OFFENSE

Rarely under Bob Stoops has Oklahoma been so uncertain at quarterback, or so unclear on the direction of the offense. Yet also under Stoops, Oklahoma always seems to produce positive answers.

Gone is Landry Jones, whose 39 career wins were the most in the rich history of the program. His top two receivers are gone, too.

And a buzz about a move to more of a read-option offense hovered around the team in the offseason, with the combatants in an ongoing quarterback competition — Blake Bell, Trevor Knight and Kendal Thompson — all logical fits for such an attack.

Now, that’s not to say the Sooners will abandon the air-it-out attack that has produced double-digit win totals in 11 of Stoops’ 14 seasons.

“We will never give up anything as far as our quarterbacks having the ability to pass,” says co-offensive coordinator Josh Heupel. “That’s our primary focus first. We have great skill guys, and we want to make sure we’re able to distribute the ball to those guys. But certainly the guys we have on campus are a little bit different than Landry.”

Bell has experience, having played key moments in 20 games. Yet most have come in the “Belldozer” package, designed to utilize him in the short-yardage run game. It’s a role Bell has flourished in, scoring 24 touchdowns on 104 rushes over two seasons. But the former 5-star prospect has more rushing TDs than pass attempts (20) and must prove he’s capable of succeeding as a thrower as well as a runner.

While Bell is the only quarterback with game experience, the competition was on in the spring, with Thompson and Knight very much in the mix.

A line that returns four starters and is anchored by first-team All-Big 12 center Gabe Ikard should be a strength in aiding OU’s transition.

And there are proven skill players in place, with running back Damien Williams, receiver Jalen Saunders and hybrid fullback/tight end Trey Millard all capable of all-conference seasons.

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DEFENSE

A major makeover is taking place on the defensive side of the ball. Just four starters return overall, leaving major questions along the front seven. Even in the secondary, where experience exists, position shuffles and shaky previous performances linger among several of the starters.

Aaron Colvin is the headliner, a shutdown corner who produced four interceptions and a team-high 11 passes defended a year ago, earning first-team All-Big 12 honors. Beyond Colvin in the secondary, the Sooners are banking on a cast that includes everything from transfers to a player coming off suspension to true freshmen.

Defensive tackle Chuka Ndulue, linebacker Corey Nelson and safety Gabe Lynn are the other returning starters. Everywhere else, there’s a need for players to develop — and do so quickly.

SPECIALISTS

Michael Hunnicutt gives the Sooners a reliable weapon in the kicking game. He made 17-of-21 field goals a year ago. Coaches are hoping junior college transfer Jed Barnett fills the void at punter. The return game is solid.

FINAL ANALYSIS

For a change, the Sooners aren’t considered Big 12 favorites. All the question marks and a rugged schedule that includes trips to Notre Dame and Kansas State as well as rival Oklahoma State create a major challenge for a team in transition.

Oklahoma remains a contender, surely capable of claiming another conference crown — there’s plenty of talent on the roster — yet the Sooners seemingly need so much to go right on both sides of the ball to hang another championship banner.

“It doesn’t change anything whatsoever,” Stoops says. “We’ve never put much stock or cared where we were or weren’t picked.”

 

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OFFENSE

Technically, TCU returns five starters on offense, but a more accurate number would be eight.

Not only has quarterback Casey Pachall returned, but so has former leading rusher Waymon James and projected starting tight end Stephen Bryant. Both James and Bryant were sidelined with season-ending injuries in 2012, and Pachall returns after missing the final nine games when he left school to seek treatment for substance abuse.

Pachall has been given the chance to earn his starting job back from Trevone Boykin, who filled in admirably as a redshirt freshman. Boykin is talented and does a better job improvising, but Pachall has a stronger arm and a firmer grasp of the offense. Now a senior, Pachall could be the story of the year in college football if he stays healthy — physically and mentally — and helps TCU compete for a Big 12 title.

James’ return is as big as Pachall’s. He led the Frogs in rushing in 2011 and was off to a good start before injuring his knee in Week 2. If TCU’s line can shore up its depth issues, the Horned Frogs could emerge as the team to beat in the Big 12.

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DEFENSE

Nine starters return to a TCU defense that ranked first in the league and 16th nationally.

 The two losses are big — defensive end Stansly Maponga and linebacker Kenny Cain — but the Frogs have been at their best in the Gary Patterson era when their secondary is deep and experienced. And that’s the case in 2013. Led by strong safety Sam Carter and All-America cornerback Jason Verrett, TCU intercepted 21 passes last season and helped slow down the wide-open offenses of the Big 12.

Associated Press Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Devonte Fields recorded 18.5 tackles for a loss and 10 sacks coming from the right edge, but he will have operate this fall without Maponga coming from the left side. Fields leads a deep and talented defensive line that should be one of the league’s best.

