Game Day - Sept. 1

The Norman Transcript n Sept. 1, 2012

OKLAHOMA at UTEP 9:30 p.m. n Sun Bowl n Fox Sports Net n KOKC-AM 1520

Landry Jones’ last ride will begin in El Paso

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THE NORMAN TRANSCRIPT

GAMEDAY

3

THE VIEW

Big game, really In new, tougher league, Sooners have no time to waste

O

klahoma plays Kansas State in three weeks. Between midnight tonight and that day, Sept. 22, it will have played only one game, a week from today against Florida A&M. Yes, the Sooners meet the Wildcats in Norman.

Yes, OU topped K-State 5817 last season in Manhattan in one of its most complete games.

But it wasn’t so simple.

The Wildcats led 17-14 in the first half, seemingly all on the cunning coaching of Bill Snyder and the opportunistic personality that creates for his teams.

K-State is ranked No. 21 by the coaches and No. 22 by the writers. Just watch, the Wildcats will finish higher.

If not alarming to Sooner fans, it is a reminder of the immediacy of the new Big 12. West Virginia and TCU are new to the conference,

Clay Horning Sports Editor

which is in only its second year of a 10-team round robin schedule.

Important games come fast, and OU has only one chance to prepare for the rest of its season against a real football program: today at the Sun Bowl.

It’s a real program led by a real coach, Mike Price, that despite going 5-7 last season, still has real aspirations of winning more games than it loses and earning a bowl berth out of Conference USA. Florida A&M doesn’t count. The Rattlers won seven games last season.

Also, they lost to Bethune • See HORNING Page 14

Oklahoma at UTEP Time: 9:30 p.m.

Place: Sun Bowl Series: OU leads 2-0 Records: OU 0-0, UTEP 0-0 Rankings: OU No. 4 USA Today coaches poll; No. 4 Associated Press Top 25.

UTEP unranked.

1 Line: OU minus 30 ⁄2 TV: Fox Sports Net Radio: KOKC-AM 1400

Inside n n n n n n n n n

Jones Reloads Breakdown Rosters Two-deeps Poster Stats National Schedule Big 12 Glance Predictions

4 5 6 7 8 10 12 13 14 Photos by Jerry Laizure / The Transcript

Above: Bob Stoops celebrates OU’s victory at Florida State last season.

On the cover: Landry Jones stands in the pocket, looking for a target. For more on the Sooner quarterback, see Page 4.

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GAMEDAY

THE NORMAN TRANSCRIPT

THE BIG STORY: JONES RELOA DS

Landry’s last chance Sooner quarterback’s long road offers one more golden opportunity

By John Shinn Transcript Sports Writer

Landry Jones has changed since his last visit to El Paso, Texas. He’s no longer the shy redshirt freshman who quarterbacked Oklahoma to a 31-27 victory over Stanford in the 2009 Sun Bowl. A bigger, stronger, wiser and much more confident quarterback will lead the Sooners against UTEP at 9:30 tonight.

For Jones, the 21⁄2 years in between are a blur. The two seasons and 27 games since were all building blocks to

get him to the present.

He’s no longer the guy who was forced into being Oklahoma’s quarterback.

He’s the Sooners’ leader in every sense and he carries himself in that manner.

“He’s very confident. You can tell how much he’s worked,” center Gabe Ikard said. “Footwork, throwing the ball, everything’s better.

Decision-making, vocal leadership, he’s doing really well in this offense and it’s one of those things where it’s comforting blocking for a guy that can spin it like • See QB Page 10

“He’s very confident.

You can tell how much he’s worked. Footwork, throwing the ball, everything’s better.

Decision-making, vocal leadership, he’s doing really well in this offense and it’s one of those things where it’s comforting blocking for a guy that can spin it like that behind you.

Gabe Ikard, Sooner center

Jerry Laizure / The Transcript

Landry Jones prepares to throw the ball on the run last season. That’s a skill many have said he’s improved upon since last season.

THE NORMAN TRANSCRIPT

GAMEDAY

5

OKL A HOMA AT UTEP: BRE A K ING DOWN TONIGHT’S G AME

Start with Dom, don’t forget Trey T

he 2012 season gets underway tonight at UTEP. No. 4 Oklahoma will have a lot of proven talent on Five the field, things to but several watch things John Shinn must be validated if it is to make a serious run toward a national championship. Here’s what to watch:

1. Dominique Whaley: Coaches and teammates have been unanimous in their belief that Whaley is fully recovered from the horrific ankle injury he suffered last season.

Tonight is the chance to

Dom Whaley is carted off the field at Kansas State last season after suffering a broken ankle.

Whaley is once again atop the depth chart running back.

Jerry Laizure / The Transcript

validate those claims. If Whaley still is the rugged running back who gave the offense an element of toughness the first half of last season, the Sooners become much harder to

defend. OU doesn’t need Whaley to carry the ball 25 times tonight, he just needs to show he can still move piles like he did last • See WATCH Page 11

RUNNING GAME

PA S S I N G G A M E

RUN DEFENSE

n OU gets Dominique Whaley back tonight, but the real difference maker should be Damien Williams. The Sooners haven’t had two ground-and-pound running backs at their disposal since Adrian Peterson and Allen Patrick in 2006. OU will use both to hammer away.

UTEP will break in new running backs tonight. The experience is big for OU.

n UTEP quarterback Nick Lamaison caused a stir when he said he wanted to out-play OU quarterback Landry Jones. Lamaison is on to something. It’s the only way UTEP can win. It won’t happen. Even with a revamped group of receivers, Jones’ experience gives OU a huge edge through the air.

n The lingering question here is whether OU defensive tackle Casey Walker plays tonight. It will make a difference if he doesn’t. But it’s not a big enough one to prevent the Sooners from holding the advantage, but it could be enough to make things interesting.

UTEP couldn’t stop the run last season and likely will struggle tonight.

PA S S D E F E N S E

SPECIAL TEAMS

I N TA N G I B L E S

n Here’s where the impact of defensive coordinator Mike Stoops will be immediatley measured. The Sooners struggled against pass-first teams last season and cornerback Demontre Hurst is the only starter playing in the same spot.

Tough to give OU the edge, but the Miners haven’t shown they can blanket any team of note.

n Kicking off from the 35yard line in El Paso’s mountain air should eliminate the return game. Place kicker Michael Hunnicutt and punter Tress Way give the Sooners the kind of kicking edge it hasn’t had in years.

