SI files open records request seeking coaches votes:Sports Illustrated is requesting the votes of all 51 head coaches at public universities, whom take part in the USA Today Coaches Poll, under the Freedom of Information Act in an effort to seek more transparency. And its no surprise the American Football Coaches Association is against the effort.
Beginning Tuesday, SI.com will file records requests with the employer of each of the 51 public school coaches who vote in the 2009 poll. If the schools comply with the law, we should get a look at every ballot. Legal action may be required if schools refuse to comply, but if a recent case involving Florida State and the NCAA is any indication, judges likely will support the people asking that highly paid public employees be held accountable for their actions. Every ballot we receive will be published.
One of the first universities and coaches to comply was University of South Florida and head coach Jim Leavitt. His ballot was interesting in that, Leavitt voted Oklahoma No. 1 over Florida. He explained his Top 25 ballot.
"The SEC's tough. I think it's probably one of the tougher conferences out there in the country. To go through that and to become a national champion two years in a row, that's a lot of pressure on Florida. That was the only thing -- when you're the guy, trying to repeat as national champions, that's asking an awful lot... I did pick Florida No. 2. It's not like I put them down at the bottom... Do I give it to OU because I know Bob [Stoops] so well? No, I try to stay away from that, but I don't think anybody will believe me."
So is the AFCA trying to hide bias in the poll? Remember in 2007 when several coaches (T. Bowden, B. Bowden, M. Bellotti, and H. Schnellenberger) voted Missouri ahead of Oklahoma despite losing to the Sooners twice that season. And reminder the coaches votes account for one-third of the BCS formula.
Question: Should coaches ballots be available to the public?
Florida ranked No. 1 in AP preseason poll: As Tim Tebow and the Florida Gators prepare to make a run at their third national title in the last four seasons, the defending champions have already made some history. Florida is No. 1 in The Associated Press' preseason Top 25 released Saturday, followed by Texas, Oklahoma, Southern California and Alabama. But the Gators are in a class by themselves, the most overwhelming preseason No. 1 in the history of the media poll. Florida received 58 of the 60 first-place votes, or 96.7 percent. Texas got the other first-place votes. (AP/Yahoo! Sports)
AP Top 25 (1st place votes) total points 1. Florida (58) 1498 2. Texas (2) 1424 3. Oklahoma 1370 4. USC 1313 5. Alabama 1156 6. Ohio State 1113 7. Virginia Tech 1054 8. Mississippi 1047 9. Oklahoma State 989 9. Penn State 989 20. Brigham Young 267 24. Nebraska 207 25. Kansas 134
Sooners ranked No. 3 in USA Today Coaches' poll: It's as easy as one, two, three. Florida, Texas and Oklahoma, the top three teams in the preseason USA TODAY Coaches' Poll, are led by three history-making quarterbacks: Tim Tebow, Colt McCoy and Sam Bradford. With Bradford claiming the 2008 Heisman Trophy and Tebow winning the 2007 trophy, could 2009 be McCoy's year? Never before in the Heisman's 74-year history have the top three vote-getters returned the following year to New York as finalists. This fall could be exceptional for several reasons -- three, in fact. "It's a wonderful thing for those three to be the face of college football," Texas coach Mack Brown says. "They're all three high-character guys," Florida coach Urban Meyer says. "College football needs that." (USA Today)
