Archives: December 2008

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Wednesday, December 31

We've made it to the final day of 2008. And, for the final time before they head to Miami, Coach Stoops and select OU players met with the media following practice Tuesday evening. Remember, we will begin daily updates with video, photos and features on Friday as the Sooners begin bowl week in Florida.

Daily Bowl Updates | OU Fan Primer | Sooner Bowl Central

View video from Coach Stoops and Venables plus select Sooner players following Tuesday's practice in Norman.

Tuesday, December 30

• From the Amarillo Globe: "When Auston English takes his stance at defensive end for the Oklahoma Sooners in the BCS national championship game, the Canadian High graduate known for his all-out style of play will see a familiar sight in those Florida uniforms. English spent his grade school days living in Gainesville..."

• From the Gainesville Sun: "How is the team getting prepared for Oklahoma's senior-laden offensive line, which paved the way for two 1,000-yard rushers and is fourth in the nation in sacks allowed? A: I think we've gone versus some pretty good offensive lines this year, especially our last game versus Alabama. I think..."

• From Florida Today: "Think Oklahoma's defensive players are getting just a little sick of hearing about how Florida is going to blow them apart in the Jan. 8 national championship game? "I try not to listen to it, but they can think whatever they want," Sooners defensive end Jeremy Beal said of all the media predictions..."

Local and National Headlines for Sooner Football

Monday, December 29

SoonerSports.com will be your official OU bowl source with daily updates direct from team headquarters in Miami. 2009 will mark our sixth consecutive season of sharing OU's bowl experience with Sooner fans across the nation and around the world.

Sooner Bowl Central | Daily Bowl Coverage | OU Fan Primer

• Mike Jones of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram: ""I work hard at recruiting players, and I only bring in players who are going to fit this system," Gundy said. "And if you're going to be a selfish player, you're not going to come to school here and play running back. "I want players who want to win championships." Madu..."

• Jake Trotter of the Oklahoman: "How will Oklahoma split carries between running backs Chris Brown and Mossis Madu against Florida? Count on Brown to receive most of the carries, but Madu will play a significant role, too. The Big 12 Championship (27 rushes for Brown, 15 for Madu) should..."

• From Gator Country: "When Oklahoma and Florida meet Jan. 8 in Miami's Dolphin Stadium to decide the FedEx BCS National Championship Game, many eyes should be focused on the Florida defense. If the Sooners are able to establish a running game against a solid Gators defensive front, it could be a long day..."

Local and National Headlines for Sooner Football

Sunday, December 28

• From the Florida Times-Union: "From watching all of Oklahoma's game tapes, the clock in Urban Meyer's head is what keeps him and the Florida defensive coaches up at night. The Gators' No. 1 fear for the Jan. 8 BCS national championship game against the Sooners is speed, but it has little to do with the 40..."

• Dave Sittler of the Tulsa World: "At the end of the day, there is no come-to-Jesus explanation as to why we haven't won," Harris said. "But we're hungry for (OU's) eighth national championship. "We have a great test ahead of us on one of the biggest stages in college football. And we've got to make sure we pay attention..."

• From the Asheville Citizen-Times: "One of the reasons Oklahoma has scored 60 points or more in five straight games is that Heisman quarterback Sam Bradford's uniform has stayed relatively clean. The Sooners are giving up just .85 sacks a contest -- fourth-best nationally. If Bradford stays on his feet all night..."

Local and National Headlines for Sooner Football

Tuesday, December 23

Head coach Bob Stoops and select players met with the media Monday in Norman to preview the FedEx BCS National Championship Game. View quotes from Coach Stoops in addition to Sooner players Jon Cooper, Lendy Holmes, Jeremy Beal, Chris Brown, Phil Loadholt, Nic Harris, Gerald McCoy and Dominique Franks:

Oklahoma Pre-Bowl Press Conference |

Stoops |

Bradford

Sooner Bowl Central | Daily Bowl Coverage | OU Fan Primer

Congratulations also to Sam Bradford. The Associated Press voted No. 14 their player of the year on Tuesday. Bradford is the third Sooner to earn the honor after Jason White in 2003 and Josh Heupel in 2000. OU now officially lists 63 national award winners.