Tonight will be a good barometer of how the new kickoff point affects the return game.

n The Sooners are just 7-7 in true road games since 2009. Starting the season at UTEP isn’t exactly ideal. That should give the Miners some hope. It shouldn’t be enough to sway the outcome. A slow Sooner start, however, could make things very interesting.

6

GAMEDAY

THE NORMAN TRANSCRIPT

OKLAHOMA ROSTER 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 8 9 9 10 10 11 11 12 13 14 14 15 15 16 17 18 18 19 20 21 21 22 22 23 23 24 24 25 25 26 26 27 28 29 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 36 37 38

Tony Jefferson Julian Wilson Sterling Shepard Kenny Stills Joseph Ibiloye Demontre Hurst Corey Nelson Dominique Whaley Joe Powell Gabe Lynn Trevor Knight Rashod Favors Blake Bell R.J. Washington Kendal Thompson Landry Jones Durron Neal Jalen Saunders Aaron Colvin Drew Allen Lamar Harris Jaz Reynolds Trey Metoyer Michael Hunnicutt Lacolton Bester Justin Brown Frank Shannon Tom Wort Austin Brown Roy Finch Cortez Johnson Kass Everett Danzel Williams Brennan Clay Trey Franks Aaron Franklin David Smith Zack Sanchez Damien Williams Gary Simon Alex Ross Grant Bothun Quentin Hayes Javon Harris Daniel Franklin Marshall Musil Trey Millard Daniel Brooks Julian Winters Joel Ossom Tress Way Dylan Seibert Brandon Young

DB DB WR WR LB DB LB RB DB DB QB DE QB DE QB QB WR WR DB QB DB WR WR K WR WR LB LB WR RB DB DB RB RB DB LB RB DB RB DB RB WR DB DB LB FB FB RB RB FB P P DB

5-11 212 6-2 191 5-10 188 6-1 190 6-3 218 5-10 183 6-1 219 5-11 204 6-0 173 6-0 199 6-1 197 6-1 250 6-6 254 6-3 256 6-1 184 6-4 218 5-11 201 5-9 160 6-0 181 6-5 226 6-1 186 6-2 198 6-1 190 6-0 173 6-3 205 6-3 209 6-1 230 6-0 237 6-5 202 5-7 175 6-2 191 5-10 180 5-8 189 5-11 201 5-10 184 6-1 212 5-10 193 5-11 170 6-0 208 6-1 180 6-1 204 5-11 183 6-0 181 5-11 206 6-2 224 6-2 241 6-2 256 5-8 163 5-11 169 5-9 235 6-1 215 6-3 215 5-10 173

Jr. Chula Vista, Calif.

So. Moore Fr. Oklahoma City Jr. Encinitas, Calif.

Sr. Garland, Texas Sr. Lancaster, Texas Jr. Dallas, Texas Sr. Lawton Jr. Dallas Jr. Tulsa Fr. San Antonio So. Fort Worth So. Wichita,Kan. Sr. Fort Worth R-Fr. Oklahoma City Sr. Artesia, N.M. Fr. St. Louis, Mo. Jr. Elk Grove, Calif.

Jr. Owasso Jr. San Antonio Sr. Gilmer, Texas Jr. Houston, Texas Fr. Whitehouse, Texas So. Richardson, Texas Jr. Scooba, Miss.

Sr. Wilmington, Del. R-Fr. Dallas Jr. New Braunfels, TX R-Fr. Buffalo, Wyo. Jr. Niceville, Fla. So. NewOrleans, La. Jr. Philadelphia, Pa. R-Fr. Arlington, Texas Jr. San Diego Jr. Orange, Texas So. Marshall, Texas Fr. Midlothian, Ill. Fr. Keller, Texas Jr. San Diego Fr. St. Petersburg, Fla. Fr. Jenks Fr. Rowlett, Texas So. Lancaster, Texas Sr. Lawton Sr. Mount Airy, Ga. Jr. La Crosse, Kan. Jr. Columbia, Mo. Fr. Port Lavaca, Texas So. Sacramento, Calif.

Sr. Denton, Texas Sr. Tulsa R-Fr. Tulsa So. Frisco, Texas

UTEP ROSTER 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 47 48 49 50 52 53 54 56 59 64 67 68 69 71 72 74 75 77 78 79 80 80 81 82 84 84 85 86 87 88 89 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99

Jack Steed K Nick Hodgson K P.L. Lindley LB Eric Striker LB Jesse Paulsen DB Patrick O’Hara K Jaydan Bird LB Caleb Gastelum LB Eric Doughtie DB Alex Christiensen FB Eric Hosek K Aaron Ripkowski FB David Driskill FB Austin Woods OL John-Philip Hughes OL Casey Walker DT Nila Kasitati OL Ty Darlington OL Nathan Hughes OL Gabe Ikard OL Robert Hollis OL Bronson Irwin OL Lane Johnson OL Tyrus Thompson OL Derek Farniok OL Adam Shead OL Tyler Evans OL Marquis Anderson DT Kyle Marrs OL Daryl Williams OL Jordan Phillips DT Derrick Woods WR Sam Grant TE Brannon Green TE Mike Onuoha DE Don Caudill WR Geneo Grissom TE Brandon Kitchens WR Derrick Bradley WR Taylor McNamara TE Connor Knight TE Chase Buck TE David King DE Charles Tapper DE Stacy McGee DT Jordan Wade DT Torrea Peterson DT Damon Williams DT Mitch Tate DE Jamarkus McFarland DT Chuka Ndulue DE Chaz Nelson DE

6-5 200 6-2 189 6-2 240 6-0 198 6-0 193 6-0 192 6-2 236 6-1 196 6-0 197 6-3 243 5-10 150 6-1 260 6-1 239 6-4 293 6-4 250 6-2 309 6-4 309 6-3 266 6-6 248 6-3 288 6-4 333 6-5 307 6-7 303 6-5 303 6-9 319 6-4 307 6-5 315 6-3 265 6-5 320 6-6 299 6-6 318 6-1 185 6-7 234 6-2 250 6-5 235 6-1 194 6-4 247 5-11 161 5-8 173 6-5 234 6-4 212 6-3 231 6-5 286 6-4 265 6-4 299 6-4 290 6-3 277 6-3 305 6-4 238 6-2 288 6-3 256 6-2 239

Fr. Katy, Texas So. N. Richland Hills, TX R-Fr. R. Rock, Texas Fr. Seffner, Fla. Sr. Albuquerque, N.M. Sr. Topeka, Kan. Sr. Wichita, Kan. So. Claremore Fr. Sugarland, Texas Fr. Edmond R-Fr. Sherman, Texas So. Dayton, Ohio So. Oklahoma City Jr. Rockwall, Texas R-Fr. Tulsa Sr. Garland, Texas R-Fr. Euless, Texas Fr. Apopka, Fla. R-Fr. Spring, Texas Jr. Oklahoma City R-Fr. Tulsa Jr. Mustang Sr. Groveton, Texas So. Pflugerville, Texas R-Fr. Sioux Falls, S.D. So. Cedar Hill, Texas Sr. Strafford, Mo. R-Fr. Cibolo, Texas Fr. San Antonio, Texas So. Lake Dallas, Texas R-Fr. Towanda, Kan. Fr. Inglewood, Calif.

