is that he wants to stay close to home. Doesn't make sense, right? In all likelyhood, Prater will (excuse the bluntness) choose to waste his talents in Champaign Illinois under whoever replaces Ron Zook.

Final Predictions: Recruiting (The Goods)

Here now, are the guys TBB expects you to see donning the crimson and cream in the near future. None are yet commits, but TBB has reason to believe that all will be Sooners in the near future.

Darius White:

Wide Receiver

Ft. Worth, Texas (Dunbar)

There is no better place to start than with Darius White on the list of hopefully commitments. Darius is a flat out star at receiver and looks as though he will be able to jump onto the playing field just as soon as he learns the offense. Sooner fans should breathe a huge sigh of relief as their prayers for a receiver are about to be answered in a big way.

Reasons to feel good about Darius:

- The alleged burned bridges in Austin. We're still not exactly sure what happened with White and UT, but the Longhorns supposedly gave White's cousin, Rashad Favors (who was supposedly being recruited by Texas as well), a name tag that read "Guest of Darius White." TBB doesn't think that went over well with the family oriented White.

- Darius' mother and grandmother would prefer White to attend Oklahoma over Texas. This is beginning to sound like the McFarland situation of last year.

-  His cousin, Rashad Favors, is already an Oklahoma commit. Now we suspect that Rashad knows more than he's letting on about what he knows of Darius. But if it wasn't good, we'd probably know a lot more than we do now.

Kenny Stills:

Wide Receiver

Carlsbad, California

There has not been a better sign all season long than future Sooner running back Brennan Clay. Clay, another California native, is convincing OU targets left and right that they should be taking a harder look at the Oklahoma program. And they're doing it. Kenny Stills has been a target of the Clay recruiting method for some time now, and it seems to be paying off in a big way.

Stills is another talent that Oklahoma will be hosting for the match-up against Texas A&M, and coming from the positive reports the Sooners have been receiving a commitment from the California receiver wouldn't be out of the question. It's looking like Stills definitely wants to go out of state, and since reports say that Kenny has lost a little interest in Florida, Oklahoma only has Penn State and Tennessee to compete with for his commitment. 

Tony Jefferson:

Safety/Athlete

Chula Vista, California

If you thought the recruiting job by Brennan Clay on Kenny Stills was good, you're going to enjoy hearing about how he turned Tony Jefferson. At one point during the season the Sooners were all but out of the race for one of the most talented safety prospects in the country. In fact, Oklahoma was not even going to receive an official visit from a player the Sooners once thought they had a shot with. But after a few weeks of recruiting from Clay and a visit to Norman for the Kansas State game it's looking like Oklahoma has done more than catch Jefferson's eye. Tony was even thinking about making a commitment while in Norman that weekend.

Clay, Stills, and Jefferson are already toying with the idea of calling themselves the "California Three." Sounds to us like a commitment from Jefferson is just around the corner.

Jefferson also had impressive numbers running the ball in high school and could become a good option for the Oklahoma ground game in the future.

Mid Season Bowl Preditions

It's about that time. The time of the year when college football looks far to into the future to predict who we'll be seeing in the BCS bowl games. Who will represent the SEC? Will Texas finish out their schedule unscathed? And, of course, what bowl will the USC Trojans be playing? All of your questions are answered with much speculation right here on "The Boomer Blog."

BCS National Championship

Alabama v. USC

- The prediction is bold. How could a team that left Seattle with a loss make it to the big show? Well, maybe they shouldn't. But TBB has a good feeling that a currently suspect Texas team won't make it through the rest of their schedule without a loss, and we're not even talking about the Big 12 Championship. The Longhorns have looked suspect against Texas Tech, Colorado and an Oklahoma squad who's only strength might be their defense. USC has had quality wins against Ohio State, California and Notre Dame. If you give the most talented team in the nation an entire season to impress they're going to do it.

- Alabama, on the other hand, looks to be the best team in college football, save a few struggles here and there by junior quarterback Greg McElroy. Mark Ingram has set a pace for the Heisman presentation in New York and the defense has remained one of the most dominant in the nation.

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl

Texas v. TCU

- This match-up is tricky. Will it be TCU or Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl? Well we're going to make a stab in the dark here and say that Boise will be awarded the Sugar Bowl with previously strong showings in recent years. TCU will finish undefeated with a gripe for a playoff but should be happy with a chance to prove their legitimacy against a strong Texas squad.

Rose Bowl

Iowa v. Oregon?

- Iowa is looking like the class of the Big 10 (whatever that means). The Hawkeyes still have quality games left on the schedule with Michigan State and Ohio State. But losing only one of these games will all but lock Iowa for the Rose Bowl. 

- This is where a monkey wrench is going to get thrown into the system. The traditional match-up here would be between the best available Big 10 and Pac 10 schools. If that scenario holds expect Oregon to make a trip to Pasadena as they have some real opportunities to climb the rankings before December.

Sugar Bowl

Florida v. Boise State

- TBB would bet the farm that Florida will be making a trip to the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. This simply isn't the Florida team of last year, but there is no doubt that if the Gators do go down it will be to 'Bama and only 'Bama. The Gators will win out and take one on the chest in the SEC Championship game putting them on path for a match-up in the big easy.

- Boise State doesn't have an opportunity to lose, which is why they will be on the outside looking in on the BSC National Championship. A win over Oregon doesn't make you a national championship team, Sorry Boise. They will still be able to enjoy a quality bowl and maybe make for an interesting game if they provide the nation with more BCS trickeration. 

Orange Bowl

Miami v. Cincinnati

- Miami will represent a lowly ACC conference against another surprising Cincinnati squad. Out of a handful of probable bad match-ups this might prove to be the best game of the lot. Nobody can say that Miami isn't fun to watch and college football is about to realize that Cincinnati is the Cinderella of the 2009 season.

