Yahoo - No. 19 Oklahoma: Expectations are high again for the underachieving Sooners (

[Jenni Carlson]

Dr. Saturday will unveil its preseason Top 25 team-by-team during the next 25 days. This list is based on returning starters, schedule and prospects. However, we all know that once the games begin, things can change very quickly. Still, we thought we’d give our best guess heading into the 2015 season. No. 19 Oklahoma 2014 record: 8-5, 5-4 Big 12 Returning starters: 6 offense, 5 defense 2015 Outlook: There are few top teams that had a more disappointing season than Oklahoma. After coming off a big win against Alabama in the 2014 Sugar Bowl, which included an MVP performance from quarterback Trevor Knight, many believed the Sooners were poised for a run to the inaugural College Football Playoff. But that train derailed quickly. [ Yahoo Sports Fantasy Football: Sign up and join a league today! ] After winning four straight to start the 2014 season, Oklahoma lost to TCU in what would start three losses in its next four games. It ended the season with a loss to Oklahoma State and a blowout loss to Clemson in the Russell Athletic Bowl. Oklahoma finished with the 83rd-ranked passing offense and ranked 117th against the pass. Coach Bob Stoops took a lot of offseason fire and many national pundits put him on the chopping block for the Sooners disappointing campaign. He didn’t shy away from much of the criticism and responded by firing and hiring new coaches to reinvigorate the program. Coming into 2015, there’s cautious optimism. Quarterback Baker Mayfield, a Texas Tech transfer, is eligible giving the Sooners a worthwhile replacement for Knight. Joe Mixon, a freshman running back who missed last season after punching a woman, has been an offseason sparkplug. The defense returns several stars and a change in scheme should accentuate those players. While the talent might be there, seeing how the Sooners fair under another year of Stoops will be the real test. Another failed season will mean Stoops looking for new employment. Player to watch: Eric Striker, LB Striker had a chance to leave for the NFL last season, but the disappointment over the way the Sooners ended his junior campaign forced him to come back and try to set right some wrongs. Last season, Striker made 17 tackles for loss and had nine sacks while serving as a nickel/end hybrid in the Sooners’ 3-4 scheme. This year, however, the Sooners are shifting to a 4-3, giving Striker, who is 6-foot, 215 pounds, an opportunity for more production from the outside. With Striker as the anchor, the Oklahoma linebacking corps is poised to be one of the most formidable units in the country. Having Striker back also gives the Sooners some much needed leadership on the defensive side of the ball. ”As a leader, you can’t afford to make mistakes,” Striker said. “As a leader, you have to be there every day. As a leader, you have to show the younger guys, you have to lead, you know? Because if I don’t show up, it’ll be, ‘Why’s Striker not here? If he’s not here, why do I gotta be here?’ You know what I mean? When you become a leader, those are things that you have to do.” Breakout player: Joe Mixon, RB Mixon was allowed to return to the Sooners following a year-long suspension after he was charged with a misdemeanor for punching a female student. While the move to allow Mixon back on the team has caused mass criticism, it’s all but guarantees the Sooners will have the best backfield in the country. Before his suspension, Mixon was supposed to be the Sooners’ starter. He was a five-star recruit out of high school and had a better recruiting rating than eventual starter Samaje Perine. But Perine took advantage of the opportunity and rushed for 1,713 yards, more than any other freshman and eighth-best in the country. Perine had 21 touchdowns and set the single-game rushing record with 427 yards and five touchdowns against Kansas. Now, the Sooners have the duo in the same backfield and an opportunity to improve on the 261.2 yards per game they averaged last year. Of course, there’s a still the matter of how Mixon will perform in the college game. Reports from other players say Mixon has worked to earn his place back with the program. Now, it’s a matter of how the Sooner fan base will accept him. Miss one of our Top 25? No. 20 Arizona, No. 21 Tennessee, No. 22 Missouri, No. 23 Stanford, No. 24 Boise State , No. 25 Wisconsin . ----- Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter! Follow @YahooDrSaturday And don’t forget to keep up with all of Graham’s thoughts, witty comments and college football discussions on Facebook

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