Crimson And Cream Machine

The weekend news of Keith Nichol's plan to transfer shouldn't really be a shock to anyone. Despite being extremely athletic and highly touted Nichol wasn't just behind Bradford at the quarterback position, he was way behind. He didn't really gain any ground this spring either.

Keith Nichol leaving tells us two things. 1) He really wants to play and came to the realization that it wasn't going to happen at OU. 2) The coaches are very high on freshman Landry Jones.

Nichol was expected to at least compete for the second-string job this spring but after failing to move up from third-string and being pushed by newcomer Landry Jones the writing was pretty much on the wall. Playing time at Oklahoma was a long way off for Nichol. For those reasons I really don't blame him for looking to find another place to play.

As to where he'll go from here Nichol says that "it's wide open" where he will transfer but I would suggest that he look no further than his home state of Michigan. As it stands right now the Michigan Wolverines would most likely enter the 2008 college football season with a senior walk-on at quarterback.

Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez was the mastermind behind West Virginia's spread attack that shredded OU in the Fiesta Bowl. For him to achieve the same success in the Big 10 that he enjoyed in the Big East Rodriguez needs two things. He needs speed at tailback and a quarterback who can make quick decisions, find an open receiver and also tuck the ball and run for 10-15 yards. Maybe I'm crazy but if all the hype surrounding Nichol is legit I think he could be that guy. All he needs is the opportunity for more reps. It looks like Michigan is the place for that to happen.

Yes, I know that it is only May 9th and it seems that football couldn't be more distant on the horizon but then you run across an article like this and suddenly the excitement hits you like a cold splash of water on the face early in the morning.

Tom Dienhart, formerly of The Sporting News, is the new college football writer for rivals.com. He debuts with his early preseason top 10 and while I won't spoil the entire list for you I'll let you know that there are two Big 12 schools on the list and the Sooners are #4.

4. Oklahoma
With QB Sam Bradford and TB DeMarco Murray, the Sooners have the talent - and motivation after losing their past four BCS bowls - to get to their third BCS title game in six seasons.

First, I'd like to say thanks everyone who participated in the spring football roundtable. We had a total of 12 blogs participate and the answers were both informative and entertaining. Here are some of the most interesting and educational quotes from the roundtable discussion. To read the bloggers complete answers click the link following their quote.

1. Who are some of the new faces that emerged in the spring who could be serious playmakers for your team this fall?

Offense: For Texas fans, the question is especially relevant in light of the departure of its three top offensive playmakers to the NFL - Jamaal Charles, Jermichael Finley, and Limas Sweed. For the Sooners in the audience, that means Texas lost its top tailback, tight end, and wide receiver from a season ago.

As far as replacements go, I'm not one who believes there's much (if anything) to be learned from spring practice. With the depth chart supposedly wide open, we won't have a good grasp on who might best become a playmaker for Texas in '08 until late August at the earliest. More realistically, we won't know if Texas has a playmaker problem until conference play begins the first week of October. Players I'll frantically be watching for game-changing ability: John Chiles, DeSean Hales, Malcolm Williams, Vondrell McGee, and Foswhitt Whittaker.

Defense: I'm already in love with this Texas defense, both for how it sets up in 2008 and its potential for dominance in '09. The Longhorns will lose Brian Orakpo (DE), Roy Miller (DT), Aaron Lewis (DT), Rashaad Bobino ('MLB'), and Ryan Palmer (CB) after this year. Orakpo and Miller are potential All-Americans this season, but the rest are either already passed on the depth chart or about to be by younger, better players. By 2009, the optimist in me sees Deon Beasley ready to be a Thorpe candidate, the young Wells-Scott-Thomas trio at safety ready to shine, a terrifying (for opposing offenses) Kindle-Norton-Muck linebacking trio, plenty of talent at defensive end, and only one question mark - at DT. - B.O.N.

