http://www.foxsports.com/college-foo...-really-080615
The Oklahoma Sooners went 8-5 last season, lost their identity on offense and then lost a handful of assistant coaches when Bob Stoops cleaned house.
Not a lot of inspiration for 2015.
But not according to collegespun.com. The site ranked Oklahoma as one of the 15 teams that has a chance to win the national title.
Yeah, really.
The Sooners start the season ranked No. 19 in the preseason coaches poll and do have a lot of pieces back, including Samaje Perine at running back and Sterling Shepard at receiver. But the Sooners haven't named a starting quarterback and their defense would have to be considered shaky, at best.
OU finished fourth last year in the Big 12 and for the Sooners to have any chance at a national title, they'll have to go through Baylor and TCU, both of who will start the season ranked in the top five. In addition, OU also has a road game at Tennessee.
If you're an OU fan and you're wanting to feel good about the season, enjoy the rest of the story from Collegespun here.
http://collegespun.com/national/okla...national-title
Oklahoma Football Preview: Why The Sooners Can Win The National Title
Dustin Tackett
Editor’s note: This is the second in a 15-part series in which we preview college football’s top teams. We’ll be counting down from 15 to one, with the final team, released on Sept. 3 – the day college football starts – serving as our national title pick.
14. Oklahoma Sooners
Sooners fans expect a lot from their football program, and they’re hungry for another title. In 2014, head coach Bob Stoops lost five games for just the third time in 16 years at the helm of Oklahoma football. The Sooners’ fourth place Big 12 finish was also the first time Stoops has finished outside the top three. It was a disappointment, to say the least, but there was something promising brewing underneath the surface..
Prior to the 2014 season, former Texas Tech quarterback Baker Mayfield transferred to Oklahoma, but had to sit out the entire season due to NCAA transfer rules. However, Mayfield didn’t go unnoticed. He was named Scout Team Offensive Player of the Year, and is now believed to be the favorite to win the starting job in Norman. And this is good news for the Sooners.
Along with the promise at quarterback, Oklahoma has a ridiculously talented backfield and plenty of experience at wide receiver. The Sooners report today and begin practice tomorrow, and are ready to put 2014 behind them.
Where They’re At In The Rankings
USA TODAY Coaches’ Poll – No. 19
ESPN FPI – No. 15
Las Vegas Odds – No. 13
The Schedule
Twitter/@OU_Football
Twitter/@OU_Football
Sept. 5 – vs. Akron
Sept.12 – at No. 25 Tennessee
Sept. 19 – vs. Tulsa
Oct. 3 – vs. West Virginia
Oct. 10 – vs. Texas*
Oct. 17 – at Kansas State
Oct. 24 – vs. Texas Tech
Oct. 31 – at Kansas
Nov. 7 – vs. Iowa State
Nov. 14 – at No. 4 Baylor
Nov. 21 – vs. No. 2 TCU
Nov. 28 – at Oklahoma State
*Neutral site game
Key Games
Sept. 12 at No. 25 Tennessee
The Sooners will hit the road very early on in 2015 as they travel to Knoxville, Tenn., to take on the Volunteers in non-conference play. Last season, Stoops and company didn’t have many problems, rolling over Tennessee in Norman, 34-10. But the Sooners will be on the road this time around, and the Volunteers hope to provide some new challenges for Oklahoma’s defense. However, Stoops will be bringing along some new hardware of his own in transfer quarterback Baker Mayfield. If Oklahoma can run the ball and limit mistakes, the Sooners should leave SEC territory with a victory.
Nov. 14 at No. 4 Baylor
Oklahoma will have to battle two different preseason top-five football teams in 2015, and the first of those games will be on the road against Baylor. Stoops is looking to beat Art Briles’ Bears for the first time since 2012. The Sooners were rolled by the Bears last season, 48-14, and will likely face some of the same challenges this year; mainly, how do you stop Baylor’s potent offense? Oklahoma’s 2014 defense didn’t even rank in the top 50, but the Sooners are returning some experience and look to improve in that area. If Oklahoma can successfully run the ball, kill some clock and make some stops, this would be a huge win for Stoops and his Sooners.