Quarterback Sam Bradford Voted AP Player of the Year

OU's 63 All-Time National Award Winners | History & Tradition

• From USA Today: "Oklahoma running back Chris Brown has fond memories of his days as a high school track star. "Back in the day," he said last week, "I was pretty good." He had the right combination of speed and strength for the 300-meter hurdles in which he won back-to-back state titles and one in the 110..."

• From Florida Today: "How do you combat such a talented offense? It's really pretty simple, Strong said. "It's going to be a case of where we've got to get off the field," Strong said. "We can't allow them to just move the ball, which we haven't done all year. We've got to get off the field. We've got to get them on..."

• From the Denver Post: "It's a masterpiece for the ages, really, this Oklahoma offense. What we are seeing is the greatest scoring machine in the history of football. Think about that for a moment. From the Wing-T to the wishbone to the Power-I to the pro set to the current spread, no offense has clicked the scoreboard like..."

Local and National Headlines for Sooner Football

Monday, December 22

Head Coach Bob Stoops will be live on SoonerSports.com at a pre-bowl press conference Monday afternoon from Norman. The webcast is free but fans will need to pre-register for an account via Oklahoma All-Access. The Sooners depart January 2nd for Miami:

OU Pre-Bowl Press Conference, 12:05 (Free Video)

The OU Athletics Media Relations office just released the official bowl guide for the 2009 FedEx BCS National Championship Game. The guide presents a comprehensive review of the 2008 season with game recaps, statistics and notes. Read updated bios for the players and coaching staff plus complete bowl history for the Sooners.

Oklahoma Bowl Guide | OU Depth Chart | UF Depth Chart

Friday, December 19

Did you notice that Oklahoma has football and both men's and women's basketball all ranked in the top six of the national polls? OU is one of only four schools nationally to have all three teams ranked in the AP Top 25 (and the best cumulative rankings):

AP Rankings	Oklahoma	Texas	Pittsburgh	Ohio State
Football	No. 2	No. 3	No. 18	No. 10
M Basketball	No. 4	No. 5	No. 3	No. 17
W Basketball	No. 6	No. 5	No. 16	No. 18

• From the Colorado Springs Gazette: "It's surprising," Loadholt said of the big numbers, "but at the same time it's not - not with the way we work. It's not like it's one of our goals to score 60 points each game, but we're confident every time we begin a drive." Does Loadholt ever glance across the line of scrimmage and..."

• From the Gainesville Sun: "In a season in which the Florida defense has risen to every challenge, this may be the biggest yet. The Sooners, behind Heisman-winning quarterback Sam Bradford and a stout offensive line, have scored at least 60 points in five straight games and are averaging 54 points per game. Since..."

Local and National Headlines for Sooner Football

Thursday, December 18

Sooner Bowl Central | Daily Bowl Coverage | OU Fan Primer

Here are a couple of interesting multimedia links from this morning's roundup of the Sooners in national sports news:

Video: Spencer Tillman of CBS Breaks Down the BCS

ESPN Selects Bradford, Gresham & Robinson All-Americans

Wednesday, December 17

Gerald McCoy and Jermaine Gresham joined Sam Bradford and Duke Robinson as All-Americans for the Sooners in 2008. McCoy, Gresham, Bradford and Robinson collected first-team honors from the Sporting News Wednesday. OU has now produced 148 All-Americans overall and 28 under Coach Stoops.

Complete List of All-America Teams and Winning Sooners

OU's 148 All-Americans | All-Americans by Jersey Number

Heisman winner and OU finance major Sam Bradford (3.95 GPA) rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange to begin trading on Wall Street on Tuesday morning (you noticed the Dow soared nearly 350 points, didn't you?). Check out this video where Bradford is interviewed by CNBC's Erin Burnett:

Bradford Interview with CNBC's Erin Burnett | Photo Gallery

Tuesday, December 16

Oklahoma Heisman winner Sam Bradford opened today's trading session on Wall Street by ringing the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange. Bradford will be formally presented as the 74th winner of the Heisman Memorial Trophy at a black-tie dinner tonight.