Surprisingly, the biggest newcomer was a walk-on. Keithen Valentine rushed for more than 100 yards in the epic, heart-stopping, nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat spring game that ended in a 3-0 White victory. In all seriousness, Valentine looks like a solid addition at running back, which is welcome after the departure of James Johnson. - Bring on the Cats

The biggest "new" face has to be wide receiver Curenski Gilleylen. It looks like it's easier to spell his name than catch him, as he's got speed to burn. If he can consistently catch the ball, he'll provide a deep threat that's been a rather rare commodity. An old face in a new place would be Cody Glenn, who moved from I-back to linebacker and basically won a starting job. (Of course, that's in part due to the lack of depth at linebacker!) Also making an impression at linebacker is senior walk-on Tyler Wortman, who might have been the star of the spring game on defense. And while he's not a "new" face, since we saw a glimpse of him last fall, Roy Helu is going to challenge Marlon Lucky for serious playing time. That might free up Lucky to line him up elsewhere on the field to take full advantage of his speed. - Husker Mike's Blasphmy

Left tackle. Rylan Reed, the starting left tackle for all of last year was injured in Texas Tech's bowl game victory against Virginia. The line struggled in the spring and I think the biggest part is that Reed wasn't in his normal spot. If Reed isn't able to come back then offensive line coach Matt Moore will shuffle the offensive line (at the very least moving Luis Vasquez from left guard to left tackle) to make it work, but it would work so much better with Reed in place at left tackle.
I'm also still concerned about the linebacking corp. I have confidence in certain players, but I'm still not sure the group as a whole has the necessary team speed to compete in the wide-open Big 12. This year is going to be a very big year for this relatively young unit. There's lots of options and I believe there will be plenty of opportunity for guys to step up if anyone struggles. - Double T Nation

The defensive front seven. Injuries and departures not to mention flat out inexperience plagues this bunch. Not to say they will be an entire liability, but they do need to step up. If Ndamukong Suh can come back and regain his former glory, that will help immensely along with the addition of incoming linebacker Will Compton who looks to vie for immediate playing time at MIKE. - Corn Nation

My concern ending last season was the lack of experience we have at offensive line. Four months later I'm still highly concerned about that unit. We have one player returning with more than 4 career starts. - T.A.M.B.I.N.P.O.

3. Any major changes (philosophy, coaching or personnel) that you are concerned about?

No major changes that I have any concern about, just how this team responds to being the hunted rather than the hunter. Mizzou fed off of the "No Respect" card in 2007, and had their most costly loss of the season last year once their opponent could do the same. Last year's team was driven, focused and hungry, thanks primarily to the senior leadership of guys like Martin Rucker, Lorenzo Williams, and Pig Brown. Can guys like Daniel and Weatherspoon keep the intensity, drive and focus in the program? Whether or not they can will go a long way in determining if Mizzou stays nationally relevant into the future. - Rock M Nation

After going 5-7, most NU fans welcome anything new. On offense, things will be pretty consistent with Watson remaining in charge. Though, his brand of ball will be more physical, include some QB run game and more screen passes to wide receivers.
On defense, NU will look a heck of a lot like they did in 2003. This means a 4-3 base, cover 2 zone, and more creative or aggressive blitzes. Not only is Pelini in charge like 2003, but Marvin Sanders is also running the secondary again. You can expect NU defensive backs to be much more willing to play the ball in flight.
The thing that gives us some pause about this staff is recruiting. That was the one thing fans could hang their hat on under Callahan. So, we don't want to see it go away. NU has some good recruiters on staff. We are anxious to see them perform. - Big Red Network

The biggest change over the offseason was the loss of defensive coordinator Bill Young to Miami. However, his replacement, Clint Bowen, was the co-defensive coordinator last season, and rumor has it he actually called the majority of plays throughout the season. So, while there is a new face, the schemes figure to be very similar and there shouldn't be any major change in defensive philosophy.

