Randle considering Oklahoma: Coach Bob Stoops was in Bastrop, La., on Thursday night, for an in-home visit to Rueben Randle, the nation's No. 1 high school wide receiver -- and Rivals.com's No. 2 overall player -- in a late attempt to convince Randle to play next season with Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford instead of LSU. Stoops spent Wednesday in Las Vegas, presumably visiting Chaisson as well as future prospects. (Tulsa World)
Kenney verbally commits to Oklahoma: Four-star junior-college wideout Cameron Kenney committed to Oklahoma over Georgia on Sunday night, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Monday. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Kenney, who grew up in the Atlanta suburbs but attends Garden City (Kan.) Community College, made his decision shortly after visiting Georgia over the weekend. "The official visit to (UGA) went great, it was better than I could ever imagine," Kenney told the Journal-Constitution. "However, I just couldn't pass on the opportunity to play with the Heisman Trophy winner and, more importantly, for the team many pick to win the national championship next year. (The Oklahoman)
ESPN ranks Oklahoma No. 1 in prestige: ESPN ranked all FBS football teams in terms of prestige in January, 2009. The rankings were a numerical method of ranking the best FBS college football programs since the 1936 season. ESPN's research department ran all the numbers through the computer to come up with the No. 1 program of the past 73 seasons. (SoonerSports.com)
Oklahoma releases 2009 football schedule: Oklahoma and Miami, whose original football date in 2009 was lost to a facility conflict at Dolphin Stadium, have rescheduled the game to Oct. 3 and the Sooner program has completed its schedule for next season. OU's non-conference slate will now include the Sept. 5 opener against BYU in Arlington, Texas, Sept. 12 vs. Idaho State in Norman, Sept. 19 vs. Tulsa in Norman and Oct. 3 at Miami. "Working in concert with our coach, Bob Stoops, we are pleased with the quality of our non-conference schedule and feel fortunate to adhere to our core scheduling philosophy in preparing our team for a rigorous conference slate," said OU Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics and Athletics Director Joe Castiglione. "It took a considerable amount of cooperation between Oklahoma and Miami to maintain that game, but the two schools were able to work together to keep it on the schedule," he added. (SoonerSports PR) Checkout the 2009 OU Football Schedule
Darius Jones switches commitment from OU to Baylor: Three-star athlete Darius Jones of Marshall, Texas, told the recruiting Web site Rivals.com Tuesday that he has switched his commitment from OU to Baylor and intends to sign with the Bears. "My heart was never into Oklahoma," Jones said. "I've been down to Baylor a lot of times this past summer, and every time I went down there it got better and better." (The Oklahoman)
Bradford knew he was coming back: Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford was never close to leaving college. "He wanted to come back to OU for at least one more year all along," said Sam’s father, Kent Bradford. Sam Bradford’s decision caught some by surprise. He was being touted as one of the top two quarterback prospects, along with Georgia's Matthew Stafford, and depending on his draft position would have signed a contract with a set-for-life guarantee. Father and son had lunch together just before the end of the regular season to discuss options, and that's when Sam said he would go through the NFL evaluation process, but "felt he still had plenty of room to improve his game and get bigger and stronger before he made the jump," Kent Bradford said. (KC Star)
Former Sooner advises Williams to stay in school: After the BCS National Championship, offensive tackle Trent Williams traveled home to Longview, Texas, unsure of his next move. It was former Sooner and current Washington Redskins wide receiver Malcolm Kelly -- Williams- high school teammate at Longview and college roommate at OU -- who helped convince Williams to stay, according to a source close to both Kelly and Williams. "Trent would change his mind every 10 minutes. He didn-t know what he was going to do," the source said. "But Malcolm encouraged him to come back. Trent really trusts Malcolm, and that made a huge difference." (More at The Oklahoman)
Box expected to miss spring practice: Oklahoma linebacker Austin Box is expected to miss spring practice due to elbow surgery, coach Bob Stoops said Wednesday. Box dislocated the elbow as a senior at Enid High School, and injured it again last year causing him to miss most of spring practice. Box, a rising sophomore, has battled several injuries since coming to Norman. (The Oklahoman)
Stoops reaction to Williams, Gresham, Bradford return: In addition to Sam Bradford's announcement that he plans to remain at Oklahoma, two other Sooners also announced that they plan to play for the Sooners next year. Both tight end Jermaine Gresham and Trent Williams said they will return for the 2009 season. Defensive tackle Gerald McCoy announced earlier that he also will return. "We are pleased that these players are returning to our program," said OU head coach Bob Stoops. "They understand the value of gaining another year of experience and improving their position in the draft along with the value of either finishing their degree or being within a few hours of completing it. "I also think our players recognize the opportunities we have as a program to pursue more championships and that's something that means a lot to all of us." (SoonerSports.com)
Report: Bradford expected to return for junior season:Quarterback Sam Bradford is expected to announce that he will return to Oklahoma next season, a source told ESPN's Joe Schad. Bradford was expected to announce his decision at a 5:30 p.m. ET press conference Wednesday. Offensive tackle Trent Williams, who said Wednesday that he would return to the Sooners next season, said he believes Bradford will return. "My gut feeling is that Sam is coming back," said Williams, who spoke with Bradford. "The entire state may be very happy."(ESPN.com) UPDATED: Sources confirmed to the Tulsa World that Bradford isn't the only player returning. All the Sooners' underclassmen considering leaving early for the NFL are expected to be back, according to sources.(Tulsa World)
News9.com will provide live streaming video of Sam Bradford's press conference.