Texas losing a game this season might be the worst possible thing that could happen to the BCS this year. Iowa, Boise State and TCU have more than a good chance to finish their seasons without a loss. Thus, all three will have a serious problem with being passed up by a team that lost the Washington. Unfortunately none of these teams scheduled OOC and will have to fall on their own sword for that reason.

Hard Times Hit Norman

What happened last weekend in Miami has raised already lingering questions about the players, the coaching staff and the Sooners will to win a football game. Oklahoma has folded like a lawn chair in every big game they've played in the last three years. And in the minds of Sooner fans, games against BYU and Miami this season are a sign that Oklahoma's big game blunders are far from over.

As Brent Musburger said in the third quarter of the Miami game, "Things have gone awry for Oklahoma."And Although the quote did not apply to the last three years of Oklahoma football, it might as well have. Things with the Sooners have been "awry" for some time now. Nobody needs to be reminded of that.

"The Boomer Blog" is not normally one to call out coaches because in most cases said coach is the coach for a reason, because they know football better than anybody. But in this instance, as well as others over the past three years, better play calling by Kevin Wilson absolutely would have won the game. And although we know that Wilson was playing conservatively at Miami because he was nervous about an inexperienced Landry Jones being picked off, there comes a time in every game you're losing where you have to find your balls, cross your fingers and pray for the best.

The funny thing about the offense against Miami is that when Wilson trusted Jones to take care of the ball and make plays, Oklahoma drove the ball for its only two scores of the game. Once in the first quarter and then again in the third when the Sooners looked like they were ready to break out of an offensive slump. 

Landry Jones has proven time and again that he can get up to the line of scrimmage and create the tempo by simply running the offense set in place. But Wilson refuses to trust the young quarterback, like he really had a choice. Just like he did at Texas Tech in 2007 with Joey Halzle.

But how quickly do Sooner fans forget that Kevin Wilson was the recipient of the 2008 Frank Broyles award? Without Wilson last season this team wouldn't have even been in contention for a Big 12 championship. 

Venables is in the same boat. The Sooners defensive coordinator seemed to have all the answers in the first three games, but apparently a good offense was the remedy to set things back to normal for Oklahoma. One thing remains constant in Venables' defense; when it really matters they can't make a stop. That's the absolute bottom line. 

Miami was eight for thirteen on third down conversions and in a number of those conversions not only did they move the chains, but were able to move the chains a considerable distance further than they needed to to pick up a new set of downs.

In the humble opinion of "The Boomer Blog," playing the blame game doesn't stop with the coaches. This season Sooner fans have seen two lackluster efforts by players that more than likely put Stoops and Co. in a bad position to begin with. 

Dominique Franks' blown coverage against Miami is a perfect example of the mistakes that Oklahoma players have been making since kickoff in Dallas. If there was a highlight reel of the top ten worst coverage blunders of all time Franks' man coverage on Graig Cooper would likely take honors at the one spot. It cost Oklahoma the game, period.

Trent Williams' leg whip in the fourth quarter hurt the Sooners as well. Oklahoma was in four down territory, but after a costly personal foul Wilson was left with a fourth and long that was considerably less manageable than the fourth and five or less he was hoping to end up with.

What is going on with the Sooners is more complex than anything you can put on paper, more than just skin deep. It has nothing to do with the ability of the players or the game plan set out by the coaches. And that is exactly what's frustrating Sooner Nation. 

The problem is that you can't put your finger on the problem. The Sooners are a ship with too many holes. As soon as you patch one up another breaks way.

But if you want to keep it plain and simple Oklahoma is playing without passion. And lighting a fire under a player's asses that have had a poor precedent set before them is probably the most difficult problem coaches have to deal with in college football. Especially if said coaches might also require the services of said fire.

This is nothing more than an overly talented and completely uninspired football team that is doing nothing but going through the motions and expecting to win football games off skill alone.

Unfortunately, none of us "outsiders" know what's really going on here. We don't know what's going on in the locker room and can't see what goes on behind the scenes. That includes the media. Anybody you hear talking about the real problem with Oklahoma is surely just some "knowledgeable fan" with little more than his own speculation to back up his argument. 

So, in regards to this season for all you self-righteous Oklahoma fans out there "The Boomer Blog" has a little advice for you. Get the hell over it. 

Stop being that Oklahoma fan that says, "I can't watch college football when my team is losing." Quit being that guy complaining about how this team, "Should be undefeated." Because if there is one thing that could make this team and this season any worse it has to be the incessant bitching currently coming out of the city of Norman. 

We get it! Believe us when we say that we're just as frustrated as you. But whining and complaining and "what if" scenarios aren't going to undo what has already been done. Those games are over, baby.

Instead, as real college football fans, and more importantly a real fan of your University, we should simply be excited that it's still football season. Because let's be honest, basketball is second rate.

Only time will tell if this OU team will decide to pull their jocks up and play with a little pride. But we're not counting on it.

Here's to hoping for a little Sooner Magic to finish this season out.

Post Miami

Sooner Nation,

Over the next day or so "The Boomer Blog" will be collecting thoughts on a team that simply seems like it doesn't have the cojones to win a game late. We know it's nothing less than disheartening watching this team and these coaches let games get away from them, we know. In the next few days TBB will be putting a column together that encompasses all that is going wrong with this team... so it's probably going to be a damn long column.

Baylor is coming up and since Robert Griffin has gone down with an ACL it's looking like these lack-luster Sooners will be able to win one at home before going into what should be another Oklahoma loss in Dallas. 

In Sooner Magic,

The Boomer Blog

Gresham Done at Oklahoma

Bob Stoops finally let the cat out of the bag today at the weekly OU football luncheon when he stated that the Sooners star TE Jermaine Gresham will be entering the NFL draft.

