Big 12 Football Power Rankings | #3 Oklahoma St. Cowboys

With 13 starters including the starting quarterback and top receiver moving on, it looks like the Oklahoma St. Cowboys could be entering a rebuilding year. However, a little more digging could tell a different story.

#3 Oklahoma St. Cowboys

2013 Finish | 10-3 (7-2)

Replacing Clint Chelf could in all likelihood be a tall task but, when you have another quarterback with starting experience it eases the process. That is the case with OSU. J.W. Walsh earned the starting role over Chelf in 2013 but after five games was replaced. During his career, Walsh has thrown 22 touchdowns to just 8 interceptions.

Returning to lead the receivers is none other than Josh Stewart who caught 60 passes last season. He remains Oklahoma St.’s top target moving into 2014. However, the job of the receivers may become a bit easier with Desmond Roland leading the running between the tackles. A concern comes up mentioning the lines as the Cowboys are interior linemen will be young. Assuming they live up to their potential, OSU and the offense will be absolutely fine.

Now, the defense is another story and falls under the rebuilding stage. With holes to fill all over the place and losing more than their fair share of experience, questions abound. With the shift happening in college football, the Cowboys could run into quite a bit of trouble when attempting to slow opposing teams down. The feat of 10-3 looks tough to repeat in 2014. Can this defense come together and surprise the rest of the conference? Only time will tell.

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2014 Oklahoma Sooners Football Countdown To Kickoff | 61 Days!

In Oklahoma’s 51-13 thrashing of Miami on September 8th, 2007, Reggie Smith picked up a fumble from Javarris James and sprinted 61 yards, untouched, for a defensive score.

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Big 12 Football Power Rankings | #4 Texas Longhorns

There is no doubt that the Texas Longhorns have questions surrounding the program especially after nearly two decades with Mack Brown. Now, Charlie Strong is taking over and expected to clean up the mess that has been left behind.

#4 Texas Longhorns

2013 Finish | 8-5 (7-2)

Regardless of your opinion toward the program, there is no doubt that Texas continuously pulls in talent on both sides of the ball. Although David Ash has suffered the aftereffects of a concussion, excitement at the quarterback position continues swirling around Tyrone Swoopes. Anything is possible when it comes to a new signal caller as a new offense will be installed this upcoming season.

At the skill positions, the Longhorns return Malcolm Brown, a second all-conference selection, alongside Joe Bergeron and Jonathan Gray. To say that’s a stacked backfield may be an understatement as the Longhorns boast the best group of backs in the conference…at least in my opinion. Adding to them, Jaxon Shipley and Kendall Sanders provide proven experience at the receiver position.

All signs currently point to Ash retaining his starting role. But, with spaces to fill on the offensive line, health could once again be the deciding factor on his season.

On the other side of the ball, this is a defense that improved as the season wore on. Possibly the best defensive back on the roster in Quandre Diggs will return for another season. However, shoring up two holes in the secondary due to departures may take some time.

When it comes down to it, the potential sits on the roster for the this team. Question remains, will they be able to stay healthy through conference play?

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2014 Oklahoma Sooners Football Countdown To Kickoff |62 Days!

Tony Jefferson had three interceptions in Oklahoma’s 62-6 win over Ball State in 2011

The Ball State Cardinals came to Norman on October 1st, 2011 hoping to pull off a shocking upset. The Sooners wouldn’t have any of it though as they turned a tightly contested 10-6 game into a 62-6 blowout victory thanks to interceptions by safety Tony Jefferson on three consecutive Ball State offensive possessions.

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Photo: Big 12 to unveil new logo

Yep, we are neck-deep into what seems like an abnormally long and interminable offseason.  The latest example of that?  This post. Friday night, the Big 12 conference wrote on its Twitter account that “[t]he #Big12 will officially update its logo on July 1 – next Tuesday. Get ready for a great new look! #OneTrueChampion.” So,…

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2014 Oklahoma Sooners Football Countdown To Kickoff | 63 Days!

Brennan Clay is going to be one of those guys that you don’t appreciate in full until you don’t have him anymore. He was consistent as both a runner and a receiver out of the backfield, playing an intricate part of the offense that will be hard to replace. He is currently on the roster with the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent.

