2008 Oklahoma Sooners College Football Predictions

The Oklahoma Sooners will try to defend their Big 12 title again in 2008 as they put a team on the field that is among the best in the country. Find out what Jimmy Boyd sees as the Sooners' potential road blocks in his 2008 Oklahoma Sooners predictions and season preview.  
 

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Offense

QB Sam Bradford will lead the offensive charge again this season. The talented young signal caller set a NCAA freshman record by throwing 36 touchdown passes last season. He also led the nation in passing efficiency. Like so many other teams around the country, the Sooners will transition into a no-huddle offense this season and I believe the result will be Oklahoma scoring at will. Bradford has some nice weapons at his disposal in the offense. Three-year starting receivers Juaquin Iglesias and Manuel Johnson bring in experience. Shifty playmaker Ryan Broyles, Fiesta Bowl star Quentin Chaney, and 6'6'' tight end Jermaine Gresham give Bradform even more possibilities. The running back duo of DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown is a nice complement to the passing game. Murray is a breakaway threat and Brown is a grinder. The most haunting thing for opponents about this offense is that the Sooners return all five senior starting lineman.

Defense

The Oklahoma defense is all about applying pressure and no one in the Big 12 did it better than defensive end Auston English. He led the Big 12 with 9.5 sacks last season despite missing three games due to a fractured ankle. Add opposite defensive end Jeremy Beal, run-stuffing tackles DeMarcus Granger and Gerald McCoy and you have yourself one of the elite defensive fronts in the nation. It is going to be imperative for these guys to live in the backfield as Oklahoma tries to develop some new corners – its potential weak spot. Dominique Franks and Brian Jackson will be stepping in to fill the corner vacancies and will need to prove themselves in a hurry. Veteran safeties Nic Harris and Lendy Holmes should help make their transition into the starting lineup easier. The Sooners lost linebacker and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Curtis Lofton. I believe Ryan Reynolds will be able to move to the middle from the weak side to adequately fill Lofton's shoes. Keenan Clayton, spring defensive MVP, will play strong side and Austin Box and Travis Lewis will split time at weak side.

Special Teams

The place kicking duties will fall on a freshman this season as Jimmy Stevens and Tress Way compete to see who replaces three-year starter Garrett Hartley. I don't foresee a problem here, but having a young kicker could cost the Sooners in close games, if they have any.

Prediction – 1st in Big 12 South

If the Sooners can get past their non-conference schedule without a loss, which they should, their Big 12 schedule shapes up nicely to have them on their way to a league championship and making a run at a national title. Two new corners in the secondary look to be the only potential points of vulnerability.  This team should end up ahead of Texas, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, and Baylor though.

Check out all of Jimmy Boyd's college football predictions articles to see how the rest of the Big 12 South and North will shape up this season. And make sure that Jimmy is your man for the most winning college football picks all season long.

June 18th, 2008