Fr. North Royalton, Ohio Jr. Altamont, Kan. Fr. Edmond Jr. Muldrow So. Hutchinson, Kan. Fr. Jenks Sr. Houston, Texas Fr. San Diego, Calif.

Fr. San Antonio, Jr. Edmond Sr. Houston Fr. Baltimore Sr. Muskogee Fr. Round Rock, Texas So. San Antonio So. Irving, Texas R-Fr. Bartlesville Sr. Lufkin, Texas So. Dallas Jr. Columbus, Ohio

1 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 7 7 8 8 9 10 10 11 11 12 13 13 14 14 15 16 17 18 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 28 29 30 30 31 32 33 34 35 37 38 39 40 41 42

Adrian James 5-11 DeShawn Grayson 6-0 Jim Jones 6-0 Traun Roberson 6-0 Jamie Irving 6-0 Xay Williams 5-11 Justin Holliday 5-9 Darren Woodard 5-11 Michael Edwards 5-11 Ian Campbell 5-11 Nick Lamaison 6-1 Marcus Bagley 6-1 Dakota Warren 5-10 Jordan Leslie 6-2 Blaire Sullivan 6-3 Drew Thomas 5-10 A.J. Ropati 6-0 Malcolm Trail 6-1 Paul Franklin 6-2 Carson Meger 5-11 Wesley Miller 5-9 C.J. Haley 5-10 Ian Hamilton 6-5 Devin Patterson 6-0 Terrance Williams 5-11 Garrett Simpson 6-6 James Davidson 6-3 Katrae Ford 6-4 Corey Callicutt 6-3 Josh Bell 5-11 Derrick Morgan 6-1 Shane Huhn 5-11 Terr'l Mark 5-11 Richard Spencer 6-2 Nathan Jeffery 5-11 Da'Carlos Renfro 5-10 Dashone Smith 6-0 Demarcus Kizzie 5-9 Felix Neboh 5-8 Autrey Golden 6-0 Chester Egbim 5-11 Gage Sharp 5-11 Robert Spencer 6-0 LaQuintus Dowell 5-9 Horace Miller 6-1 Anthony Puente 5-11 Trey Brown 5-11 Steven Valadez 5-10 Nathaniel Rodriguez6-0 Isaiah Wimberly 5-11 Cooper Brock 6-3 David Logston 6-2 Leon Hayes 5-9

190 205 170 180 225 195 170 170 190 170 210 320 185 210 210 180 230 190 200 200 185 170 220 200 185 240 240 240 200 210 215 200 165 200 205 185 200 180 160 190 190 205 180 195 240 215 225 195 185 185 240 225 190

DB DB WR DB LB RB WR DB WR P QB DL K WR QB DB LB WR RB QB DB DB WR WR DB QB DL TE WR RB DB DB DB DB RB DB DB WR WR RB LB DB DB RB DL LB LB K/P DB RB DL LB DB

Jr. Dallas Sr. Riverside, Calif.

So. Redlands, Calif.

So. DeSoto, Texas Sr. Perris, Calif.

Fr. Carrolton, Texas Fr. El Paso Sr. Freeport, Texas Sr. Glendora, Calif.

Sr. Duarte, Calif.

Sr. West Covina, Calif.

Jr. Mesquite, Texas Sr. Austin, Texas So. Houston Fr. San Antonio Sr. Chicago Jr. Carson, Calif.

So. Dallas Fr. Denison, Texas Jr. Plano, Texas So. Fresno, Calif.

Jr. Dallas So. Pasadena, Calif.

So. Mesquite, Texas Fr. Dunbar, Md. Fr. The Colony, Texas Jr. Huntsville, Texas So. Houston Fr. Dallas So. Sugar Land, Texas Sr. Germantown, Md. Fr. Cibolo, Texas Sr. Lufkin, Texas Sr. Moreno Valley, Calif.

So. Caddo Mills, Texas Fr. Orange, Texas Fr. Spring, Texas Fr. Willis, Texas Fr. Odessa, Texas Fr. Willis, Texas Fr. Rowlett, Texas Fr. The Colony, Texas Fr. Tyler, Texas Fr. Humble, Texas Jr. Baltimore So. San Antonio Fr. Brownwood, Texas So. Arlington, Texas Fr. El Paso Fr. Baytown, Texas So. Cop. Cove, Texas Jr. Tempe, Arizona Fr. Las Vegas

43 44 45 48 49 50 51 53 54 55 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 92 93 95 97

Roy Robertson 6-6 Greg Watkins 6-5 Jacob Martinez 5-7 Aubrey Alexius 5-11 Daniel Carrillo 6-0 Micheal Kelley 6-1 Darnell Murray 6-0 DeAndre Little 6-1 Silas Firstley 6-1 Hunter Nix 6-0 James Robinson 6-5 Josh Fely 5-11 Cooper Foster 6-1 Brander Craighead 6-6 Paulo Melendez 6-2 Eric Lee 6-1 Germard Reed 6-1 Kyle Brown 6-2 Eloy Atkinson 6-3 Nick Dooley 6-7 Mike Amdall 6-4 Wayne Frazier 6-4 Christian Harper 6-4 James Nelson 6-7 Jerel Watkins 6-3 Jerome Daniels 6-3 Trint Jenkins 6-9 Blake Bullard 6-3 John De La Rosa 6-6 James Martin 6-6 Ruben Munoz 6-0 Paul Santillan 6-4 David Grubaugh 6-4 Corin Brooks 6-4 Jacob Garcia 5-10 Craig Wenrick 6-5 Kevin Perry 6-5 Jaquan White 5-10 Cole Freytag 6-2 Peter Carreon 5-10 Ishmael Harrison 5-11 Eric Tomlinson 6-6 Jarrad Shaw 5-9 Jermaine Hicks 6-1 Adam Ayala 6-5 Justin Cordova 6-2 Devante Richardson6-3 Brian Madunezim 6-3

245 235 200 225 200 215 220 230 255 230 330 220 200 280 315 275 275 280 315 300 310 315 265 355 280 300 300 275 295 280 275 300 305 315 175 265 260 180 190 185 185 255 175 265 280 285 280 240

DL DL RB LB LB DL LB LB DL LB OL LB LB OL OL OL DL OL OL LS OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL DL OL OL OL WR TE TE WR WR WR WR TE WR DL DL DL DL DL

Fr. Grand Prairie, Texas Sr. Katy, Texas Fr. El Paso Sr. Cypress, Texas Fr. El Paso Fr. Los Angeles Fr. Perris, Calif.

