12/9/08
The losses are heavy on the offensive side, in particular up front. An argument can be made that the legendary 2008 bunch will go down as the best set ever to put on the Crimson & Cream in Norman. Tackle Trent Williams is the only mainstay. Luckily, the opposite is true in the OU backfield. Redshirt junior Sam Bradford has led the nation in passing efficiency the past two seasons. His protection may not be quite as strong, so his feet will finally have to play more of a factor. How this will affect his decision-making and accuracy remains to be seen. But no doubt, the backs lining up behind him represent the deepest set of options anywhere across the land. Murray, Brown, Madu, Eldridge and Clapp...any one of these individuals could start for just about any program. The physically gifted Jermaine Gresham has the ability to change a game from his tight end position. This 6-6, 261-pound specimen is already NFL-worthy however; should he bolt, sophomore Ryan Broles would be the only receiver with noteworthy starting experience. Defensively the Sooners had issues keeping opponents from putting up points in ‘08. Injuries at LB wreaked havoc at different points of the past season. The good news is that this entire defense, outside of finding two new safeties, will remain intact. Too much talent exists on this side of the ball to keep the Sooners from being a much-improved unit. Still, the statistical argument that Big 12 defenses have been on the lighter side in ’08 holds plenty of water. Ergo, four different players being rewarded with All-Conference post-season honors doesn’t convince us of much. The defensive line has a boatload of highly-touted prospects. English, McCoy and Beal are each capable of playing at the next level. Much like at Texas, however, the pass coverage has been lacking (99th nationally). Coach Bob Stoops will continue to put the Sooners in every preseason national championship discussion, and 2009 will have more of the same. There is just way too much talent to keep this bunch under the radar. Rebuilding a star-studded offensive line and getting better play out of the secondary will be the main focus.