Oklahoma Sooners Betting - 2011 Oklahoma Sooners College Football Preview
There’s always a lot of debate surrounding the value of preseason polls in the world of college football. It is felt by many that the preseason poll poisons the well and gives the top-ranked teams an unfair advantage in the race for the national championship, thereby influencing the calculus of every sports bet that is connected to the BCS National Championship Game. It stands to reason that even if you spend most of your time concentrating on MLB baseball betting, you can still appreciate the notion that a top-five team in the preseason has a better chance than the preseason No. 18 team of making the BCS title tilt, especially if both teams finish the regular season with identical 11-1 records. This is basic common sense. However, whether you like the preseason polls or not, the reality is that the Oklahoma Sooners are likely to be the number one team in late August. This is what will influence the upcoming college football season as much as anything else in the short term.
Head coach Bob Stoops may very well have his best team in 2011. With the unexpected return of Ryan Broyles to Norman, the Sooners bring back nine offensive starters. The key cog to the Oklahoma offensive attack is quarterback Landry Jones. The junior out together a terrific sophomore campaign, putting up numbers than matched Sam Bradford’s Heisman season. In 2011, Jones will take the next step in his development and if he can improve on making timely passes in key situations, there is no question he could become a major player in the Heisman race. Four of five offensive lineman return for Oklahoma as well. The Sooners have four of the past five Big 12 Championships and no one would be surprised if they made that five of six. After winning the Fiesta Bowl last season, Oklahoma is primed and ready to get back to the BCS National Championship. The bitter taste of its 2009 defeat at the hands of Florida remains fresh in the minds of Sooners everywhere.
On the defensive side of the ball, the unit returns eight starters. All-Big 12 selections Travis Lewis and Jamell Fleming will hold be key players for the Sooners once again. The Sooners, per usual, will play their aggressive style of defensive and with the emergence of some key players in the secondary during spring, may find success in the turnover margin.
A monstrous non-conference matchup in Tallahassee against Florida State will match two sure-fire Top 10 teams in the third week of the season. The Sooners have a bye before their contest with the Seminoles and will have as much preparation time as possible. The Sooners open with in-state rival Tulsa in week one. Missouri in week 3 will be an important barometer come Big 12 time. The Tigers will be tough in Colombia. The last time the Sooners traveled there, as a the top-ranked team in the country nonetheless, they left with a loss. The Sooners get Texas A&M at home this season and will travel to Stillwater to face rival Oklahoma State on the final weekend of the season.
A sports betting enthusiast has to consider Oklahoma a prime national-title contender. At the very least, the Sooners should win the 10-team Big 12 Conference in 2011.
