Big 12 media preseason poll has Oklahoma, Texas tied for 1st place: Nebraska was predicted to win the North division while Oklahoma and Texas tied for the top spot in the South in the 2009 Big 12 Football Preseason Poll, voted on by media representatives who cover the Conference. Texas compiled 17 first-place votes in the South compared to 15 for Oklahoma, however both finished with 174 cumulative points. Oklahoma State was picked third ahead of Texas Tech, Baylor and Texas A&M. OU, UT and TTU finished tied for the top spot in the South last season. The Sooners won the tiebreaker to compete in the Championship game and captured their third-consecutive and sixth overall Big 12 title. (Big 12 Sports PR)
2009 Big 12 Football Media Preseason Poll North Division 1. Nebraska (17) 172 2. Kansas (12) 164 3. Missouri (3) 124 4. Colorado 100 5. Kansas State 81 6. Iowa State 33
South Division 1. Texas (17) 174 1. Oklahoma (15) 174 3. Oklahoma State 130 4. Texas Tech 89 5. Baylor 75 6. Texas A&M 33 first-place votes in parentheses
Thin air no excuse in OU's Colorado loss, Stoops says: It's been suggested that one reason for OU's second-half collapse at Folsom Field was because the Sooners fell victim to the thin air in the 5,335-feet altitude. A few tired players making a few sloppy mistakes, perhaps? "That's ridiculous. That makes no sense," Bob Stoops said. "Why would that be? I don't get that. Offense wasn't tired. They were fresh as a daisy. On (46) plays? No. That's not accurate." "The altitude had some affect," said offensive tackle Trent Williams, who platooned on an offense that ran just 46 plays. "But I don't think it affected our play that much." (Tulsa World)
Switzer's XM radio show broadcasting from the Cotton Bowl: Former OU coach Barry Switzer and T.J. Rives will have special editions of their XM satellite radio sports show (channel 144) from 5-8 a.m. Friday and 9-11 a.m. Saturday from outside the Cotton Bowl. XM also will carry the OU-Texas game. (NewsOK.com)
Baker may sub for less than 100% Reynolds: Defensive coordinator Brent Venables said he might sub starting strongside linebacker Lewis Baker for weakside Ryan Reynolds more to give Reynolds some rest.Venables said Reynolds, who missed part of the spring and was limited during two-a-days after undergoing knee surgery, was hurting late against Colorado. Venables did put Baker in, but said he probably should have done it earlier. (Star-Telegram)
Former Sooners' coach Mike Stoops hospitalized: Before kickoff, Bob Stoops acknowledged he was concerned about the health of his younger brother. Arizona coach Mike Stoops, who once served as OU’s defensive coordinator, was hospitalized Friday in Tucson for what was diagnosed as a problem with kidney stones. Stoops was scheduled to be on the sideline Saturday night when Arizona hosts Washington State. Bob Stoops said he didn’t know about his brother’s medical problem until after he read about it in a newspaper. "I called him, and he said he’s been in a lot of pain," Bob Stoops said. (Tulsa World)
Stoops on OU's loss: "They outplayed us and outcoached us in the second half," Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said. "It's disappointing. We're not a very smart football team right now." (Dallas Morning News)
Reynolds expected to have X-rays today: Oklahoma linebacker Ryan Reynolds played most of the fourth quarter with numbness in his right shoulder after getting hit with a helmet Saturday. "I'll get X-rays (Sunday),” Reynolds said. "Hopefully nothing's wrong with it. It just went numb, couldn't move it.” At times, Reynolds struggled to lift his arm and trainers inspected the shoulder nearly every time he came off the field. (NewsOK.com)
Colorado stuns Oklahoma in final second field goal: Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops envisioned it going down to the wire. Colorado Dan Hawkins had a hunch his team would pull off the big upset. Both coaches turned out to be correct and Hawkins' Buffaloes dealt a serious blow to the Sooners national title hopes when Kevin Eberhart kicked a career-long 45-yard field goal as time expired to send Colorado past No. 3 Oklahoma 27-24 on Saturday. "I told them all week they're going to win the game," Hawkins said. "Not because I'm 'The Swami.' I've done this for 25 years and you just know. You know when your team's ready, you know when you're poised." (AP/SoonerSports.com - Stats)
It should be noted Texas was defeated by Kansas State 41-21 Saturday.