"No, Jermaine will not be coming back next year," Stoops said.

Most Oklahoma fans have realized that Gresham's announcement of departure since his injury early this season has been inevitable. But, what probably shocked the media more than anything today was the direct nature that Stoops used when breaking news about Gresham's plans.

TBB believes that this is clearly the right decision for the young TE for multiple reasons. The injury that Jermaine suffered was simple and should have no future lingering effects on the knee. But, there could be lingering effects on Gresh's reputation as a durable player. At a position like TE this is even more of a factor than most. If Gresham were to come back another injury would easily damage his reputation and probably classify Jermaine as a guy who couldn't deal with the physical demands of the NFL. 

Also, Gresham has personal reasons to enter the NFL and make money for his family. For a player like Sam Bradford, a real money situation at home doesn't exist. If Bradford suffered a career ending injury tomorrow there would be no consequence other than the end of his football career. And as much as we at TBB hate to speculate it's already known that Jermaine's family is in some kind of need of the money that the talented TE will be receiving after completing his contract.

What is interesting about this particular situation is that Bob Stoops has told "The Boomer Blog" personally that the only player that he has ever advised to leave early was Sooner Alum Roy Williams. TBB believes that although outside factors are clearly at play here it's not to say that Bob Stoops didn't believe that Gresham might have been so talented that he was above the competition level of the NCAA.

We at "The Boomer Blog" wish Jermaine Gresham the best in the NFL draft, as well as with his career in the NFL.

Rearrange 'Em

A bye week is hard for any college football fan, and "The Boomer Blog" has not been immune to the boredom bug that plagues fans when their respective teams take a week off. So, due to a lack of actual football stories we're giving you our solution to the conferencing problems in college football.

Each conference consists of 12 teams and two divisions. Previously Pac-10 and Big Ten teams either had an advantage over other conferences or suffered for never being able to play for a conference championship game. 

Pacific Coastal Conference

Northern

Washington

Oregon

Utah

Stanford

Oregon State

Boise State

Southern

Arizona

Arizona State

UCLA

USC

California

Colorado

Dropped from the Pac 10

Washington State

Added to the Pac 10

Boise State

Utah

Colorado

* Rivalries are kept with Arizona, California and Oregon schools.

The Big South

Original Conference: Big 12

Southwest Divivion

Oklahoma

Texas

Texas Christian

Texas A&M

Texas Tech

Oklahoma State

Deep South Division

Houston

Louisiana State

Mississippi

Arkansas

Mississippi State

Louisville

Dropped:

Iowa

Iowa State

Nebraska

Kansas State

Kansas

Added:

The entire Deep South devision and Texas Christian.

*Oklahoma will be able to renew a Nebraska rivalry by scheduling OOC.

South East Conference

West

Alabama

Auburn

Tennessee

Kentucky

Memphis

Florida State

East

South Florida

Florida

South Carolina

Georgia

Georgia Tech

Clemson

The Big Atlantic

A conference dominated by private basketball schools. The academics of this conference are unparalleled by any other Big Six conference. 

Coastal

Miami

North Carolina

N.C. State

Virginia

Wake Forest

East Carolina

Atlantic Division

Boston College

Duke

Vanderbuilt

Maryland

West Virginia

Virginia Tech

*West Virginia loses almost all rivalry games but were previously misrepresented geographically. Less traveling and similar weather conditions for football games.

The Midwest Conference

South

Nebraska

Kansas

Missouri

Kansas State

Iowa State

Iowa

*Iowa and Iowa state can now schedule other OOC games without worrying about scheduling each other.

*This division should exist.

North

Notre Dame

Illinoise

Indiana

Wisconsin

Purdue

Northwestern

*Notre Dame actually joins a conference and keeps almost all rivalries intact, save USC whom they would have to schedule OOC anyway.

Big East

Eastern

Penn State

Michigan

Ohio State

Michigan State

Minnesota

Marquette

Western

Syracuse

Pittsburgh

Rutgers

Conneticut

Cincinnati

Georgetown

Off Week

The Sooners have the weekend off to regroup before traveling to South Florida to take on an old rival, Miami. Because of a lack of new news coming out to Norman, "The Boomer Blog" will be sizing up the Miami Hurricanes to give Oklahoma fans a preview of what they're coming up against.

The Breakdown

Oklahoma Offensive Line V. Miami Defensive Line.

Edge: Miami

Although Oklahoma's front five have been looking progressively better in the weeks since the BYU game, this line is still the achilles heel of this offense.

"The Boomer Blog" is still sure that you'll be seeing a much improved offensive line later in the season, and a bye week might be exactly what James Patton needs to figure out who his two best guards are.

Oklahoma Defensive Line V. Miami Offensive Line.

Edge: Oklahoma

This one isn't even close. Oklahoma's front four are absolutely as good as it gets and next weekend they're going to face a Miami offensive line that was the question mark for the Hurricanes coming into the season. 

Miami faced good linebackers this season when they played Florida State and they faced a great DE in Derrick Morgan of Georgia Tech but really haven't faced a complete defensive line like they're going to see next Saturday. You can quote us on this one when we tell you, "The match up between the Oklahoma D-Line and Miami O-Line will win Oklahoma this game."

Oklahoma Receivers V. Miami Defensive Backs

Edge: Miami

The majority of the OU receiving corps have looked lack-luster the past few weeks. Ryan Broyles might but up Heisman contender numbers this year, but other than Brandon Caleb the Sooners really don't have anybody out there to catch the ball. This is evident by a few missed TD passes from a few players last week who will remain unnamed (mostly because everyone already knows who they are).

If the Canes have anything, it's athletes. And having great athletes almost always means you have great defensive backs. These guys are young but TBB has faith that our receivers are definitely outmatched here.