On his Senior Day he helped seal the win against Iowa State with this 63-yard burst into the end zone.

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Big 12 Football Power Rankings | #5 Texas Tech Red Raiders

The Texas Tech Red Raiders check in inside the top five moving into 2014. With all the turmoil that has happened in the offseason with transfers can TTU jump out to the start they did last season? It is unlikely but one cannot simply rule it out at this point.

#5 Texas Tech Red Raiders

2013 Finish | 8-5 (4-5)

One of the biggest surprises of 2013 was this group out of Lubbock. Jumping out to a quick 7-0 record, the Red Raiders found themselves ranked #10 in the nation. However, things came crashing down after that point as Texas Tech lost the five remaining regular season games.

With an offense losing star tight end, Jace Amaro to the NFL and top receiver, Eric Ward to graduation some brows will be raised. Yet, this offense remains loosely intact. Davis Webb who took over at quarterback mid-way through the season and had an incredible end to the season throwing touchdowns on the first four possession in the Holiday Bowl. The expectation is that he will pick up right where he left off.

Add to Webb the leading rusher from a year ago, Kenny Williams and the offense appears ready to battle.

The glaring issue can be found on the defensive side of the ball. Forced to replace seven starters, it’s back to the drawing board. Can Kliff Kingsbury and his staff find serviceable players to step up and produce like the last crop did? Regardless, the offense can handle business but it will be up to the defense to win games.

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Big 12 Football Power Rankings | #6 Kansas St. Wildcats

The Kansas St. Wildcats spent a portion of their season determining who would emerge as the quarterback. As the race heated up Jake Waters and Daniel Sams duked it out, it was the JUCO Transfer that won out. Can Waters continue to progress heading into 2014?

#6 Kansas St Wildcats

2013 Finish | 8-5 (5-4)

The running ability of the two quarterbacks expected to earn playing time this upcoming season should make up for the loss of running back, John Hubert. In the typical run oriented offense of KSU, DeMarcus Robinson has some big shoes to fill as not only the starting RB, but also the backup in Robert Rose have moved on. Remember, the Wildcats are also losing three starting offensive lineman, but never underestimate the coaching job of one Bill Snyder.

Regardless of what is happening in the backfield, there is hope knowing that Tyler Lockett returns to the field yet again to terrorize opponents. As possibly the most outstanding player in the conference, Lockett is a threat not only in the receiving game but also on special teams. While teams can game plan against him, there really is no stopping the talent and athleticism of the standout legacy to Kansas St.

Defensively, KSU is losing Ty Zimmerman and Tre Walker…two reasons the defense has been as successful as they have ben recently. Finding replacements will be difficult but not impossible.

All in all, the line looks to be the weakness but if they can provide ample time for the quarterbacks to find a guy like Locket, the Wildcats could find themselves in a few closer games than some expected.

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2014 Oklahoma Sooners Football Countdown To Kickoff | 64 Days!

For the second year in a row Jalen Saunders returned a punt for a score in the Bedlam game.

Jalen Saunders got Oklahoma on the board in the 2013 game against Oklahoma State with this 64-yard punt return. He was also a part of the Sooners‘ final offensive touchdown when Blake Bell connected with him for a 7-yard score that put OU up for good.

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Big 12 Football Power Rankings | #7 TCU Horned Frogs

The rankings take a turn this week as some experts and fans will likely disagree with the TCU Horned Frogs coming in at #7 on the list. With a handful of questions remaining heading into the 2014 season, all eyes will be on Trevone Boykin and the offense.

#7 TCU Horned Frogs

2013 Finish | 4-8 (2-7)

In 2013, the Horned Frogs faced high expectations including the notion of being able to contend for a conference crown. Instead, the opposite took place as TCU fell to the bottom of the barrel. While Gary Patterson has 7 starters returning on offense next season, the biggest loss may be Casey Pachall which leaves the offense in the hands of an inconsistent Trevone Boykin.