Bradford and Duke Robinson were announced as first-team All-American selections by the Associated Press on Tuesday afternoon. The NCAA officially recognizes the Associated Press, AFCA, FWAA, Sporting News and Walter Camp All-America teams in determining consensus (listed by at least half) and unanimous (listed by all) selections. The Sporting News has not announced its selections as of Tuesday. Review a complete list of all Sooner players honored on all current teams here.

Oklahoma has now produced 146 All-Americans overall since Claude Reeds first earned the honor in 1913. Under Coach Stoops, 26 Sooners have earned All-America honors.

OU's 146 All-Americans | All-Americans by Jersey Number

Oklahoma also announced that DeMarco Murray will undergo surgery on Dec. 22, and will not play in the 2008 BCS National Championship Game. The sophomore has a partial rupture of a hamstring tendon in his left leg. More information here.

Monday, December 15

Oklahoma woke up to a cold morning on Monday but Sooner fans can still bask in the glow of Sam Bradford's win Saturday night and OU's fifth Heisman Trophy. Review the announcement here:

Sam Bradford Awarded 74th Annual Heisman Memorial Trophy

Watch Heisman Announcement & Bradford's Speech

Flashback: 2003 Jason White | Flashback: 1978 Billy Sims

One of the stalwarts of Bradford's offensive line, Duke Robinson, was named to the Football Writers' All-America team. Duke was already on the Walter Camp, Rivals and CBS teams. Congrats to Duke and the entire OU offensive line -- the Heisman is also an honor for their work in the trenches and what they helped Sam accomplish.

Oklahoma's 145 All-Americans | 61 National Award Winners

Quick update from Kenny Mossman on Sam Bradford's Monday: Sam did two ESPN television shows and the Mike and Mike Show on ESPN radio before 10 a.m. Sam then spent 10-11 a.m., signing 300 footballs for the Heisman Trust.

Bradford then changed into his uniform to have a portrait photo taken. That photo will be used to make the portrait painting that will appear in the Heisman display at the Sports Museum of America in NYC. That facility houses the original Heisman Trophy, a history of the Heisman and portraits of all the winners.

Bradford Wins Heisman

Congratulations to Sam Bradford, his family, Sooner players, Coach Stoops and his staff, the OU Athletics Department, the University and Sooner fans around the world. Bradford brings OU's fifth Heisman Trophy back to Norman. Read reaction from across the nation:

Sam Bradford Awarded 74th Annual Heisman Memorial Trophy

Photo Gallery | OU Heismans | OU National Award Winners

Congratulations Sam
Celebrate with Sam Bradford and Oklahoma. Download Bradford 2008 Heisman OU Heisman gear online now.

Watch Heisman Announcement & Bradford's Speech

Flashback: 2003 Jason White | Flashback: 1978 Billy Sims

• From Dave Curtis of the Sporting News: "Congratulations, voters. You got it right by making sure Oklahoma's Sam Bradford hoisted the bronze statue Saturday night in New York. Bradford, who edged Texas' Colt McCoy and Florida's Tim Tebow for the honor, had numbers that proved too overwhelming in the end..."

• Jake Trotter of the Oklahoman: "Time to begin work on a fifth bronze sculpture for Oklahoma's Heisman Park. Saturday night, Sooner sophomore quarterback Sam Bradford was awarded the 74th Heisman Trophy, completing a meteoric rise for the Oklahoma City native, who just two summers ago was mired..."

• From the New York Times: "Bradford's rise from relative obscurity to national pre-eminence was sealed Saturday night when he won the Heisman Trophy, which is given annually to the country's most outstanding college football player. Bradford, a redshirt sophomore, seemed giddy and overwhelmed as he..."

Saturday, December 13

The 74th Annual Heisman Memorial Trophy will be awarded tonight in New York with a telecast on ESPN beginning at 7 p.m. Central. Oklahoma's Sam Bradford will be joined by Colt McCoy of Texas and Tim Tebow of Florida as finalists for the honor.

