Counting Down Oklahoma’s 2009 Opponents (7-12)
For the 2009 Sooners, getting back to the BCS National Championship is on everyone’s mind. In order for it to happen, OU will have to run a veritable gauntlet which is their regular season schedule.
The more you break it down, the more you realize that the Sooners have their work cut out for them, as perhaps their five weakest opponents travel to Norman. For nearly every ranked or near-ranked opponent, OU will go on the road.
Make the jump to see Nos. 7-12 of the Sooners’ 2009 schedule.
Tomorrow we’ll go thru Nos. 1-6. Any guesses who will claim the top spot?
12. Idaho State, September 12th, Norman. ISU will be the Sooners’ easiest and only 1-AA opponent. The Bengals finished dead last in the FCS Big Sky Conference in 2008 with a record of 1-11. Their only win came in the final game of the season—a 3-point victory over Sacramento State at home. As if you needed any more reason to feel confident about this game, it will be played in Norman. Moving on…
11. Kansas State, October 31, Norman. Kansas State finished 5-7 last season, and 2-6 in the Big-XII North. Wildcats’ lost quarterback Josh Freeman to the NFL draft and is in an unquestionable rebuilding phase in the first year of Head Coach Bill Snyder’s comeback. In 2008, the Sooners scored 55 points on K-State on the road in the first half before taking their foot off the gas. The Wildcats will not pose a threat to Oklahoma in this game.
10. Texas A&M, November 14, Norman. While Texas A&M has quietly been putting together impressive recruiting classes under Mike Sherman, they still have a long way to go on the field. In 2008, the Aggies finished 4-8 overall, and 2-6 in the Big XII South. They suffered a 56-28 loss to Oklahoma State, a 49-9 loss to the Longhorns and a 66-28 loss to the Sooners in a game in which Oklahoma didn’t even score a single point in the fourth quarter.
9. Tulsa, September 19, Norman. Perhaps not the cupcake game some would think, Tulsa finished the 2008 season 11-3, including a 45-13 blowout over No. 22 Ball State in the GMAC Bowl. It’s hard to expect the Golden Hurricane to pose much of a threat to the Sooners while breaking in a new quarterback, however, especially in Norman.
8. Baylor, October 10, Norman. With 2008 Big XII Newcomer of the Year Robert Griffin at the helm of Head Coach Art Briles’ spread offense, you can’t sleep on Baylor in 2009. While the Bears had a typically lackluster 2008 campaign at 4-8 (2-6 in the Big XII South), most feel Baylor could be a sleeper to pull off an upset or two in conference play. Add the fact that this game comes seven days prior to the Red River Rivalry and the Sooners will have to be careful not to look past this game. Even so, it’s hard to see an upset here.
7. Texas Tech, November 21. Lubbock. No Graham Harrell, No Michael Crabtree, no problem, right? Wrong. These days you can never sleep on Texas Tech, especially at home, where the Sooners have lost their previous two games. Head Coach Mike Leach has proven to be one of the top coaches in the Big XII and will almost assuredly field a team that will present a challenge to the Sooners. How big of a challenge is still to be determined, but the Sooners cannot afford to sleep on this always-dangerous road game.