Oklahoma Defensive Backs V. Miami Receivers

Edge: Oklahoma

Miami's receivers are almost all unproven underclassmen. In the same breath, they're still receivers recruited by Miami from the South Florida area which means they're big and fast.

Brian Jackson and Dominique Franks have been good this season and Quinton Carter has proved in every game why he's the man at free-safety (and probably should have been last year).

Oklahoma Run Game V. Miami Run Defense.

Edge: Oklahoma

It has to be the Sooners here. DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown are the best running tandem in all of college football. Add in the fact that Oklahoma has been getting some surprise production from Jonathan Miller and Jermie Calhoun, and you're talking about a running back stable that would probably only be matched by Georgia Tech and USC. 

The O-line might slow the Sooners down here against a pretty good Miami front seven. But the fast pace of the offense should compensate for the problems up front.

Oklahoma Run Defense V. Miami Run Game.

Edge: Oklahoma

Take the front four we've been talking about and add run-stuffer Ryan Reynolds, Keenan Clayton and Sophomore sensation Travis Lewis and you have one hellova run defense. The Sooners have given up 41.7 YPG on the ground so far this season and although it's unlikely numbers will be that low against Miami, it's also unlikely they're going to be all that much higher. This means the success of the offense will be resting squarely on the shoulders of Jacory Harris...

On the other side of the ball, Junior RB Greg Cooper is the man that can do it all. Oklahoma is going to have to scheme to keep him contained in the run game, as well as in pass coverage. Remember who caught the game winning touchdown in Tallahassee? That's right, it was Cooper.

Landry "Stache" Jones V. Jacory Harris

Edge: Jacory Harris

"The Boomer Blog" is now hearing that Sam Bradford has a strong chance to play next Saturday with news coming in from a broadcast station in Mississippi that Bradford will be traveling to Alabama to visit with an Orthopedic Surgeon James Andrews this weekend to be cleared. At the same time it would be foolish to count our chickens before they hatch so we're going with Jones to start. Both freshman quarterbacks have been impressive for their respective squads so far this season. But, Harris has faced better competition and by his efforts has managed to put himself in the Heisman race. 

With that being said, Jacory Harris has never faced an opponent that is going to put more pressure on him than Oklahoma. These boys aren't weak up front like Georgia Tech and they won't be missing tackles in the backfield like Florida State did a few weeks back. If Harris isn't ready for the pressure this game goes to Oklahoma and Landry Jones.

Head Coaching Matchup

Edge: Too close to call.

Additional Advantages

Oklahoma's inability to play on the road...

The Sooners have, quite honestly, played piss poor ball on the road in the past few years. Throw all the BCS games in with the losses to Texas, as well as losses at Texas Tech and Colorado and you have what would have to be considered one of the most bipolar football teams in the NCAA.

In Oklahoma's defense, this game coming against Miami seems to be a little different than other regular season road losses. Most importantly, this IS NOT a trap game; Oklahoma circled this game on their schedule before the season started. Also, Sooner coaches have made it abundantly clear to the players that one more loss will mean the end of the road.

Miami's rough four game stretch...

By the time these two teams meet in Miami, the Hurricanes will have already faced Florida State, Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech in consecutive weeks. The likelihood of a team making out of a schedule like that completely unscathed is pretty slim. Miami will only have seven days to get ready for Oklahoma. The Sooners will have been preparing for the Hurricanes for two weeks by that point. 

Extras:

As stated above Sam Bradford is on his way to Alabama as we speak to meet with Orthopedic Surgeon James Andrews. Now most Oklahoma fans will immediately assume that Bradfords trip to see Andrews will be to do some sort of season ending surgery to prepare for the combine, but that thinking is false. Sam is making a trip south to see if the talented surgeon will clear him to play in time for the Miami game. TBB is hearing sources say this is probably due more to Bradford's insurance policy than anything else. Surely there are stipulations in a multi-million dollar policy that state that Sam must be cleared to play after suffering an injury such as this, and who better than Andrews to clear him?

Weekend Wrap-Up: Addressing Concerns

Ryan Broyles will be Oklahoma's key to success in 2009.

Oklahoma is back to winning football games. And although this particular win came against a lowly Iowa State team it might have been just what the Sooners needed before a face-off with in-state foe Tulsa this weekend.

So what did we find out this weekend? Well, to start, if you have to play a backup quarterback Landry Jones is about as good as it gets. The young quarterback from New Mexico went (18-32) on Saturday with 286 yards of passing, three touchdowns and only one interception. These statistics might not seem impressive until you consider that Jones was slinging the ball around in the rain and every receiver not named Ryan Broyles was dropping balls left and right. "The Boomer Blog" was there... it was wet. Those in attendance can also attest to a fact more telling than any game stat. Landry Jones flat out commanded the offense Saturday in the win against Idaho State.

TBB is also expecting that Jones will be playing later in the season than most Sooner fans would like to believe. "The Boomer Blog" is pretty familiar with what it takes to rehab a dislocated shoulder and after talking to a number of individuals that have suffered similar injuries it is the consensus opinion of this blog that Sooner fans will be seeing Landry Jones face off against the Hurricanes in Miami.

Speaking of Ryan Broyles, the Sooners found their new go-to guy in the game against Idaho State. Broyles had seven catches for 155 yards and three touchdowns. In fact, TBB believes that (due to situations outside Oklahoma's control) the speedster from Norman has become and will remain the most important part of the Oklahoma offense in 2009. Yes that's right, "The Boomer Blog" is saying it right here, right now and you can quote it. Ryan Broyles is more important to the success of Oklahoma Football than Gerald McCoy, DeMarco Murray, Chris Brown, Trent Williams and even (Gasp) Sam Bradford. Now that Oklahoma has found a legitimate replacement in Bradford's absence and Broyles has emerged as the only receiver the Sooners can count on, Oklahoma's ability to stretch the field will depent completely on the play of Ryan Broyles.

