Their presence at the magazine racks is the surest signal college football season is near. Pass by any rack around Norman and the word “Preview” is everywhere.
The Transcript picked several of those publications to take a look at to see what the summer prognosticators forecast for Oklahoma this season.
The five perused where Athlon, Lindy’s, Sporting News, Pro Football Weekly and USA Today Sports Weekly. The fivesome differ in what they try to accomplish.
Athlon and Lindy’s have been in the forecast business for many years and are strictly preview magazines. Their efforts end once the season begins.
Sporting News and Pro Football Weekly are both magazines that will continue college football coverage throughout the season. USA Today Sports Weekly represents the nation’s largest newspaper.
However, USA Today Sports Weekly offered the least information. No preseason Top 25, no All-American teams. There were bowl projections, but in Oklahoma’s case, the prognosis was strange.
The Sooners were picked to win the Big 12 South, but fail to reach a BCS bowl game. Missouri was the publication’s pick to win the Big 12.
What was really odd? It predicted Texas to finish third behind OU and Texas Tech in the South, yet get an at-large bid to the Sugar Bowl.
The other four all believe the Sooners should have high hopes for the coming season. Sporting News, Pro Football Weekly and Lindy’s all have OU ranked No. 4 heading into the season. Athlon has the Sooners at No. 3.
“No Allen Patrick? No Malcolm Kelly? No problem,” was Athlon’s assessment.
It predicts if a defense that will have five new starters in the back seven matures, the Sooners could be playing for its eighth national championship in 2008.
The Sporting News came with another odd description.
“The Big 12’s most dominant program this decade must prove it can thrive outside the conference in big games,” Sporting News said.
It predicted OU would win the Big 12 for the third straight year and reach the Fiesta Bowl.
“Nobody is better than (OU coach Bob) Stoops at driving home that conference titles are a program’s primary objective,” it read.
Lindy’s said much the same.
“Stoops is closing in on his second national championship. If the SEC powers beat up on one another, don’t be surprised if Oklahoma makes it all the way to Dolphin Stadium (site of the BCS title game),” was the magazine’s rationale for ranking OU No. 4.
It also picked the Sooners to win the Big 12 Conference.
Pro Football Weekly has the Sooners No. 4, but failed to say why. For one, it likes Missouri to win the Big 12. It also likes Texas Tech to represent the South in the conference title game.
“On experience, skill, NFL talent, depth, and any other way you want to measure, no one on the schedule — including Kansas, Texas and Texas Tech — can stay with the Sooners,” Pro Football Weekly said. “But everyone gets up for OU and brings its ‘A’ game, and now, OU needs to realize that it has to find a way to get up for everyone and bring its ‘A’ game, too.”
But if that’s the prediction, then why have Missouri ranked No. 8 and Texas Tech ranked No. 9 in the preseason? Seems like if you believe both are going to beat the Sooners, you should have them ranked higher.
Of course, Pro Football Weekly did rank all 119 Bowl Subdivision teams from top to bottom. For those interested, Baylor, No. 95, is the worst Bowl Subdivision team on the Sooners’ schedule.
OU opens the season against Tennessee-Chattanooga Aug. 30, but it is a Championship Subdivision member.
So, it’s obvious the high expectations that surround OU football will be there again this season. But some believe this will be a year where those expectations won’t be met.
John Shinn
366-3536
jshinn@normantranscript.com
OU Sports
Preseason mags take a look at Sooners
- OU Sports
-
-
It’s a recipe for success
Oklahoma softball coach Patty Gasso was answering questions Saturday after her Sooners clinched another return to the Women’s College World Series when, without really meaning to, she began to make it clear her job has, sort of, become ...
-
Tigers deny Sooners’ Big 12 title hopes
OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma wanted to win its first Big 12 tournament in 16 years on Sunday. Missouri needed to win it to get in the NCAA Tournament. Need topped desire at Bricktown Ballpark....
-
Sooners make winning look easy
As Oklahoma’s players locked arms around the pitching circle, coming together for what passed as a celebration following Saturday’s 7-1 NCAA Super Regional-clinching victory over Arizona, three gloves remained near second base....
-
There are no easy outs in the lineup
Looking for a gameplan to stop Oklahoma? Well, one may or may not be available, but walking two of the first three Sooners you face certainly isn’t part of it. Just ask Arizona’s Kenzie Fowler....
-
Sooners will play for Big 12 championship
OKLAHOMA CITY, — It’s been 16 years since Oklahoma won the Big 12 tournament. It’s closer now than its ever been to ending the streak. The Sooners rolled through Baylor, 7-2, on Saturday at Bricktown Ballpark to advance to the tournament’s ...
-
Sooners send five more to nationals
AUSTIN, Texas — Oklahoma track and field teams had five more individuals qualify for the NCAA Championship on Saturday evening at the NCAA West Preliminary. The men’s 4x100-meter relay team also advanced to the national semifinals....
-
OU sophomore Jao-Javanil wins NCAA golf title
FRANKLIN, Tenn. — Oklahoma’s Chirapat Jao-Javanil made Oklahoma golf history Friday, becoming the first Sooner, man or woman, to win an individual NCAA national championship....
-
Pitching staff is exactly where Golloway wants it to be
When the Big 12 tournament began, Oklahoma felt like it had the pitching staff to make a deep run. Dillon Overton, Jordan John, Jonathan Gray and Damien Magnifico gave them four quality starters and a closer — Steven Okert — capable of ...
-
Sooners shut out Wildcats, need one more win for WCWS entry
Oklahoma might have scored more runs, not committed an error and starting pitcher Keilani Ricketts could have been just a little more efficient along the way....
-
Sooners send 4 more to NCAAs
AUSTIN, Texas – Oklahoma’s track and field teams added four individuals to the list of Sooners advancing to the NCAA championship Friday at the NCAA West Preliminary. In addition to the four new qualifiers, Brittany Borman advanced to the ...
- More OU Sports Headlines
-
It’s a recipe for success