Williams to return in 2009: Offensive tackle Trent Williams said Wednesday he will return to Oklahoma for another season. "I just want to win," Williams said. "I have been left with a sour taste in my mouth. Not a lot of people win a championship and I want to win a championship. I also promised my mom I would graduate. And I think I can improve my draft stock." It will be interesting to see if Williams' return influences quarterback Sam Bradford's decision. Some members of the Oklahoma coaching staff feel Bradford is seriously considering returning to school. (ABC11.com)
Related: OU has scheduled a 4:30 press conference today... Sam Bradford is expected to announce his future plans.
Minnesota no longer interested in Heupel: The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports that Gophers head coach Tim Brewster has denied an Internet report that he offered Heupel the job, and the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that Heupel is no longer a candidate. Heupel on Tuesday replied to a Tulsa World text message query by saying, "turned down opportunity." (Tulsa World)
Bradford back wearing a cast: Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford is again wearing a cast on his injured left thumb. Bradford suffered torn ligaments in the thumb and underwent surgery before the BCS championship game. (AP/KFSM)
Ward switches commitment from OU to Texas Tech: Wichita Falls Rider senior wide receiver Eric Ward has switched allegiance within the Big 12 South, opting to play football next year at Texas Tech instead. "I felt like I could do better at Tech," said Ward, who was named the Times Record News' Large School Red River 22 MVP in 2008. "I just wanted what was best for me. I'm happy with my decision, and I hope people will support me with my decision." Ward caught a team-high 46 passes for 737 yards and five touchdowns, and was Rider's second-leading rusher with 356 yards. He also earned the District 5-4A MVP for the district-winning Raiders. (Times Record News)
Sam Bradford Day in Oklahoma City: Mayor Mick Cornett will declare Jan. 13 "Sam Bradford Day" in Oklahoma City at the city council chambers at 8:30 a.m. today. The proclamation is to recognize the Oklahoma quarterback's winning of the Heisman Trophy. Bradford is a 2006 graduate of Putnam City North High School. (The Oklahoman)
Gerald McCoy opts to return for junior year: Oklahoma defensive lineman Gerald McCoy told ESPN.com Monday he will return to school instead of entering the NFL draft as an underclassman. "I've decided to stay," the redshirt sophomore McCoy told the Web site. "I talked it over with my family and I just don't feel like right now is the time for me to leave. I feel another year would benefit my speed, strength and overall knowledge of the game."(Tulsa World)
Heupel offered offense coordinator job? Minn. coach denies offer: SoonerScoop.com has reported Heupel has been offered the job, though Gophers coach Tim Brewster said no offer has been made. One source with knowledge of the situation said Heupel was at least high on the Gophers' wish list and could interview for the position in person by the end of the weekend. Published reports from Texas indicate that Texas running backs coach Major Applewhite and Houston offensive coordinator Dana Holgerson were contacted by the U. Both chose to stay with their current teams. Whether Heupel would take the job is unclear. Brewster said Heupel has not been offered the job, but he wouldn't comment further, saying only that he was thinking of a number of potential candidates. (Star Tribune)
NFL Scouts comment on Bradford: One N.F.L. scout, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not permitted to talk publicly about draft prospects, said Bradford was a "no-brainer" overall No. 1 pick and compared him to Troy Aikman, the first pick in the 1989 draft. "When you've watched him at Oklahoma over the years, he sticks out like a sore thumb," the scout said. "He's not a nickel-dime, dink-and-dunk guy. He throws those deep balls as good as anyone I've ever seen." Scouts express few doubts about Bradford's readiness, but Gil Brandt said Bradford's value would be even higher in next year's draft. "This is a guy that needs to stay in school," Brandt said. "He's really started to develop in the last year." (New York Times)
Obama congratulations Florida; still pushing for a playoff: Obama, asked what he thought about Florida's 24-14 victory Thursday night over Oklahoma in the BCS championship game, congratulated the Gators and said he'd sent a message to a friend whose son plays for the team.At the same time, he said, "If I'm Utah, or if I'm USC or if I'm Texas, I might still have some quibbles."Obama said, "That's why we need a playoff." (Associated Press)
Gators take BCS Crown: On college football's grandest stage Thursday night, Tebow put an exclamation on his original subtle point by outdueling Bradford in the Gators' 24-14 victory, their second national championship of his three-year career. He was named the game's most outstanding player."This is an unbelievable night," Tebow said. (New York Times)