Oklahoma has also established what might be the best run defense in the country. Although it will be noted that the Sooners have faced two opponents with sub-par running attacks, the fact that Oklahoma has allowed a total of (-6) rushing yards in two games is impressive.

The Offensive line is still a problem, and TBB is expecting that will be the case until the Sooners take their bye week after Tulsa. Left tackle, center and right tackle are basically set with Trent Williams, Ben Habern and Jarvis Jones, respectively. The problem is with the guards, which was evident in the early goal line situations in which the Sooners failed to punch the ball in on multiple two-yard attempts. James Patton and Kevin Wilson decided to run the guards by committee Saturday in hopes of finding a productive duo to aid in the run game. The most successful combination, surprisingly, included Steven Good at left guard and true freshman Tyler Evans at right guard. Although the Sooners also found success by rotating senior Brian Simmons in at left guard.

Although Tyler Evans stepping up this season as a true freshman is a welcome surprise, "The Boomer Blog" is taking this situation with a grain of salt by realizing that Evans' emergence is clearly due to lack of production from upperclassmen guards. True Freshman are often able to step up in skill positions (receiver, running back, defensive back), but positions on the offensive line usually require an upperclassman who, over the years, has become accustomed to the physical nature of the position. Sooner fans will have to hold their breath in hopes that Evans' learning curve is a little shorter than most.

Looking to the schedule

In a weekend where a lot of well known teams went down in major upsets (Oklahoma State and Michigan State), one team escaped a game that surely would have made the biggest upset headline of the weekend. With little time left on the clock Florida State recovered a fumble and punched in a score that allowed them to narrowly elude a loss to Jacksonville State.

So what does this mean for Sooner fans? On September 7th, Florida State took a game down to the wire with future Oklahoma foe, Miami. "The Boomer Blog" was witness to what seemed like it could have been the game of the year, with both teams putting on offensive clinics. And if it weren't for poor clock management and Christian Ponder's inability to hit a wide open TE in the end zone, Florida State would have come away with a win against the Hurricanes.

Now, "The Boomer Blog" takes no stock in the belief that the transitive property is a reliable indicator of things to come. But, outside factors aside, the win that Miami got away with in Tallahassee might not be as impressive as once thought and Oklahoma is looking better by the day.

Extras

- TBB is not one to "toot it's own horn," but would like to point out that Senior Wide Receiver Adron Tennell was not seen on the field Saturday. At the same time TBB would like to say that it was hoping that the prediction would be wrong. Tennell was suppose to become an elite receiver his senior year and the lack of development has hurt the Sooners badly.

- After considering leaving the Sooners for reasons still unknown, Jameel Owens has finally decided that he will continue his career at Oklahoma, at least for now. "The Boomer Blog" won't speculate the specifics of the situations but clearly Owens' lack of play time has played a factor. Regardless, it seems as though Owens will remain a Sooner for the foreseeable future.

Looking Forward

After an uncharacteristic loss to BYU, the Sooners are coming into the second week of the season with a lot of questions. But, to the surprise of most Oklahoma fans, some of these problems might be easier to solve that they looked to be last Saturday. Here are five points "The Boomer Blog" has for Oklahoma fans that might brighten their current outlook on the '09 season.

1. The loss to BYU isn't as bad as it looks.

Vince Lombardi famously said, "Show me a good loser and I'll show you a loser." But, I don't think Coach Lombardi is very familiar with the current BCS system. Looking back on the debacle in Dallas, there are a lot of factors that make this a "good loss" for Stoops and Co.

- Save a few defensive stands Oklahoma never played well in this game. "The Boomer Blog" sees this as a positive factor if the Sooners make great strides in improving by time of the kickoff in Miami. As fickle as college football is, if OU wins the game in Miami the game against BYU could begin to be considered a "fluke." And if the Sooners end up knocking off Texas the game will certainly be considered as such.

- "If you're gonna lose, lose early." These words are famous in the era of the BCS and were never more true than the loss Oklahoma suffered against Texas in Dallas last season. Remember who ended up playing for the Big 12? You can't lose any earlier than the first game of the season.

- The Sooners have the edge over all one loss Pac-10 and Big 10 teams. If you're still looking for Oklahoma to make it into the BCS you have to remember that the Big 12 championship game has played a major roll in giving the Sooners the nod in recent BCS history. Once again "The Blog" will make reference to the '08 season when Oklahoma played for the national title while USC was on the outside looking in. We lost the game, but the situation proves the point.

- Oklahoma 13, BYU 14. It was a one point loss. If you're going to lose a game you can't lose it any closer than that. 

- Injuries. If you turn on your TV right now and tune into Sports Center you're not going to see replays of Oklahoma losing the game to BYU because that's not the story of the game. The story of the game has become the injuries the Sooners have suffered in recent weeks. 

Now, "The Boomer Blog" is not saying that the injury to Bradford caused the loss in Dallas. In fact, it's the personal belief of this blog that much like a few years ago in Lubbock, Oklahoma should have easily won with or without it's star quarterback. But, we're also not saying that everybody else doesn't think so. In all likelyhood the majority of college football fans believe that the game would have been all but won if Bradford would have played the second half. Regardless of how poorly the Sooners had played up until that point. Playing the blame game will work in Oklahoma's favor and this loss will become permanently associated with the injuries of Sam Bradford and Germaine Gresham.

2. Cory Brandon is out.

Somewhere out there Cory Brandon is still jumping offsides. 

Now, it is the firm belief of "The Boomer Blog" that college football players are not professional football players and shouldn't be treated as such. In this case we will make an exception by throwing Cory Brandon totally and completely under the bus. The Oklahoma offensive lineman cost the Sooners for six penalties in the game Saturday, and that's not including the two that were declined. 

