Sooner4OU

Bleacher Report has ranked the Oklahoma Sooners offensive line number five out of ten teams.  It is an interesting ranking as the Sooner's offensive line has a lot of returning expereinced players and a load of incoming talent.  This is important, as the Sooners will be employing some zone-read along with the spread this year.  So, the offense will be very dependent on a strong offensive line. 

In theis article they state: "Last year, two of the three best offensive lines in the Big 12 won the conference."  So, it is easy to see why having a strong and talented offensive line will be critical to OU's offesnive success this season.

What do you think avout OU's offensive line?

While folks much smarter than me ponder the suppossed Big12 conspiracy against the SEC, it is amazing the high level in which the Oklahoma athetic programs compete at, whille ranking amongst the nation's best in academics.  The pride, dedication and commitment that the University of Oklahoma's Athletic Department puts on academics is not only admirable, but has become a strong recruiting tool.  Numerous recruits in all sports talk about the educational support programs provided by OU as one of the primary triggers for their committing to the University of Oklahoma.

Afterall, most of these student-athletes will not be making millions in the NBA or NFL, but will need to have a diploma and education to carry them throughout their professional life.  The coaches in all the sports seem to highlight this fact and go out of the way to make the educational support programs part of a recruit's official and unofficial visit to the university.

This is why several recruits that could not get into Nebraska, OU, Kansa and others have found themselves entering an SEC, Conference USA ot other conference where some (not all - Vanderbilt, Tulsa, etc...) have lower academic standards and can accept an athlete that may not be able to academically compete at other higher-learning institutions.

So, hats off to the Sooners for their focus on education and athletics and ensuring those that attend OU go into the world with the tools to be successful. 

Boomer!

Well $22 million per team for the Big12 payout is better than the SEC's payout of $20.7 and will likely ensure the Big12 stays at 10 teams for the foreseeable future, especially since the teams kept their third-tier rights.   Not too mention that there really isn't a must have candidate to join the Big12 at this point.  Louisville was the last strong candidate and they are off the table.  That leaves Cincinnatti, UCONN and a cast of others that really don't bring anything special to the Big12.  So settle in for now and enjoy the ten team Big12, as that is what we have for the forseeable future. 

OU needs to focus on improving their product on the field and re-gaining their elite status.  That alone will bring in more money through BCS bowl dollars this year and potential playoff dollars beginning next year.  Not too mention it would do wonders for the recruiting. 

Whhat do you think about the 10-team Big12 and it's payout?

Well the SEC faithful are claiming there is a Big12 conspiracy to keep the SEC from securing two of the four spots starting with the playoffs next year.  In fact here is one of the quotes fro the article about Bob Stoops:

"Last month, Bob Stoops ran his mouth about the SEC. We sufficiently debunked his comments, but now it is apparent that something bigger is going on." 

I find it funny that they actually believe they successfully de-bunked Coach Stoops comments.  It is laughable!  

The article also points to ESPN's Travis Haney as one of the folks who is un-covering the suppossed conspiracy and exposing it to the world via some tweets.  What a stretch...he is just reporting some coaches from a conference backing each other, much like the SEC coaches have done repeadetely in the past. 

I still believe that the reason why so many in the SEC got riled up is that Stoops struck a nerve.  A nerve that is based more on the relaity of the situation than those in the SEC would like to admit.

Read the Saturdays Down South article and let me know what you think.

In the wacky world of college football recruiting anything can happen and/or affect a recruit's college choice. So, with the tornadoes and tragic loss of life, one has to wonder what affect that may have on a recruits choice, when looking at Oklahoma schools.  After all an EF-5 can be a very terrifying and intimidating thing. 

In this article they state: "Plus, it’s not like this is the only part of the country that faces dangerous weather. In the southeastern United States, you have hurricanes. On the west coast you have earthquakes. In the northeast and upper midwest you have arctic winters with seemingly month-long blizzards."

So, it may surprise some, but in the midst of these natural threats lie some of the best teams and schools in college football.

Interesting story about the Stoops family's home life and the juggling required to balance family and being the head coach of a high-profile college football team.   The article lists some of Bob's favorite items such as vanilla ice cream, coffee and Seinfeld.  It shows the human-side of Oklahoma's head coach and how Oklahoma has grown on him and his affinity for the way of life afforded him and his family.  

The article starts with the early days stating: "Bob Stoops became the head football coach for the University of Oklahoma Sooners in 1999 when his daughter Mackenzie was just two and wife Carol was pregnant with their twin sons." and brings the article forward to current day.

