Yes, Jason White was the starter, but he was also taken out of the game about 2 minutes into the second quarter when he tore up his knee. White was leading the team for half of the points we scored in that game. Hybl had about 3 quarters to do something, and didn't. Don't get me wrong, Nate was a great quarterback and he did a lot of good for OU, but the loss at NU can hardly be blamed on Jason White.

As for Rawls, yes -- he looks good. But this is the same guy who fell out of the back of a pickup truck last year (he was pretending to surf) and got a concussion. If he's going to get serious about football, then I'd love to see him under center next year. If he's not, I would be much more confident to see Paul Thompson taking snaps.

I think OU's greatest challenge this year won't be from Alabama, Texas or Colorado. We have to beat Oklahoma State.

Alabama is in flux -- a new coach after spring practices doesn't leave much time to install new offensive and defensive schemes. This is not the Bama team that OU had so much trouble with last year.

Texas will be challenging (especially now that Mack Brown's reworked his offense essentially to beat OU), but OU's got a lot more weapons on offense and defense than Texas does and I think we'll come out on top.

Colorado is iffy -- it'll be hard to win at CU, especially after beating them twice last year. Then again, no one thought OU could beat K-State in 2001 (after beating them in the regular season and in the conference championship), and OU did. OU is also clearly the better team going into that match -- Colorado is nowhere near as deep as OU, and they just don't have the talent to match us anywhere.

The keys to the Sugar Bowl for OU:

1. Beat OSU. They're coming to Owen Field -- keep Woods covered and shut down Fields and we should be fine. With the stadium addition, OU will rival A&M for noise. The home atmosphere will be incredible, and it'll be a big help -- especially for that game It'll be a tough win, but the game needs to be won.

2. The defense needs to show up for every game. Playing like they did last year against A&M and OSU is inexcusable with the depth of amazing talent and ability on this team.

3. Keep Jason White healthy. He's a great quarterback when he's not hurt. Our other two options (Grady will be redshirted) are either largely or completely untested, and while each should get playing time, White is the key to a trip to New Orleans.

edited to get rid of formatting issues

I can't WAIT for football season to start!!! The rest of the sports year is just so boring!

I'm hoping my UT Vols will step it up this year!!

Kate,

Did they add more seating in the stadium? Shows you how long it's been since I was back at OU. :) Capacity was a little over 75,000 back then. And never enough parking or wide enough streets to handle the traffic on Lindsey St on gameday.

Here's a link to some views of what the completed rennovations will look like:

http://www.yasakusuma.com/stadium.htm

Glad to know we've got y'all worried about one thing ;) BTW, i don't know if your stadium addition will be enough. They're drawing closer to finishing our South endzone athletic complex. Not only does this complex GREATLY enhance our facilities from a recruiting standpoint, it helps to close the open end of Kyle Field which will make Kyle a more intimidating place to play :D

They're planning on adding seats to it in a couple seasons, which would put our capacity up around stadiums like the Big House in Michigan and UT (the REAL UT, the one in Knoxville :D )

Kitso
KS 361

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Lets Go Vols!! Anyone else here a Tennessee Vol fan??!

Awesome! Looks like they're gonna add even more seating to the east stands (the student section) and add even more seating and amenities to the rest of the stadium - even parking! (Parking probably for the big donors or big-ticket seats, though.)

Yes that may not be the fans number one goal but it should be the goal for the Sooners, if they can't even be the best team in the state how can they be the best in the nation. Continuing, i have no idea what i am going to do for this game, as i am a Cowboy born but soon to be a Sooner. You forget the rushing of Bell that helped keep the defense from just looking at the Feilds-Woods tandem. But without Lewis to help at WR for an extra option its gonna be tough.

I don't think Orange is going to be worn with pride after Bedlam this year.

As long as OU's D-line can remain healthy -- Tommy Harris without the groin injury should be pretty scary. OU signed a 5-star DT in Lawrence Dampeer but Kory Klein should be lining up next to Harris.

It just looks like OU's D is going to be a monster this year. If they can play consistantly they'll be a hard team (almost impossible) to beat.

Anyone else interested in seeing how the offenses of Tech and Texas are going to be with them installing new quarterbacks this year?