USA Today Coaches Poll - Rank Team (first-place votes) 1. Florida (53) 2. Texas (4) 3. Oklahoma (1) 4. Southern California (1) 5. Alabama 6. Ohio State 7. Virginia Tech 8. Penn State 9. LSU 10. Mississippi 11. Oklahoma State 22. Nebraska
University of Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops to vote in coaches poll: After sitting out last year in somewhat of a protest vote over all the politicking of coaches, Stoops returns to the voting panel in the USA Today coaches poll. "You don't need to make a point twice," he said. When someone suggested that his absence from last year's poll could have hurt Oklahoma's chances in such a razor-thin difference between OU and Texas, Stoops said, "It didn't help." (Austin-American Statesman)
AP Top 10 with Big 12 teams (First Place Votes) Points 1 Florida (50) 1602 2 Oklahoma (9) 1540 3 Texas (6) 1530 4 Alabama 1410 5 Southern California 1372 6 Penn State 1259 7 Utah 1225 8 Texas Tech 1193 9 Boise State 1101 10 Ohio State 1069 13 Oklahoma State 853 25 Missouri 150
USA Today's Coaches Poll 1 Oklahoma (31) 1482 2 Florida (26) 1481 3 Texas (4) 1408 4 Southern California 1309 4 Alabama 1309 6 Penn State 1193 7 Utah 1134 8 Texas Tech 1132 9 Boise State 1034 10 Ohio State 1004 14 Oklahoma State 722 23 Missouri 218
Harris Poll 1 Florida (77) 2776 2 Oklahoma (26) 2699 3 Texas (9) 2616 4 Alabama 2442 5 Southern California 2413 6 Penn State 2186 7 Utah (1) 2119 8 Texas Tech 2090 9 Boise State 1938 10 Ohio State 1858
AP Top 10 with Big 12 teams (First Place Votes) Points 1 Alabama (62) 1620 2 Florida (3) 1516 3 Texas 1488 4 Oklahoma 1480 5 Southern California 1355 6 Penn State 1257 7 Utah 1216 8 Texas Tech 1197 9 Boise State 1103 10 Ohio State 1069 14 Oklahoma State 798 19 Missouri 479
USA Today's Coaches Poll 1 Alabama (58) 1521 2 Oklahoma (2) 1397 3 Texas 1396 4 Florida (1) 1385 5 Southern California 1298 6 Penn State 1176 7 Utah 1153 8 Texas Tech 1116 9 Boise State 1044 10 Ohio State 999 15 Oklahoma State 613 17 Missouri 470
Harris Poll 1 Alabama (107) 2815 2 Florida (4) 2619 3 Texas (1) 2575 4 Oklahoma 2569 5 Southern California 2378 6 Penn State 2177 7 Utah (1) 2111 8 Texas Tech 2090 9 Boise State 1937 10 Ohio State 1856 14 Oklahoma State 1217 18 Missouri 896
AP Top 10 with Big 12 teams (First Place Votes) Points 1 Alabama (63) 1622 2 Florida (2) 1512 3 Oklahoma 1486 4 Texas 1482 5 Southern California 1352 6 Penn State 1238 7 Texas Tech 1212 8 Utah 1206 9 Boise State 1064 10 Ohio State 1043 11 Oklahoma State 997 12 Missouri 917
USA Today's Coaches Poll 1 Alabama (56) 1518 2 Oklahoma (4) 1412 3 Florida (1) 1401 4 Texas 1370 5 Southern California 1288 6 Penn State 1157 7 Utah 1153 8 Texas Tech 1073 9 Boise State 1033 10 Ohio State 994 11 Missouri 896 12 Oklahoma State 858
AP Top 10 with Big 12 teams (First Place Votes) Points 1 Alabama (42) 1601 2 Texas Tech (21) 1574 3 Florida (2) 1476 4 Texas 1437 5 Oklahoma 1369 6 Southern California 1310 7 Penn State 1178 8 Utah 1158 9 Boise State 1098 10 Ohio State 1017 11 Oklahoma State 987 12 Missouri 913
USA Today's Coaches Poll 1 Alabama (45) 1508 2 Texas Tech (15) 1465 3 Florida (1) 1373 4 Texas 1322 5 Oklahoma 1305 6 Southern California 1245 7 Utah 1113 8 Penn State 1093 9 Boise State 1023 10 Ohio State 957 11 Missouri 894 12 Oklahoma State 838