Bradford looks to be Oklahoma's fifth Heisman recipient behind Billy Vessels ('52), Steve Owens ('69), Billy Sims ('78) and Jason White ('03). He has led the most explosive offense in college football this season averaging 54 points per game.

OU Heismans | Bradford Central |

Bradford 2008 Highlights

• Berry Tramel of the Oklahoman: "A life will change tonight. Maybe Sam Bradford's. If not Slingin' Sam, then Colt McCoy or Tim Tebow, the other guys in this trio with names right out of a Zane Grey novel but with fames right out of a Grantland Rice dispatch and games that Amos Alonzo Stagg never could..."

• Blair Kerkhoff of the Kansas City Star: "Of all the Quarterback U's over the years, the latest seems the most unlikely. Oklahoma. In the glory days of the wishbone, Sooners quarterbacks' arm motion went sideways with a pitch more than forward with a pass. Meanwhile, different schools took a run at the moniker..."

• From the Grand Rapids Press: "The difference, to me, is that Tebow had a chance to alter the Mississippi outcome and didn't, while Bradford gave his teammates every opportunity to alter the Texas outcome and they didn't. That may sound like nit-picking, but we're trying to decide a slice of Americana here..."

Local and National Headlines for Sooner Football

Friday, December 12

Sam Bradford, Tim Tebow and Colt McCoy all took home hardware from the ESPN awards show last night in Orlando. Bradford was named Oklahoma's fourth winner of the Davey O'Brien Award, presented to the nation's top quarterback.

Bradford Wins O'Brien | OU & O'Brien | OU Award Winners

Davey O'Brien Award Wallpaper
Download the official Sam Bradford 2008 Davey O'Brien Award Winner wallpaper:
800x600 | 1024x768 | 1280x800 | 1280x1024

Several unique items are about to go to the highest bidder in the OU Athletics online auction. Check out the OU-Nebraska helmet signed by greats from the 1971 Game of the Century plus a Tony Casillas autographed helmet, vintage cleats and old OU helmets:

Official OU Athletics Online Auction | Sooner Holiday Gift Guide

We've also added a FedEx BCS National Championship Central and will be adding areas for daily coverage, a Sooner fan primer and media information for covering the game. Get the facts here:

2009 FedEx BCS National Championship Central

Thursday, December 11

If you're wondering what to get for the die-hard OU fan in your family, check out our Sooner Fan Holiday Gift Guide created by the OU Athletics Department. View a wide selection of merchandise, memorabilia, ticket packages and more direct from Norman.

2008 Sooner Fan Holiday Gift Guide | OU Athletics Auction

Coach Stoops was in Florida on Wednesday to hold a joint press conference with Gator head coach Urban Meyer to promote the FedEx BCS National Championship Game on January 8, 2009.

Stoops & Meyer Quotes on National Championship Game

• Jake Trotter of the Oklahoman: "Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford posed for a photo Wednesday when someone tapped him on the shoulder. That someone was Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, introducing himself with a big smile. On the day they officially learned they were heading to New York this weekend..."

• John Hoover of the Tulsa World: "There, but for 30 years and a couple of really big afros, stood Charles White and Billy Sims. Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford and Florida quarterback Tim Tebow shook hands, smiled, posed for pictures, slapped each other on the back and, later, even sat side by side discussing..."

• Clay Horning of the Norman Transcript: "But why penalize somebody for their good fortune when all they ever did was turn in maybe the finest season any quarterback's ever had in the history of the college game. The biggest season one guy's ever turned in at any position was what Barry Sanders did in 1988. His..."

Local and National Headlines for Sooner Football

Wednesday, December 10

Congratulations to offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson. Wilson was presented the 13th Annual Frank Broyles Award by officials from The Rotary Club of Little Rock during a luncheon at the Doubletree Hotel on Tuesday. The award is given annually to the nation's top NCAA assistant football coach.