So. Ft. Huachuca, Ariz.

Fr. Mesquite, Texas So. Prosper, Texas Sr. Richmond, Calif.

Sr. Oceanside, Calif.

Fr. Cedar Park, Texas Jr. Ottawa, Ontario So. El Paso So. Riverside, Calif.

Jr. Lufkin, Texa So. Conroe, Texas Sr. Los Fresnos, Texas Fr. Scottsdale, Ariz.

So. Plano, Texas Jr. Refugio, Texas Fr. Galena Park, Texas Sr. Ventura, Calf.

So. Channelview, Texas Fr. Little Elm, Texa Fr. Tulsa Jr. Killeen, Texas Fr. Bay City, Texas Sr. Chino Hills, Calif.

Sr. El Paso Sr. Crosby, Texas Jr. Westlake Village, Calif.

So. Riverside, Calif.

Fr. El Paso So. Flower Mound, Texas Jr. Opelousas, La. Fr. Dallas Fr. El Paso Fr. El Paso Fr. Red Oak, Texas So. Klein, Texas Jr. Los Angeles So. El Paso Jr. Huntsville, Texas Sr. McKinney, Texas Fr. Fort Worth Fr. Houston

69, Lane Johnson 71, Tyrus Thompson

FB:

TB: 8, Dominique Whaley 24, Brennan Clay 26, Damien Williams 33, Trey Millard 48, Aaron Ripkowski 58, Brander Craighead 75, James Martin

TB: 25, Nathan Jeffery 20, Josh Bell

DT: 53, Casey Walker 97, Jamarcus McFarland CB: 6, Demontre Hurst 15, Lamar Harris

DE: 98, Chuka Ndulue 84, Mike Onuoha

LB:

7, Corey Nelson 25 Aaron Franklin

21, Tom Wort 20, frank Shannon

LB:

SS:

WR: 6, Michael Edwards 86, Ishmael Harrison

82, Kevin Perry 87, Eric Tomlinson

RT: 68, James Nelson 65, Mike Amdal

RG: 62, Kyle Brown 79, Corin Brooks

DT: 90, David King 80, Jordan Phillips

QB: 7, Nick Lamaison 13, Carson Meger

C: 63, Eloy Atkinson 59, Paulo Malindez

9, Gabe Lynn 2, Julian Wilson

1, Tony Jefferson 42, Jesse Paulsen

TE:

LT: LB:

WHEN OKLAHOMA HAS THE BALL

LG: 69, Jerel Watkins 66, Wayne Frazier

DE: 11, R.J. Washington 10, Rashod Favors

FS:

WR: 9, Jordan Leslie 15, Devin Patterson

CB: 14, Aaron Colvin 27, Gary Simon

CB: 5, Derren Woodard 1, Adrian James

2, DeShawn Grayson 13, Wesley Miller

WR: 11, Malcolm Trail 28, Felix Neboh

WR: 19, Justin Brown 13, Durron Neal

DT: 61, Germard Reed 92, Adam Ayala DE: 44, Greg Watkins 43, Roy Robertson

SS:

85, Geneo Grissom 88, Tyler McNamara

48, Aubrey Alexius 34, Anthony Puente

4, Jamie Irving 11, A.J. Ropati

LB:

LB:

56, Josh Fely 53, DeAndre Little

LB:

24, Richard Spencer 21, Derrick Morgan

TE:

RT: 79, Darryl Williams 72, Derek Farniok

RG: 68, Bronson Irwin 50, Austin Woods

DT: 99, Marcus Bagley 76, Ruben Munoz

QB: 12, Landry Jones 10, Blake Bell

C: 64, Gabe Ikard 56, Ty Darlington

LT:

LG: 74, Adam Shead 54, Nila Kasitati

DE: 33, Horace Miller 18, James Davidson

CB: 10, Drew Thomas 3, Traun Roberson

FS:

SR: 4, Kenny Stills 3, Sterling Shephard

WR: 17, Trey Metoyer 18, LaColten Bester

THE NORMAN TRANSCRIPT GAMEDAY 7

WHEN UTEP HAS THE BALL 30, Javon Harris 9, Gabe Lynn

KENNY STILLS 4

WR ■ 6’4 ■ 190 Encinitas, Calif.

Career to date: 25 starts, 122 catches, 1,635 yards, 13 TDs ■

Photo by Jerry Laizure

10

GAMEDAY

THE NORMAN TRANSCRIPT

TEAM Total Opp.

SCHEDULE Sept. 1 at UTEP Sept. 8 Florida A&M Sept. 22 Kansas St. Oct. 6 at Texas Tech Oct. 13 Texas Oct. 20 Kansas Oct. 27 Notre Dame Nov. 3 at Iowa State Nov. 10 Baylor Nov. 17 at W. Virginia Nov. 24 OSU Dec. 1 at TCU

9:30 p.m.

6 p.m.

TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA

STATS Whaley Finch Clay Williams Bell Millard Franks Miller Broyles Stills Jones

Att 113 111 75 46 44 24 7 7 1 1 32

2011 Rushing Yds A/C TD Lg Y/G 627 5.5 9 64 89.6 605 5.5 3 55 46.5 274 3.7 1 12 24.9 219 4.8 0 17 27.4 171 3.9 13 28 24.4 169 7.0 2 61 13.0 100 14.3 0 45 9.1 20 2.9 0 8 20.0 3 3.0 0 3 0.3 1 1.0 0 1 0.1 -24 -0.8 2 11 -1.8

8 -47 -5.9 0 0 -6.7 469 2118 4.5 30 64 162.9 476 1751 3.7 15 56 134.7

Passing Eff C-A-I Pct Yds. TD Jones 141.56355-562-15 63.2 4463 29 Allen 93.52 9-16-0 56.2 71 0 Bell -8.20 1-4-1 25.0 8 0 TEAM 0.00 0-1-0 0.0 0 0 Total 138.98365-583-16 62.6 4542 29 Opp. 116.05257-474-15 54.2 3139 18 No. Broyles 83 Stills 61 Reynolds 41 Finch 34 Hanna 27 Miller 22 Franks 22 Clay 18 Whaley 15 Millard 13 Jackson 12 Ratterree 10 Haywood 6 Miller 1 Total.