That would make the change I am most worried about is how we will adjust to the loss of LT Anthony Collins. While we seem to have the athletes and players to compensate for the loss of Aqib Talib, almost every player figured to possibly replace Collins could have really used another year of development. The leader, right now, is freshman Jeff Spikes, with sophomore Ian Wolfe, senior Matt Darton and JUCO transfer Nathan D'Cunha all possible replacements. - Rock Chalk Talk

4. Looking over the 2008 schedule which home and away game are you most concerned about?

As far as home games go, the one that concerns me the most is Kent State, if for no other reason than it will set the early tone for the season. We really should handle SDSU, but a close game or loss to Kent State would likely spell bad news, while a big win could build momentum.
On the road, the UNLV game has the same effect. We could legitimately be 3-0 or 1-2 heading into Las Vegas. Gene Chizik may not even have a road win yet. The Rebs are still pissed about something, I think. The nonconference slate is very important this year if we're legitimately thinking postseason. - Clone Chronicles

Toughest question on the board. I am going to skip the first 8 because lets face it, 5 of the games concern me and they could lose all 5 play at Missouri, Florida State and Kansas and at home versus Texas and West Virginia. So let's say the Buffs are 3 - 5 or maybe 4 - 4 after 8 games. They will have 4 games remaining to get bowl eligible. I think they beat Texas A&M but it is in College Station so it could go either way. For arguments sake let's say they win. Iowa State should be a W. I am concerned about the last two games of the year as I seem them not only as games which get them into a bowl, but games they must win to keep momentum in Boulder and on the recruiting trail. Losing to the Pokes at home and Nebraska on the road would leave them on the outside looking in. This is truly a question that needs to be revisited after the West Virginia game. - The Ralphie Report

5. Time for your way too early predictions (Yes, you can change them in August). Rank how you see your division finishing up this coming season.

1) Oklahoma

Texas
Texas Tech
Texas A&M
Oklahoma State
Baylor

The Red Raiders own a three-game win streak over A&M; if they win this year's tussle in College Station, I see them as the next-in-line behind the South Division's top two teams.

Texas' schedule increases in difficulty from a season ago, and though there exist too many quesion marks to pick the 'Horns for the South, I do like Texas to have a solid season, finishing the year a team no one is eager to play in '09. - B.O.N.

o    Oklahoma
o    Texas Tech
o    Texas
o    Texas A&M
o    Oklahoma State
o    Baylor
- Double T Nation

1.    Mizzou
2.    Kansas
3.    Colorado
4.    Nebraska
5.    Kansas State
6.    Iowa State
- Rock M Nation

1.    Missouri
2.    Kansas
3.    Colorado
4.    Nebraska
5.    Iowa State
6.    Kansas State
Mizzou is clearly the class of the North. Colorado could as easily finish in second or fifth. They were a weird team last year. Kansas State certainly didn't look impressive last year... - Clone Chronicles

Missouri
Who knows?
Who knows?
Who knows?
Who knows?
Who cares?
- Bring on the Cats

Missouri
Nebraska
Colorado
Kansas
Kansas State
Iowa State
- Corn Nation

Wow...way too early, indeed. Right now, we seem to think NU will be in the top part of the division. We have Missouri pegged at the top for good reason, with NU in the second spot. We have Kansas finishing third right now, followed by Colorado. Kansas State and Iowa State round out the North. - Big Red Network

Kansas :: Kind of a homer pick, but there is no way now, in the hopefulness of April, that I'm not picking us to win the division.

Missouri :: They are probably the most talented team in the North, and the game in Arrowhead will almost certainly decide this division.

Colorado :: I think the Buffs will be really good next year, actually. Not really sure why, just a gut-feeling I guess. And the really good recruiting classes.

Nebraska :: Bo Pelini won't ever be able to recapture the old glory days of Dr. Tom Osborne, but he should improve upon the historic lows of the Bill Callahan era.