AP Top 10 with Big 12 teams (First Place Votes) Points 1 Alabama (44) 1604 2 Texas Tech (21) 1574 3 Florida 1467 4 Texas 1437 5 Oklahoma 1375 6 Southern California 1311 7 Penn State 1161 8 Utah 1157 9 Boise State 1110 10 Ohio State 1009 11 Oklahoma State 963 12 Missouri 913
USA Today's Coaches Poll 1 Alabama (44) 1508 2 Texas Tech (17) 1469 3 Florida 1348 4 Oklahoma 1314 5 Texas 1300 6 Southern California 1268 7 Utah 1104 8 Penn State 1074 9 Boise State 1028 10 Ohio State 936 11 Missouri 883 13 Oklahoma State 808
AP Top 10 with Big 12 teams (First Place Votes) Points 1 Alabama (46) 1600 2 Texas Tech (12) 1528 3 Penn State (6) 1525 4 Florida (1) 1398 5 Texas 1353 6 Oklahoma 1324 7 Southern California 1250 8 Oklahoma State 1198 9 Boise State 1030 10 Utah 1028 13 Missouri 830
USA Today's Coaches Poll 1 Alabama (40) 1498 2 Penn State (14) 1437 3 Texas Tech (6) 1409 4 Oklahoma (1) 1290 5 Florida 1268 6 Southern California 1232 7 Texas 1227 8 Oklahoma State 1066 9 Utah 1018 10 Boise State 958 13 Missouri 794
AP Top 10 with Big 12 teams (First Place Votes) Points 1 Texas (65) 1625 2 Alabama 1542 3 Penn State 1503 4 Oklahoma 1361 5 Florida 1337 6 Texas Tech 1280 7 Southern California 1234 8 Georgia 1212 9 Oklahoma State 1168 10 Utah 1027 14 Missouri 791
USA Today's Coaches Poll 1 Texas (58) 1522 2 Alabama 1439 3 Penn State (3) 1414 4 Oklahoma 1265 5 Texas Tech 1246 6 Southern California 1228 7 Florida 1199 8 Georgia 1137 9 Utah 987 10 Oklahoma State 972 14 Missouri 740
AP Top 10 with Big 12 teams (First Place Votes) Points 1 Texas (39) 1599 2 Alabama (26) 1582 3 Penn State 1492 4 Oklahoma 1306 5 Florida 1284 6 Southern California 1247 7 Texas Tech 1210 8 Oklahoma State 1184 9 Brigham Young 1131 10 Georgia 1081 11 Missouri 984 16 Kansas 620
USA Today's Coaches Poll 1 Texas (44) 1505 2 Alabama (14) 1452 3 Penn State (3) 1416 4 Southern California 1198 5 Texas Tech 1195 6 Oklahoma 1147 7 Florida 1145 8 Brigham Young 1143 9 Georgia 1010 10 Oklahoma State 958 12 Missouri 886 15 Kansas 676
AP Top 10 with Big 12 teams (First Place Votes) Points 1 Oklahoma (51) 1608 2 Alabama (13) 1537 3 Missouri (1) 1487 4 LSU 1444 5 Texas 1374 6 Penn State 1287 7 Texas Tech 1163 8 Southern California 1137 9 Brigham Young 1103 10 Georgia 1014 16 Kansas 623 17 Oklahoma State 565
USA Today's Coaches Poll 1 Oklahoma (60) 1524 2 Missouri 1404 3 LSU (1) 1398 4 Alabama 1339 5 Texas 1305 6 Penn State 1203 7 Texas Tech 1101 8 Brigham Young 1086 9 Southern California 1055 10 Georgia 937 15 Kansas 667 17 Oklahoma State 523
Record: The Sooners have been ranked No. 1 more than any team in college football (97 weeks), Notre Dame (95 weeks).
AP Top 10 with Big 12 teams (First Place Votes) Points 1 Oklahoma (43) 1599 2 Alabama (21) 1565 3 LSU 1466 4 Missouri (1) 1453 5 Texas 1362 6 Penn State 1252 7 Texas Tech 1105 8 Brigham Young 1098 9 Southern California 1087 10 South Florida 1035 16 Kansas 650 21 Oklahoma State 277
USA Today's Coaches Poll 1 Oklahoma (57) 1520 2 LSU (1) 1399 3 Missouri 1398 4 Alabama (2) 1350 5 Texas (1) 1310 6 Penn State 1146 7 Brigham Young 1054 8 Texas Tech 1047 9 Southern California 990 10 [t] Georgia 888 10 [t] South Florida 888 16 Kansas 555 22 Oklahoma State 229
Last Time: The last time Oklahoma was ranked No. 1 December 2003 against Kansas State in Big 12 Championship.
Record: The Sooners have been ranked No. 1 more than any team in college football (96 weeks), Notre Dame (95 weeks).
