Oklahoma Sooners

Jake Trotter talks with Oklahoma center Gabe Ikard about the impact of injuries on the Sooners' offensive line.

The Big 12 got two swipes (should have been a third in 2011) at the SEC during the league's run of six national titles, but failed on both occasions.

Colt McCoy's shoulder suffered a freak injury on a usually harmless hit, and when McCoy trotted to the sideline, the Longhorns' chances of beating Alabama came off the field with him.

A season earlier, Florida twice stuffed Oklahoma on the goal line, giving Tim Tebow his second national title and denying the Sooners the school's eighth.

So, who among the Big 12's contenders this season is best suited to end the SEC's tyranny?

The Sooners are simply the best team, even though Oklahoma is loaded with flaws. Question marks on the offensive and defensive lines as well as at linebacker could prove problematic in a showdown with one of the SEC titans, but the Sooners would love for the play of four-year starting quarterback Landry Jones to answer it. He's got the skills to decipher complex SEC defensive schemes and the pocket presence to elude the rush. His arm strength assures that SEC secondaries will have to cover the whole field.

The Sooners would have to get past Texas in the Red River Rivalry to make that happen. (Never mind 2008. Just humor me here.) If the Longhorns can survive a brutal Big 12 schedule with six 10-win teams on the docket, they're probably the best Big 12 team suited to beat one of the SEC's best teams in a national title game.

The problem is producing enough offense to beat Big 12 teams. In an SEC matchup, though, it's all about the line of scrimmage. Texas' defensive line may challenge LSU as the nation's best, and the Longhorns have a crazy duo at defensive end in Alex Okafor and Jackson Jeffcoat, two of the nation's best at the position.

Texas' depth at defensive line is huge, too, but it likely has the Big 12's best offensive line. The loaded backfield of Joe Bergeron, Malcolm Brown and Johnathan Gray is a good sign, too. Mack Brown brought in assistants with SEC ties like Manny Diaz (defensive coordinator), Bo Davis (defensive tackles) and Stacy Searels (offensive line) to offer his team a little SEC flavor. You want power football, Nick Saban and Les Miles? Texas would love to play some power football.

What about a Big 12 newcomer who's never won the league and never played for a national title in the BCS era?

West Virginia is all about speed. There are plenty of questions on the defensive line, but the Mountaineers will test the mettle of any SEC defense that's feasted on weak offense all season. Geno Smith's got a big arm and the Big 12's two best receivers in Stedman Bailey and Tavon Austin.

West Virginia has to play its best, but if Dana Holgorsen's team can hang 70 on Clemson like it did at the Orange Bowl, the Mountaineers' biggest stage last season, you've got to like its chances to at least put 30 or 40 on the board against an SEC team. Do that, and WVU will have a shot. Just have to survive the first year in the Big 12 and win a league title first.

There's no USC in the Big 12, a team built for a title run in 2012. The Big 12 does have plenty of contenders, though, and if any of these three teams gets a shot, they won't take it lightly.

NORMAN, Okla. -- It’s clear Mike Stoops wants to get more speed on the field during his first season back in Norman as Oklahoma’s defensive coordinator.

Cornerbacks have become safeties, safeties have become linebackers and linebackers have become defensive ends. Two of the latter are P.L. Lindley and Rashod Favors, two former linebackers who are battling to earn playing time at defensive end.

“P.L. Lindley and Rashod Favors are really starting to come on. They’re strong guys who can run pretty good,” defensive ends coach Bobby Jack Wright said. “They’re giving us some pretty good depth at that position. Size-wise they aren’t your prototypical defensive ends. You wouldn’t recruit those guys as defensive ends but they’re athletic enough they are going to be able to help us.”

Lindley (6-foot-2, 240 pounds) is a redshirt freshman and Favors (6-1, 250) is a redshirt sophomore.

“They're average as linebackers but you move them to defensive end and they’re pretty fast for defensive ends,” Wright said. “And they’re big enough they can hold their own in there. They’re big enough and strong enough. Rashod is one of the strongest guys on the football team. He’s like second in the bench press, so he’s strong guy who can run.”

With David King, R.J. Washington, Chaz Nelson and freshmen Mike Onuoha and Charles Tapper, the Sooners have six defensive ends battling to earn playing time this fall. For Lindley and Favors, getting familiar with the demands of a new position could be the difference between playing or learning from the sidelines.

“The problem you face is taking two guys who played a different position,” Wright said. “There’s a learning curve. They’re working hard and they’re going to give us some quality depth.”

With the duo contributing to additional depth at defensive end, OU could have the option to bring back their four-defensive end package, a staple of the Sooners' defense on passing downs in 2011.

NORMAN, Okla. -- The Sooners have finally received some good news in regard to the interior of the offensive line. Bob Stoops confirmed that redshirt freshman guard/center Nila Kasitati has been practicing for the last few days, just a couple of weeks after undergoing a procedure to correct a non-life-threatening heart condition.

“He has been practicing all this week so far and doing everything, looks good,” Stoops said. “He looks as good as ever.”