Although Boykin has starting experience and has proven to be a versatile piece of the Horned Frog attack, fact remains he threw 7 touchdowns to 7 interceptions last season. B.J. Catalon should provide a push out of the backfield assuming TCU returns to the usual stout rushing game.

On the other side of the ball, the Horned Frogs return 8 starters from a defense that ranked 25th in the nation. The brightest spot comes along the defensive line with Devonte Fields who sat out a majority of the year due to injury and off-the-field issues. Regardless, if Fields’ freshman season was an indicator of the promise this kid has, he will be a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks. But, how do you replace a talent like Jason Verrett, an All-American, in the secondary?

If TCU hopes to remove the woes of last season, they must find a win to win close games. Behind 4 one-possession losses, expectations quickly turned south. However, I am not sure this offense can produce those game winning drives with the touchdown to turnover ratio of a QB like Boykin…

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2014 Oklahoma Sooners Football Countdown To Kickoff | 65 Days!

Damien Williams’ first touchdown as a Sooner came on a 65-yard run against UTEP

Former Oklahoma (and current Miami Dolphin) running back Damien Williams capped off a 24-7 win over UTEP with this 65-yard dash to the end zone. It was his first career touchdown as a Sooner.

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Touted Sooner frosh arrested for being drunk in public

Expected to make headlines for his immediate impact on the field, a touted member of Oklahoma’s most recent recruiting class  is instead making negative news off of it. According to multiple media outlets, defensive back Steven Parker was arrested last weekend and charged with public intoxication.  Parker’s arrest came at the hands of Norman police…

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Report: Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops will make more than $6 million in 2019, 2020

Oklahoma’s regents did more than approve $370 million in upgrades to Gaylor Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on Wednesday. According to the Oklahoma’s Jason Kersey, coach Bob Stoops will make $39.9 million over the seven seasons remaining on his newly-reworked contract, including crossing the $6 million threshold in 2019 and 2020. In the immediate future, Stoops…

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Oklahoma Sooners Football | $370M Stadium Renovations Approved By Board Of Regents

Earlier this morning, the Oklahoma Board of Regents approved the proposal from the OU Athletic Department to move forward with plans to renovation Gaylord Memorial Stadium. The estimated cost of the renovations comes in at $370M while no state-appropriated funds or funds from student tuition will be used.

As a lifelong OU fan, I’m pretty fired up right now. These facilities will only increase the standard of excellence in Norman. #Boomer

— Gabe Ikard (@GabeIkard) June 25, 2014

Assuming everything goes according to plan, the changes would push the Oklahoma Sooners to the forefront of fan and student experience, not to mention the student-athlete.

A few of the proposed changes include (taken from SoonerSports.com):

• Restroom facilities are projected to increase by 43 locations, while 69 additional points of sale for concessions will be constructed.
• An increase in the square footage of the stadium’s south end zone will feature an expansive 46,000-square foot fan plaza and a covered upper concourse.
• A major redevelopment of the Barry Switzer Center will also result in nearly 50,000 square feet of new space for student-athletes.
• Weight room facilities are slated to be enlarged, resulting in a year-round high-performance training, conditioning and speed enhancement center measuring 30,852 square feet.
• Escalators are proposed for installation at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium as 16 moving stairways and 18 new elevators will expedite fan movement.
• A new west stadium concourse will nearly double the existing fan space in that area, while media, broadcast and game operations areas on the west side of the facility will be completely reconstructed, adding more than 32,000 square feet to those areas that will be equipped with the latest technology.

To read the complete article, visit SoonerSports.com

VIDEO: @OU_Football stadium plan including Boren, Castiglione, Stoops: http://t.co/VUdgvIMQ6P http://t.co/MXPT6SpEYV http://ift.tt/1mqhwJX

— Sooner Sports TV (@SoonerSportsTV) June 25, 2014

For the best fans in the nation http://t.co/Sdc7iQ8cyS // http://ift.tt/1o3CHRr

— Oklahoma Sooners (@OU_Athletics) June 25, 2014

This will work. #Sooners http://ift.tt/1mqhx0p

— Kenny Mossman (@Kenny_Mossman) June 25, 2014

137,000 square feet of football ops – a place to earn everything: http://t.co/UHY5e5duWg // http://ift.tt/1o3CHRw

— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) June 25, 2014

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Oklahoma regents approve stadium upgades

Plans to upgrade Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium have been approved by the regents at Oklahoma, allowing the Sooners to begin giving their home football stadium a touch-up. As reported last week, the plans do not focus so much expanding the seating capacity beyond the 82,000 mark the stadium currently has, but plans to close the south…

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2014 Oklahoma Sooners Countdown To Kickoff | 66 Days!