One of the most interesting items in the article, is how his dads passing at the young age of 54 has affected how he parents his own kids.  

A really interesting article.  Enjoy!

Photo: MetroFamily Magazine

Phil Steele has released his 2013 All-Big 12 Team.  The Sooners placed four on the first team, three players on the second team, four on the third team and finally five on the fourth team.  Interestingly, Blake bell was named the fourth team quarterback.  Does Phil know someting we don't?  Not likely, he is probably just speculating based on his experience.

Steele is a famous sportswriter, analyst and highly respected prognosticator, who focuses on college and professional football. He has traditionally ranked the Sooners high in his polls and named numerous Sooners to his All Big12 and All American teams.

It will be interesting to compare his pre-season selections with his post-season selections to see how things shake out.  My guess is the first team will look wildly different as how many would have predicted the success of K-state's Collin Klein in the pre-season two years ago..nobody.

What do you think of Phil Steele's selections?

Photo: Big12.org

OU's star softball player and defending USA Player of the Year has repeated as the national award winner.  Ricketts has had an amazing season with 16 shutouts and 311 strikeouts and has led the highly favored Oklahoma softball team to the softball world series.

She told SoonerSports.com  "It's definitely an honor to win the award with the girls I was going against, who have had amazing seasons so far," Ricketts said. "I know that there's no way I'd be able to do this without the season that my team has had and without the support my coaches and teammates have given me this year."

Oklahoma begins their world series play later tonight on ESPN2 against Number four Michigan.  The game is scheduled to start at 8:30PM.

Let's be sure and support our lady Sooners tonight in the softball  world series.

Boomer!

For nearly thirty minutes OU head Coach Bob Stoops anonymously aided in the tornado cleanup efforts in Moore, Oklahoma.  Others aiding in the cleanup said the coach just blended in with everybody else and said nothing, just worked.  This is classic Bob Stoops as his attendance wasn't publicized and he wasn't trying to garner any accolades for his efforts, he was just trying to help those in need. This is why so many of the Sooner faithful are so loyal to Coach Stoops as he is not only a great football coach, but a true humanitarian who cares about the Sooner community as well.  Really care...not for the camera cares like so many other coaches.

I believe Bob Stoops deserves a loud and boistorous "Boomer" for his charity and giving.  It is great to see a positive story amongst all the bad and depressing stories that fill the news these days.

Read more in this USAToday article

Sometimes the worst of disasters brings out the best in people.  The good in this case is being provided by several dozen of the University of Oklahoma and athletic staff, coaches and players.  They are providing much needed assistance to the tornado victims and helping with the clean-up.  Last week's tragedy is bringing out the best in fellow sooners across the state and region, who are continuing to provide assistance and helping those in need. 

It is heart-warming to see the care and giving nature that binds the Oklahomans together. Not too forget those from other states that have given so kindly in this time of need. 

Many thanks go out to the kind people at the University of Oklahoma for all that they do, whe  it really counts. It is this kind of charity and love for our fellow men and women that makes Oklahoma and it's folks special.

Boomer!

So Athlon sports has selected it national rankings and its rankings for the Big12 as well.  OU ranks #17  nationally and #2 in the Big12.  The selected Oklahoma State to edge out OU in the Big12 rankings, largely because they come back with more experience at quarterback, even though a starter has not been selected and a veteran defense.  

It is tough to disagree with their thinking given OU's defense was torched last season numerous times and with new coaches and schemes on both sides of the ball, the Sooner staff will need to perform one of their best coaching jobs during the Stoops era to improve on last season's results. 

What do you think?

The Sooners continue their search all over the country for tall players at nearly every position.  The offensive line is already taller than average (6'5") with players reaching all the way up to 6'9".  Also, it is no secret that Coach Mike Stoops has put a premium on tall cornerbacks as well.  The Sooners recently received a commit from a tall receiver Dallis Todd (6'5', 215 pounds), from La Mirada, Calif. Additionally, Norvell is heavily recruiting other tall star receivers like Jeffery Mead (6'5"), Mark Andrews (6'6") and Dorian Leonard (6'4").

It is no coincidence that there is a sharp focus on getting taller players with more length.  It is by design as the Sooner coaches know that their return to being an elite team will require players that can do things that allow them to compete with other elite teams.  Having more hieght allows for players to add more weight, use their bodies to shield the ball or go up and get balls against other talented players.  It is crucial for the Sooners to add taller and more skilled players to their squad.  Thier long-term success will require it.