Nov. 21 vs. No. 2 TCU
This is the toughest game on Oklahoma’s schedule, so it can only be a positive that they get to play it at home in Norman. It will absolutely take place in front of a packed house, and one would expect Sooner Nation to bring the ruckus. TCU is ranked as the No. 2 team in the country for a reason, and they’re not going to roll over for Oklahoma. The Horned Frogs return senior quarterback and Heisman hopeful Trevone Boykin, and run what might be the most dynamic offense in the country. If the Sooners want to have a good chance to win, they’ll have to control the clock and make some stops on defense. If Oklahoma can do this, they can pull out what would likely be one of the biggest upsets of the year.
Key Players
Samaje Perine, sophomore running back
Samaje Perine was a bright spot for an Oklahoma team that struggled on the offensive side of the ball at times in 2014. As a freshman, the 5-foot-11, 237-pounder rushed the ball 263 times for 1,713 yards and a staggering 21 touchdowns. The kid was a workhorse, and the Sooners will look to lean on him again in 2015. Perine is a tough runner with great hips, allowing him to bend and get underneath tackles to gain extra yardage. He’s a tough one to tackle, and the experience he gained during his freshman campaign will only make him that much stronger as a sophomore. In 2015, Perine will look to improve on his vision and awareness. Though, at times, it seemed as if he was just doing anything he could possibly to for his team, so it’s hard to fault him for that. But a little patience can go a long way for a running back. Then again, just let the guy do what he does.
Joe Mixon, redshirt freshman running back
After being suspended for the entire 2014 season for allegedly punching a female student, redshirt freshman Joe Mixon is back with the team. The 6-foot-2, 217-pound back is thought to be the gem of Oklahoma’s 2014 recruiting class and one heck of a football player. With the addition of Mixon, Oklahoma could easily have the best backfield in the country. We won’t know exactly what Mixon can do on the football field until he gets out there, but if his film tells us anything, he’s a bruiser and should be fun to watch.
Baker Mayfield, junior (transfer) quarterback
Baker Mayfield, who sat out the entire 2014 season after transferring to Oklahoma from Texas Tech, appears to be the favorite to win the starting job at Oklahoma. While at Texas Tech in 2013, Mayfield threw for 2,315 yards and 12 touchdowns and finished with a 64.1 completion percentage. He looks to bring some of that to a Sooners offense that has the fire power to put points on the board. He’ll also have the benefit of a run-first offense, helping to open things up in the secondary and create opportunities downfield. Mayfield will look to improve on looking defenders off in 2015 and cutting down on careless throws. While he has a confident arm, he tends to make a couple throws that he shouldn’t and those lead to interceptions. If Mayfield wins the job – and it appears he will – the Sooners can surprise some people.
Sterling Shepard, senior wide receiver
Sterling Shepard returns as one of the veteran members of the Sooners’ offense, and he will be crucial during their 2015 campaign. With what appears to be a new quarterback under center in Baker Mayfield, the senior wide receiver will be looked to as a consistent weapon, and that’s exactly what he was in 2014 Shepard averaged 19 yards per reception last season, catching 51 passes for 970 yards and five touchdowns. Which means, when teams would overload the box to stop Perine, Shepard would break loose and force the opposition to stay honest on defense. Shepard, at 5-foot-10, 190-pounds, isn’t the biggest receiver out there, but it’s about consistency for the Sooners in 2015. And that’s what he brings.
Why They Can Win The National Title
In the end, it’s not very likely that the Sooners will bring another title home to Norman in 2015. With both TCU and Baylor firing on all cylinders right now, it’ll be extremely difficult for Oklahoma to pull out both of those games, and they won’t have a Big 12 Championship Game to make up any kind of ground either. But, if they are going to surprise everybody and win the title, there are a few things that will have to happen.
For starters, Baker Mayfield needs to be lights out at the quarterback position, leading the Sooners both on and off the field and capturing the respect from his teammates. It’s not always an easy task for transfers, but Mayfield played his role on the scout team last season with no reported complaints and probably earned some respect that way. Mayfield will have to take advantage of the athletes Oklahoma has to offer like the impressive backfield, which will be crucial to Oklahoma’s success this season. If Perine has a repeat performance of last season, and Mayfield and company add some consistency in the air, the Sooners will be much more balanced on offense than they were in 2014.
But most importantly, the Sooners will have to step it up on defense. They have the offensive firepower to topple plenty of teams on their schedule, but it’s about making stops against teams like TCU and Baylor. If you can’t make a few stops against those types of teams, you can’t win, and Oklahoma absolutely has to win at least one of those games if they even want a chance at the title. It should be an interesting year for Oklahoma football.
They are disappointed about last season and optimistic about the future, so don’t sleep on the Sooners.
Originally Posted by olevetonahill
