beauti wrote: When OU had to brake in Josh in 1999, OU went 8-5(maybe 7-6?). Breaking in Bomar, we went 8-5. When LJ had to take over for the injured Bradford we went 8-5. Surely everyone on this board hasn't forgot how hard it is to break in a new QB.

Also, OU is replacing 7 starters on defense and that defense was only 69th in the country last year. That many new players don't usually step up and win a conference championship after losing 7 starters from a poor offense. If it happens, B Stoops would have to be coach of the year.

One of my biggest concerns. Experience.

On the other hand, losing what we lost in experience may not be such a bad thing if the players replacing those departed turn out to quickly be better. If you're going to lose a lot of experience, give me players who are simply better than those who left (experience is earned). Unfortunately, we won't know for awhile.

I'd still favor TCU right now and that largely has to do with the return of Casey Pachall and their defense. They had a lot of issues going on last off-season and I thought they finished with a respectable record given that as well as entering a new conference.

Any one of those three QB's could start for 90% of the teams in the country???Are you sure he wasn' t talking about Lunt, Chelf and Walsh?

eaglepoke56 wrote: Any one of those three QB's could start for 90% of the teams in the country???Are you sure he wasn' t talking about Lunt, Chelf and Walsh?

You mean the trio that lost 5 games?

LEXUSOONER wrote: Wow! The other 9 teams better get used to us with the trophy we are young and LOADED EVERYWHERE!!!

We have a legit shot at an NC this year ...and the next several years ..


QB- Bell, Thompson, Knight- WOW!! All three of these guys would start at 90% of the schools in the country , most Sooner fans have NO IDEA how talented these kids are .. Bell was a 5* PASSER in HS and he will be the B12 offensive player of the year, Thompson is under rated but the players and coaches know what he can do. Knight may win a Heisman one day, do you get my drift on his talent? Oh yeah, Thomas comin in is Bradfod like..


RB -D Will, Alex Ross, n Clay are the best RB trio in the country..Finch is great to have in a pinch- Smith is a all around back much like Clay only he will be better, Ford is a future Heisman candidate ..

FB - Millard, Musil, Rip, the best 3 we have had at one time under Stoops ..

WR- Shepard, Saunders, Metoyer, Neal, Reynolds, Bester, Woods are the best returning set in America, Young, Cavil and Smallwood will not see the field because they have HOSSES in front of them.

TE/HB- Green, McNamara and Grant are better than you think, Millard gets snaps here too and is an NFL player..These guys are a more talented group than the media or anyone realizes.

We have over 70 combined starts in our returning OL - plus St John n Savage coming in for immediate help. Savage is our best looking run blocking recruit since Davin Joseph. I'm not sure has lateral quickness enough for pass blocking, but he is a devastating run blocker. St John was highly sought after, is well rounded run and pass blocker who can play at a high level.

LBer is not as barren as some believe- Nelson, Shannon, and Franklin are a trio of experienced ballers. Lindley is s bigger guy who has skill, Favors may be a fulltime DE now but is a true down hill MLB for a 3-4. Striker, Alexander, and Evans, one or both of the later may RS but these dudes have a nose for the ball, people who haven't seen Evans better think of Calmus, slightly lighter w/ more athleticism. Alexander is a tacking machine and Striker is a future all B12 performer.

DL is a solid position whether people know it or not. Phillips will star this year. Russell is a big strong DT that has been HIGHLY productive at every level. Wade is going to open some eyes this year, he plays bigger than he is and has a tremendous burst for a large man. Williams' and Peterson's time has come to play with passion or get passed over. They have physical tools, maturity has been the issue. Dont forget about Anderson he may be a surprise. Walker is my favorite DT recruit since GMC. He is a HOSS, remember his name. Romar is also a guy who plays larger than his 270LBS indicate, plus he is LBer quick at DT.
The DEs are going to be the best of the Stoops era, Ndulue, Tapper (at 270 Lbs with athleticism) Onuoha, Ch Nelson, Favors (although he is a better LB IMO, still a great 255 pound athlete) Dimon and Ward are the most promising set of DEs recruited in one season in Stoops tenure, HAVE YOU SEEN THEIR FILM OMG????

