Ranking causes fan optimism

Athlon magazine has been with us for many years. Its chief contribution to college football culture has been the honey-watching photos, usually from SEC locales, that predate the cheesecake craze we now get from media.

Now Athlon can be lauded for a new phenomenon. Unbridled optimism in Soonerville.

Athlon has picked Oklahoma No. 1 in its preseason rankings, and Sooner fans, naturally optimistic anyway, are buoyed by the glittering prospects of 2006.

There is a valid reason to pick OU. Somebody has to be No. 1. Notre Dame, Florida State, West Virginia, all kinds of schools have been floated about as the best pick to win the yet-to-be-named national championship bowl. Why not Oklahoma?

But there are more reasons not to settle on the Sooners. Starting with, who in the heck is going to block?

Adrian Peterson is a franchise tailback, Rhett Bomar is a promising quarterback and OU's defense, while not sporting the fangs of the Roy Williams-Rocky Calmus days, seems capable of domination.

But again, can the Sooners block well enough to get to Tempe, Ariz., site of the BCS' Ultimate Bowl?

Let's walk through this. The Sooners struggled through much of 2005 because they didn't open holes. Admittedly, they got better late in the year.

That was a line loaded with veterans -- at times, four seniors. Two of those seniors, Davin Joseph and Chris Chester, were first-day NFL draft picks. Another, Kelvin Chaisson, was a free-agent NFL signing.

So the 2005 Oklahoma line was mediocre, it lost its best player and maybe players, and now the 2006 Sooner wall is supposed to be so fortified that it can block the Schooner all the way to a Phoenix New Year's?

Kevin Wilson and his new lieutenant, James Patton, are not above turning out surprisingly boffo blockers, but No. 1-caliber blockers? That seems an awfully tall task for George Robinson, Branndon Braxton, Chris Messner, J.D. Quinn, Jon Cooper and whatever newcomers might muscle into the rotation.

I asked an OU staffer in the spring if he thought this line could develop into a championship-level unit. He said he just didn't know.

Bob Stoops and staff produced a national champion from further back in the pack, taking the 2000 squad to 13-0 despite all kinds of summer, and even autumn, questions. But that doesn't mean it happens routinely.

Some have labeled OU's schedule as championship-favored. Huh? A game at Oregon and the Cotton Bowl cotillion, all before October's second week?

Autzen Stadium is college football's Gallagher-Iba, a coliseum in which you never pencil in a victory. Oregon, like OU, has lots of players returning, including all five offensive line starters, since we're counting. The Ducks will be shooting for the Sooners, since OU has pinned defeats on Oregon each of the last two seasons.

Nothing easy about that game.

And despite the departure of Vince Young, Texas doesn't figure to wilt. Remember, the Longhorns started fewer seniors than did OU last October, when UT squeaked 45-12 and needed little magic from Saint Vincent.

Prediction: Barring strange results from early-season games (Oregon goes to Fresno State, Texas hosts Ohio State), OU will not be favored against either the Ducks or the Longhorns. Both games could be pick-'em, but OU's not likely to be favored in either.

Does that seem like the recipe for a national title? Two tossup games the first five weeks?

The honey-watchers like the Sooners at No. 1. I say No. 10 is closer to the truth.

Berry Tramel: 475-3314, btramel@oklahoman.com; Berry Tramel's radio show, the Writer's Block, can be heard Monday-Friday from 4-7 p.m. on KREF-AM 1400, KADA-AM 1230; and KSEO-AM 750.