Oklahoma Sooners
Big 12
The Sooners started this season with a number 1 ranking and they had their eyes on a BCS Championship. They had the quarterback in Landry Jones, the play-maker in Ryan Broyles, and the defense that could stop good offenses. Three conference losses later, the Sooners are looking at a 4th place finish in the Big 12. Landry Jones is nowhere near the Heisman candidate that he used to be, but he will still be an early first-round draft pick. One word describes this season for Sooner fans: failure.
2011 Record: 9-3, 6-3
Last Bowl Appearance: 2010 Fiesta Bowl vs. UConn (W 48-20)
Big Wins: 9/17 at Florida State (23-13), 10/29 at Kansas State (58-17)
Bad Losses: 10/22 vs. Texas Tech (41-38), 11/19 at Baylor (45-38)
Coach: Bob Stoops (138-34 at Oklahoma, 138-34 Overall)
Bowl Record: 6-6 at Oklahoma, 6-6 overall
Offensive Coordinator: Josh Heupel
Defensive Coordinator: Brent Venables
Strengths:
Despite Oklahoma’s record, they do a lot of things well. The most obvious is passing the ball. Landry Jones has thrown for over 4000 yards and 28 touchdowns. While these numbers are down from last year, they are still impressive. Especially to NFL scouts. Ryan Broyles continued his successes from last season until his season ended early due to an unfortunate injury against Texas A&M. The worst element to the Sooner’s offense is their running game, but they still average almost 170 yards per game. They have the 4th best offense in the country in terms of yards per game and score over 40 points per game. On defense, the Sooners are averaging about three sacks per game and are the 10th best scoring defense in the country.
Weaknesses:
The Sooners really don’t have a weakness. Statistically, they are probably the best team in the Big 12. The only statistic that really stands out is their turnover margin. Oklahoma gives up the ball more often than they force turnovers. Oklahoma’s real weakness isn’t on paper, though. I guess you could call it a lack of concentration or an inability to adjust, but the Sooners really didn’t show up against Texas Tech and for most of their game against Baylor. Their game against Oklahoma State was probably the worst.
Statistical Leaders:
Rushing: Dominique Whaley, RB, 627 yards
Passing: Landry Jones, QB, 4,302 yards
Receiving: Ryan Broyles, WR, 1,157 yards
Tackles: Aaron Colvin, S, 80
Sacks: Frank Alexander, DE, 8.5
Interceptions: Tony Jefferson, LB, 4
2011 Team Stats:
Rushing Offense: 172.36 (42, 7)
Passing Offense: 375.55 (3, 2)
Total Offense: 547.91 (4, 3)
Scoring Offense: 43.00 (8, 3)
Rushing Defense: 127.00 (31, 4)
Pass Defense: 246.00 (87, 4)
Total Defense: 373.00 (52, 2)
Scoring Defense: 20.82 (28, 1)
Turnover Margin: .09 (52, 4)
Sacks: 3.36 (3, 2)
Sacks Allowed: .55 (1, 1)