CB is in great hands, pun intended. Colvin goes in the 2nd or 3rd round in next years NFL draft. Johnson is a big, fast, physical corner who has GREAT film, Sanchez is a guy who makes play after play and will be difficult to keep off the field. Simon if he will go to class has NFL skills, now if he can mature as a person it will be a beautiful thing. Austin and Moore can both flat cover and star rankings be damned, Austin is the best cover man in America in this years class.

Saftey is loaded too, Wilson , Lynn, Hayes, and Everitt, better be prepared to fight off two freight train hitting mega athletes in Thomas and Byrd, two unbelievable safeties coming in this year...

One thing is sure, if we could play the sorry msu bulldogs 100 times, we would easily win all 100, it must be awful to have no hope...

Oh no...not again............

RB -D Will, Alex Ross, n Clay;

These guys are GOOD, but the "best trio in the country"?  Surely, you jest.

You must not watch Georgia much.  Todd Gurley (3) and Keith Marshall (4) are two of the BEST in the country.  To make a "trio", I think you can add their #3 RB and they are #1 EASILY!!!

I'll take Williams, Clay, n Ross, thanks for the suggestion tho ..
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--- oksooner1 wrote:

RB -D Will, Alex Ross, n Clay;

These guys are GOOD, but the "best trio in the country"?  Surely, you jest.

You must not watch Georgia much.  Todd Gurley (3) and Keith Marshall (4) are two of the BEST in the country.  To make a "trio", I think you can add their #3 RB and they are #1 EASILY!!!

---------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------
--- oksooner1 wrote:

RB -D Will, Alex Ross, n Clay;

These guys are GOOD, but the "best trio in the country"?  Surely, you jest.

You must not watch Georgia much.  Todd Gurley (3) and Keith Marshall (4) are two of the BEST in the country.  To make a "trio", I think you can add their #3 RB and they are #1 EASILY!!!

---------------------------------------------

It's called being a huge homer. Don't waste your time.

Yes puke fan, once again I've predicted great things for the team u love to loathe, the Oklahoma Sooners...of course sometimes OU accomplishes great things, something u just could never be expected to fathom as a puke.
---------------------------------------------
--- Tuloma wrote:

LEXUSOONER wrote: Wow! The other 9 teams better get used to us with the trophy we are young and LOADED EVERYWHERE!!!

We have a legit shot at an NC this year ...and the next several years ..


QB- Bell, Thompson, Knight- WOW!! All three of these guys would start at 90% of the schools in the country , most Sooner fans have NO IDEA how talented these kids are .. Bell was a 5* PASSER in HS and he will be the B12 offensive player of the year, Thompson is under rated but the players and coaches know what he can do. Knight may win a Heisman one day, do you get my drift on his talent? Oh yeah, Thomas comin in is Bradfod like..


RB -D Will, Alex Ross, n Clay are the best RB trio in the country..Finch is great to have in a pinch- Smith is a all around back much like Clay only he will be better, Ford is a future Heisman candidate ..

FB - Millard, Musil, Rip, the best 3 we have had at one time under Stoops ..

WR- Shepard, Saunders, Metoyer, Neal, Reynolds, Bester, Woods are the best returning set in America, Young, Cavil and Smallwood will not see the field because they have HOSSES in front of them.

TE/HB- Green, McNamara and Grant are better than you think, Millard gets snaps here too and is an NFL player..These guys are a more talented group than the media or anyone realizes.

We have over 70 combined starts in our returning OL - plus St John n Savage coming in for immediate help. Savage is our best looking run blocking recruit since Davin Joseph. I'm not sure has lateral quickness enough for pass blocking, but he is a devastating run blocker. St John was highly sought after, is well rounded run and pass blocker who can play at a high level.

LBer is not as barren as some believe- Nelson, Shannon, and Franklin are a trio of experienced ballers. Lindley is s bigger guy who has skill, Favors may be a fulltime DE now but is a true down hill MLB for a 3-4. Striker, Alexander, and Evans, one or both of the later may RS but these dudes have a nose for the ball, people who haven't seen Evans better think of Calmus, slightly lighter w/ more athleticism. Alexander is a tacking machine and Striker is a future all B12 performer.