Read the Oklahoman article linked below and then provide your thoughts.

Photo by Sarah Phipps, The Oklahoman

Numerous former OU players have now come out and stated publicly thier happiness that former OU baseball coach Sonny Golloway has left for Auburn.  They claim he was  two-faced, crooked and alienated former players and standouts from being involved with the program.  Golloway has retorted with dissapointment, but doesn't specifically dispute any of their claims.

The surprising thing about this controversy is that it is not just players and former players from Golloway's tenure at OU, but it is many former players from previous eras that have bad things to say about Golloway. 

The silence from the administration in regards to these issues speak volumes, as it is becoming more obvious by the day that Coach Golloway leaving Norman is the best things for all involved.  It also goes a long way to explaining why Golloway would leave a prestigious baseball program for less successful Auburn.

What do you think about Coach Golloway sudden departure?

Read more at:

Here is a Notre Dame preview of the Sooners' return to South Bend this fall.  They provide a detailed preview of the Sooners in all phases of the game.  It covers offense, defense, special teams and prediction for the game.  They seem to think that Notre Dame will win the game even though their starting quarterback Goulson has been suspended for this seson.  They put a little to much into the star-rating of the Sooner recruits as Sam Bradford and others have shown being a three-star is really not indicitive of their real potential, as Bradford was a five-star plus during his Junor and Senior years in Norman.  It is highly likely that several of the current three-stars on the Sooner roster will become much better under the Stoops brothers tutelge.

Also, I think they are a little optimistic about the Notre Dame;s chances and do not understand that we have numerous other players with playing time, even if they were not starters.  They are also a little pessimistic as to the potential of our secondary, as the Sooners will actually have more speed in the defensive backfield than they have had in several seasons.  There is a lot of potential defensively.  The only real concern is the defensive line as they will attempt to use some players that have yet to show they can be big itme division one players.  Along with the new schemes, if they can fill the defenisve tackle gaps, the Sooners may have strong defenisve presence. 

Overaall, their Sooner write-up is long and very-detailed and every Sooner fan should read it, as it provides a outside looking in view of the Sooners and their potential this season.

In this Sporting news story on OU's Bob Stoops they discuss how losing three of the four national championship games they have played in since Stoops began at OU in 1999 does satisfy Coach Stoops or his critics.  They tdiscuss why he is combative and what drove him to make staff changes this off-season.

One very interesting area of discussion ids how Bob's brothers Mike and mark state that their brother was stung by the criticism by former players after the embarassing loss to texas A&M in the 2012 Cotton Bowl.

This is a long and very interestig article that any Soooner fan should read. It mentions how Bob should become the winningest coach in Sooner history this season and yet there is still something missing. So, this leads to an ending that is especially important as Coach Stoops states adamantly

"I want more; I want the national championship,” Stoops said. “I’m not complaining, but I’m not going to apologize for the success we’ve had here. Now that (winning the Big 12) has become the norm, that isn’t good enough. Just a national championship is good enough.”

This doesn't sound like a coach that plans on coasting or not having the fire, as some of his critics have claimed.  This sounds like a coach with a chip on nhis shoulder and something to prove.

The Big12 Conference released additional early-season University of Oklahoma football game times. Fox Sports Network will be televising the Louisiana-Monroe game on a pay-per-view basis. The pay-per-view basis has caused some grumbling amongst the Sooner faithful and OU's AD Joe Castiglione came out in defense of the showing and said that the broadcast rights for the game are owned by Fox and they alone determined the pay-per-view status.  So, for those unable to make the game in-person you will need to shell out forty dollars to catch it on Fox.

The trend towards more night games continues for the Sooners to edge into prime time viewing.  We can expect it to continue as the Oklahoma Sooners are an elite brand with a large national following.

Below are the other times released by the Big12 Conference:

Date

Game

Location

Time

08/31/13

vs. Louisiana-Monroe

Norman

6:00 PM CT

09/07/13

vs. West Virginia

Norman

6:00 PM CT

09/14/13

vs. Tulsa

Norman

11:00 AM CT

09/28/13

at Notre Dame

South Bend, Ind.

2:30 PM CT

11/07/13

at Baylor

Waco, Texas

6:30 PM CT

Believe or not it has been nearly ten years since Rhett Bomar choose Oklahoma as his school.  He was a top 5-star recruit saddled with great expectations. Obviously, he did not handle those as well as he would have liked too.  But his story from his perspective is interesting none the less.  He really doesn't have anything negative to say about OU and says he would likely have made the same choice if he did it over. 