Iowa State :: This has more to do with the fact that Ron Prince is the coach down in Manhattan than anything about the Clones.

Kansas State :: Their spring game ended with a score of 3-0. No joke. Seriously, how is this team not going to be in last place come November? Unless all of their JUCOS (I think there are about 398) mesh together quickly, they figure to struggle early. And late, I guess. - Rock Chalk Talk

Missouri - Chase Daniel and Jeremy Maclin...enough said.
Kansas - Its tough for me to think that they can do it again but the way Reesing played last year, its hard to vote against them. They did lose two playmakers at CB and WR. Once again, Kansas plays a cupcake non conference schedule with the exception of South Florida of who tailed off towards the end of the year in 2007.
Colorado - Yes, I think 7 - 5 or 8 - 4 will be good enough to be 3rd in the conference. The Buffs are still 1 - 2 years away from being on the top. Too hard of a schedule this year coupled with a lot of youth at key positions.
Nebraska - The Bo Pelini era will get off to a rough start. Not enough playmakers on either side of the ball to be very competitive.
Kansas State - Are going to need A LOT of JUCO's to pan out.
Iowa State - Did Todd Blythe finally graduate? - The Ralphie Report

Missouri (No duh... with all those players returning from a Top Five squad?)
Nebraska (Call me crazy, but I think Billy C is going to look even more inept this fall...)
Kansas
Colorado (Hawk Love has the Buffs on the move upwards)
Iowa State
Kansas State

- Husker Mike's Blasphemy

Big 12 South will be 1) OU, 2) texas, 3) TAMU, 4) tech, 5) OkSt, 6) Baylor - T.A.M.B.I.N.P.O.

(Sorry for the tardiness of the posting today. It was a crazy day from start to finish!)

Television and the kick-off time has been set for Oklahoma's trip to Seattle to play the Washington Huskies on September 13th. The game will air on ESPN and will kick-off, in primetime, at 6:45 PM. It will be the Sooners third game of the season and barring tragedy they should go into that game with a 2-0 record and ranked in the Top 10. An impressive performance on national television against the Pac 10 and the ESPN Hype Machine will be rolling in the Sooners' favor.

It has been said that it takes a big man to admit his mistakes and here I am to say that I made one. Last week I was invited to be a part of CFB Weekly's Spring Review/Season Preview in which I inadvertently mentioned that Texas A&M would be coming to Norman. Well, I could try to come up with some excuses as to why I did but I won't. It's on tape and I said it even though I was at the A&M game in Norman this last season. You can check out the entire interview at the link above. I start at the 27:20 mark of the show.

One of the crazy stories coming out of last weekend's NFL draft is that Reggie Smith was still in bed when the San Francisco 49ers drafted him in the third round. For a quick look at how Smith might fit into the 49ers game plans we defer to fellow SBN writer David of Niners Nation for a quick scouting reort.

As far as the 49ers go, they've got 2 very solid corners in Nate Clements and Walt Harris. However, Harris is 35 and not long for this world. The general belief seems to be that Smith's biggest downfall is that while he can play safety and corner he hasn't become excellent at either of them. With Clements getting a lot of one-on-one assignments against the other team's best WR, the other corner gets a little more help from the safeties and nickel backs depending on the defense. So he doesn't need to be super fast, but more of a physical guy. Also, the 49ers signed Allen Rossum but he's getting a little old, so I'm hoping Smith gets some work as a kickoff and or punt returner. I've read he did that at Oklahoma, but how good was he?

I think in general, the 49ers have a very solid secondary so Smith will not likely be an impact defender right away. Rather he's going to get the chance to learn from Pro Bowlers while the 49ers try to figure out where he fits best.

Defensive back Will Ford from Abilene Cooper High School in Texas has given the Sooners a verbal commitment for the 2009 draft class. At 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds he is another solid addition to what has already been a very good defensive class.