365 Opp. 257

Receiving Yds. Avg. 1157 13.9 849 13.9 715 17.4 296 8.7 381 14.1 245 11.1 196 8.9 104 5.8 153 10.2 127 9.8 165 13.8 101 10.1 42 7.0 11 11.0 4542 12.4 3139 12.2

TD 10 8 5 0 2 1 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 29 18

Tackles (leaders) S A T Loss Colvin 58 26 84 4.5-21 T. Lewis 53 31 84 4.0-12 Jefferson 51 23 74 7.5-43 Wort 36 35 71 4.5-28 Fleming 49 11 60 4.0-6 R. Lewis 33 26 59 13.0-83 Nelson 29 30 59 8.5-40 Hurst 42 13 55 4.0-6 Alexander 35 19 54 19.0-81 Harris 28 19 47 1.0-6 King 18 13 31 4.0-22

Lg 64 58 62 47 54 23 24 16 24 23 24 25 19 11 64 87

A/G 128.6 77.2 71.5 22.8 29.3 18.8 17.8 9.5 21.9 9.8 15.0 7.8 7.0 11.0 349.4 241.5

Sack 0.5-4 1.0-8 4.5-37 3.5-24 5.5-58 5.5-34 8.5-49 2.0-19

QB: Jones returns to Sun Bowl • Continued from Page 4 that behind you. I have all the confidence in the world in him.”

Jones is aware of the perception.

“For me, I haven’t really noticed it much but obviously guys have been noticing it,” he said. “I think it’s just confidence and knowing what you want and setting those expectations.”

Confidence is what Jones lacked in 2009. He was thrust into the job as a redshirt freshman after the season-ending shoulder injury to Sam Bradford and it was a roller coaster ride throughout that first year. However, he finished the season on an upward swing, throwing for

418 yards and three touchdowns in a Sun Bowl victory over Stanford.

“I don’t want to say it was part of him growing into the player that he became, but it was a stepping stone, that whole month leading into it,” offensive coordinator Josh Heupel said.

The ups and downs continued in the two seasons since that Sun Bowl victory.

He led OU to a Big 12 championship in 2010. He struggled down the stretch of the 2011 season as the Sooners went from national championship contenders to tied for third place in the Big 12 conference.

The eight months leading into this season have been

about Jones making the jump from very good (93 touchdown passes over the last three seasons), to truly elite. Elite quarterbacks lead their teams to championships.

Doing that is the only thing missing from Jones’ resume. The Sooners are 77 in true road games since Jones became starting quarterback. Tonight, OU can get the 2012 season off on the right note by winning on the road.

Jones knows that what happens this season will ultimately define his career.

Expectations are very high.

Few teams have the luxury of playing with a quarterback with 37 career starts

behind him. It’s an advantage that doesn’t come around often.

Jones and the Sooners must capitalize on that advantage.

It could be years before a similar opportunity arrises.

That’s why it’s fitting the Sooners begin the 2012 season at the place where Jones first embraced his future as OU’s quarterback. Everything that’s happened since has built toward this season.

Jones gets it.

“This is my last time to put on an OU jersey, so I definitely want to go out the way I want to go out,” he said.

John Shinn Follow me @john_shinn jshinn@normantranscript.com

THE NORMAN TRANSCRIPT

GAMEDAY

Perry Smith TEAM Hall Total Opp.

SCHEDULE Sept. 1 Sept. 8 Sept. 15 Sept. 22 Sept. 29 Oct. 6 Oct. 11 Oct. 20 Oct. 27 Nov. 10 Nov. 17 Nov. 24

Oklahoma at Ole Miss N. Mexico St. at Wisconsin at E. Carolina SMU at Tulsa Tulane at Houston Central Florida at So. Miss.

Rice

8:30 p.m.

4 p.m.

5 p.m.

TBA 4 p.m.

5 p.m.

5 p.m.

5 p.m.

1:30 p.m.

4 p.m.

5 p.m.

4 p.m.

STATS Att Banyard 127 Frazier 61 Myers 106 Jeffery 26 Lamaison 40 Campbell 1 Edwards 3 meger 15 McGhee 2 Williams 2 Bell 3

2011 Rushing Yds A/C TD Lg Y/G 832 6.6 6 77 69.3 434 7.1 3 83 36.2 368 3.5 12 19 30.7 166 6.4 1 43 13.8 39 1.0 1 33 4.3 19 19.0 0 19 1.6 17 5.7 0 10 1.4 12 0.8 0 12 1.0 12 6.0 0 8 1.5 10 5.0 0 6 0.8 4 1.3 0 3 2.0

1 1 1.0 0 1 6 0 0.0 1 12 5 -7 -1.4 0 0 12 -48 -4.0 0 13 410 1859 4.5 24 83 434 2278 5.2 24 71

Passing Eff C-A-I Pct Lamaison131.21130-224-1058.0 Carson 110.53 71-112-5 63.4 Hall 0-1-0 0.0 Total 116.44225-399-17 56.4 Opp. 129.82242-404-12 59.9

0.1 0.0 -1.8 -16.0 154.9 189.8

Yds. 1718 669 0 2707 3020

Edwards Jordan Lopez Kemp Perry Frazier Carr Banyard Jeffery Williams McGhee Tomlinson Wenrick Tucker Trail Patterson Total Opp.