Wilson Named Nation's Top Assistant Coach

It's time. Heisman ballots are due tonight. The winner of the 2008 Heisman Memorial Trophy will be announced Saturday, Dec. 13 from The Nokia Theatre in Times Square in New York City and will be broadcast live on ESPN beginning at 7 p.m. Central.

OU Heisman History | Sam Bradford Central |

Bradford Video

If you're wondering what to get for the die-hard OU fan in your family, check out our Sooner Fan Holiday Gift Guide created by the OU Athletics Department. View a wide selection of merchandise, memorabilia, ticket packages and more direct from Norman.

2008 Sooner Fan Holiday Gift Guide

• From USA Today: "Sam Bradford's a genuine star now. Saturday, the Oklahoma quarterback will join college football's glitterati in New York for the televised presentation of the Heisman Trophy. He's favored to win it. At 6-4, with smarts and cool and an uncannily accurate right arm, he's beginning to..."

• From the Tulsa World: "Billy Vessels arrived in Norman from a small Oklahoma town. A few years later, the young man from Cleveland -- population 3,000 -- was in New York City picking up one of the most prestigious awards in sports. Vessels was Oklahoma's first Heisman Trophy winner. He's one of the..."

• From Sports Illustrated: "Yes, Florida's defense is better than any Oklahoma has played since Texas, so I'm not predicting that Oklahoma will hang another 60-plus points on them, but I think 45 should do the trick. I'm glad you brought up TCU, which has the best defense in the country outside of USC. Against the..."

Local and National Headlines for Sooner Football

Tuesday, December 9

Join the Sooner football team to celebrate OU's third-straight Big 12 Conference title Wednesday night at the men's basketball game vs. Maine. Fans can take photos with the three trophies and collect autographs from the team beginning at 5:30 p.m. At 7 p.m., the No. 5 men's hoops team (8-0) tips against the Black Bears.

Big 12 Football Championship Night at Basketball

OU Wins Big 12 Title | Title Gear | Buy Photos | Wallpaper

Also note that prepaid parking passes for the BCS National Championship Game are available to football season ticket holders for $20 each. This represents a 50 percent savings as game day parking at Dolphin Stadium will be $40. In order to receive a parking pass with your game tickets, orders must be received by Wednesday, Dec. 10 at noon. To order, call (800) 456-GoOU.

BCS Title Gear

Finally, Heisman ballots are due Wednesday night. The winner of the 2008 Heisman Memorial Trophy will be announced Saturday, Dec. 13 from The Nokia Theatre in Times Square in New York City and will be broadcast live on ESPN beginning at 7 p.m. Central.

OU Heisman History | Sam Bradford Central |

Bradford Video

Monday, December 8

Oklahoma (12-1) finished the season ranked No. 1 in the BCS and will play BCS No. 2 Florida (12-1) in the FedEX BCS National Championship Game in Dolphin Stadium on January 8, 2009.

Sooner vs. Gators for National Title | Stoops Quotes & Video

OU Tops Mizzou, 62-21, for Third-Straight Big 12 Crown

Bradford Wins Baugh Award | Big 12 & BCS Gear | Wallpaper

The Sooners are the first program to win three consecutive Big 12 Conference football titles. Fans have the opportunity to get their photos with the 2006, 2007 and 2008 trophies on Wednesday, Dec. 10, during the men's basketball game vs. Maine.

• Stewart Mandel of Sports Illustrated: "There's no question the Sooners have wowed us with their historic run of five straight 60-point scoring outbursts (and 58 points the game before that). They've already scored more points (702) than any team in Division I-A history. Even Tom Brady would envy QB Sam..."

• Dave Sittler of the Tulsa World: "Bradford, who normally speaks softly and carries a big right arm that does his talking for him, repeated that stance in the postgame press conference when he said that "there was a lot of talk this week about how we didn't deserve to be in this game. We didn't get a lot of credit for..."

• Berry Tramel of the Oklahoman: "The idea apparently floating around Florida -- and through much of America, I'd bet -- is that Big 12 football is void of any good defenses. Florida quarterback Tim Tebow himself said he was looking forward to playing against a Big 12 defense. The theory might be correct. Certainly OU's..."

