Sooners Dominate Conference Post Season Awards But I’ve Got Questions

by ccmachine on Dec 2, 2008 5:12 PM CST in Football

For the 2008 college football season Oklahoma produced a Coach of the Year award, 9 all-conference first team members and 3 individual award winners. So why am I a little frustrated? Look at the awards and see if you can figure it out. My questions will follow.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Sam Bradford, Oklahoma, So., QB, Okla. City, Okla.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Brian Orakpo, Texas, Sr., DL, Houston, Texas

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State, So., PR/KR, Lufkin, Texas

OFFENSIVE FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Robert Griffin, Baylor, Fr., QB, Copperas Cove, Texas

DEFENSIVE FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Travis Lewis, Oklahoma, Fr., LB, San Antonio, Texas

OFFENSIVE NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Brandon Banks, Kansas State, Jr., WR, Garner, N.C.

DEFENSIVE NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
McKinner Dixon, Texas Tech, Jr., DE, Lufkin, Texas

OFFENSIVE LINEMAN OF THE YEAR
Jon Cooper, Oklahoma, Sr., Fort Collins, Colo.

DEFENSIVE LINEMAN OF THE YEAR
Brian Orakpo, Texas, Sr., DL, Houston, Texas

COACHES OF THE YEAR
Bob Stoops, Oklahoma, 10th season
Mike Leach, Texas Tech, 9th season

2008 All-Big 12 Offense - First Team
Pos.	Player	School	Cl.	Hometown/Previous School(s)
QB	Sam Bradford	Oklahoma	So.	Oklahoma City, Okla./Putnam City North
RB	DeMarco Murray	Oklahoma	So.	Las Vegas, Nev./Bishop Gorman
RB	Kendall Hunter	Oklahoma State	So.	Tyler, Texas/John Tyler
FB	Matt Clapp	Oklahoma	Jr.	Phoenix, Ariz./Paradise Valley
WR	Jeremy Maclin [r1]	Missouri	So.	Kirkwood, Mo./Kirkwood
WR	Dez Bryant	Oklahoma State	So.	Lufkin, Texas/Lufkin
WR	Michael Crabtree** [r1]	Texas Tech	So.	Dallas, Texas/Carter
TE	Jermaine Gresham	Oklahoma	Jr.	Ardmore, Okla./Ardmore
OL	Jason Smith	Baylor	Sr.	Dallas, Texas/W.T. White
OL	Phil Loadholt	Oklahoma	Sr.	Fountain, Colo./Garden City CC
OL	Duke Robinson [r1]	Oklahoma	Sr.	Atlanta, Ga./Washington
OL	Trent Williams	Oklahoma	Jr.	Longview, Texas/Longview
OL	Russell Okung	Oklahoma State	Jr.	Fort Bend, Texas/Bush
OL	Adam Ulatoski	Texas	Jr.	Southlake, Texas/Carroll
PK	Jeff Wolfert	Missouri	Sr.	Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley West
KR/PR	Dez Bryant	Oklahoma State	So.	Lufkin, Texas/Lufkin

2008 All-Big 12 Defense - First Team
Pos.	Player	School	Cl.	Hometown/Previous School(s)
DL	Ziggy Hood	Missouri	Sr.	Amarillo, Texas/Palo Duro
DL	Gerald McCoy	Oklahoma	So.	Oklahoma City, Okla./Southeast
DL	Roy Miller	Texas	Sr.	Killeen, Texas/Shoemaker
DL	Brian Orakpo	Texas	Sr.	Houston, Texas/Lamar
DL	Brandon Williams	Texas Tech	Jr.	Fort Worth, Texas/South Hills
LB	Joe Pawelek	Baylor	Jr.	San Antonio, Texas/Smithson Valley
LB	Sean Weatherspoon	Missouri	Jr.	Jasper, Texas/Jasper
LB	Sergio Kindle	Texas	Jr.	Dallas, Texas/Woodrow Wilson
DB	Jordan Lake	Baylor	Jr.	Houston, Texas/Memorial
DB	Darrell Stuckey	Kansas	Jr.	Kansas City, Kan./Washington
DB	William Moore**	Missouri	Sr.	Hayti, Mo./Hayti
DB	Nic Harris [r1]	Oklahoma	Sr.	Alexandria, La./Alexandria
DB	Darcel McBath	Texas Tech	Sr.	Gainesville, Texas/Gainesville
P	Justin Brantly	Texas A&M	Sr.	Sealy, Texas/Sealy

A tie in voting created an additional offensive line spot on the first- and second-teams.
[r1] - Repeat first team selection from last season
**Unanimous Selection

Why do we need two Coaches of the Year? Either give it to Stoops or Leach but not both! I bleed Crimson and Cream but I honestly would give it to Leach.

Why are there 16 players on offense? Yes, I know that two of them are kick and punt returners but that still leaves 14 which is clearly 3 too many. Have we reached the point where we are afraid to offend someone by leaving a player off? Have coaches protest and constant complaining reached so far that we really can’t come up with the 11 best offensive players in the conference?

Why are there 14 players on defense? See above argument!

Where is Brian Jackson? I’ll admit that he probably isn’t a first teamer but he’s got to be a second teamer, right?

How does the offensive lineman of the year not make the first team offense? This is my biggest complaint and the real reason that I am fired up. How does this team have any credibility at all? There’s even six offensive linemen on the team for crying out loud! Out of 14 players on offense they couldn’t find room for the offensive lineman of the year.

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Comments

That’s a really, really good point regarding Cooper. Big XII coaches, while good at X’s and O’s, probably aren’t good at much else – including math and common sense.

by Tech92 on Dec 2, 2008 5:32 PM CST reply actions

You answered your own questions

Have we reached the point where we are afraid to offend someone by leaving a player off? Have coaches protest and constant complaining reached so far that we really can’t come up with the 11 best offensive players in the conference?

Sad thing isn’t it. I put the blame on the media.

by scarab on Dec 2, 2008 9:46 PM CST reply actions