Receiving No. Yds. Avg. TD Lg 50 657 13.1 3 74 30 430 14.3 2 45 25 233 9.3 0 25 23 456 19.8 1 46 17 203 11.9 1 27 13 56 4.3 0 19 12 119 9.9 0 31 12 67 5.6 0 24 10 124 12.4 2 36 8 62 7.8 0 12 8 55 6.9 1 24 6 83 13.8 2 24 4 105 26.2 2 66 3 29 9.7 0 12 3 16 5.3 0 7 1 12 12.0 0 12 225 2707 12.0 14 74 242 3020 12.5 16 84

Springer Grayson Fely Carter Nixon Thomas Spencer

Tackles (leaders) S A T Loss 31 39 70 5.0-8 38 29 67 1.0-1 34 27 61 5.5-32 26 28 54 4.5-17 31 19 50 1.5-2 35 14 49 2.0-6 31 16 47 3.5-19

TD 12 2 0 14 16

A/G 54.8 35.8 19.4 38.0 16.9 4.7 9.9 5.6 10.3 5.2 6.9 6.9 9.5 2.9 2.3 1.3 225.6 251.7

Sack 3.0-27 1.0-9 2.0-15

11

Watch: Time to slow it down? passing yards tonight. The realities of defending season. spread offenses dictate 2. Defenisve line: The some ground being ceded. defensive line is going to OU’s goal against UTEP is be thin tonight. Defensive to make sure those yards tackle Stacy McGee won’t aren’t coming in chunks. be on the field due to a The secondary struggled suspension and the status getting burned on deep of defensive tackle Casey passes last season. Keeping Walker is uncertain. That completions in front of it is means OU could start the the primary goal tonight. season with no returning The thing to watch is starters from last season’s length of UTEP’s drives. If defensive line. This group needs to prove it’s ready for its needs 10 or more plays to get in the end zone, that prime time. If UTEP means the Miners are quarterback Nick Lamaiexecuting. If it scores on son has a nice pocket and plenty of time to survey the just a handful of plays, it field, the Sooners could be means OU’s secondary has let down. in for a long season.

4. Pace: OU was a 3. Secondary: The Sooners will give up some pioneer of the up-tempo • Continued from Page 5

offense, but this game could signal a change in the speed the Sooners play.

The only wide receiver with a career start at OU is Kenny Stills and the offensive line is very thin.

Slowing things down just a tad could be necessary as a result of thin depth and lack of experience. The Sooners won’t huddle tonight, but watch the play clock. If its getting inside the 10-second mark before OU snaps it, it’s an indication the Sooners are taking it easy. If the ball is getting snapped with 20 or more seconds left, OU will be in high gear.

5. Trey Metoyer: The one player everyone should

watch is the freshman receiver. OU hasn’t had a freshman create this kind of positive buzz with teammates and coaches since Adrian Peterson in 2004. Even Peterson had to wait a couple games before becoming a starter.

Metoyer has jumped right into the starting lineup and tonight is his chance to show why. Watch and see how many times he’s targeted deep. It’s doubtful UTEP will throw a ton of double coverage at a true freshman. Metoyer could get a lot of one-on-one opportunities tonight.

John Shinn Twitter: @john_shinn jshinn@normantranscript.com

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THE NORMAN TRANSCRIPT

COLLEGE FOOTBALL SATURDAY

An historic matchup Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson will lead the Wolverines into Cowboys Stadium to meet Alabama today.

Alabama, Michigan on tap today

By John Zenor AP Sports Writer

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Colossal college football programs Alabama and Michigan have combined for 1,709 wins and 25 national titles but seldom tangle on the field.

When they do, it’s usually at some big bowl game not starting the season on Sept. 1.

The No. 2 Crimson Tide and No. 8 Wolverines are gearing up for their opener tonight at Cowboys Stadium with an address that fits the iconic history of these programs: One Legends Way. Alabama receiver Kevin Norwood knows it well. He has a picture of the stadium on his phone.

“I’ve been looking at that stadium for like months now,” Norwood said.

That both these teams open the season in the Top 10 is, in some ways, just a nice bonus in this rare meeting of

storied programs.

For all their outsized history, Michigan and Alabama have only met three times, all in January bowls, two won by the Wolverines. The total margin: Michigan 77, Alabama 75 with the last meeting being the Wolverines’ 35-34 overtime win in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 1, 2000.

Tradition aside, the Tide is trying to show it’s a legitimate contender for a second straight national title and third in four years.

Michigan is aiming to build on an 11-win season and BCS bowl victory over Virginia Tech but not — coach Brady Hoke wants to make this clear — to reestablish that powerhouse reputation for a program three years removed from losing a school-record nine games. That never went away, Hoke says.

“I don’t buy into that and never have,” he said. “But I do think it’s a great marker

AP Photo

for where we’re at as a program and what we can be. I think every first game every year though you learn a lot about yourselves, because every team is different.

“I went back and thought about last year at this time. I didn’t know if we were going to win two games let alone 11,

because you don’t know until you get in the real deal as far as playing games. Honestly, we’ll find out.”

That’s what openers are for, right? A learning experience. Some are built these days for TV ratings, too.

• See MATCHUP Page 12

Today’s Games EAST Notre Dame vs. Navy at Dublin, 8 a.m.

Marshall at West Virginia, 11 a.m.

Ohio at Penn St., 11 a.m.

Northwestern at Syracuse, 11 a.m.

Monmouth (NJ) at Lehigh, 11:30 a.m.

Marist at Bryant, 2 p.m.

Miami at Boston College, 2 p.m.

Colgate at Albany (NY), 5 p.m.

Youngstown St. at Pittsburgh, 5 p.m.

CCSU at Stony Brook, 5 p.m.

SOUTH Appalachian St. at East Carolina, 11 a.m.

Troy at UAB, 11 a.m.

Buffalo at Georgia, 11:21 a.m.

Elon at North Carolina, 11:30 a.m.

Sacred Heart at Morgan St., noon VMI at Delaware St., 1 p.m.

Brevard at Presbyterian, 1 p.m.

William & Mary at Maryland, 2 p.m.

Richmond at Virginia, 2 p.m.

Bowling Green at Florida, 2 p.m.

Howard at Morehouse, 2 p.m.

Furman at Samford, 3 p.m.

NC A&T at Coastal Carolina, 5 p.m.

Georgetown at Davidson, 5 p.m.

Murray St. at Florida St., 5 p.m.

Wofford at Gardner-Webb, 5 p.m.

Jacksonville at Georgia Southern, 5 p.m.

St. Francis (Pa.) at James Madison, 5 p.m.

Concordia-Selma at MVSU, 5 p.m.

Fayetteville St. at NC Central, 5 p.m.

Virginia St. at Norfolk St., 5 p.m.

Duquesne at Old Dominion, 5 p.m.

Charleston Southern at The Citadel, 5 p.m.

Liberty at Wake Forest, 5:30 p.m.

Tuskegee vs. Alabama A&M, Ala., 6 p.m.

Grambling St. vs. Alcorn St., 6 p.m.

Clemson vs. Auburn at Atlanta, 6 p.m.

FIU at Duke, 6 p.m.

North Texas at LSU, 6 p.m.

