2008 record: 12-2, 7-1 (1st-tie in Big 12 South)
2008 bowl: Lost to West Virginia 48-28 in Fiesta Bowl
2008 final AP/coaches' ranking: 5/5
Coach: Bob Stoops (109-24, 11th year)
Offensive coordinator: Kevin Wilson (8th year)
Defensive coordinator: Brett Venables (11th year)
Returning offensive starters: 5
Returning defensive starters: 9
Location: Norman, Okla.
Stadium: Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial (grass; 82,112)
Last league title: 2008
2009 schedule: [view]
2009 roster: [view]
2008 statistics: [view]

Offensive: Oklahoma had the highest-scoring offense of college football’s modern era. Junior quarterback Sam Bradford, the Heisman Trophy winner who could’ve been the NFL draft’s No. 1 overall pick, returned to college. So did senior tight end Jermaine Gresham, an exceptional red-zone weapon. So Oklahoma is OK, right? Well, almost. The offensive line — a key component for a team that had a 4,000-yard passer and two 1,000-yard rushers — must be rebuilt. Senior Trent Williams moves to left tackle and the other starters are new, but they have great potential. Otherwise, the stars seem aligned for Bradford to have another bang-up season. Junior DeMarco Murray and senior Chris Brown will try to replicate their 1,000-yard feats. Sophomore Ryan Broyles, a big-play man, could become one of the better wide receivers in recent Oklahoma history. And no one has figured out how to deal with Bradford’s instinctive play in the Sooners’ high-octane offense. Oklahoma will again score points — lots and lots of them.

Defensive: The Sooners must improve defensively and they seem well-equipped for a leap with seven returning starters, including perhaps the best interior lineman in college football with junior Gerald McCoy, a run-stuffer and game-changer. Senior defensive end Auston English, an established pass-rusher, also returns after missing spring practice with an injury. The linebackers are set with sophomore Travis Lewis, who broke Brian Bosworth’s school record for tackles by a freshman, and senior Keenan Clayton leading the way on the outside. There was concern over Oklahoma’s pass-defense statistics (99th nationally against the pass at 251.5 yards per game). Part of that was playing in the sling-and-shoot Big 12. Also, Oklahoma constantly built large leads and opponents were forced into passing desperation. Either way, the Sooners feel good about their cornerbacks, junior Dominique Franks and senior Brian Jackson.

Specialists: The Sooners specialize in touchdowns, not field goals, but sophomore place-kicker Jimmy Stevens (8 of 12 on field-goal attempts) might be pushed by freshman Tress Way, a favorite to claim the punting job. Murray and Broyles will handle the returns very capably.

Coaching: Bob Stoops has taken plenty of grief for his recent 0-for-5 performance in BCS bowl games. But Oklahoma always keeps its annual status as a national-title contender. The Sooners unquestionably march to the swagger of Stoops, who inherited a program with five consecutive non-winning seasons when he arrived in 1999. National-title game failures aside, Stoops has made the Big 12 into his personal playground.

Heisman Hopefuls: Can Bradford join Ohio State’s Archie Griffin (1974-75) as the only two-time Heisman Trophy winner? Absolutely. Bradford’s two-season numbers (most notably, a career 68.6 completion percentage) have been remarkable. Expect another banner year. But also expect another too-close-to-call race with QB rivals Colt McCoy of Texas and Tim Tebow of Florida.

Game of the year Oct. 17 vs. Texas at Dallas Yes, the Sooners remember last season’s 45-35 shootout defeat to the ’Horns. But even more, they remember the national outrage over their controversial tiebreaker ascension as the Big 12 South representative, despite that loss to Texas. Oklahoma, which has lost three of the last four meetings against Texas, would love to silence its critics.

Overview: Oklahoma has won six of the last 13 titles in the Big 12 (no other conference school has more than two championships in that 13-season span). Once again, it looks like the Oklahoma-Texas winner is not only favored to win the Big 12, but possibly the national title as well. It’s unlikely that Oklahoma’s offense will offer the firepower of 2008 (716 points scored for a 51.1 average, 99 total touchdowns, five straight games with 60-plus points), but punts won’t be seen very often. The defense, though, must upgrade its standard if the Sooners want to reach the next level.

Next up: No. 5 Ohio State

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