Local and National Headlines for Sooner Football

Sunday, December 7

Oklahoma (12-1) finished the season ranked No. 1 in the BCS and will play BCS No. 2 Florida (12-1) in the National Championship Game in Dolphin Stadium on January 8, 2009.

Sooner vs. Gators in BCS National Championship Game

Quick note on Sam Bradford: "Bradford underwent successful surgery this morning in Oklahoma City to repair ligament damage in his left hand. The procedure lasted approximately 90 minutes. Bradford was discharged from the hospital at mid-morning and attended a team function Sunday evening.

"It was a clean, routine procedure and we expect Sam to bounce back quickly," said OU head coach Bob Stoops of the operation. "He'll be practicing again within 10 days and we've taken this week off anyway so he won't miss much."

Congratulations to the Sooners, Coach Stoops, OU's coaches and staff on the program's unprecedented third consecutive Big 12 Conference championship, sixth title in the past nine seasons and 42nd conference crown overall.

Blog |

Pics |

Video

Get your official Oklahoma 2008 Big 12 Champions gear online via the OU Athletics Department's online store here.

The Sooners became the first program to win three consecutive Big 12 Conference football titles. Fans will have the opportunity to get their pictures with the 2006, 2007 and 2008 trophies on Wednesday, Dec. 10, during the men's basketball game vs. Maine.

Trophy Wallpaper
Bring OU's latest Big 12 trophy home with free wallpaper from SoonerSports.com.

Friday, December 5

Sooner fans will migrate to Kansas City today as OU prepares to battle Missouri in the Big 12 Championship Game Saturday night at Arrowhead Stadium. Bundle up (it's going to be cold) and study up on everything you need to know for the trip. Boomer Sooner!

Sooner Big 12 Championship Central | Sooner Fan Guide

Vote Sam Bradford for the Heisman Trophy

2007 Big 12 | 2007 | 2006 | 2003 | 2002
Brush up on recent OU-Mizzou history by watching the past five matchups starting with the 2007 Big 12...

Junior tight end Jermaine Gresham (Ardmore, Okla.) talks about Oklahoma's title tradition, his "gravity hands" during the Oklahoma State game and his fellow All-Big 12 honorees in the latest installment of his video series at SoonerSports.com. Also check out the Mackey Award finalist's latest highlights from this season:

Jermaine Gresham Video Series | Gresham Season Highlights

Thursday, December 4

Football continues preparations for the Big 12 Championship Game Saturday night in Kansas City. We taped a segment with TE Jermaine Gresham last night and will post soon. Also watch for a look back at past OU-Mizzou games and OU's Big 12 history:

Sooner Big 12 Championship Central | Sooner Fan Guide

Vote Sam Bradford for the Heisman Trophy

Have you checked out the latest items up for auction from the OU Athletics Department? An OU-Nebraska full-size helmet signed by stars from the 1971 Game of the Century, an authentic OU helmet signed by Lombardi winner Tony Casillas plus several vintage OU helmets and a pair of football cleats.

OU-Nebraska Helmet | Tony Casillas Helmet | Vintage Items

Finally, if you're searching for the perfect OU gift for someone who dreams of playing for the Sooners, here's your solution: put their name on an actual OU locker and jersey in time for Christmas:

Personalized OU Locker & Jersey Photos | OU Photo Store

Wednesday, December 3

A few quick notes this afternoon on Sooner football from Kenny Mossman in the OU Athletics Media Relations office:

• Sam Bradford completed 10-of-13 third-down passes at Oklahoma State last Saturday. Those completions resulted in eight first downs and two touchdowns (two were both first downs and touchdowns). The average completion covered 17.3 yards. Bradford also was 1-of-1 on fourth down for a touchdown.

• Bradford, a sophomore, broke Jason White's OU record for career touchdown passes during last Saturday's game. Bradford has 82 to surpass White's 81. The current Sooner QB also has set school records for total offense in a season (4,138), touchdown passes in a season (46), passing yards in a season (4,080) and passing yards in a game (468 vs. Kansas).