Lamar at Louisiana-Lafayette, 6 p.m.

UT-Martin at Memphis, 6 p.m.

Cent. Arkansas at Mississippi, 6 p.m.

Jackson St. at Mississippi St., 6 p.m.

Chattanooga at South Florida, 6 p.m.

Florida A&M at Tennessee St., 6 p.m.

Austin Peay at W. Kentucky, 6 p.m.

Rutgers at Tulane, 7 p.m.

MIDWEST W. Michigan at Illinois, 11 a.m.

Miami (Ohio) at Ohio St., 11 a.m.

Dayton at Illinois St., 1 p.m.

Iowa vs. N. Illinois at Chicago, 2:30 p.m.

Southern Miss. at Nebraska, 2:30 p.m.

E. Kentucky at Purdue, 2:30 p.m.

N. Iowa at Wisconsin, 2:30 p.m.

Tulsa at Iowa St., 2:30 p.m.

S. Dakota St. at Kansas, 6 p.m.

Missouri St. at Kansas St., 6 p.m.

SE Louisiana at Missouri, 6 p.m.

Robert Morris at N. Dakota St., 6 p.m.

Grand View at Drake, 7 p.m.

Indiana St. at Indiana, 7 p.m.

SOUTHWEST Langston vs. Ark.-Pine Bluff, Ark., 5 p.m.

Jacksonville St. at Arkansas, 6 p.m.

Savannah St. at Oklahoma St., 6 p.m.

Northwestern St. at Texas Tech, 6 p.m.

Texas St. at Houston, 7 p.m.

Wyoming at Texas, 7 p.m.

Prairie View at Texas Southern, 7 p.m.

Michigan vs. Alabama at Arlington, Texas, 7 p.m.

Oklahoma at UTEP, 9:30 p.m.

FAR WEST Idaho St. at Air Force, 1 p.m.

Nevada at California, 1 p.m.

South Dakota at Montana, 2:30 p.m.

Colorado St. vs. Colorado at Denver, 3 p.m.

Southern U. at New Mexico, 4 p.m.

San Diego at Cal Poly, 6:05 p.m.

Hawaii at Southern Cal, 6:30 p.m.

Carroll (Mont.) at Portland St., 7:05 p.m.

Azusa Pacific at UC Davis, 8 p.m.

Chadron St. at Montana St., 8:05 p.m.

Weber St. at Fresno St., 9 p.m.

Toledo at Arizona, 9:30 p.m.

Arkansas St. at Oregon, 9:30 p.m.

San Diego St. at Washington, 9:30 p.m.

Sunday’s Games SOUTH Alabama St. vs. Bethune-Cookman at Orlando, Fla., 11 a.m.

Kentucky at Louisville, 2:30 p.m.

SOUTHWEST SMU at Baylor, 5 p.m.

THE NORMAN TRANSCRIPT

GAMEDAY

13

Growing pains in Stillwater Weiss happy to Players learning on the job is a difficult adjustment for OSU coaches

By Jason Elmquist Stillwater News Press

STILLWATER — With the Oklahoma State offense prepared to take the field for Saturday’s opener against Savannah State with a completely different personnel look, coach Mike Gundy said the play calling won’t change, even with true freshman quarterback Wes Lunt at the helm.

“We haven’t had to simplify any of it,” Gundy said.

But that’s not to say Gundy doesn’t have some reservations heading into the 6 p.m. kickoff at Boone Pickens Stadium.

“Any time you are going to have a guy that’s going to

touch the ball 75 to 85 times a game that’s never played (at the college level) that’s always a concern,” Gundy said.

While Gundy knows what it is like to be a true freshman quartertback, he said Lunt has reached the point where talking him up will only hinder the rookie QB. “I think (offensive coordinator) Todd Monken is a very smart football coach and I think he’s handled him very well,” he said. “The way those two are working right now, I’m just kind of watching and seeing him develop.”

Another area of his team Gundy is concerned about is his defensive line.

“I want to see some pro-

duction and difference up front on defense because I think we are good enough to do it this year,” Gundy said.

Monken’s trying to take it in stride that this year’s offense isn’t going to be as polished as a year ago.

“I have got to be better in understanding that guys are going to develop. It happens at different stages for different guys,” Monken said. “Justin Blackmon redshirted …

Brandon Weeden was a walkon. You have to keep reminding yourself of that we’re in a business where nobody wants to wait.”

At least the Cowboys won’t have to wait any longer to see it on the field.

Big 12 Standings Baylor Iowa State Kansas Kansas State Oklahoma Oklahoma St. TCU Texas Texas Tech West Virginia

Con. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

.000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000

Overall 0 0 .000 0 0 .000 0 0 .000 0 0 .000 0 0 .000 0 0 .000 0 0 .000 0 0 .000 0 0 .000 0 0 .000

Today’s Games Marshall at West Virginia, 11 a.m.

Tulsa at Iowa State, 2:30 p.m.

South Dakota State at Kansas, 6 p.m.

Missouri State at Kansas State, 6 p.m.

Savannah St. at Oklahoma St., 6 p.m.

Northwestern St. at Texas Tech, 6 p.m.

Wyoming at Texas, 7 p.m.

Oklahoma at UTEP, 9:30 p.m.

Sunday’s Game SMU at Baylor, 5:30 p.m.

Matchup: Big game will be a telling barometer • Continued from Page 13 There’s no grace period for Alabama or Michigan to ease into the season or for new starters and key backups to get acclimated to new roles.

The Tide has gotten used to

it, with early nonconference games against Penn State the past two years and previous openers against Virginia Tech and Clemson. They’re 4-0 in those games.

Alabama coach Nick Saban said opening with

these types of games provide a boost in offseason work.

“It really gives the players something to look forward to in the first game and it gives the fans a lot to look forward to in the first game,” said Saban, who coached Michi-

gan rival Michigan State from 1995-99. “I think it’s good for college football when we have these kinds of games. We enjoy playing in them. It’s going to be very challenging for us and we’ll certainly see where we are as a team.”

have QB in fold Associated Press LAWRENCE, Kan. — Dayne Crist took the field at practice with a play, then at the last second had to change his plan. He called an audible the team had heard but never practiced.

Crist and coach Charlie Weis crafted the play three years ago and had not touched it since, but Weis recognized it almost immediately. The play resulted in a 30-yard run, the kind of success that surprised everyone but Weis.

The Jayhawks’ new coach called that kind of play an “‘Atta boy.” When it works out, Crist gets praised. When it doesn’t, Weis asks, “What are you doing?” The fact that Crist even has the gumption to call such a play is what makes Weis beam whenever he talks about him.