Stoops confident Sooners aren't overlooking Colorado: Oklahoma is 7-1 under coach Bob Stoops in games played before facing Texas. The Sooners' only loss during that span came in 1999 – Stoops' first season at OU – in a 34-30 defeat at Notre Dame. Stoops said he wouldn't bring up to his players the possibility of looking at Texas. "We don't have to. They know going to Colorado is tough," Stoops said. "There isn't any of that, whatsoever. Look at our track record every year, before and after that game [8-0 under Stoops]. That's not an issue." (Dallas Morning News)
Might the Sooners pull freshman Frank Alexander's redshirt? Would defensive ends coach Chris Wilson consider removing the redshirt from touted freshman Frank Alexander? "As of now, Frank isn't one of those guys. We'd like to save him," he said. "But it's a long year. I've always determined if a guy is redshirting once we play that last snap of the season. If you haven't played, you've redshirted. "We'll do what's required to perform well and win the game." (Tulsa World)
Limited tickets available for OU-Colorado: According to Colorado officials Thursday afternoon, approximately 2,500 tickets remained for Saturday's game. Folsom Field seats 53,750. (NewsOK.com)
Williams may return in 2008 with medical hardship: Stoops said Williams had successful surgery Tuesday to repair his Achillies' tendon and could be back next year if the NCAA grants him another year of eligibility. Williams tore an ACL in the 2005 season opener against TCU and missed the rest of the season. (Dallas Morning News)
Stoops used fake calls: Bob Stoops wore a defensive-call wristband at Tulsa and, along with Brent Venables, signaled calls to the defense -- some real, some not.Stoops said he did so "strictly because we didn't want [Tulsa coaches] to get our signals."Deciphering a defensive call has become easier for offensive coaches, and quarterbacks frequently look to their sidelines near the end of the play clock to verify calls or switch plays after offensive staffs have checked out the defensive sets. (Star-Telegram)
Stoops on rather he'd coach his sons: Stoops, who has two sons, said he isn’t sure whether he would like to coach either of them, but admires what he sees at Colorado. "I think it would be tough, just with all the scrutiny and opinion out there," Stoops said. "But just knowing Dan a little bit and being around him, I'm sure he'll handle it as well as anyone can. I think it's great to have a chance to see your son every day, and to be in competitive situations with him would be neat." (Norman Transcript)
Brown recovering after head injury: Stoops said Tuesday that sophomore running back Chris Brown is "looking better and better" after being hit in the head late in the Sooners' win Friday at Tulsa. "His checkups Sunday and Monday were really good. So we expect him to be able to play [Saturday at Colorado]," Stoops said. "I'm not saying he is yet, that's something they'll check by the end of the week. "He ran all his conditioning Monday and looked great afterward, so there aren't any lingering signs that there is something going on there." (Dallas Morning News)
Nic Harris named to Good Works Team: Oklahoma free safety Nic Harris has been named to the 2007 American Football Coaches Association Good Works Team ®. The AFCA accolade is for his contributions in the community. The two 11-man teams, a Division I-A team and a combined team from the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision, Divisions II, III, and the NAIA, honors players for their dedication and committment to community service. The AFCA has been selecting the Good Works Team since 1997. Harris, a junior, served as president and is an active member of BridgeBuilders, an African-American student-athlete network group at Oklahoma. Bridgebuilders joined forces with Norman's Food for Friends Community Action Agency and helped serve lunch to less fortunate in the community. Through four games, Harris has 17 tackles, five tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, one interception, four pass deflections and two fumbles forced. OU running back Jacob Gutierrez was named to the Good Works team last season. (SoonerSports.com)
Stoops not concerned with elevation: Stoops said he has no concerns playing in the high elevation Saturday at Colorado. "It hasn't been a factor yet," Stoops said. "And this isn't our first time up there." (Norman Transcript)
OU-Colorado game time announced: Fox Sports Net will broadcast OU's game at Colorado on Sept. 29. The game will kick off at 12:30 p.m. (NewsOK.com)
Single game OU-TU soldout; Ticket packages available: Single-game tickets have been sold out for the OU-TU football game. A limited number of mini-paks remain available. Mini-pak plans are a three-game package that includes tickets to the Oklahoma, UAB and Houston games. Prices are $102 and $90. Call 631-4688 to purchase a mini-pak. (Tulsa World)
Ryan Broyles receives deferred sentence and $100 fine:Update: Ryan Broyles arrested... Although they tried, Norman police investigators said Monday they never learned how a suspended University of Oklahoma football player got a key and an override code to a gas pump at a city convenience store. Ryan Broyles, 19, pleaded no contest in Cleveland County District Court Friday to a misdemeanor count of attempted petty larceny, effectively ending their investigation, Capt. Leonard Judy said. In an unscheduled court appearance, Broyles entered the plea before Special District Judge Reg Gaston. Gaston placed Broyles on a six-month deferred sentence and fined him $100. "Without anything further to go on, we essentially came to a dead end,” Judy said, implying that Broyles never told investigators how a key and code came into his possession. (NewsOK.com)