Stoops not a candidate in Denver: Bob Stoops can coach the Bowl Championship Series title game tonight in peace. The Oklahoma coach was telling the truth this week when he said he's not a candidate for the Broncos' head coaching position. An NFL source with knowledge of the Broncos' search confirmed Wednesday night Stoops is not under consideration. (Denver Post) via ProFootballTalk.com
Davis at 100 percent: Sooner defensive end Alan Davis said he feels 100 percent and is ready to go Thursday. Davis suffered a knee sprain at Texas A&M and missed OU's last three games. "I feel good," Davis said. "Knee's not sore or anything. Just a matter of getting back my conditioning, getting back to game speed." (The Oklahoman)
Charlie Strong's (Florida) unit has been stellar at times this year and I expect a big game from their go-to guys up front... Florida 28, Oklahoma 20
Mike Rose, Campus Confidential:
The Sooners haven't played a defense like they'll see come Thursday night. Tim Tebow is great player, and he's the most valuable player on the field. Florida's defense will step up and Tebow will again lead the Gators to a big win... Florida 31, Oklahoma 23
OU's six opponents are ranked #3, #7, #11, #12, #13, #21. FL's three opponents are ranked #4, #15 and #25. Not only has OU been tested more often against stronger competition, but they have fared better... Oklahoma 38, Florida 35
Ask the Tennessee fans how Tim Tebow responds in a big game. Ask the Georgia fans, LSU, Florida State and Miami fans, too. Tebow's Gators beat those opponents, 201-55. Don't forget about the 31-20 comeback against Alabama. Forget the stats for this game, because Tebow will use the Heisman snub to lead the Gators to victory... Florida 41, Oklahoma 27
Greg Stoda, Palm Beach Post
It really comes down to a belief that the best teams Oklahoma has beaten are better than the best teams Florida has beaten. Neither defense will consistently stop the opponent's offense. Oklahoma 37, Florida 31
Nothing stops me from telling you who will win. And it won't be "Wow" as much as "Whoa" when Oklahoma ignores regular-season stats to find those key stops and critical takeaways.... Oklahoma 42, Florida 21.
Expect a repeat of what Ohio State did against Colt McCoy in the Fiesta, up until the game-deciding play, by letting Bradford make his throws before blasting the receivers to force several third-down chances. Florida will find a decent enough balance offensively, and will dominate on special teams, to make it three in a row for the SEC... Florida 38, Oklahoma 27
Obama on BCS teams, CFB playoff: "I think Utah has a pretty good claim. They're undefeated," he said. "I think USC, which had a great Rose Bowl, beat Penn State pretty badly. They've got a pretty good claim to being number one. Florida and Oklahoma, I think, both have a claim. Texas, at this point, has got to feel like, 'Well, we did OK, too.' I think--I think a football playoff system makes sense. I've spoken about this quite a bit, and I think if you look at knowledgeable sports fans, they agree with me." Obama's Prediction: Florida over Oklahoma
Stoops calls for extra help: Florida figures to have a crowd edge tonight, but Stoops is ready to recruit any neutral ticket-holders to his side. "There's a whole lot of 'Cane fans (Miami U.), and I'm calling on all the Hurricane and Seminole (Florida State) fans that are down here to root for us," Stoops said. "That won't be hard, I don't think." Said Lewis, "Whatever people we've got screaming for OU, they're a fan of mine." (The Oklahoman)
Governors' wager: University of Oklahoma football fans should be hoping Gov. Brad Henry will be getting a shipment of Florida oranges. Florida Gov. Charlie Crist made a friendly, handshake wager on Wednesday to send Henry some Florida oranges if the Sooners defeat the University of Florida in tonight's college football national title game, said Henry's spokesman, Paul Sund. Henry agreed to send Crist some Oklahoma beef if the Gators win, Sund said. (The Oklahoman)
Balogun to start at linebacker: Oklahoma defensive coordinator Brent Venables said after Tuesday's practice that Mike Balogun will start at middle linebacker over Austin Box, who's returning from a knee sprain. Venables said Box would play, but he said how much would depend a lot on how Balogun performs. Box said Tuesday that he feels 100 percent and is ready to go. (The Oklahoman)
Dallas Cowboys, ESPN announce five-year agreement; BYU, Oklahoma to meet Sept. 5th: ESPN officially announced the anticipated BYU-Oklahoma game at the new Dallas Cowboys stadium in Arlington, Texas. From the ESPN press release:
ESPN will televise the first college football game at the Dallas Cowboys' new stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Saturday, Sept. 5 when Oklahoma and BYU take the field in what will be the 2009 season opener for both teams. The Labor Day weekend contest will kickoff in prime time and be televised on ABC or ESPN as part of the second annual ESPN Kickoff Week Presented by Gillette, which will feature extensive college football content across multiple ESPN outlets during the first week of the season.