Blake Bell guided the Sooners on an 8-play/66-yard game-winning touchdown drive against Oklahoma State on December 7, 2013. He was 5-for-8 on the drive, including the 7-yard touchdown strike to Jalen Saunders to put OU up by a field goal. Of course Oklahoma’s defense finished off the Pokes with a score of their own but it was Bell and the offense that broke O-State’s back for the second year in a row.

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Big 12 Football Power Rankings | #8 Iowa St. Cyclones

Often labeled as the giant slayers, the roles reversed themselves last season as the Iowa St. Cyclones fell to FCS Northern Iowa in the early going. A single loss set the tone for the rest of the season as hopes of a bowl appearance came crashing down.

#8 Iowa St. Cyclones

2013 Finish | 3-9 (2-7)

After losing the first seven games of conference play, the Cyclones finally picked up two wins. Although those wins came against West Virginia and Kansas, there’s a glimmer of hope on the horizon. Can the late wins carry momentum into 2014 giving this Iowa St. team a bit of confidence?

On offense, ISU returns 10 starters including the leading rusher, Aaron Wimberly along with starting quarterback Sam Richardson. Fortunately for the two aforementioned players, the starting offensive line remains intact. Moving into the upcoming season, the Cyclones landed a big time reciever to help Richardson’s numbers in Allen Lazard. But, the biggest news may rest upon the new hire, Mark Mangino, who steps onto campus as the offensive coordinator.

On defense, Iowa St. returns a mere six starters from the 106th ranked defense last season. One of those happens to be Luke Knott, yes the younger brother of former Cyclone All-American linebacker Jake Knott. High expectations have been placed on this kid who returns after suffering a season ending injury a year ago. If Luke progresses as anticipated, he will undoubtedly be a force to reckon with come fall.

The weak point of the defense falls upon a secondary losing three players to graduation. With potential there on offense, one has to wonder how the defense will keep these Big 12 offenses from scoring.

Whereas WVU fell to #9 in my power rankings due to inconsistencies, Iowa St. gets the bump due to momentum from the previous season combined with the new hire and talent coming in.

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Report: Bob Stoops could get pay bump ‘Sooner’ than in current contract

First up, I’d like to apologize for subjecting you to that headline. To the news: CBS Sports’ Jeremy Fowler reports Oklahoma will put before its board of regents a re-worked contract for coach Bob Stoops that would bump his salary to $5 million annually, in line with Charlie Strong at Texas and Kevin Sumlin at…

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2014 Oklahoma Sooners Football Countdown To Kickoff | 67 Days

In 1967 Chuck Fairbanks took over at the helm of the Oklahoma football program. He guided the Sooners to a 10-1 record that year and OU’s 26-24 win over Tennessee in the Orange Bowl helped them finish the year with a #3 national ranking. The Vols ended up being crowned with the national title before the bowl season but that would be the last season a champion was crowned before the bowl games.

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Big 12 Football Power Rankings | #9 West Virginia Mountaineers

The margin between my No. 9 and No. 8 teams continues to narrow after weighing the pros and cons of each squad. However, the West Virginia Mountaineers check in at number nine head into 2014.

9. West Virginia Mountaineers

2013 Finish – 4-8 (2-7)

After losing an explosive offense and players like Geno Smith and Tavon Austion, the Mountaineers have struggled to find consistent production. Stepping in to fill the void, WVU pulled in Clint Trickett and Charles Sims by way of transfer allowing them to find a small bit of identity. Now, heading into 2014, fans will once again look to replace possibly the best player on the roster as Sims is now in the NFL along with three offensive linemen.