Oregon State defeats No. 1 USC: Less than two weeks ago, Southern California established itself as the country's top team when it routed No. 5 Ohio State. Rekindling the magic of the glory years of Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush was short-lived and its national championship hopes are in jeopardy. Oregon State stunned the visiting Trojans, 27-21, Thursday night for the first jaw-dropping upset of the season. The Beavers (2-2) turned the national title race on its ear and the reverberations can be heard in Oklahoma, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana and Missouri. (New York Times)
Where does it leave OU? Scenario 1: Possibly No. 1 with a big win over No. 23 TCU this weekend, and a close Georgia and Alabama game.
Scenario 2: Possibly still No. 2 with No. 3 Georgia playing No. 8 Alabama, an impressive win against Alabama could close the slim 9 point advantage Oklahoma has over Georgia.
Scenario 3:No. 4 Florida plays Mississippi, who only trails OU by 42 points in the Associated Press poll. A blowout win by Florida and close games for Georgia and OU could leave Florida No. 1. (Top 25)
AP Poll: 2. Oklahoma (0 1st place votes) 1484 points 3. Georgia (2 1st place votes) 1475 4. Florida (1 1st place vote) 1442
Schedule this weekend: 12:30 CT - Mississippi at Florida 6:00 CT - TCU at Oklahoma FSN 6:45 CT - Alabama at Georgia ESPN
Stoops not paying attention to rankings: For now, Sooner coach Bob Stoops isn't paying much attention. "In the end, it's a long year," he said. "All we can focus on is being the absolute best we can be each time we play. "(The ranking) really doesn't do anything to us right now. We have so many more games to play." As the season evolves, Stoops said, the rankings become more relevant. "It's a long way to earn your way to something like that," he said. "That's what our focus will be on, earning it. Earn it each week and not get ahead of yourself." (The Oklahoman)
Here's a look at Oklahoma Sooners in preseason college football rankings. Kansas City Star... Oklahoma No. 5 - All systems are go for another successful season, but there are some questions, especially on defense. Oklahoma is breaking in a total of four new starters at linebacker and in the secondary. - Blair Kerkhoff
Los Angeles Times... Oklahoma No. 5 - Sooners fans would probably circle the wagons and agree on this: It's just not good enough winning the Big 12 Conference title while ruining Missouri's national championship hopes.That was nice, but it's time for Oklahoma to hit another gusher. - Chris Dufresne
Fort Wort Star-Telegram... Oklahoma No. 5 - The Sooners are stocked with talent, but lost some key players and need a young secondary to mature quickly.
SportingNews... Oklahoma No. 4 - The new trick on offense will be a no-huddle, which was installed during the spring. It took some getting used to, but coaches believe the kinks will be worked out this fall. - Blair Kerkhoff
The Grand Rapids Press... Oklahoma No. 2 - The offensive line is the nation's best and RB DeMarco Murray, who was injured after taking the team lead with 764 rushing yards last year, is a potential breakout star. - David Mayo
The Arizona Republic... Oklahoma No. 2 - Quarterback Sam Bradford could become a Heisman candidate behind one of college football's great offensive lines. - Doug Haller
Lexington Herald-Leader... Oklahoma No. 10 - The schedule is baby-soft, and quarterback Sam Bradford enjoyed a fabulous first season. But the OU defense must get better. Much better. - John Clays
Press-Register... Oklahoma No. 2 - The Sooners return their quarterback, two running backs, five linemen and a wrinkle. Sam Bradford, who set an NCAA record for freshmen with 36 TD tosses, will utilize a no-huddle set. - Mark Heim
Omaha World-Herald... Oklahoma No. 5 - The Sooners have become a model of consistency with their strong defenses and diverse offenses. A break or two could lead to a title run. - Lee Barfknecht