Texas is replacing Simms, which, if i was an OU fan might make me nervous(if i'm a sooner, from now till the day i die i want to see chrissy lining up under center for the horns) and Tech is replacing Kingsbury.

Texas i think will be fine, Mocks' a good QB from what i've heard, and they've got one of last years top recruits, Vincent Young coming off the bench. I have no idea what Tech's QB situation is, but they may be struggling to find someone to replace Kliff. Kliff was no physical speciman, but he ran that offense like an engineer and i'm interested to see who the Raiders trot out to replace him this fall.

Kitso
KS 361 times a day i say, we've GOT to beat Tech in lubbock this year

Isn't every QB at Texas a "prototypical NFL quarterback" that later doesn't quite live up to his billing?

I think that despite the talent at Texas, the coaching situation has muddied the water. I don't care how good Mock is, it's Mack you have to worry about.

I think this year, same as before he'll again be outcoached in the RRS.

I wouldn't be worried about Tech. Leach is a damned good offensive coach. Probably would be a better fit in the Pac-10 but he's good at producing successful QB's. Whoever replaces Kliff will be dangerous.

I think this year, with all the question marks that Texas has they'll maybe have 3 or 4 losses. They'll lose to Oklahoma and A&M with possible losses to either KSU or Okie State.

Yeah the D has been the big threat every year but it did jack in the last Bedlam Game. And the year before the offense did nothing. No more worries for the D i am worried about their offense, replacing Hybl with a guy who has a knack for getting hurt then there's Q, thats the easy trade. But can their high power names win the big game. Even Simms was said to be a good NFL QB but he had trouble winning the big game. And the D line is not their weakness its the secondary where they get toasted.


I am hoping the Texas teams put forth good efforts as well. I expect them to. Tech's new Qb is supposed to have a stronger are than Kingsbury and the Longhorns have a stable runner.

Does anyone really remember the name of Ohio States QB?

Krenzel, so you don't need a big name QB to win he just has to perform and that's just what he did for the Buckeyes.

A little further back, just look at Heupel. Poor guy got cut from Arena Football because he failed his physical (wrist).

But he was a badass in his prime.

Maybe he'll be coaching QB's somewhere soon.

Yeah, but your new athletic complex will still have nothing on the Switzer Center. Believe me. And we already have seats in that endzone -- and plans to add more in the north and south within the next 5-10 years!

Of course, we still won't have near enough parking and the streets aren't wide enough for the traffic, but you can't have it all. :D

AlphaSigOU, they've taken out the parking lot on the east side of the south oval -- that's where the new College of Journalism building is going. The parking garage west of the stadium will replace that lot during the school year, and it'll be donor parking during football games. (Of course!)

Hope it's great -- certainly has messed up the traffic pattern through campus!

When our son was recruited there (for academics, not athletics), the National Merit Scholars folks there told us O.U. would be national champions within the following two years.

Close last year, but no cigar. So, it has to be this year. National Merit recruiters wouldn't lie would they?

Side note -- I didn't know Joe Castiglione was the AD at Oklahoma. Used to deal with him when he was an AAD at Mizzou and I was televising Colorado Football. Good guy.

Heupel a Badass. Thats the funniest thing i have ever heard. He was a decent QB who could run the spread offense well enough to get by. FSU put a good hold on all those yards he could get and OSU also kept it close that year as well. Heupel didn't have a strong arm nor could he be very accurate for long distances, he did have good vision, I'll admit to that. But when it comes to it his WR were mostly reformed RB who could break tackles and make plays, exactly what the spread offense is designed for. Heupel like Kingsbury is a product of his offensive strategy, nothing more.

You have to look at his production and ability before and after his injuries. He was a completely different player before the bursitus started to bother him.

Yes his injuries are a big deal why he isn't getting a chance but he was a product of the offensive system, he had great numbers but if college numbers matter Ryan Leaf should have been a stud.

USC 55
OU 19

'NUFF FUCKING SAID.

Pac 10 overated now my frined?

I watched some of it and I change the channel after the third quarter. I thought it would be a close game, but it wasn't.

Yeah... my Sooners got their asses kicked last night.

Re: NCAA Football 2003-2004
 

From 2003:

Haha, if we only knew then what we know now ;)

Re: Re: NCAA Football 2003-2004
 

Are you kidding? With Auburn's undersized corners, SC would have had their way.