• Oklahoma has scored 640 points. The modern-era record is 656 by Hawaii in 2006.

• Oklahoma is one of only two teams nationally (Georgia Tech is the other) with wins over four ranked opponents. The Sooners play another ranked foe this Saturday (No. 17 USA Today/No. 19 AP Missouri).

• Oklahoma won at No. 11 (AP) Oklahoma State last Saturday (61-41) and fell one spot in the AP poll. No other top 10 team has defeated a ranked opponent on the road this season and dropped in the AP poll.

Congratulations to Sam Bradford, Jon Cooper, Travis Lewis and Bob Stoops. All four won major honors when the Big 12 Conference coaches selected their award winners Tuesday. Check out all the Sooners on the 2008 All-Big 12 Teams:

Oklahoma Sooners Dominate 2008 All-Big 12 Honors

Vote Sam Bradford for the Heisman Trophy

Coach Stoops held his weekly press conference on Tuesday afternoon. View quotes and video here. OU's offensive players and coaches also met with the media Tuesday after practice:

Sam Bradford | Jeremy Beal | Juaquin Iglesias | Travis Lewis

Matt Clapp | Carter Whitson | Trent Williams | Coach Patton

• Dave Sittler of the Tulsa World: "The defense is definitely going into this game with a chip on its shoulder, because people don't think our defense is good enough to stop (Missouri)," said Lewis, who leads the Sooners with 64 tackles. "But we think we deserve to be there. And out of three (South) teams, we think we're the..."

• Berry Tramel of the Oklahoman: "The BCS handed the Sooners a ticket to the Big 12 championship game, which should lead to the national championship game, all at the expense of your hated arch-rival, and for the cherry on top, Barry Switzer's smile delivered the news to America. Hang your head because the..."

• From the Kansas City Star: "Daniel even invoked the vision of buddy and Texas quarterback Colt McCoy, with whom Daniel had a one-hour telephone conversation on Sunday after Oklahoma edged Texas in the BCS standings and claimed the South Division berth in the league title game. "He was crushed," Daniel said..."

Local and National Headlines for Sooner Football

Tuesday, December 2

Kenny Mossman of OU Athletics Media Relations just sent this out. Take a look at Sam Bradford's statistics this season compared to the past 10 Heisman Trophy winning quarterbacks:

Bradford & Last 10 Heisman Winning QBs
Player	Eff.	Comp	Att	Pct	Yds	TD	Int
Bradford (2008)	190.97	268	393	68.2	4,080	46	6
Tebow (2007)	172.46	234	350	66.9	3,286	32	6
Smith (2006)	161.91	203	311	65.3	2,542	30	6
Leinart (2004)	156.54	269	412	65.3	3,322	33	6
White (2003)	158.11	278	451	61.6	3,846	40	10
Palmer (2002)	149.08	309	489	63.2	3,942	33	10
Crouch (2001)	124.31	105	189	55.6	1,510	7	10
Weinke (2000)	163.09	266	431	61.7	4,167	33	11
Wuerffel (1996)	170.60	207	360	57.5	3,625	39	13
Ward (1993)	157.84	264	380	69.5	3,032	27	4
Toretta (1992)	132.80	228	402	56.7	3,060	19	7

Oklahoma held its weekly football press conference Tuesday afternoon at the stadium in advance of Saturday's Big 12 Championship Game in Kansas City. We've posted game notes, complete quotes from both teams and updated the OU depth chart.

Oklahoma: Stoops & Player Quotes & Video | Missouri Quotes

OU, Missouri & Big 12 Game Notes | OU Depth Chart

Coach Stoops and Oklahoma's defensive players and coaches met with the media Monday night after practice in the Big Red Room:

Venables | Nic Harris | DeMarcus Granger | Mike Balogun

Watch Coach Stoops live in his weekly press conference at 12:05 p.m. today. Stoops will also be live tonight at 7:05 in his weekly radio show Sooner Sports Talk with Coach Stoops. Find your Sooner Network radio affiliate or listen online via our webcast schedule.