ST. Louis Post-Dispatch... Oklahoma No. 6 - The defense is filling some massive holes at linebacker and in the secondary. - Stu Durando
The Hartford Courant... Oklahoma No. 5 - All the hype surrounding quarterback Sam Bradford (3,121 yards passing) might mean a national championship in the Sooners' view. - Desmond Conner
Shevport Times... Oklahoma No. 3 - The Sooners have a great quarterback in Sam Bradford and fairly easy schedule. - Glenn Guilbeau
New York Post... Oklahoma No. 1 - Three Big 12 crowns but no national titles in five years. - Lenn Robbins
New York Daily News... Oklahoma No. 4 - Their inability to win a BCS bowl the last two years remains confusing, but it's easy to see the Sooners going unbeaten if they get past Texas in an Oct.11 showdown in Dallas. - Dick Weiss
Oklahoma ranked No. 4 in Associated Press preseason poll: Oklahoma was ranked No. 4 in the Associated Press preseason poll released today. The Sooners were the highest-ranked team in the Big 12 followed by No. 6 Missouri, No. 11 Texas, No. 12 Texas Tech and No. 14 Kansas. OU was also ranked at No. 4 in the Coaches Poll. OU has the most appearances at No. 1, in the Top 5 and in the Top 10 of the AP preseason poll. (SoonerSports.com)
Top 10 with Big 12 teams 1. Georgia (22) 2. Ohio State (21) 3. USC (12) 4. Oklahoma (4) 5. Florida (6) 6. Missouri 7. LSU 8. West Virginia 9. Clemson 10. Auburn 11. Texas 12. Texas Tech 14. Kansas
Coach Stoops on OU's AP ranking: "I have no idea what we are. It doesn't matter," he said after Saturday's scrimmage. "You gotta win. It's simple. We're working on that in practice. That's all I can do something about."
Coach Stoops on OU's second scrimmage: "This one was better," Stoops said. "I thought we showed improvement from the last scrimmage to this one. We were definitely sharper." No stats were released from this scrimmage
Granger missed practice with sore back: Coach Stoops was asked about DeMarcus Granger's place down the nose guards' depth chart. "That's only because his back was a little bit sore. He missed a few practices," Stoops said. "He's working and doing well." (Tulsa World)
OU, Mizzou favorites in Big 12 preseason poll: Missouri and Oklahoma were picked to repeat as division champions in 2008 in a preseason poll of media that cover the Big 12 Conference. Missouri was the unanimous choice of 51 voters to win the North division. The team returns 17 starters off of last year's 12-2 squad that tied with Kansas for the North title and made its first appearance in the Dr Pepper Big 12 Football Championship. The Tigers ended the 2007 season with a win over Arkansas in the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic, their fourth consecutive bowl appearance. Mizzou finished fifth nationally in total offense (490.3 ypg), ninth in passing offense (314.1 ypg) and eighth in scoring offense (39.9 ppg) a year ago. Kansas was chosen to finish second followed by Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas State and Iowa State. Oklahoma received all but two first-place votes as the favorite to win the South division. The Sooners welcome back 11 starters from their 2007 Big 12 Championship squad. OU has won five league titles in six appearances, both conference records, and last season became the first team to win consecutive Big 12 championships. Oklahoma finished at 11-3 in 2007, registering at least 10 victories for a nation-leading 30th season. Texas was picked to place second followed by Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M and Baylor. (Big XII)