DL is a solid position whether people know it or not. Phillips will star this year. Russell is a big strong DT that has been HIGHLY productive at every level. Wade is going to open some eyes this year, he plays bigger than he is and has a tremendous burst for a large man. Williams' and Peterson's time has come to play with passion or get passed over. They have physical tools, maturity has been the issue. Dont forget about Anderson he may be a surprise. Walker is my favorite DT recruit since GMC. He is a HOSS, remember his name. Romar is also a guy who plays larger than his 270LBS indicate, plus he is LBer quick at DT.
The DEs are going to be the best of the Stoops era, Ndulue, Tapper (at 270 Lbs with athleticism) Onuoha, Ch Nelson, Favors (although he is a better LB IMO, still a great 255 pound athlete) Dimon and Ward are the most promising set of DEs recruited in one season in Stoops tenure, HAVE YOU SEEN THEIR FILM OMG????

CB is in great hands, pun intended. Colvin goes in the 2nd or 3rd round in next years NFL draft. Johnson is a big, fast, physical corner who has GREAT film, Sanchez is a guy who makes play after play and will be difficult to keep off the field. Simon if he will go to class has NFL skills, now if he can mature as a person it will be a beautiful thing. Austin and Moore can both flat cover and star rankings be damned, Austin is the best cover man in America in this years class.

Saftey is loaded too, Wilson , Lynn, Hayes, and Everitt, better be prepared to fight off two freight train hitting mega athletes in Thomas and Byrd, two unbelievable safeties coming in this year...

One thing is sure, if we could play the sorry msu bulldogs 100 times, we would easily win all 100, it must be awful to have no hope...

Oh no...not again............Yes puke fan, once again I've predicted great things for the team u love to loathe, the Oklahoma Sooners...of course sometimes OU accomplishes great things, something u just could never be expected to fathom as a puke.

---------------------------------------------

beauti wrote: When OU had to brake in Josh in 1999, OU went 8-5(maybe 7-6?). Breaking in Bomar, we went 8-5. When LJ had to take over for the injured Bradford we went 8-5. Surely everyone on this board hasn't forgot how hard it is to break in a new QB.

Also, OU is replacing 7 starters on defense and that defense was only 69th in the country last year. That many new players don't usually step up and win a conference championship after losing 7 starters from a poor defense. If it happens, B Stoops would have to be coach of the year.

1999 - the breaking in (please note the spelling) was not simply Josh, it was also the staff, the scheme, and some other key players, many of whom were new to OU, not just to the lineup or the staff. 

2005 - Bomar was a redshirt freshman, with no game experience.

2009 - LJ was a redshirt freshman with no game experience (and little practice time, at the point he stepped in).

2013 - Bell is a redshirt Junior, who does have game experience, even if most of it was in the short yardage offense. 


As for the defense, the bad news is we stunk, the good news is, most of those guys are gone.  But if you think about it, we only lost one conference game.  If our offense can break even with last year, and the D can show improvement, ...  

I don't know.  I don't see a conference championship, necessarily, but I don't see 5 losses, either.

I'm sorry u feel there are so many teams with such better backs than Ross, Ckay n Dwill- like I said, ill take those 3 with Finch if needed in a pinch over anything any other team has.
Call me a homer, a 5* proven on this level, , 4*, and the Juco leading rusher makes me smile ..

---------------------------------------------
--- eddyjizza wrote:



---------------------------------------------
--- oksooner1 wrote:

RB -D Will, Alex Ross, n Clay;

These guys are GOOD, but the "best trio in the country"?  Surely, you jest.

You must not watch Georgia much.  Todd Gurley (3) and Keith Marshall (4) are two of the BEST in the country.  To make a "trio", I think you can add their #3 RB and they are #1 EASILY!!!

---------------------------------------------

It's called being a huge homer. Don't waste your time.

---------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------
--- LEXUSOONER wrote:

I'm sorry u feel there are so many teams with such better backs than Ross, Ckay n Dwill- like I said, ill take those 3 with Finch if needed in a pinch over anything any other team has.
Call me a homer, a 5* proven on this level, , 4*, and the Juco leading rusher makes me smile ..

---------------------------------------------
--- eddyjizza wrote:



---------------------------------------------
--- oksooner1 wrote:

RB -D Will, Alex Ross, n Clay;

These guys are GOOD, but the "best trio in the country"?  Surely, you jest.

You must not watch Georgia much.  Todd Gurley (3) and Keith Marshall (4) are two of the BEST in the country.  To make a "trio", I think you can add their #3 RB and they are #1 EASILY!!!

---------------------------------------------

It's called being a huge homer. Don't waste your time.