Read more...

Lauren Chamberlain, Destinee Martinez and Keilani Ricketts are the three exceptional Sooners that have been invited to tryout for the 2013 USA National Team as the they will be defending their 2012 Gold Medal in this years World Cup of Softball.

Only 17 of the 32 women asked to tryout will make the final roster.  All three Sooners have a strong chance of making the team, as they come fresh off a successful national title run.

The OU Women's Softball team did what they have done all season and relied on pitching and bats.  Also, like many other games during the tournament they have consistently come from behind to take a big lead into the final innings.  This team seems to have more than just talent and skills, they also have an unmistakable mystique and strong teamwork that tends to overwhelm their opponents and this was on display last night as they soundly beat Washington. Lauren Chamberlain's solo home run was just another example of this mystique, as it all but ensured a victory against the Huskies.

The Sooners now advance into the WCWS Finals and face Tennessee in a best of three game series starting tonight on ESPN2 at 7Pm CST.

So, Sooner fans let's get out and see them or watch them on ESPN2 and support our Sooner women on the quest for a National Title.

Photo: SoonerSports.com

OU Senior and two-time USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Keilani Ricketts (32-1) tossed her seventh career no-hitter as the Sooners outpaced Michigan 7-1 last night. With that win, OU moves forward to take-on the Texas Longhorns tonight on ESPN at 8:30PM CST.

Keillani's no-hitter last night was the first one since 2007 and only the 17th no-hitter in WCWS history. Also, Ricketts struck out 12 opponents, while only walking two  It was the first no-hitter in WCWS competition since 2007.  Besides great pitching the offense was on display last night as well bringing in seven runs. 

OU won two of three versus the Longhorns during the regular season.

Be sure and go out or support our women's softball tonight and yell loudly Sooner!

The high profile game in South Bend this Fall against Notre Dame willbe a big indicator on the national prospects for the Sooners.  If they can sneak into South Bend and get a win against the Irish, it will likely propel the Sooners into the top 10 in the polls.  If they fall, it will likely keep them out of national title contention.  So, the suspension of Irish quarterback Everett Golson over the weekend was defintely interesting for the Sooner faithful.  Many were asking does this give us an advantage now? Will the expereicned backup Rees be able to step in and keep the Irish moving? Or will this be part of the continuing saga that Notre Dame has been facing since the Teo episode and the blowout loss in the title game? Rees has been very average at best during his starts and is not likely to be a star at quarterback this Fall.   Not too mention he is not much of a running threat, which Golson tore up the Sooners defense doing?

It is probably to early to tell, but it is often a sign of things to come, when suspensions and things like this start to happen.  It just seems to cycle versus being an isolated occurence.

What do you think?

Alrighty then...  Athlon Sports has released a ranking all 125 division one coaches for 2013, and in this particular article they reveal their selections amongst the coaches in the Big 12. They have selected K-State's Bill Snyder as their top pick and OU's Bob Stoops follows.  It is hard to argue with their top pick as Coach Snyder has done more with less than just about anybody in college football.  While it could be argued that Bob Stoops' consistency over the last fourteen years should give him the nod, it is a close call with either deserving of number one slot.

Many will debate the rest of the Big12 coaches rankings, but having Mike Gundy behind Art Briles is a little suspect given the Cowboys are only a year removed from almost playing for the national title.  But, I don't have a horse in the OSU race, so I'll let it go.

Photo: Big12.org

You can get 2013 Disater Relief Shirts now at SoonerSports.com (link below).  This shirt design is the result of a partnership between The University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University and the University of Tulsa.  The net proceeds from the sale of the shirts will be donated directly to the United Way to aid disaster relief and recovery efforts across the state of Oklahoma. 

Buying one or more of these shirts is a good way to help those in need after the horrific tornadoes that devestated Moore, Oklahoma and the surrounding area.

Be Oklahoma Proud!

On Tuesday Oklahoma Coach Bob Stoops discussed Monday's devastating tornadoes.  His family watched the tornado from the back of their home as it passed about a mile away. 

Stoops was quoted as saying “Just thinking of all these, so, so many families that are devastated,” Stoops said. “This will be a long-term effort to get everyone back on their feet.”

Monday's tornado has claimed more than 24 lives, including children.  It has been initially rated as an EF4, with winds between 166-200 MPH.  The city of Moore has been hit twice before in recent history with great damage and loss of life.  Officials are still trying to come up with an accurate death toll for this tragedy. 

Photo: Oklahoman Archive