The game will mark the beginning of a new five-year agreement between the Dallas Cowboys and ESPN to bring a top college football game to the club's new stadium each year during the Labor Day holiday weekend that kicks off the college football season. The starting time and ticket information for the game will be announced at a later date.
The OU-BYU game this fall will be just the second meeting between these two well-known college football programs. The Cougars won the only previous meeting 31-6 in the 1994 Copper Bowl.
"We are excited to host such strong traditional college football programs as those at the University of Oklahoma and Brigham Young University in our first-ever college football game at our new stadium," said Dallas Cowboys Owner and General Manager Jerry Jones. "I don’t think there is a better place than Texas to celebrate the kickoff of the 2009 college football season, and I don't think you will find a better stadium for watching that football action than our new home in Arlington."
Nothing to Lewis absence: Brent Venables said All-Big 12 linebacker Travis Lewis "missed a little bit" of practice Sunday, but said there was nothing physically wrong. "Aw, he had an issue," Venables said. "No big deal." (Tulsa World)
Williams recovering from flu-like symptoms: Offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said right tackle Trent Williams missed Monday's media day trip to Dolphin Stadium because of flu-like symptoms. Williams rested at the team hotel and Wilson said he'd play Thursday. (Tulsa World)
Linebacker Brandon Spikes says OU will face toughest defense yet: Brandon Spikes fired back at the Sooners on Monday as the bulletin-board material for both teams continued to pile up heading into Thursday's BCS National Championship. "If they can stop our offense, hey, my hat goes off to them," Spikes told reporters during media day. "But I really don't think they can. As long as we play well on defense, give the ball back to Tim and the rest of those guys, we should roll. "You keep hearing they've done this and scored all these points in the last five games. But I really feel like they haven't faced a defense like ours, and Big 12 defenses are a joke. It's always like a bunch of basketball scores when I watch SportsCenter. So we'll see." (The Oklahoman)
Tim Tebow responds to Dominique Franks' comment: Dominique Franks raised eyebrows Sunday when he said Tebow ranks behind Oklahoma teammate and Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford, Texas' Colt McCoy and Texas Tech's Graham Harrell. Tim Tebow first heard about the comments during a quarterbacks meeting. He chuckled at the time, then spent the better part of an hour doing the same Monday when asked repeatedly about the critique."Who knows? Maybe," Tebow said. "That might have been a compliment. We'll see." When the subject came up again, Tebow responded, "I'm thankful for being fourth. There's a lot of good quarterbacks in the Big 12." (FOXSports.com)
Box, Balogun expected to play: Oklahoma middle linebacker Austin Box, who sustained a knee sprain against Oklahoma State on Nov. 29, is also back at practice. Brent Venables said that Box and the backup Mike Balogun would play against Florida. After practice Sunday, Coach Bob Stoops said Box's knee was "loosening up for him and he's moving around pretty well, really." (NY Times)
Former Sooner Clayton visits team: Ex-Sooner and current Baltimore Ravens wideout Mark Clayton made an impromptu appearance at OU's press conference Sunday morning at the Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa. Clayton wished defensive coordinator Brent Venables and several Sooner players luck in the BCS National Championship before heading to Dolphin Stadium for Baltimore's NFL playoff game against Miami. The Ravens stayed at the Harbor Beach Marriott over the weekend, the same hotel where all the BCS National Championship press conferences were held. (The Oklahoman)
Coach Stoops offers praise for Tim Tebow: Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops attempted Sunday to play down inflammatory comments made by Oklahoma cornerback Dominque Franks about Florida quarterback Tim Tebow. "We know he's a great player," Stoops said. "We have great respect for him. There's not a lot of Heisman Trophy players running around. That speaks for himself. He's an exceptional guy and we know that." (ESPN.com)