Because of injuries to Ben Habern and Tyler Evans, Kasitati figures to be OU’s top reserve on the interior of the offensive line this season.

NORMAN, Okla. -- Asked if he should be referred to as a running back or a receiver, Roy Finch said, “Well, I guess both.”

Finch, a running back by trade, has spent most of two-a-days learning slot receiver.

"I'm just trying to work wherever the coaches want me to work,” he said. "I'm just trying to get on the field and make plays for my team."

Finch admitted it has been a struggle at times learning how to read coverages as a receiver. But Finch could be a nice fit in the slot. He has above-average hands for a running back, underscored by his 34 catches last season.

"It's gonna help a lot just knowing that I have confidence in my hands,” he said. "I've been really working hard on that."

Finch believes he’ll still get snaps at running back during the season. He has been OU’s second-leading rusher each of the last two seasons. But with Dominique Whaley healthy again, Brennan Clay and the addition of Damien Williams, the Sooners have plenty of other options in the backfield. Playing slot, Finch said, is an opportunity to get more touches.

"We're a really, really talented group, I feel like, at the running back position,” Finch said. “I feel like everybody brings their kind of style to the game. Big bruisers, we have speed guys, we have guys that can catch, we have guys that can pass protect. I feel like it's going to be a pretty good year for the backs this year."

ESPN.com's SoonerNation is running excerpts from Jake Trotter's “I Love Oklahoma/I Hate Texas,” the first book to detail the Red River Rivalry from the Oklahoma viewpoint, examining the games, moments and heroes Sooners fans love to remember. And those they hate to remember, too. Read the first excerpt from Trotter's book here.

“I Love Oklahoma/I Hate Texas” is on sale now in Oklahoma bookstores and online at Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com. View the book's Facebook page for more information.

From the chapter, "Red River Heroes We Love," read the excerpt after the jump:

(Read full post)

Our official list of the Big 12's top 25 players entering the 2012 season marches on. Here's more on my criteria for who makes it, who doesn't and who lands where.

The official list is locked away in a vault in an undisclosed location, but we'll be revealing one player a day leading up to the season.

Next up on the list:

No. 13: Tony Jefferson, S, Oklahoma

2011 numbers: Made 74 tackles (52 solo) and had 7.5 tackles for loss. Picked off four passes and made 4.5 sacks. Also forced a fumble and broke up three passes.

Most recent ranking: Jefferson was unranked in our postseason list of the Big 12's top 25 players.

Making the case for Jefferson: No. 13 on this list feels low for Jefferson when it comes to total talent, but for Jefferson the production has to be there too. I expect that to be the case this year, and for Jefferson to make his case as a top 10 player, if not a contender for Defensive Player of the Year.

Why? He's moving back to his more natural position under new coordinator Mike Stoops. Jefferson will be patrolling the free safety spot instead of spending so much time at the nickel back spot. Teammates know that's where Jefferson's strength lies, and we'll see it on display this year. The Sooners have a solid replacement for him at nickel back in Joseph Ibiloye, and the Sooners move arguably their most talented defender to the spot where help is needed most.

The back of the defense was exposed far too often last season, and on big stages. Jefferson's move should plug that up, and give him more freedom to roam where he's far more comfortable. Jefferson shared the Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year Award in 2010, but was relatively quiet last season. Three of his four interceptions came on consecutive possessions against Ball State.

This year, I hope you're not expecting the 5-foot-11, 212-pound California native to stay quiet for long.

The rest of the list:

• No. 25: Justin Gilbert, CB/KR, Oklahoma State
• No. 24: Ben Habern, C, Oklahoma
• No. 23: Terrance Williams, WR, Baylor
• No. 22: Josh Boyce, WR, TCU
• No. 21: Cyril Richardson, OL, Baylor
• No. 20: Trey Millard, FB/TE, Oklahoma
• No. 19: Quandre Diggs, CB/KR, Texas
• No. 18: Kenny Stills, WR, Oklahoma
• No. 17: Brodrick Brown, CB, Oklahoma State
• No. 16: Stansly Maponga, DE, TCU
• No. 15: Gabe Ikard, OL, Oklahoma
• No. 14: Alex Okafor, DE, Texas

Running back Daniel Brooks, who committed to the Sooners in March 2011 then suffered a knee injury his senior year of high school, is finally running again and hopes to regain his health as he redshirts this season.

“He wasn’t able to practice but we still brought him in with the 105 group (this summer), so that he could rehabilitate,” Bob Stoops said Tuesday. “He’s been diligent out there with the trainers and he’s been running the past week-and-a-half. He’s been very diligent just going through the rehab phase. And he’s doing well with it.”

Stoops added that the Sooners never wavered in honoring Brooks’ scholarship, even though it was apparent he had a long recovery back from severed ligaments in his knee.

“It is the right thing to do,” Stoops said. “He made a commitment to us and we were committed to him. Now, it’s a different story had you offered a guy and he never committed to you. You’re not obligated there. But if we tell a guy that, then we’re going to stay with it. Most all the coaches I know would do that. I’d be pretty surprised if anyone didn’t do that.”