Other than Oklahoma Ford also had offers from Baylor, Colorado, Houston, Iowa State, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and TCU.

2009 Sooner Commitments
Jayden Bird LB
Justin Chaisson DE
Will Ford DB
Terry Franklin DE
Javon Harris DB
Ronnell Lewis LB
Brandon Mahoney LB
Jonathan Miller RB
Eric Ward WR
Steve Williams DB
Tom Wort LB

Curtis Lofton, Malcolm Kelly, Reggie Smith and Allen Patrick all had their names called in this weekend's NFL draft but now there are a total of 10 Sooners from the 2007 team on NFL rosters. Here's a look at Oklahoma's undrafted free agents.

It's never to early to talk football in Oklahoma! With spring practices wrapped up around the Big 12 Conference and the long summer ahead of us I thought we'd take one last shot at a conference roundtable discussion before taking a break until August. Who am I kidding? We can't go all the way until August without talking football.

Look for responses from some of our Big 12 brethren in the comments section and please feel free to answer the questions yourself in the comments section.

1. Who are some of the new faces that emerged in the spring who could be serious playmakers for your team this fall?

The defense dominated this spring and two of the biggest playmakers were cornerback Dominique Franks and defensive end Frank Alexander. They both snagged interceptions in the spring game and were consistently in on plays in every spring scrimmage.

Franks is a shoe-in to be OU's top cornerback this fall and has the skill (hands, speed, physical) to be a shutdown corner. Coach Stoops actually made the comment that Oklahoma's secondary could actually be better this fall even with the losses of Reggie Smith, Marcus Walker and DJ Wolfe.

What concerns me about Alexander is the depth at the defensive end position. Oklahoma doesn't just have bodies at that position they have quality depth so even with the way Oklahoma coaches rotate their defensive linemen it will be difficult for everyone to find playing time. That is an exciting problem to have!

I'm tempted to say the running game or receivers here but I think OU will fill the void left by Malcolm Kelly pretty well and the lack of a consistent running game in the spring was directly related to Chris Brown and DeMarco Murray sitting out nursing injuries. So I am satisfied that both of those positions will be just fine.

What I am concerned about are the linebackers. Ryan Reynolds is the lone returning linebacker and Mike Reed has left the team for personal reasons. There is no experience at that position for Oklahoma. There are some highly touted JUCO guys coming in (J.R. Bryant & Mike Balogun) but we didn't get to see them in the spring so the jury is still out on them. That position is very uncertain at this point and will be absolutely crucial to OU's success in 2008.

3. Any major changes (philosophy, coaching or personnel) that you are concerned about?

I am both excited and concerned about Oklahoma's move to a no-huddle offensive attack. I believe that the Sooners are going to be really good on offense this season and while I'm excited about the possibilities of more snaps leading to more yards and more points I'm also from the "If it isn't broke don't fix it!" mindset.

The wind was a beast during the Red/White game but it was interception city for Sooner quarterbacks. I'm not sure what all the factors were that went into that but I hope it wasn't the new offensive system. The change was an idea brought up by the defensive coaches and Bob Stoops said that if it didn't work in the spring they would scrap it.

4. Looking over the 2008 schedule which home and away game are you most concerned about?
The Sooners have several road trips to be concerned about this season. Traveling to Washington won't be a picnic nor will Manhattan or College Station. The road trip that scares me the most at this point is the trip to Stillwater. In recent years OU has struggled in the Bedlam game when on the road and O-State at least has the appearance of improving each year under Mike Gundy.

At home it will be the Texas Tech Red Raiders who worry me. They beat the Sooners last season in Lubbock and played OU tough the season before in Norman. The Red Raiders will be the most improved team in the South this season and could actually make a push to challenge for the south division championship. They'll have one of, if not the best, offenses in the conference and are supposed to be vastly improved on defense.

