Bradford’s return levels Big XII South

By John Hillman  |   Sunday, January 18, 2009  |  Comments( 2 )

Oklahoma Sooners
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In a surprising turn of events, quarterback Sam Bradford announced last week that he would stay at Oklahoma instead of entering the 2009 NFL draft. The news not only brought a great rejoicing from Sooner fans, but it also narrowed the gap between OU and Texas for supremacy in the Big XII South.

If the 2008 Heisman Trophy winner had turned professional, redshirt freshman Landy Jones would have inherited the Sooner quarterbacking duties. Because of Jones’ inexperience, most observers believed Colt McCoy and his Longhorn compatriots would prevail in the 2009 Red River Rivalry.

Nine returning offensive starters carry the load for Texas next season, and the Horns expect to wrest the South title away from Oklahoma for the first time since 2005. If the Longhorns develop a solid running game and find adequate replacements on their defensive front, national championship aspirations could transform into reality.

But the Sooners have other reasons for optimism outside of retaining Bradford’s services. They also kept tight end Jermaine Gresham, offensive tackle Trent Williams and defensive tackle Gerald McCoy away from the NFL’s clutches.

Oklahoma needs immediate help at receiver, but top junior college prospect Cameron Kenney has limited his selections to OU or Georgia. With the departure of seniors Juaquin Iglesias, Manuel Johnson and Quentin Chaney, Kenney would fill a void as Bradford’s long-ball threat.

Even though the Red River Rivalry won’t take place for another nine months, it already shapes up as the defining game for the 2009 Big XII season. College football fans can expect another barn-burner in the historic series with the winner holding the inside track to the conference title.

The remainder of the Big XII South divides into two even tiers. Oklahoma State and Texas Tech should battle neck-and-neck for the third and fourth slots.

The Cowboys return a trio of explosive offensive weapons in quarterback Zac Robinson, wide receiver Dez Bryant and running back Kendall Hunter.

Defensively, OSU must step up its performance, and the person whom head coach Mike Gundy assigns as the Cowboys’ next defensive coordinator will shoulder that responsibility. Oklahoma State catches Texas Tech in Stillwater in 2009, and revenge from last season’s 56-20 defeat will certainly factor into the contest.

The loss of Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree hurts Texas Tech’s chances to repeat its 2008 success. Although the Red Raiders return a bevy of quality receivers including Detron Lewis and Tramain Swindall, quarterbacking may pose a problem. Junior Taylor Potts, who threw only 36 passes last season, moves into the starting role.

Baylor and Texas A&M will duke it out for the final two spots. The Bears, who showed tremendous improvement last season under first-year coach Art Briles, hope sophomore quarterback Robert Griffin can lead them to a bowl berth for the first time since 1994.

The Aggies also operated under a new headmaster in 2008, but Mike Sherman failed to meet expectations. A&M closed out the season with blowout losses to Oklahoma, Baylor and Texas, and the Maroon and White enter spring training with numerous questions on both sides of the ball.

The Bears and Aggies meet for the 106th time at Kyle Field, a site where Baylor hasn’t won since 1984, next November. Although the annual “Battle of the Brazos” probably won’t attract much national attention, it should prove a pivotal encounter for both squads.
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About John Hillman

John Hillman graduated from Baylor University in 1974 with a BBA in accounting and earned an MBA from Baylor in 1987. He worked for accounting firms until 1982 when he became the chief financial officer for an independent insurance claims adjusting service, a position he still holds today. ...
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