Coach Stoops Weekly Press Conference, 12:05 (Free Video)

Place your vote online for Sam Bradford for the Heisman. The athlete with the most votes from fans will receive one official vote in the Heisman Trophy selection process (no registration required).

Vote Sam Bradford for the Heisman Trophy

Media Tuesday on Sam Bradford:
• Olin Buchanon of Rivals: "QB Sam Bradford, Oklahoma: The greatest factor in winning the Heisman is performance in big games. Against Texas, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State, Bradford combined for 1,061 passing yards and 13 touchdowns with only two interceptions. His 46 touchdown passes are the most this..."

• From ESPN: "With four TD passes Saturday, Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford extended his absurd all-time FBS lead in touchdown passes through a sophomore season. After setting an FBS freshman record with 36, he's raised the bar by throwing 46 in his second year -- seven more than Chad Pennington's..."

• From CBS: "After throwing for 370 yards and four more touchdowns against Oklahoma State, Sam Bradford is easily the favorite in the Heisman race. One more game this weekend should seal the deal. McCoy had another strong game, throwing for 311 yards on 23-of-28 passing, while also rushing for two TDs..."

• Mark Schlabach of ESPN: "Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford is probably the leading candidate to win the Heisman Trophy. Bradford has completed 68.2 percent of his passes for 4,080 yards with 46 touchdowns and only six interceptions. He has been sacked only nine times in 393 pass attempts. In his..."

Monday, December 1

A few notes this afternoon... OU sold the last of its 8,500 Big 12 Championship Game Tickets this morning at around 9:45 a.m. Also, 10 years ago today, Bob Stoops was named the head football coach at the University of Oklahoma. Since then, he has:

• Posted an overall record of 107-23.
• Posted a Big 12 record of 72-14.
• Posted a home record of 60-2.
• Posted a record against ranked opponents of 32-12.
• Coached Oklahoma to the 2000 national championship.
• Coached Oklahoma to three national title game appearances.
• Coached Oklahoma to seven BCS games.
• Coached Oklahoma to five Big 12 titles.

We just posted the latest column by OU Senior Associate Athletics Director for Communications Kenny Mossman. In it, Mossman provides his opinion on the tiebreaker in the Big 12 South and Oklahoma's position as it heads for the Big 12 Championship.

Mossman: Roads in the Big 12 South | Mossman Archive

Oklahoma (11-1) is headed to the Big 12 Championship Game Saturday night in Kansas City to play the Missouri Tigers (9-3). The Sooners edged Texas in the BCS after defeating rival Oklahoma State, 61-41, in Stillwater to forge a three-way tie in the Big 12 South standings. OU is aiming for its third consecutive crown.

Coach Stoops on BCS, Big 12 Championship | Watch Stoops

Current BCS Standings + AP, Coaches & Harris Polls

Saturday will mark OU's seventh appearance in the conference title game in nine seasons. The Sooners are 5-1 in the game, winning the conference trophy in 2007, 2006, 2004, 2002 and 2000.

Sooner Big 12 Championship Central | Tickets | Travel Packages

Recap: OU 61, OSU 41 | Blog | Stats | Notes | Quotes

• Gil Lebreton of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram: "The Oklahoma Sooners argued their case eloquently. They said nothing. No rented planes circling over Austin. No phone-ins from Bob Stoops in the middle of Mack Brown's Thanksgiving dinner. Just football. Just a 61-41 victory in hostile environs over a No. 11-ranked..."

• Berry Tramel of the Oklahoman: "Joe C., like Stoops, was quick to say they mean no criticism of Texas. But their high road can be taken no other way. "Our program is grounded in really strong core values," Castiglione said. "If those values are good most of the time, they should be good all of the time. "Taking..."

• From the Los Angeles Times: "Minutes after Sunday's release of the BCS standings, an e-mail hit my in-box that read, "I hope you remind readers that Texas, now crying foul, didn't seem to have a problem with the BCS when it jobbed Cal in the same fashion a few years ago. This Thanksgiving, Mack Brown is getting a..."

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