Now in all likelyhood the young lineman was doing his best. But sometimes your best isn't good enough for this team. Enter Jarvis Jones. "The Blog" has been confused all along as to why Jones has not started at right tackle, but now he'll get his chance. Jarvis is a prototype tackle with great lateral movement and good feet who will fit the line perfectly when he steps in in place of Brandon this weekend. Expect Wilson to go back to Steven Good at right guard as he will have ample time to step up his game before Miami. Your line will be looking something like this.

LT: Trent Williams

LG: Brian Simmons

C: Ben Habern

RG: Stephen Good

RT: Jarvis Jones

TE: Brody Eldridge

Depth will still be a serious issue in close games.

3. Receiving corps weren't as bad as they looked.

It might not have looked evident in Saturday's game, but there are some Sooner receivers that stepped up and made some nice plays. Most Oklahoma fans are hung up on the fact that Adron Tennell flat out didn't play well. We ask these Sooner fans, "did that really surprise you?" 

Yes, Oklahoma receivers had problems stretching the field against the BYU secondary. But, what most fans don't see is that without the threat of Jermaine Gresham the BYU defense was able to take some chances and really got a stranglehold on this offense. BYU could blitz a few more linebackers and drop a few more in the secondary, leaving the middle of the field completely open. 

Brandon Caleb was one receiver in particular that had a nice game considering the situation, and he's a name Sooner fans will know well by the end of this season. And remember, Ryan Broyles is still Ryan Broyles. There's a reason the talented receiver from Norman had over 500 yards receiving last season.

Expect to see a lot of a guy that "The Boomer Blog" predicted would get some real playing time this season, DeJuan Miller. Don't be surprised if Kevin Wilson uses DeJuan Miller to let Tennell know he needs to put up or shut up. "The Blog" won't be surprised if Miller wins the job, regardless of what Tennell does.

Gresham Update: 9.8.09

The Boomer Blog is now expecting that Gresham will be out for the season. The talented pass-catching TE will have his knee scoped this week, but unlike previous predictions the outlook is becoming less positive by the day. 

Stoops and Wilson still have not updated Gresham's recovery time, and as it often is with this coaching staff, no news is bad news. "The Boomer Blog" is predicting that the soonest Gresham could be back would be by the Big 12 Championship game, which is looking unlikely for the Sooners anyway. But, on a positive note, "The Blog" is predicting that Gresham and Bradford will return to Oklahoma and continue to play for the Sooners next season.

After watching BYU defeat the Sooners in Dallas it has become evident that Gresham might be more important to the success of this offense than Bradford. Oklahoma clearly had problems with stretching the field against the Cougars who have now provided Sooner oponents with a winning defensive game plan to put a stop to this offense.

The Gresham Injury Effect:

"The Boomer Blog" is ever the optimist. And in the spirit of optimism will now be predicting the starting lineup for the 2010 football season. Injuries to Gresham and Bradford have shaken things up as far as who will likely be entering the draft early. If "The Blog" knows Bob Stoops he'll be preaching to his players early about rejoining the team for the 2010 season in hopes of improving draft status.

* Denotes players whom "The Boomer Blog" believes will consider the NFL draft.

Offense:

LT: Jarvis Jones

LG: Steven Good

C: Ben Habern

RG: Tyler Evans

RT: Josh Aladenoye

TE: James Hanna

WR: DeJuan Miller

WR: Brandon Caleb

SL: Ryan Broyles *

QB: Sam Bradford *

FB: Brandon Crow

RB: DeMarco Murray *

Other Key Offensive Players: SL Mosis Madu, RB Jermie Calhoun, WR Cameron Kenney, TE Trent Ratterree, QB Landry Jones, LT Jeff Vinson

Defense:

DE: Jeremy Beal *

DT: Adrian Taylor *

DT: Gerald McCoy *

DE: Frank Alexander

SLB: Austin Box

MLB: Tom Wort

WLB: Travis Lewis *

FCB: Dominique Franks *

SS: Sam Proctor

FS: Quinton Carter

BCB: Demontre Hurst

Additional Key Defensive Players: DE R.J. Washington, DT Stacey McGee, DT Justin Chaisson, DE David King, LB Ronnell Lewis, LB Jaydan Bird, SS Javon Harris, FS Marcus Trice, DT Jamarkus McFarland, LB/? Joseph Ibiloye

Some of the above predictions might seem bold but you would have to believe that Gresham's injury and Bradford's loyalty to the Sooners will play major rolls in their possible return to Owen Field in 2010. It seems to be a stretch to say that Gerald McCoy will be coming back next year to play with the team. But, the Oklahoma City native will have one year of eligibility following the 2009 season and there is nothing thus far that would lead us to believe that McCoy won't consider the opportunity to stay with Oklahoma.

The 2009 Sooners are looking like underdogs atleast one other time this season against Texas. The point of showing the possible 2010 lineup is to show Sooner fans that if these guys decide to come back next year they will easily be the class of a weaker Big 12 and would possibly be the class of the entire league. Think about it. How many teams can you think of that will return talent like this next year? Here's to dreaming Sooner fans.

Gresham Out?

It has been confirmed earlier today that Oklahoma's dominant tight-end Jermaine Gresham will be sidelined for the game against BYU in Dallas this weekend. This raises the question of how long Gresham will actually be out with what is currently be talked about at a knee injury. More importantly in the minds of Oklahoma fans, will Gresham be ready for the Red River Rivalry in Dallas? 

Right now those who are "in the know" are saying that Gresham has suffered a right knee injury with definite carlalige damage and could have suffered damage to the miniscus as well. This means, more than likely, Gresham will be out 4-6 weeks after getting his knee scoped and giving plenty of time to heal. Those of you who know Oklahoma's schedule realize that the showdown in Dallas comes in a little over six weeks, which would make Gresham's return likely. But, as Sooner fans will remember with DeMarco Murray, coming back from a knee injury isn't easy. 