Sooners 4th in Coaches and AP Polls: Oklahoma continued its climb back to the top of the polls. The Sooners were No. 4 in the AP, Coaches and Harris polls released Sunday afternoon. OU (6-1 overall, 2-1 Big 12) dealt previously undefeated and then-No. 11 Missouri a 41-31 loss at Owen Field Saturday night. The Tigers (5-1) dropped to a tie with Kansas (6-0) at No. 15 in the AP poll and No. 17 in the Coaches poll. The Sooners received one first-place vote in the AP poll. Half of the Big 12 Conference teams were ranked in the AP Top 25 including Oklahoma (4), Kansas (15), Missouri (15), Texas (19), Texas Tech (22) and Kansas State (25). K-State was the only team of the group not also ranked in the Coaches poll (No. 30 in votes). (Full Rankings available at SoonerSports.com)
BCS Standings Week 1 1. Ohio State 2. South Florida 3. Boston College 4. LSU 5. Oklahoma 6. South Carolina 7. Kentucky 8. Arizona State 9. West Virginia 10. Oregon
AP Top 10 (First Place Votes), Pts. 1 Ohio State (50) 1,599 2 South Florida (11) 1,503 3 Boston College 1,448 4 Oklahoma (1) 1,399 5 LSU (1) 1,331 6 South Carolina 1,247 7 Oregon 1,177 8 Kentucky 1,098 9 West Virginia 1,090 10 California 1,065 15 Kansas 664 15 Missouri 664 19 Texas 348 22 Texas Tech 241 25 Kansas State 107
USA Today Poll (First Place Votes), Pts. 1 Ohio State (56) 1,495 2 Boston College (1) 1,383 3 South Florida (3) 1,320 4 Oklahoma 1,288 5 LSU 1,173 5 Oregon 1,077 7 West Virginia 1,007 8 South Carolina 997 9 California 983 9 USC 983 15 Kansas 705 17 Missouri 519 18 Texas 396 21 Texas Tech 232
Sooners climb polls after Red River Rivalry win: Oklahoma vaulted to No. 6 in the latest AP Poll following a 28-21 win against Texas Saturday in Dallas. OU rose to a tie with South Florida for the No. 5 slot in the latest Coaches Poll. The Sooners are the highest-ranked one-loss team in both polls. Oklahoma hosts No. 11 Missouri on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. The game will be televised by FSN and OU announced Sunday that Norman will be the site of ESPN's College GameDay show. (Full Rankings available at SoonerSports.com)
AP Top 10 (First Place Votes), Pts. 1 LSU (65) 1,625 6-0 2 California 1,538 5-0 3 Ohio State 1,511 6-0 4 Boston College 1,346 6-0 5 South Florida 1,339 5-0 6 Oklahoma 1,221 5-1 7 South Carolina 1,183 5-1 8 West Virginia 1,059 5-1 9 Oregon 1,047 4-1 10 USC 1,024 4-1 11 Missouri 966 5-0 20 Kansas 336 5-0 23 Texas 136 4-2
USA Today Poll (First Place Votes), Pts. 1 LSU (58) 1,498 6-0 2 California 1,416 5-0 3 Ohio State (2) 1,399 6-0 4 Boston College 1,283 6-0 5 Oklahoma 1,145 5-1 5 South Florida 1,145 5-0 7 USC 1,000 4-1 8 Oregon 936 4-1 9 West Virginia 931 5-1 10 Virginia Tech 913 5-1 11 Missouri 897 5-0 20 Kansas 390 5-0 22 Texas 195 4-2
Oklahoma falls to 10th in AP and Coaches Polls: Oklahoma (4-1) landed at No. 10 in both the AP and coaches polls released Sunday. Including the 2007 preseason editions, Sunday's polls marked the sixth-straight week the Sooners have been ranked in the top 10. From the Big 12 Conference, Oklahoma (No. 10) was joined by Missouri (17), Texas (19), Kansas State (24) and Nebraska (25) in the AP. In the Coaches' Poll, OU (No. 10), Texas (16), Missouri (17) and Nebraska (23) were ranked. (Full Rankings available at SoonerSports.com)
AP Top 10 (First Place Votes), Pts. 1 LSU (33) 1,593 2 USC (32) 1,591 3 California 1,475 4 Ohio State 1,420 5 Wisconsin 1,271 6 South Florida 1,203 7 Boston College 1,172 8 Kentucky 1,143 9 Florida 1,031 10 Oklahoma 992 17 Missouri 561 19 Texas 449 24 Kansas State 214 25 Nebraska 198
USA Today Poll (First Place Votes), Pts. 1 USC (45) 1,483 2 LSU (14) 1,454 3 California 1,363 4 Ohio State (1) 1,313 5 Wisconsin 1,251 6 Boston College 1,138 7 Florida 1,000 8 Kentucky 971 9 South Florida 960 10 Oklahoma 925 16 Texas 573 17 Missouri 532 23 Nebraska 261
Sooners #3 in AP Poll; 4th in Coaches Poll: Oklahoma moved past Florida for the No. 3 slot in the latest AP poll released Sunday. The Sooners (4-0) rolled past Tulsa, 62-21, at Skelly Field for their first road win of the season. Texas (7), Missouri (20) and Nebraska (25) joined Oklahoma from the Big 12 Conference in the polls. OU was ranked No. 4 in the latest coaches' poll with four first-place votes. This marked the 364th week Oklahoma was ranked in the top five of the AP poll, more than any other team. (Full Rankings available at SoonerSports.com)