I did not include the Red River Rivalry in this because it isn't a true home or road game. It is, however, a pivotal game again this year in which the winner should be in the driver's seat for the conference championship.

5. Time for your way too early predictions (Yes, you can change them in August). Rank how you see your division finishing up this coming season.

1.    OU - With the entire offensive line returning along with Sam Bradford and the experience at the skill positions the Sooners should still be the class of the Big 12.
2.    Texas - I really feel that Texas Tech will make a push but kinda like the North winning the conference championship I have to see it first.
3.    Texas Tech - I hope I'm not setting these guys up for disappointment.
4.    OSU - The Cowboys don't seem to have a lot of depth but if they remain healthy they could have the best season yet under Mike Gundy.
5.    Texas A&M - Mike Sherman needs a little time to get things set up.
6.    Baylor - Quick, help me think of something positive to say about the Bears.

The minute that Reggie Smith gets his signing bonus from the San Francisco 49ers he will have already made more money than I ever will from the NFL. So I'm writing this with the understanding that he had a successful career at OU and will most likely be successful as a pro.

The problem is that I am convinced that he could have made more and I feel that I'm not alone in that. Of Oklahoma's three underclassmen to declare for this year's NFL draft it was Smith who wasn't drafted until the second day going in the 3rd round to the 49ers.

The question is, do you come out after your junior season to go in the 3rd round? Curtis Lofton was honest in the fact that he wanted to move on to the next level and get paid. OU defensive coordinator Brent Venables even said that Lofton made the right decision to go. Malcolm Kelly obviously had some issues with the coaching staff and where he fit into the offensive game plan so it's understandable why he would go. Both Lofton and Kelly were told that they were second round guys and therefore enjoyed their draft experience.

Smith however was obviously disappointed to drop so low in the draft though. It was apparent he thought he could and would be a first day guy like his fellow underclassmen. So why did he come out? Would he have been worse than a third round pick next year? No! Could he have been a first or early second round guy with another year of college experience? Absolutely!

I wish Reggie nothing but the best and will look forward, with great anticipation, to watching his career unfold in the bay area. I just can't help but think that he could have done more and I have feeling that he's thinking the same thing.

Oklahoma has had five players win the Outland Trophy in its rich football history. This year there are three Sooners on the preseason watch list as an indication of how good OU should be in the trenches this season.

With all five returning starters from last season's offensive line returning Oklahoma could have the best line in the conference. Phil Loadholt and Duke Robinson are both going to play crucial roles in keeping OU's running game strong and protecting Sam Bradford. Both guys have the dreaded word "potential" attached to their names and everyone remembers how the o-line underachieved in the Fiesta Bowl. Improvement is crucial to either one of these guys winning any post-season awards but more importantly it is crucial for the team to experience even more success.

On the defensive line DeMarcus Granger is finally making headlines for the right reasons again. He has paid his dues and earned a spot back on the team and is on the watch list as well. Oklahoma is going to be very solid along the defensive line with NFL caliber athletes at every position but Granger could turn out to be the best of the group.

Oklahoma's 2009 recruiting class continues to get deeper. The Sooners have received a commitment from hard hitting New Braunfels (Texas) linebacker Tom Wort who also had offers from LSU and Texas A&M.

"I had a great feeling while I was on campus, and I feel like I had a great relationship with the coach. It will be a good place for me. Coach Venables is a great guy," Wort told Scout.com.

Oklahoma's 2009 recruiting class is stacking up nicely, particularly on defense. Three defenders committed to play football at OU over the weekend including Justin Chaisson who is ranked as the nation's 27th overall player by Rivals.com. Chaisson (who is from the same high school as current Sooner standouts Ryan Reynolds and DeMarco Murray) also had offers from California, LSU, Florida and UCLA.

The other two commitments for OU over the weekend were linebacker Brandon Mahoney and cornerback Steve Williams. In all OU has a total of 9 verbal commitments for the 2009 class.

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