Gresham's injury also raises questions at the tight-end position. Brody Eldridge was moved to Center earlier this week which means that Sophomore TE Trent Ratterree will be seeing alot of the field Saturday. Sooner fans will also see a lot of Sophomore TE James Hanna, who has proved himself to be a target not unlike Gresham. The Sooners likely will not struggle with the Cougars on Saturday, so there is no need for Oklahoma fans to panic yet. But if Bradford's biggest target isn't 100% by October 10th the Sooners will be hurting against the Longhorns.

Rank 'Em

The AP preseason polls are out, and so are the polls for The Boomer Blog. 

BB Polls

1. Florida *

2. Oklahoma *

3. Texas

4. USC *

5. Ohio State 

6. Ole Miss

7. Va. Tech

8. Oklahoma State

9. Alabama

10. California

11. LSU

12. Penn State

13. Georgia

14. Iowa *

15. Boise State *

16. Oregon

17. Nebraska

18. TCU

19. Kansas

20. Miami

21. UNC

22. BYU

23. Notre Dame

24. FSU

25. Utah

* = Depicts teams that will win their conference

Extras:

- Tennessee will the the surprise team of the '09 season. They're not going to make a run at the SEC East, and they won't be upsetting teams left and right. But, what you can expect from Tennessee is for them to go out and make an impression that will let the entire conference know that they will be a team to reckon with in '10.

- The recent decision to start Matt Barkley for USC will have nothing but a positive effect on the Trojans this season. Barkley is probably the closest thing to an NFL ready freshman quarterback that college football has ever seen. The bottom line is that both Barkley and Corp are starting above Mitch Mustain, a good quarterback who started as a freshman as Arkansas before the messy breakup in Fayetteville. Before Barkley leaves USC for the NFL he will have easily wrapped up a Heisman and probably a few national titles as well. 

- There won't be a non BCS team in the discussion for the National Championship game this year. BYU, Utah, TCU and Boise State will all lose games this year, which means there will be no discussion about leaving anybody out in the cold. Oregon has a shot to knock off both Boise State and Utah, and they have the talent to do it. TCU will have to make it through UVA, Clemson, BYU and Utah to be in the discussion...which is very unlikely. 

Bold Predictions: The NCAA At Large

Do the Hawkeyes have a real shot at taking the Big-10?

5. Cal will take down USC.

As recent history will tell you, somebody's gotta do it! And who better to take down the mighty Trojans than the Bears?

I see USC losing at least two games this year, and don't understand why the experts (and ESPN) are putting the Trojans so high in the polls. The men of Troy play a decent schedule with tough games coming at Ohio State, Notre Dame, California, and in Eugene to face Oregon.

California is my dark horse for the National Championship, so who better (in my opinion) to take down USC than the Cal Bears.

4. Iowa will win the Big-10

This pick is as bold as bold gets. So do I honestly believe it? No, but it makes things interesting. The truth of the matter is that nobody can predict what's going to happen in the Big 10 this year and Iowa has as good of a shot as anybody at taking the conference. Penn State and Ohio State both have quarterbacks and defenses, but no real offensive weapons. And the rest of the conference is pretty forgetable, save maybe a Michigan State or an Illinois.

The smart money is on Ohio State to win the Big-10, but I just don't see them as much better than Iowa at this point.

3. North Carolina will finish (10-2), but won't win the ACC Coastal.

This pick might be because I'm partial to Chapel Hill, but the Tar Heels are looking good coming into the 2009 season and their schedule is favorable.

On the offensive side, receivers will need replacing after the Heels lost Brandon Tate and Hakeem Nicks to the draft. Look for Dwight Jones and true freshman Jheranie Boyd to fill that void. UNC will also return quarterback T.J. Yates who played well last season.

Carolina's strength is their front seven, which is why they're picked to win against a very one dementional Georgia Tech team. Look for DT Marvin Austin to have a breakout season that will get him some national attention.

This team is easily good enough to win the Atlantic division, but unfortunately for Butch Davis he has to play Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, and a much improved Miami. Davis will lead the Tarheels to a record that looks something like this

Sep. 5: The Citadel (W)

Sep. 12: at UConn (W)

Sep. 19: East Carolina (W)

Sep. 26: at Georgia Tech (W)

Oct. 3: Virginia (W)

Oct. 10: Georgia So. (W)

Oct. 22: Florida State (W)

Oct. 29: at Virginia Tech (L)

Nov. 7: Duke (W)

Nov. 14: Miami (L)

Nov. 21: Boston College (W)

Nov. 28: NC State (W)

2. Numbers will drop for all three Heisman finalists.

You can't talk college football without mentioning one of these guys, but in 2009 they won't be putting up numbers quite like in the previous season.

-Bradford will be surrounded by an offense that will produce with more of a ground game than last season. The line is smaller and the running backs are deep enough to push Mosis Madu out to the slot, which means the Oklahoma offense is about to get a lot less interesting. Bradford will have the receivers as Adron Tennell and Cameron Kenny will emerge to join Ryan Broyles and Jermaine Gresham as the leading pass catchers. But the line won't pass block quite as well as it did in 2008 so Oklahoma will be forced to take less shots down field.

-This year McCoy won't have to do it all, and that's why his numbers will drop. Early on the Texas offense will have some trouble trying to replace Quan Crosby, and they might not find a legitimate option all season. McCoy's completion percentage should drop considerably now that the majority of his targest will be of the Freshman/Sophomore variety.

The Horns will also find some semblance of a running game with Vondrell McGee and true freshman Chris Whaley, which is something they didn't have last year. Colt's rushing numbers will significantly diminish if the Horns can find a guy that can rush for over 500 yards.

