goingoneight
1/25/2008, 02:37 AM
I think this topic is always fun to bring up, so I'll ask the question... who do you think will "surprise" next season based on something you've maybe seen, heard or know?
1999: I have to go with Josh Heupel as the surprise contributor. It was a shock to see OU go all pass-pass, but what was even more shocking is the guy straight out of Junior College playing immediately like a Heisman candidate after OU's bad stretch during the 90's. He changed the face of Oklahoma football back to dominant, but with a different style.
2000: Quentin Griffin. I just have to go with Q. Statistically, he's not a Heisman candidate, but God almight was he fast, elusive and we could use him all over the field. He may not have invented the shovel pass, but he made it his own. Torrance Marshall and J.T. Thatcher are honroable mention.
2001: SuperRoy's only competition was Jason White. Since when does a backup quarterback with no experience come in and beat an undefeated arch rival? About as often as men fly. Yes, Jason was a good one, but his time later would come to surprise... much later, unfortunately. Signature play of the Stoops era goes to the 2001 surprise contributor. He went from backup to solid starter to Superman. Honorable mention is JW and Tommie Harris.
2002: This is a tough one. Harris had another great year, Q was just a few carries away from becoming OU's rushing leader, Nate Hybl wins a BCS MVP trophy. Renaldo Works was solid as well. No real surprised that year to he honest. We expected them to be good, and had no expectation after Jason got hurt again. Mark Clayton... just for fun.
2003: JW... period. Honorable mention: Dan Cody.
2004: Do we really need to ask this question?
2005: Shocked the hell out of me that bomar could actually play quarterback when he held onto the snap correctly. Still, though... not a surprise considering the hype. Rufus Alexander in my books with true-frosh Malcom Kelly who quickly got my respect after his first deep ball against aTm. RUUUUUUUUU!!!
2006: That Paul Thompson and that AP guy. Yeah... those two shocked the hell outta me. PT for his leadership and solid play (all things considered) and Allen Patrick for stepping into the shoes of the man, AD without fault. "The drive" was among the most exciting Sooner moments in my Sooner fandom history.
2007: Can you say... wide-eyed freshmen quarterback leads the nation in pass efficiency and sets every freshmen passing record known to man??? So yeah, I liked watching him beat a bad Miami team and play solid against Tulsa, but his three touchdown performance against Texas was more than solid... it was a thing of beauty. He looked like a Heisman that day. Honorable mention: Curtis Lofton.
Now... the fun part.
The obvious choices do not count. So saying Jermaine Gresham is in for a good year or DeMarco Murray takes it to another level is just obvious given a healthy campaign. I'm talking about guys who are probably in the doghouse in fans eyes who could step it up to AA status next year. Like... big surprise-kinda stuff. Like... Ryan Reynolds wins the Butkus Award, Quentin Chaney has a 1,000 yard season, maybe someone's making a position change and ends up All-conference? Maybe someone has an Antonio Perkins-caliber punt-returning season in the absence of Reggie Smith?
I think Jeremy Beal is in for plenty of plays, even if John Williams returns. Beal, Manuel Johnson and Quentin Chaney finally look like polished receivers and have never had major injuries that hinder their speed thus far, Keith Nichol... you never know when you need your backup (see Hybl-White, Rhett Bomar BRSI and Texas Tech 2007)... and he'll be the same age as Bradford was when he tore them up next season.
* I think Nichol becomes the #2 guy, but won't play unless absolutely needed, to possibly get back that redshirt year. Halzle takes over the important McEachern position I think...
* Murray, if healthy... will be just as good if not better with more carries to look like the star he is on paper.
* Manuel Johnson and Quention Chaney will leave Oklahoma on a great note after four years of people bashing them for developing a little slower than stars like Clayton and Kelly.
* Auston English will return to his play-making ways.
* Having Willaims/Beal on the outside looks good.
* Gerald McCoy continues to develop, but not a superstar quite yet.
1999: I have to go with Josh Heupel as the surprise contributor. It was a shock to see OU go all pass-pass, but what was even more shocking is the guy straight out of Junior College playing immediately like a Heisman candidate after OU's bad stretch during the 90's. He changed the face of Oklahoma football back to dominant, but with a different style.
2000: Quentin Griffin. I just have to go with Q. Statistically, he's not a Heisman candidate, but God almight was he fast, elusive and we could use him all over the field. He may not have invented the shovel pass, but he made it his own. Torrance Marshall and J.T. Thatcher are honroable mention.
2001: SuperRoy's only competition was Jason White. Since when does a backup quarterback with no experience come in and beat an undefeated arch rival? About as often as men fly. Yes, Jason was a good one, but his time later would come to surprise... much later, unfortunately. Signature play of the Stoops era goes to the 2001 surprise contributor. He went from backup to solid starter to Superman. Honorable mention is JW and Tommie Harris.
2002: This is a tough one. Harris had another great year, Q was just a few carries away from becoming OU's rushing leader, Nate Hybl wins a BCS MVP trophy. Renaldo Works was solid as well. No real surprised that year to he honest. We expected them to be good, and had no expectation after Jason got hurt again. Mark Clayton... just for fun.
2003: JW... period. Honorable mention: Dan Cody.
2004: Do we really need to ask this question?
2005: Shocked the hell out of me that bomar could actually play quarterback when he held onto the snap correctly. Still, though... not a surprise considering the hype. Rufus Alexander in my books with true-frosh Malcom Kelly who quickly got my respect after his first deep ball against aTm. RUUUUUUUUU!!!
2006: That Paul Thompson and that AP guy. Yeah... those two shocked the hell outta me. PT for his leadership and solid play (all things considered) and Allen Patrick for stepping into the shoes of the man, AD without fault. "The drive" was among the most exciting Sooner moments in my Sooner fandom history.
2007: Can you say... wide-eyed freshmen quarterback leads the nation in pass efficiency and sets every freshmen passing record known to man??? So yeah, I liked watching him beat a bad Miami team and play solid against Tulsa, but his three touchdown performance against Texas was more than solid... it was a thing of beauty. He looked like a Heisman that day. Honorable mention: Curtis Lofton.
Now... the fun part.
The obvious choices do not count. So saying Jermaine Gresham is in for a good year or DeMarco Murray takes it to another level is just obvious given a healthy campaign. I'm talking about guys who are probably in the doghouse in fans eyes who could step it up to AA status next year. Like... big surprise-kinda stuff. Like... Ryan Reynolds wins the Butkus Award, Quentin Chaney has a 1,000 yard season, maybe someone's making a position change and ends up All-conference? Maybe someone has an Antonio Perkins-caliber punt-returning season in the absence of Reggie Smith?
I think Jeremy Beal is in for plenty of plays, even if John Williams returns. Beal, Manuel Johnson and Quentin Chaney finally look like polished receivers and have never had major injuries that hinder their speed thus far, Keith Nichol... you never know when you need your backup (see Hybl-White, Rhett Bomar BRSI and Texas Tech 2007)... and he'll be the same age as Bradford was when he tore them up next season.
* I think Nichol becomes the #2 guy, but won't play unless absolutely needed, to possibly get back that redshirt year. Halzle takes over the important McEachern position I think...
* Murray, if healthy... will be just as good if not better with more carries to look like the star he is on paper.
* Manuel Johnson and Quention Chaney will leave Oklahoma on a great note after four years of people bashing them for developing a little slower than stars like Clayton and Kelly.
* Auston English will return to his play-making ways.
* Having Willaims/Beal on the outside looks good.
* Gerald McCoy continues to develop, but not a superstar quite yet.