AP Top 10 (First Place Votes), Pts. 1. USC (43) 1,601 2. LSU (22) 1,580 3. Oklahoma 1,456 4. Florida 1,417 5. West Virginia 1,388 6. California 1,263 7. Texas 1,196 8. Ohio State 1,193 9. Wisconsin 1,030 10. Rutgers 1,008 20. Missouri 401 25. Nebraska 134
USA Today Poll (First Place Votes), Pts. 1. USC (44) 1,481 2. LSU (8) 1,438 3. Florida (4) 1,437 4. Oklahoma (4) 1,336 5. West Virginia 1,260 6. California 1,137 7. Texas 1,103 8. Ohio State 1,092 9. Wisconsin 1,026 10. Rutgers 901 20. Missouri 369 22. Nebraska 209
Sooners Ranked 8th in AP Poll: 1. USC (62) 2. LSU (2) 3. West Virginia (1) 4. Texas 0-0 1,375 5. Michigan 0-0 1,371 8. Oklahoma 0-0 1,166 20. Nebraska 0-0 377 25. Texas A&M 0-0 162
Oklahoma's Third Fall Scrimmage Tonight 6 p.m.: • Gates 1, 7 & 12 will open at 4:30 p.m. • Seating will be restricted to east side only • Restrooms - East Side only • Concessions - East Side and Gate 1 • Expected Out: Allen Patrick, Brody Eldridge, Gerald McCoy
Stoops doesn't rule out using two quarterbacks: Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops seeks a starting quarterback for the 2007 season and hasn't ruled out the idea of using two quarterbacks. "There's always that chance," Stoops said Friday morning during the Sooners' media day in Norman. "I'm not saying we will, but it's too early to say we wouldn't." The biggest question as Oklahoma opens August practice is who will be the starting QB. (Tulsa World)
Pendleton receives Bowden FCA Award: Former Oklahoma football player Carl Pendleton held the Bobby Bowden Fellowship of Christian Athletes Award in his hands for about two minutes. And that was enough for him. Pendleton, who was announced as the winner of the award in January, finally received the trophy Thursday night during the OU Caravan stop at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. (NewsOK.com)
Yahoo! Sports Top 50 Countdown; Oklahoma #9: Oklahoma has so much talent on offense and in the secondary that the Sooners would rank among the favorites to win the national title if they had a standout quarterback. The uncertainty at the quarterback situation prevents us from being quite that optimistic about Oklahoma's chances. Oklahoma overcame instability at the quarterback position to win the Big 12 title last year, but we're forecasting a second-place finish in the Big 12 South this year. Even if they don't win the division, the Sooners have enough firepower to go 11-2 with a BCS at-large invitation or a spot in the Gator Bowl or Cotton Bowl.(Full Preview at Yahoo! Sports)
Sooners picked 2nd in Big XII Preseason Media Poll: Oklahoma is picked to finish second behind Texas in the Big 12 South, according to the Big 12 Conference's preseason media poll. The Sooners got seven first-place votes to Texas' 16. Oklahoma State is picked to finish fourth. (NewsOK.com)
2007 Big 12 Preseason Football Poll (Media Vote) North 1. Missouri (16) - 136 2. Nebraska (8) - 128 3. Kansas State - 88 4. Kansas - 63 5. Colorado - 58 6. Iowa State - 31
It is just a bit unfair that while Stoops sits out there seemingly untouched by the media, other coaches would be fed to the dogs had they run into the same predicament. This is just another case when success directly determines the amount of media praise or criticism that a coach and program will receive in a certain situation.
Does this student recall, Maurice Clarett receiving the REAL preferential treatment from his professors? By allegedly conducting academic fraud, according to the NY Times. To allow Clarett to play in the 2002 Fiesta Bowl against Miami in the National Championship. Don't forget, the thousands in special benefits Clarett received also. I do recall, Jim Tressel and Ohio State receiving a free pass -- especially from ESPN.. It's hypocritical to alleged Stoops has got preferential treatment, only when your coach is the media darling...