QB matchup highlights OU-TU QBs: The Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award will highlight the game at Tulsa -- Sam Bradford versus Paul Smith -- as its marquee matchup for this week. Smith is on the O'Brien preseason watch list, and Bradford is among the nation's leaders in several statistical categories. The O'Brien Award this season has opened its voting to fans. Fans can vote once daily at cf,fgc www.DaveyOBrien.com. b = [100.0] The top three vote-getters will be added to the semifinalist list, and fan votes will then count 5 percent toward determining the finalists and winner. (Tulsa World)
Honoring the past, Prentice Gautt: The University of Oklahoma Athletics Department has created a new endowed scholarship in the name of the late Prentice Gautt. OU President David L. Boren and Athletics Director Joe Castiglione made the announcement Saturday. Special recognition of Gautt, the first black football player at Oklahoma, his family and the 1956 squad occurred at halftime of the OU-Colorado football game here. The '56 team, the first at the university to include Gautt, won the school's third of seven national championships in football. "Prentice Gautt, through his personal integrity and moral courage, has left a lasting impact on the University of Oklahoma. His example will continue to inspire the University family for years to come." Castiglione agreed that Gautt's contributions are undying. "Prentice made it possible for us to celebrate diversity as a 'strength' of our program," Castiglione said. "He is our Jackie Robinson, if you will. He had uncompromising character, dignity, faith, and a certain elegance that was only overshadowed by his humility. It is critically important that we remind ourselves and future generations about his contributions to a quality of life we now enjoy." Gautt's jersey No. 38 was not issued this year as part of the 50th anniversary since his first season with the Sooners. OU players are wearing a No. 38 decal on their helmets and for Saturday's game, the 38-yardline at each end of the field was striped in crimson. The scholarship in Gautt's name will be presented for the first time prior to the 2007 football season. The recipient is yet to be determined. (SoonerSports.com)
Don't be surprised by the Buffalo motion and movement: Don't bother trying to keep track of the Colorado offense at the line of scrimmage tonight. It will make you dizzy. "They do more moving, motioning, shifting in pre-snap than anybody we've played in eight years," OU defensive coordinator Brent Venables said. "Nobody's remotely close. They do it for obvious reasons, to create confusion and get you out of gaps, to get you thinking and to temper your aggressiveness. We'll really need to be sharp mentally as well as physically." Venables said all that movement has keyed Colorado tailback Hugh Charles' 119-yard effort against Texas Tech. (Tulsa World)
Smith expected to play: Oklahoma strong safety Reggie Smith is expected to play today, although his playing time might be limited due to a bruised knee. Smith took a shot to his left knee during a punt return against Iowa State a week ago. He returned to play in that game but was held out of practice Monday and Tuesday, which he spent on crutches. (NewsOK.com)
Runners Step Up: On their last turn on the OU center stage, both Allen Patrick and Jacob Gutierrez lost crucial fumbles. Patrick fumbled twice in the second half of this year's 59-0 victory over Middle Tennessee, including on the goal line that would have been a sure touchdown. Gutierrez capped off last year's 173-yard effort against Baylor with a fumble that the Bears turned into a quick touchdown that forced overtime. "If we put the ball in your hands, we're entrusting you to be smart and take care of this ball," said offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson. "Those players at running back and every player on offense need to continue to grow and realize that is the key thing to winning and losing." Wilson said he's been disappointed "that we've been as immature with the ball as we've been." (Tulsa World)
Thompson not taking Colorado lightly: Any game played the week after Adrian Peterson gets hurt is going to be a challenge, but Oklahoma has a few other hurdles to clear while trying to define its offense without its star. Colorado comes to Norman a week after its first win of the season, which could have the Buffaloes on an emotional high. The pressure to move the ball likely falls on senior quarterback Paul Thompson, who has warned his team about being fooled by Colorado's 1-6 record. "They're real close to having some wins," Thompson said of Colorado, which lost 14-13 to a then-highly ranked Georgia team. "If we sit there and look at their record, then we'll get beat. They're a good team." (NewsOK.com)
Gutierrez opts to stay a Sooner: Stoops said Tuesday that his brother, former defensive coordinator-turned-Arizona head coach Mike Stoops, asked him two years ago if Gutierrez might be interested in transferring. Mike Stoops had helped recruit Gutierrez and knew his talent, and also knew Peterson would be ahead of him for two years. Bob Stoops asked Gutierrez, and Gutierrez didn't take long to mull it over. "I said, 'Listen, by no means am I wanting this, but I at least want you to know for yourself if it's better for you, that it's there,' " Bob Stoops said. "He said, 'No, coach. I'm a Sooner. I'm going to contribute any way I can.' He's been a great team leader." (Tulsa World)
Gutierrez studies Q: Diminutive running back Jacob Gutierrez (5-7) said he's studied game tapes to learn former OU standout Quentin Griffin's moves. Griffin excelled at running from the shotgun formation. That extra space gave plays time to develop and Griffin could find the running lanes easier. Griffin had 3,938 yards from 1999 to 2002. (Dallas Morning News)