---------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------

Lexus, I agree with your thought about Oklahoma winning the Conference & being in position to contend for the NC for the forseeable future. For those doubting your post, overlook them. Many of them were the same ones that stated over & over how OU would NOT win out, (they did), win the Conference, (they did), etc.

ZachGivens wrote: I'd still favor TCU right now and that largely has to do with the return of Casey Pachall and their defense. They had a lot of issues going on last off-season and I thought they finished with a respectable record given that as well as entering a new conference.

Could be on TCU winning the conference. They did have one of the best defenses in the conference last year it seemed. Reintro of Pachall could pay big dividends for them. But likewise it would not be surprising if OU pulls a rabbit out of the hat when they really should not looking at what they face. I suspect it could be a horse race to the finish. Who ever wins probably will have at least one maybe two losses. Should be fun to watch.

OU will win the conference AGAIN

I think the main advantage Bell has over the other first year starters (Bradford excluded) is that he has line depth and quality whereas Heupel, Bomar, and Jones did not in their first year.  Bomar and Jones lost the main pieces of their line to graduation, so not only did the quarterback start fresh but we replaced at least 3 guys in front of them too.

mainline13 wrote:

beauti wrote: When OU had to brake in Josh in 1999, OU went 8-5(maybe 7-6?). Breaking in Bomar, we went 8-5. When LJ had to take over for the injured Bradford we went 8-5. Surely everyone on this board hasn't forgot how hard it is to break in a new QB.

Also, OU is replacing 7 starters on defense and that defense was only 69th in the country last year. That many new players don't usually step up and win a conference championship after losing 7 starters from a poor defense. If it happens, B Stoops would have to be coach of the year.

1999 - the breaking in (please note the spelling) was not simply Josh, it was also the staff, the scheme, and some other key players, many of whom were new to OU, not just to the lineup or the staff. 

2005 - Bomar was a redshirt freshman, with no game experience.

2009 - LJ was a redshirt freshman with no game experience (and little practice time, at the point he stepped in).

2013 - Bell is a redshirt Junior, who does have game experience, even if most of it was in the short yardage offense. 


As for the defense, the bad news is we stunk, the good news is, most of those guys are gone.  But if you think about it, we only lost one conference game.  If our offense can break even with last year, and the D can show improvement, ...  

I don't know.  I don't see a conference championship, necessarily, but I don't see 5 losses, either.

but... if you read this board, the job isn't Bell's but a redshirt freshman's.  personally I think it will be Bell, and they won't ask him to win games but rather manage the game, there's to many goo receivers and running backs along with a solid line, at least early it will be a pretty safe gameplan for Bell and get the ball to guy's that will make plays.

losing that many defensive players may not be a bad thing, they weren't playing that great anyway, so now we get to see if the new guy's can do any better, not so concerned with who lines up but how they line up, does Mike figure out the Big12 offenses and get them in the right place at the right time?

I don't look for a lot of big scores at least early one, I see them using Bell and the running backs to kill the clock and give the defense time to come together.  When the season is over I think we'll be tied with someone for the Big12 title and figuring out the tie breakers again, the set up of this conference just points to a tie about every year right now.

blueskyfly wrote:

ZachGivens wrote: I'd still favor TCU right now and that largely has to do with the return of Casey Pachall and their defense. They had a lot of issues going on last off-season and I thought they finished with a respectable record given that as well as entering a new conference.

Could be on TCU winning the conference. They did have one of the best defenses in the conference last year it seemed. Reintro of Pachall could pay big dividends for them. But likewise it would not be surprising if OU pulls a rabbit out of the hat when they really should not looking at what they face. I suspect it could be a horse race to the finish. Who ever wins probably will have at least one maybe two losses. Should be fun to watch.

Agreed with you. I don't think there's a clear-cut favorite at this point and given Stoops' success over the last decade in the conference, outside of maybe 1999, 2005, and 2009, we've been in the thick of the race every season and have won consistently.

mainline13 wrote:

1999 - the breaking in (please note the spelling) was not simply Josh, it was also the staff, the scheme, and some other key players, many of whom were new to OU, not just to the lineup or the staff. 

2005 - Bomar was a redshirt freshman, with no game experience.

2009 - LJ was a redshirt freshman with no game experience (and little practice time, at the point he stepped in).

2013 - Bell is a redshirt Junior, who does have game experience, even if most of it was in the short yardage offense. 

See a lot of commonality in the quality of OLs those years.