SI's Mandel Spring Top 25: Sports Illustrated College Football writer, Stewart Mandel's spring college football power rankings. 1. USC 2. LSU 3. Florida 4. West Virginia University 5. Louisville 7. Texas 9. Oklahoma Redshirt freshman Sam Bradford appeared to separate himself from fellow contenders Joey Hazle and Keith Nichol in the QB race. OU is a veteran team, but several impressive youngsters emerged, including WR Adron Tennell, DB Dominique Franks and DT Gerald McCoy 13. Arkansas 18. Nebraska
ESPN.com SportsNation ask: Which NFL top prospect is likely to be a bust. Calvin Johnson: 4% Adrian Peterson: 12% Brady Quinn: 40% JaMarcus Russell: 34% Joe Thomas: 10% Nearly 6700 Votes
Oklahoma ranked 16th in AP and USA Today Coaches Poll: The Oklahoma Sooners climbed 1 spot to #16 in the Associated Press college football poll released today. Despite losses by several teams ahead of OU, the Sooners managed to move up just 1 spot. The Sooners also moved up to #16 in the USA Today coaches poll. The Sooners defeated Texas Tech Saturday 34-24 in Norman to improve to 8-2 on the season. (AP/KOTV)
BCS Rankings - Full Ratings - PDF File 15. California .4391 16. Wake Forest .4362 17. Oklahoma .3868 18. Georgia Tech .3612
Weekly Polls, including AP, USA Today, Harris Poll and AP at Yahoo! Sports
Elridge steps up at fullback: Among the four players to line up at fullback for the Sooners this season -- Matt Clapp , Ian Pleasant, Dane Zaslaw and Brody Eldridge -- offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson says Eldridge, who also plays tight end, has been the best. "He doesn't even practice (fullback) a lot," Wilson said. "When he gets on the field, he's the best blocker. "He actually performs at fullback better than the fullbacks." (NewsOK.com)
Wilson: Perfect scenario four weeks: Six weeks from Saturday is Nov. 25. Oklahoma visits Oklahoma State on that date in the regular-season finale. Peterson, a fast healer from injuries to his shoulder (in 2004) and ankle (in 2005), rushed for 249 and 237 yards in his two previous games against the Cowboys. "I've been told it can be a four-week deal, but that's a perfect scenario," offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said. "Typically it's 6-8 weeks. Time will tell as he heals and progresses." (Tulsa World)
Sooners climb in the polls: The Oklahoma Sooners moved up three spots to #20 in the Associated Press college football poll. OU beat unranked Iowa State 34-9 on Saturday. The Sooners are 1-1 in the Big 12 and 4-2 overall. Meanwhile, the Sooners climbed 2 spots to #20 in the USA Today college football coaches' poll released today. (KOTV)
Spread Offense in 2007? So Wilson will miss Peterson, the player and the leader. But like the general who refuses to retreat, despite word that his front-line troops have just been taken out, Wilson seems to be relishing that next move. And he was instantly spinning forward on Saturday. "I'd look at it more as a challenge and an opportunity, 'Here's where we're going,'" Wilson said. "Not that, 'It's a problem,' and, 'It's an issue.'" So where is Wilson going? Probably headed toward OU's offense for 2007, which judging by his personnel, minus Peterson, means Colorado coaches are likely scrambling to get their hands on some of the spread attack tapes from Wilson's days at Northwestern. Allen Patrick and Jacob Gutierrez might prove otherwise, but the Sooners' top offensive option no longer resides at running back. Options, yes, but the ball might now be better off with Malcolm Kelly and a cast of skilled receivers that runs deep through wideouts and tight ends. "I think the receivers," said Kelly, "there's more pressure on us now." Don't dismiss the running game. Wilson won't. It's too rooted in his past, even in the spread. Remember, at Northwestern, Damian Anderson ran for a Big Ten-record 193.6 yards a game out of Wilson's spread in 2000. (More at NewsOK.com)
Oklahoma-Missouri game time set: The Oct. 28 Oklahoma at Missouri football game has been set for an 11 a.m., kickoff. The contest will be televised by ABC. This week, Oklahoma hosts Colorado for a 6 p.m., kickoff in Norman. It will mark the 50th consecutive Sooner game to be televised.There are a limited number of tickets remaining for the OU-CU game. They sell for $67 each and are available online at SoonerSports.com, over the phone at 1-800-456-GoOU or in person at the ticket office west of Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. (SoonerSports Release)