Make no mistake, Dreamius Smith has potential but it is always tough to replace a 1,000+ yard rusher.

Looking at the 26.3 points per game in 2013, it is unlikely that this team can replicate those numbers. Aside from the aforementioned losses, the glaring issue from a year ago was a lack of consistency from the receiver position. The woes lead to an often anemic offense. Can Mario Alford and Kevin White provide stability in the passing game?

With that said, WVU returns plenty of experience on defense although they are suffering the loss of two senior starters. Expect the defense to be stronger than it was during the 2013 campaign. But, with the only conference wins coming against TCU and Oklahoma St. the outlook is vague. How does a team that provides Kansas with a win down a top conference team like the cowboys?

Regardless, the deciding factor in West Virginia landing at the nine spot is the inconsistencies.

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2014 Oklahoma Sooners Countdown To Kickoff | 68 Days!

Oklahoma’s 2012 season opener wasn’t a fantastic start by any stretch. However, the Sooners did win the game by a final score of 24-7 and this 68-yard touchdown pass from Landry Jones to Kenny Stills was one of the key plays. How about we not schedule anymore season openers on the road!

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Oklahoma Sooners Defensive Back Steven Parker Arrested

Freshman defensive back Steven Parker was arrested early Sunday morning on a complaint of public intoxication. He was released from the Cleveland County jail around 10:00 a.m. and then later took to Twitter to apologize.

Sorry to everybody who trusted in me.. I will bounce back from this and be somebody who is much better. Mistakes happen,but that’s no excuse

— Steven Parker (@Lil_Stevie21) June 22, 2014

Parker, a high school All-American from Jenks, OK., is expected to compete for playing time in Oklahoma’s secondary this fall and had been the recipient of high praise from the coaching staff. While the university announced on Sunday that the matter would be handled internally you can pretty much bank on him serving a suspension for the Louisiana Tech on August 30th.

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Oklahoma Sooners Football 2014 Countdown To Kickoff | 69 Days

On September 8, 2012 Oklahoma rolled over Florida A&M by a score of 69-13 in their home opener. The Sooners piled up 662 yards of offense at a pace of 8.9 yards per play and led throughout the game.

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Big 12 Football Power Rankings | #10 Kansas Jayhawks

We are officially in the dog days of summer as we slowly countdown to August 30th when the Oklahoma Sooners kickoff the 2014 football season. In attempt to curb the appetite for football, let’s break down the Big 12 power rankings and divulge into a conversation.

10. Kansas Jayhawks

2013 Finish – 3-9 (1-8)

The Jayhawks have occupied the bottom of the totem pole for quite some time now. However, every now and then Kansas produces a bright spot. Last season James Sims proved himself a worthy opponent behind 1,110 yards on 230 carries to go along with 7 touchdowns. Unfortunately, Sims has graduated along with three offensive lineman.

If that wasn’t a big enough setback, Jake Heaps, the former starting quarterback, announced his decision to take his talents elsewhere. The expectation is for sophomore Montell Cozart, who completed 36.5% of his passes last season, to take over the starting role in Heaps’ absence. Needless to say, it appears that the Jayhawks must rebuild an offense that already struggled against the rest of the conference.

On the other side of the ball, Kansas returns nine starters on a defense that ranked 94th in scoring defense a year ago. Experience will be key moving forward but the talent gap must decrease if KU hopes to improve upon that ranking. With a recruiting class ranking 9th in the conference and 55th nationally, that desperately needed talent to move up in the Big 12 may be lurking in the future.

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2014 Oklahoma Sooners Football Countdown To Kickoff | 70 Days!

In 1988, Oklahoma defeated Kansas St. 70-24 by turning in a record setting performance.

Digging into Oklahoma Sooners Football history provided a gem for day 70 of our countdown to kickoff.

In October of 1988, Coach Barry Switzer and the wishbone offense exploded off the charts while turning in a record setting performance. On the afternoon, OU rushed for a grand total of 768 yards (a record that still stands today) to crush the Kansas St. Wildcats by a score of 70-24. The effort erased the previous record of 758 yards set in 1980 against Colorado.

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