OKLAHOMA'S KNIGHT IN UNDER ARMOUR

OKLAHOMA SOONERS

2013 Predicted Conference Finish: 1st

SOONERS @ A GLANCE

HEAD COACH: Bob Stoops (Entering 15th season / 149-37)
STADIUM: Owen Field @ Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium (82,112) / Norman, OK
2012 RECORD: 10-3 (8-1)
   HOME:   4-2
   AWAY:    5-0
   DALLAS: 1-1
BOWL GAME: Yes, run rules by A&M 41-13 in Cotton Bowl 
RETURNING STARTERS: 11
   OFFENSE: 7
   DEFENSE: 4
OKLAHOMA ANGST: O: new quarterback D: improve, front 7 depth.  Restore home invincibility
KEY GAME: There are several you could choose, Texas of course, but I will go with TCU @ home on October 5th. Trap game for Sooners with Texas game a week away...If OU is looking ahead, talented Frogs could make the Sooners pay.
2013 vs. TEXAS: Red River Rivalry: Saturday, October 12th

DID YOU KNOW?

That this is the first time since 2007 that the Sooners had a competition at QB for the starting job?  Going into that year, Keith Nicols, Joey Halzle, and a kid named Sam Bradford battled for the job, with the redshirt freshman Bradford ultimately prevailing.  Can history repeat itself? Now that, would be Sooner Magic!

THE HEART WANTS WHAT THE HEART WANTS

While the bottom line might be that this is a homer pick, the truth is that I tried, even wanted, to pick anyone but the Sooners...I really did.  To me, the Big 12 Conference looks to be wide open and for the taking this year. In my opinion, there aren't any great teams in the conference this year, but the overall depth of quality teams seems to be higher than I ever remember. I wouldn't be surprised to see any one of 5 maybe even 6 teams win the Big 12 this year.  Since each team had flaws, question marks or weaknesses to coincide with their strengths....the tie goes to the heart...so I picked Oklahoma.  Besides, as Brian Bosworth once said..."Orange makes me sick."

OKLAHOMA'S KNIGHT IN UNDER ARMOUR

When news came out of Norman that Trevor Knight had been named the starting QB for the Sooners, it made me smile...not just a little smirk smile...I'm talking about one of those smiles that makes the rest of the world wonder what you been up to kind of smiles.

That is not a knock against Blake Bell. I'm sure Blake is a great kid, respectful to his elders, gives back to the community and would stop to help a small kitten out of a tree.  In fact, if Blake had won the QB competition, I would be just as excited to support him as I am Trevor...but I wouldn't be smiling, I would be wondering...

Bob Stoops has never been known for his warmth with the media.  Hell, I would rather knife fight O.J. Simpson than be the poor sideline reporter who has to stop Bob on his way to the locker room and ask him a question.  I would venture to guess that Stoops doesn't trust many outside of his inner Sooner circle either, media most especially...and in this day of internet, iPhone cameras, twitter and idiot blog writers, who can really blame him.  But it seems Bob has taken the secrecy of things up a notch or two since fall practice began...and I would bet the reason behind it would almost have to be the QB competition.
 
All practices have been closed and no coach or player has been allowed to comment on the QB situation.  To follow the QB race through the various OU internet sites, is to put your faith in hearsay, innuendo or the word of someone who is probably three or four removed from the actual source. But people like me listen and read anyway...and what I have continually heard from the very beginning was that Blake Bell, whose job it seemingly was to lose, was doing just that.

While Stoops always insisted that it was an open competition between all QB, including true freshman Cody Thomas who just arrived on campus this summer, it was always thought to "really" be just a two man race between sophomore Kendal Thompson and Blake Bell.  Most people, like myself, just thought Trevor Knight was being included in the talk as a courtesy, you know, 'a just in case he is listening'...'don't want to hurt his feelings kind of thing.'  So when Thompson went down with the foot injury, it was then assumed that Bell would be the starter. 

I would argue that there are few pressure situations in sports bigger than the one felt when competing for the starting quarterback position.  The QB is the most vital position on the team...he is the straw that stirs the drink...and because of that, everyone has a vested interest in who that QB is.  Seldom does vested interest come without an opinion; so as a result, everyone from Head Coach to assistant kicking-tee fetcher has an opinion on who they think should be the QB.  Not to over-simplify it, but picking the QB that earned it on the field goes a long way in avoiding a lot of problems. Well, duh, you might be thinking. But it isn't always that easy...and that is why I am smiling like Jesse James driving the train instead of wondering.

Stoops didn't make the safe choice, the expected choice, which would have been Blake Bell.  Stoops didn't care about experience, how many stars you had on rivals.com when you were recruited...he cared about who played the best.  He cared about the message it sent his team...that if you perform the best, you will play.  He cared about the team respecting the one that will lead them.  Stoops made the only choice he could...he picked the kid that won the job. 

Notice I haven't said Stoops made the right choice...that is yet to be determined.  Maybe Kendal Thompson was the front runner and gets the chance to win the job when he is healthy soon...or maybe Trevor get's out in front of 80,000+ and wet down both legs...but I doubt it.  He has already felt more pressure than a stadium full of idiots, newspaper columnist and uninformed internet want-to-be's like me could ever create...he had the pressure of earning the respect of his peers and the opportunity to lead them...he had to earn the chance to be the QB of the Oklahoma Sooners.

Congratulations, Trevor.  Go get 'em.  The Sooner Nation is rooting for you...at least until you lose a game.  Just kidding...but not really.

Just the opinion of one mildly interested guy

The Overweight Armchair Sooner

Buddy Putty

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Look for a more complete 2013 Oklahoma Sooners team preview from The OAS later today