College Football Preview: No. 1 Oklahoma
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(Neon Tommy will be previewing the 2011 College Football Season throughout the summer. You can find links to each of our Top 25 previews here. Today, we preview the team ranked 1st, the Oklahoma Sooners.)
Head Coach:
Stoops has led OU to a bowl in each of his 12 seasons in Norman. (Billy A via Wikimedia Commons)
Bob Stoops (129-31 in 12 seasons at Oklahoma)
Oklahoma's 2010 season:
12-2 (6-2 in Big 12), Won Tostitos Fiesta Bowl 48-20 over Connecticut.
Offensive Analysis:
-- Nine returning starters
-- Impact Players: QB Landry Jones, WR Ryan Broyles, WR Kenny Stills
Heisman candidates Landry Jones and Ryan Broyles lead one of the most talented offensive squads in the country. Jones averaged 330 passing yards per game last season, finishing the year with a phenomenal 4,718 passing yards and 38 touchdown passes.
Broyles chose to return to Oklahoma for his senior season after catching 118 passes for 1,452 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2010. He and a talented duo of sophomores - Kenny Stills and Trey Franks - make up one of the most dynamic receiving corps in the country.
The departure of running back DeMarco Murray leaves a void at the position. Not only do the Sooners lose Murray's running ability (282 carries for 1,214 yards in 2010), but they'll also miss his pass catching ability. Murray recorded 71 receptions last season, good for second on the team.
Bob Stoops and company will look to replace Murray with a running-back-by-committee approach. The four-man committee includes sophomores Jonathan Miller, Brennan Clay and Roy Finch, along with junior Jermie Calhoun. All will be vying for carries in Oklahoma's single-back offense.
The starting offensive line returns with various amounts of experience. The group is made up of senior Jarvis Jones, sophomores Josh Aladenoye and Gabe Ikard and junior leaders Tyler Evans and Ben Habern.
Defensive Analysis:
-- Seven returning starters
-- Impact Payers: DL Frank Alexander, LB Travis Lewis, DB Jamell Fleming
Though the Sooners finished 53rd nationally in total defense last year, they did rank 6th in turnover margin and 8th in takeaways. They also ranked 8th in the country in sacks. Those numbers speak volumes about the potential the OU defense has in 2011. Oklahoma returns five members of its front seven, and half the secondary. Translation? There is no true weak link amongst the defensive position groups.
Along the defensive line, Ronnell Lewis, Stacy McGee and Frank Alexander all return as starters. Alexander was second on the team in both sacks and tackles for loss last year, with 7.5 and 13.5 respectively. Lewis and McGee are entering their junior seasons and have been seeing the field since they were true freshman. Casey Walker exited spring atop the depth chart for the final starting position, but most expect Jamarkus McFarland to be the starter when OU opens the season against Tulsa. McFarland had 5 tackles for loss as a reserve in 2010.
As mentioned, the secondary has two starters to replace. The two players who return, however, are real playmakers. CB Jamell Fleming returns following a season in which he earned first-team All-Big 12 honors after hauling in 5 interceptions. Joining him as a returning starter is Demontre Hurst, who led the Sooners with 11 passes broken up in 2010, and also added 50 tackles, four tackles for loss and an interception. Aaron Colvin and Javon Harris will look to fill the vacant safety positions. Colvin had 34 tackles last year as a freshman, and even started a game. Harris, a junior, has also seen significant playing time over the past two seasons.
Strengths:
It's no surprise that the Oklahoma Sooners' passing attack will once again be one of the best in the nation in 2011. QB Landry Jones (pictured right) is on his way to break a whole slew of records in Norman, accompanied by six of the top eight pass catchers from 2010.
It is Jones's check-down ability that sets him apart. Rather than forcing balls into tight coverage, Jones is perfectly fine with checking-down to his back and picking up a few yards. This was apparent last season in both DeMarco Murray's 71 receptions and Jones's touchdown-to-interception ratio (38:12).
Areas of Concern:
The Sooners' first road trip is at Florida State (our No. 6 team) and their final road trip is at Oklahoma State (our No. 10 team). Those two difficult games could go a long way in helping shape the BCS Championship picture, and as far as OU is concerned, could put the Sooners in the driver's seat or behind the eight ball, depending on their outcome. Other than that, there isn't much about Oklahoma to be worried about, Stoops has an elite team on his hands.
Final Thoughts:
Landry Jones will force opposing offenses to keep up in the point total. And quite frankly, many of their opponents won't be able to. But the Sooners' schedule isn’t easy, and starts with a rather tough September (9/3: Tulsa, 9/17: Florida State, 9/24: Missouri). And without a Big 12 South division to win, the road might be a little tougher than expected for Oklahoma.
The Big 12 Championship Game was an opportunity for the Sooners to prove that the hiccup during the regular season was a fluke. But without that opportunity, another let down against Mizzou or in early November against Texas A&M could be the end of the title hopes for the Sooner faithful.
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