The one area of concern is linebacker, where Marcus Mallet and former walk-on Joel Hasley will likely start. Hasley and Mallet showed they could stop the run in ’12, but too often were beaten in coverage. Former safety Jonathan Anderson moved to linebacker in the spring and could bring an element of speed.

SPECIALISTS

Both kicker Jaden Oberkrom and punter Ethan Perry performed well as true freshmen in 2012. Oberkrom made 22-of-30 field goals, including all six attempts in a triple-overtime loss to Texas Tech, one shy of tying an NCAA single-game record. Perry’s 44.5-yard  punting average is the second-best all-time at TCU and the best average since 1981. Deanté Gray’s career opened with a bang when he returned his first punt 70 yards for a score in the 2012 season opener, finishing with a TCU-record 160 return yards. Gray, Verrett and Brandon Carter could all be used on punt and kick returns.

FINAL ANALYSIS

There’s a tangible sense of optimism surrounding TCU as it prepares for its second season in the Big 12.

Patterson has a veteran team — as many as 15 of the projected starting 22 players are juniors or seniors. That wasn’t the case in 2012, when TCU fielded one of the youngest teams in the country.

“This is finally a year where we’re a little bit older,” Patterson said during spring camp. “The last two years we’ve been young, so the guys know what they’re doing.”

But two big areas of concern could cause TCU a lot of problems. The offensive line is thin and inexperienced. The linebacker corps, long a steady cornerstone of the Frogs’ defense, is dreadfully lacking in depth. If Patterson can solve these two problem areas, TCU should find itself in position to win a conference title. 

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OFFENSE

Offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig could face significant challenges in his first season at UW because of personnel issues. Ludwig should have several playmakers at his disposal, including tailbacks James White and Melvin Gordon, wide receiver Jared Abbrederis and tight end Jacob Pedersen. However, the starter at quarterback won’t be determined until camp, because junior college transfer Tanner McEvoy isn’t set to join the program until the summer.

McEvoy, who redshirted at South Carolina in 2011 before transferring to Arizona Western College, has three seasons of eligibility remaining. He’ll likely battle Joel Stave and Curt Phillips. Stave, a sophomore, took over in Week 4 last season and started six games before suffering a broken collarbone. Phillips, a sixth-year senior, started the last five games in 2012. He has battled through multiple injuries to his right knee but remains a legitimate running threat.

Also, injuries left UW with only eight healthy linemen in the spring, and the staff acknowledges that the overall depth isn’t close to where it needs to be.

Lastly, the wide receiver position beyond Abbrederis remains full of unproven players. UW needs to find a second threat, and no one emerged during spring ball.

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DEFENSE

Not long after he was hired as UW’s defensive coordinator, Dave Aranda talked enthusiastically about the variety of fronts he planned to use and how he hoped to attack opposing quarterbacks with blitz packages. “I am a big believer in that,” he said. “I’m a big advocate of attacking protections.”

Aranda, who plans to use three-, four- and five-man fronts and use zone blitzes liberally, should have the personnel in the front seven to get after opposing quarterbacks and ease the burden on a secondary that will be green with only one returning starter (safety Dezmen Southward).

UW has a surplus of experienced linemen, and Aranda’s flexibility and desire to attack appears to be a perfect fit for players such as Brendan Kelly, Vince Biegel and Tyler Dippel — all of whom will see time at end/outside linebacker — along with senior linebacker Chris Borland. Opponents know about Borland’s playmaking ability, but Biegel, who played in two games last season before a broken foot forced him to redshirt, could be an outstanding pass-rusher.

UW suffered a blow in April when senior David Gilbert, who had been hampered by injuries to his right foot in each of the last two seasons, announced he was leaving the program.

SPECIALISTS

Kyle French (10-of-16 field goal attempts) and Jack Russell (0-of-2) were inconsistent last season, which led to uncertainty for most of the season. French was outstanding in the spring, but will that carry over to the fall? Punter Drew Meyer (41.5-yard average, 14 punts of 50-plus yards) was solid as a redshirt freshman but must improve his hang time.

FINAL ANALYSIS

New UW coach Gary Andersen needed only four seasons to transform Utah State’s football program from dysfunctional to dynamic. Last season the Aggies won 11 games and secured the school’s first bowl victory in 19 years, and in the process passed Utah and BYU to take over the No. 1 spot in the state.

Andersen wasn’t actively looking to leave Utah State in December when Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez offered him the coaching job — Andersen had already rebuffed overtures from California, Kentucky and Colorado — but he was intrigued by the opportunity to coach on a larger stage and respected the UW program.

Andersen believes UW can compete on a national level, and the players who return in 2013 believe a fourth consecutive Big Ten title is a realistic goal.

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