Franks offers bulletin board material: Dominique Franks said Florida's Tim Tebow, the 2007 Heisman winner and 2008 finalist, would "probably be about the fourth best quarterback" in the Big 12. That's behind OU's Sam Bradford - the 2008 Heisman winner - Texas' Colt McCoy and Texas Tech's Graham Harrell. "I really think with those three guys, it's a lot harder to prepare for those guys," Franks said. " We're coming in and facing Tebow, and he wants to run the ball a lot more. "He's predominantly a running quarterback. So to me [playing in the secondary] it's going to be a lot easier for us to prepare to stop the run than having to face a quarterback that might throw the ball 40 or 50 times a game." (Dallas Morning News)
Parcells visits Sooners practice: Bill Parcells, the Dolphins' vice president of football operations, visited OU's practice Saturday, and took a moment to address the team. "It's always important when you get a legendary figure and a guy that's a hall of fame coach, you get a chance to be around him and say hello," Stoops said. "I like our guys to get a chance to see and hear from those kinds of guys." Before leaving practice, Parcells made a point to encourage DeMarcus Granger, the defensive tackle recovering from back surgery, who was standing by himself on crutches on the sideline. "He's just evaluating our players," Stoops said. "I've always been a big fan of the way he coaches. And the way he handles you media guys, too." (Tulsa World)
Coach Bob Stoops focused on Oklahoma football team: Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops denied a report on Saturday saying he has been contacted by the Denver Broncos about their head coaching vacancy. Speaking after practice at Barry University, Stoops said he was unaware about a story in the Denver Post that claimed the Broncos had interest in him replacing Mike Shanahan. Shanahan was fired last week. Stoops, who is preparing his team to face Florida in Thursday's BCS National Title game Thursday at Dolphin Stadium, called the report just speculation. "That's a rumor that I haven't heard," Stoops said. "No one has contacted me about that so I don't know anything about it. We're preparing for a national championship and that's all my focus and that's all my concentration is on. Obviously, I'm not a candidate or someone might have told me other than (the media)." (Sun-Sentinel)
Desmond Jackson out: The Sooners are without defensive back Desmond Jackson, a redshirt freshman from Seguin, Texas, whom coach Bob Stoops said "we left home for disciplinary reasons." (Tulsa World)
Bob Stoops among Denver coaching candidates: High atop the Broncos' wish list is believed to be Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, who is preparing his second-ranked Sooners to face No. 1 Florida in the BCS championship game in Miami on Thursday. It will be his fourth shot at the national title in a decade at the school.Another intriguing possibility is Dallas offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, who turned down offers last winter from Baltimore and Atlanta after the Cowboys made him the highest-paid coordinator at $3 million with the promise he'd be head coach Wade Phillips's successor.Denver is planning to interview Garrett at some point next week, the team said Friday. (Associated Press)
Oklahoma, Florida set to arrive in Miami: Oklahoma and Florida will arrive in South Florida on Friday afternoon to begin preparing for next week's BCS national title game at Dolphin Stadium, which was just beginning to peel off the team colors and logos of Cincinnati and Virginia Tech after Thursday night's Orange Bowl.Heisman winner Sam Bradford and the No. 1 Sooners will walk off their plane first, which is expected to land at Miami International Airport about 3 p.m. The Gators and Tim Tebow are expected a half our later in Fort Lauderdale.The Big 12 champion Sooners (12-1) will spend the week practicing in Miami Shores at Barry University. (Miami Herald)
Bob Stoops receives $3 million incentive bonus: Stoops is scheduled to receive a one-time payment of $3 million that will push his compensation package to over $6 million for this season. The OU coach's contract, signed in 2005, calls for Stoops to earn $2.775 million this year. Of that, only his $220,000 base salary is paid by the school. The remaining $2.555 million comes for personal services for TV appearances, shoe, apparel and other endorsements and $580,000 for speaking engagements and fundraising appearances that is paid by the Sooner Club -- the school's fundraising organization, which operates on private donations and doesn't use school funds. OU’s 12-1 season has also initiated an additional $335,000 in performance bonuses. Another $100,000 would be added if the Sooners win the national championship. All told, Stoops could earn over $6.2 million. (Norman Transcript) More can be found at Tulsa World.com