“I’m flattered that I have the ability to have an arsenal,” Crist said, “but I think it goes back to the relationship that we have.”

Weis recruited Crist to Notre Dame, and mentored him for two years. But Weis was fired and things soured quickly for Crist under a new regime, and he began to look elsewhere to play.

After two season-ending knee injuries at Notre Dame, Crist decided to follow Weis to Kansas, where they’re hoping to rebuild a program not long removed from the Orange Bowl, but more recently has been at the bottom of the conference.

Both of them will get their first chance to show whether progress has been made on Saturday night against South Dakota State.

Weis has no doubt Crist is the man for the job. He talks about his leadership ability and talent, not to mention the convenience of his knowing the system.

“Great quarterback, great leadership,” said sophomore running back Tony Pierson, who is expected to start behind Crist on Saturday. “He brings experience.”

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Horning: Big game • Continued from Page 3 Cookman, Howard, South Florida (by 53 points) and Hampton.

OU has one chance to work out the kinks against Division I athletes. It has one chance to develop real confidence in a reworked secondary, a linebacking corps without a proven leader, a defensive line that’s in tatters, an offensive line that’s taken hits to its depth and a running game that will be a question mark until Dom Whaley proves he’s still got it or Damien Williams becomes the next big thing.

Landry Jones is a given.

That has to be reassuring.

But OU can’t know a whole lot more.

That it could still be a game in the fourth quarter tonight (early Sunday morning?) seems impossible. That the Sooners might be seriously tested in their first season opener since … well, actually, BYU beat OU in Dallas three years ago and OU only beat Utah State 3124 two years ago. Maybe it being a game in the fourth quarter isn’t so crazy.

It only underlines the

importance of tonight.

It is a truism about Bob Stoops’ teams. They get better over time. Another truism? Sometimes that time comes too late.

There’s so much to take in tonight.

Has there ever been so much on one player only now given a chance to really shine as there is on R.J. Washington? He and David King were supposed to be literal bookends, maybe even the strength of the front seven. But injury has forced King inside, leaving Washington at a position OU’s been great at for several seasons.

Has there ever been so much riding on Whaley’s being able to return to form? For that matter, who’s the No. 1 receiver?

After Kansas State, the Sooners head to Lubbock.

The Red Raiders aren’t great but they won in Norman last season. Then Texas, and the Longhorns can’t stink forever.

It will happen very fast.

Tonight, it begins.

Clay Horning Follow me @clayhorning cfhorning@normantranscript.com

THE WAY WE SEE IT

Clay Horning

John Shinn

Corbin Hosler

Michael Kinney

OU (-30 1/2) at UTEP Pick: OU 48-20 Wyoming (+29) at Texas Pick: Texas 42-10 Marshall (+24) at West Virginia Pick: West Virginia 52-24* Tulsa (-1 1/2) at Iowa State Pick: Iowa State 27-24 SMU (+10 1/2) at Baylor Pick: Baylor 31-17 Clemson (-3) at Auburn Pick: Clemson 24-19 Hawaii (+39 1/2) at USC Pick: USC 52-13 Notre Dame (-16) vs. Navy Pick: Notre Dame 31-17 Michigan (+13 1/2) at Alabama Pick: Alabama 20-10 Ohio (+6) at Penn State Pick: Penn State 31-24 Miami (-1) at Boston College Pick: Miami 27-24 Colorado St. (+6) at Colorado Pick: Colorado 28-24

OU (-30 1/2) at UTEP Pick: OU 44-13 Wyoming (+29) at Texas Pick: Texas 34-7 Marshall (+24) at West Virginia Pick: West Virginia 56-31* Tulsa (-1 1/2) at Iowa State Pick: Iowa State 24-21 SMU (+10 1/2) at Baylor Pick: SMU 31-28 Clemson (-3) at Auburn Pick: Clemson 24-17 Hawaii (+39 1/2) at USC Pick: USC 49-7 Notre Dame (-16) vs. Navy Pick: Notre Dame 35-21 Michigan (+13 1/2) at Alabama Pick: Alabama 20-13 Ohio (+6) at Penn State Pick: Penn State 24-17 Miami (-1) at Boston College Pick: Miami 27-20 Colorado St. (+6) at Colorado Pick: Colorado 21-17

OU (-30 1/2) at UTEP Pick: OU 45-14 Wyoming (+29) at Texas Pick: Texas 41-13 Marshall (+24) at West Virginia Pick: West Virginia 45-17 Tulsa (-1 1/2) at Iowa State Pick: Tulsa 38-31 SMU (+10 1/2) at Baylor Pick: Baylor 31-17 Clemson (-3) at Auburn Pick: Auburn 24-17 Hawaii (+39 1/2) at USC Pick: USC 52-21* Notre Dame (-16) vs. Navy Pick: Notre Dame 31-17 Michigan (+13 1/2) at Alabama Pick: Alabama 28-14 Ohio (+6) at Penn State Pick: Penn State 31-17 Miami (-1) at Boston College Pick: Miami 34-28 Colorado St. (+6) at Colorado Pick: Colorado 31-21

OU (-30 1/2) at UTEP Pick: OU 47-15 Wyoming (+29) at Texas Pick: Texas 32-18 Marshall (+24) at West Virginia Pick: W.V. 30-14 Tulsa (-1 1/2) at Iowa State Pick: Iowa St. 28-27 SMU (+10 1/2) at Baylor Pick: Baylor 24-17 Clemson (-3) at Auburn Pick: Clemson 31-25 Hawaii (+39 1/2) at USC Pick: USC 55-13 Notre Dame (-16) vs. Navy Pick: Notre Dme 34-22 Michigan (+13 1/2) at Alabama Pick: Alabama 31-20 Ohio (+6) at Penn State Pick: Penn St. 28-10 Miami (-1) at Boston College Pick: Miami 24-18* Colorado St. (+6) at Colorado Pick: CSU 23-10

Last week (overall) Straight up: 0-0 (0-0) Spread: 0-0 (0-0) * Lock: 0-0 (0-0)

Last week (overall) Straight up: 0-0 (0-0) Spread: 0-0 (0-0) * Lock: 0-0 (0-0)

Last week (overall) Straight up: 0-0 (0-0) Spread: 0-0 (0-0) * Lock: 0-0 (0-0)

Last week (overall) Straight up: 0-0 (0-0) Spread: 0-0 (0-0) * Lock: 0-0 (0-0)