-Tim Tebow will also see his numbers slowly diminish, as well as shift. Urban Myer's love affair with Tebow will lead him to turn the Heisman winner into more of a pro-style quarterback in hopes of increasing Tebow's draft status. The transformation will be successful due to Florida's excess stock of speedy receivers, but still not the optimal way to run the offense or their superstar quarterback. Expect to see a few less jump passes and a few more fades this year.

Heisman Prediction: Colt McCoy

1. The University of Florida WILL NOT go into the SEC Championship undefeated.

I will agree with everybody reading this in saying that Florida is the best team in college football. But with that being said, I don't see the Gators having quite the same success they enjoyed last season. Florida is looking at a fairly easy schedule by not having to play either Alabama or Ole' Miss out of the SEC West. But, tough games are coming for Florida with a game against LSU in Baton Rouge and in Jacksonville against Georgia for the world's largest outdoor cocktail party.

Some food for thought: The 2002 Miami Hurricanes, 2004 Oklahoma Sooners and 2005 USC Trojans were proclaimed the greatest college football teams of all time before both losing their respective national title games. Both teams returned talent like Florida's on both sides of the ball and couldn't get it done. 

Prediction: A one-loss Florida team will win the SEC and go on the play in the National Championship in Pasadena, but will be "upset" by whomever ends up winning the Big 12 South.

Bold Predictions: Big Time Freshmen

Jermie Calhoun is ready to run after spending his first year being red-shirted.

Each week leading up to the kickoff of the 2009 college football season I'll be offering up my own bold predictions about what might turn the NCAA on it's head this year. Today, we'll be looking at freshman that might have a real impact on a very talented OU team.

Sooner fans have realized that after the 2009 season their Sooners, as well as many other Big 12 squads, are going to be in trouble after most players will either graduate or decide to enter the NFL draft. Younger players from every team will be seen at the top of the depth charts, and some might not be much of a drop off from their older teammates. Here are five freshman that will be making big plays for the Sooners in '09.


5. R.J. Washington - (Red Shirt) Has not shown those flashes of greatness that would have put him higher on this list. This is probably due more to the fact that he has been thrown in the mix with great players like English, Beal and Alexander who made a lot of plays last season. Washington is set to have a fantastic career with the Sooners, he's just not going to be in the spotlight this year because of the strength of the defensive ends.

4. Stacey McGee - (Red Shirt) McGee came into the Oklahoma program and immediately started to impress coaches and players alike. Word is that McGee has put on some muscle by doing his share in the weightroom and is ready to make his mark at defensive tackle. Stacey, like R.J., won't have a really noticable impact because of the strength at the line.

3. Ben Habern - (Red Shirt) As you all know, Habern will be the starting Center for the Sooners in the coming 2009 season. The talented young Center received a medical redshirt from then NCAA after suffering from injuries early in the 2008 season. The line that once was the weak link of the team has been given a boost by a couple of young guys and is now looking like it could hold its own against anybody Big 12. Habern is as good of a natural Center as you can find coming out of high school.

Now if you're worried about this guy anchoring your offensive line in his second year just think back to 2005 and you might remember a guy named Jon Cooper. Yes, Jon Cooper was a four year starter, one hell of a Center and didn't have the talent that Habern posesses.

2. DeJuan Miller - (Red Shirt) If it was a pick for the best career at OU, DeJuan Miller would probably be my first choice out of the 2008 class. Instead we're looking at young impact players for next season and my gut tells me Calhoun is going to get a lot of touches. After seeing DeJuan first hand at open practices last Thursday I can say that the kid is as big and as fast as advertised. Broad shoulders, long arms and massive hands put Miller physically ahead of the learning curve. Not to mention DeJuan still owns track records in the state of New Jersey. I'm going to get really bold and say that DeJuan will be splitting time with Senior WR Adron Tennell after Oklahoma squares off against Kansas.

1. Jermie Calhoun - (Red Shirt) Calhoun will be on the top of almost everybodies list when it comes to breakout freshman. But, it's not his size and speed that put him at the top of this list. Jermie Calhoun is a relentless runner, and that's why he's currently sitting in the poll position. Every down, every play, Calhoun is doing whatever he can to hit the endzone. And I'm talking about practice! Add in the fact that OU really only has one every down back (Chris Brown), and Justin Johnson's transfer out of Norman and you have a lot of snaps to be had by the young tailback from Van Texas.

Honorable Mention: Leaving these guys off the list just seems like a crime.

Josh Aladenoye - (True Freshman) Aladenoye might not be a name Sooner fans are as familiar with, but the young lineman from Mesquite is going to get considerable playing time due to lack of line depth. Oklahoma's first team is looking good heading into the season, but the second team could prove to be a problem in big games. It's expected that players like Josh and Jeff Vinson will be getting reps early to provide depth for the 2009 season, as well as getting them ready to start in what could be a rough 2010. Look for Aladenoye to get some serious play time when the Sooners take the lead against teams like BYU, Tulsa, and Miami. This will allow the twos to get playing experience against some good squads, while keeping the first team fresh for the showdown with Texas in Dallas.

Joseph Ibiloye - (Red Shirt) Ibiloye is a mystery at this point because of his size. He has the speed to play in the secondary but Brent Vennables is seriously considering putting more weight on Ibiloye's 6"4 frame and moving him up to play at the linebacker position. Expect to see him in the rotation at safety this year, but after that, who knows?

Tom Wort - (True Freshman) Yes, the YouTube sensation will be getting in the mix next season, and at middle linebacker no less. Don't expect Wort to be Supermanning players like he did in high school, but word is that Wort will hit ANYBODY he comes in contact with. Wort will see plenty of time on special teams, but nobody really knows how serious Vennables is about throwing him the middle just yet.