But right now, their title hopes — Big 12 and bigger — could depend on how each grapples with key defections to the NFL.
Both teams have lost big-time players. And don't let the sunshine pumpers fool you, it's a big-time concern. And a big-time break for Missouri and Kansas and Texas Tech, the teams who stand to benefit most from the OU and Texas puncture wounds.
When OU flopped in the Fiesta Bowl, it was easy to spin ahead to 2008 and expectations of a revived run at national championship No. 8. So much talent returned.
Then wideout Malcolm Kelly opted for paydays over college play days, not a total surprise, yet worrisome considering OU's offensive struggles minus their deep threat against West Virginia.
The more alarming news came Monday when linebacker Curtis Lofton made the move, leaving a gaping hole in a Sooners defense that today has no reliable replacement. They're left to rely on striking junior college recruiting gold as a stopgap.
Kelly and Lofton were OU's most feared players on each side of the ball. And the Sooners are still sweating out decisions by cornerback Reggie Smith and offensive linemen Duke Robinson and Phil Loadholt — flight risks all leading up to today's deadline.
When Texas clubbed Arizona State in the Holiday Bowl, many considered the 52-34 win a flare revealing a fantastic 2008.
Now, it looks like nothing more than a farewell — to two of the Longhorns' most exciting offensive threats and UT's Big 12 title hopes.
San Diego only briefly splashed a bright forecast on UT's outlook next fall. Because once home in Austin, the 'Horns learned they were losing running back Jamaal Charles and tight end Jermichael Finley early to the NFL. Charles was a 1,600-yard rusher for UT, while Finley posted the second most receptions by a tight end in school history.
Before this year, Vince Young was the only player to leave the Longhorns early during the Mack Brown era.
"We've won 10 games with whoever's been here the last seven years,” Brown said.
Maybe so, but that offense that struck for 52 points in the Holiday Bowl now returns Colt McCoy and little else in the way of proven playmakers, with senior receivers Nate Jones and Limas Sweed moving on as well.
The Red River rivals aren't the only ones reeling from NFL departures.
Aqib Talib and Anthony Collins, KU's first All-Americans in decades, are fleeing for paydays. So is Texas A&M tight end Martellus Bennett.
And the clock is still ticking for other players pondering the pro life, although Oklahoma State got a huge dose of good news Monday when tight end Brandon Pettigrew decided to remain a Cowboy, despite projections that put him among the elite at his position.
Think they're grinning in Stillwater over the news out of Norman and Austin? And at Texas Tech, where Mike Leach returns 10 starters to his maniacal offense.
At Missouri, you could say the Chase is already on to replace the Sooners and Longhorns as the Big 12's best. The Tigers' two star Chases — Daniel and Coffman — passed on NFL opportunities to give it the ol' college try one more time.
"I know we're all excited about what's out there for us as a team next year,” Daniel said. "We know we can do some special things.”
How special? Try Big 12 champion special. Even national title special.
The Sooners — the only team to beat Mizzou in 2007 — slide off the Tigers' schedule. There is a road trip to Texas for the Tigers, but that fear factor has lightened.
The 'Horns and Sooners haven't lost their place at the front of the race. Not hardly.
But not a single game has been played, and already they've lost momentum.
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Grinning? No, more like laughing hysterically. Poor Gooners, your team is decimated. In this age of college football parity you can't lose a few key players and win any championships and I'm sure I don't have to remind you of what happened in the Fiesta Bowl. Take off your crimson colored glasses. I almost feel sorry for what will be left of your team when they enter the snakepit of 60,000 screaming orange-clad fans in Boone Pickens stadium next fall. Almost, but not quite.
No doubt Mike...It's as if every sports writer for the paper read the exact same book on how to write. Half way through this and it and phrases like "don't let the sunshine pumpers fool you" and "striking junior college recruiting gold as a stopgap" had me checking to see if this was another one of Trammel's diatribes. How I wish the daily would get a decent sports writer.
Helsley, were you even WATCHING the Sooner's 2 spankings of Mizzou this year, especially in the Big XII Championship? The sky is most certainly NOT falling.
STEP ON IN BOYS! Oklahoma has a revolving door of talent that will keep them on top of the Big 12. When one door closes, good luck NFL bound Sooners, opportunity opens up for another. Orange Bowl Bound, Boomer Sooner!
Use to be getting an education was important and you were lucky, if you were getting it for free (just for playing sports) then you were extremely lucky. Not anymore though, its three and out for the good players. Where and why did we lose it?...Money thats how, these young kids make a lot of money and that is pretty hard to pass up. I wish it wasn't that way. Education is so very important!
Articles like this make me laugh when I hear people crying about how the college players should be paid because they're being "exploited". They're either getting millions after being able to play at this level or they're "only" getting a college education for free. Yea, it's tough being a college football player at a major school.
Scott, Can Bob prepare? He and his coaches did not for the last five bowl games. He seems like he has lost a little of the guy who first came to OU with a gamblers instinct and a flare to inspire his troops. That is why a lot of players are defecting to the NFL. Is Stoops a good coach, yes. But not a great one anymore. Even in the Holiday Bowl the team did not look like they were prepared. The last four BCS bowl games are jokes as far as how well OU prepared and played. Players come to OU to play for National Championships and a lot to get ready for the NFL. Well good luck to them. However, unless there is circumstances that force them to leave early they should stay and be loyal to the team and institution that is the stepping stone to the NFL. Money is always an enticement but loyalty should be stronger.
Don't you think Bob has prepared for this possibility? What? You don't think Lofton had a backup or they had a backup scheme in the event that Lofton got injured? This just leaves room for someone else to step up. He was good, but he was not the mesiah.
Lofton leaving is a concern. Kelly leaving is not, and the West Virginia game is not valid evidence to support that it is. Spend a month preparing a game-plan with a player, then lose him the day before the game, and you'll struggle, of course. Move forward in an off-season knowing he's leaving, and adjust everybody elses role accordingly, and the future looks great. With a returning offensive line, Bradford, Iglesias, Johnson, Gresham, and an expanded package of plays for DeMarco Murray, the Sooner offense won't skip a beat. Finding another middle linebacker could be another story.
Oh woe is me. What will we do? The end of the world must be near. Poppycock. I seem to remember that one of the biggest question marks on defense at the beginning of the season was middle linebacker. Lofton was a huge surprise at middle. I would like to see him stay, but no one is irreplaceable. We'll win 14 games, or we'll win 7, but the reason for either won't be Lofton turning pro.
i can't imagine anyone drafting loadholt. given his lack of performance they would be drafting on size alone, but then again that's how ou recruited him. schools will have to change the way they recruit thinking a true blue chipper will only be around for the minimum stay. plus the fact that classes generally get harder that last year. the guys majoring in nfl prep will run out of the easy stuff and go pro rather then sweat elgibility. used to be only a few were good enough to enter the draft, now too many of them think they are. why not, even a late round pick makes alot of $$$$$. why be loyal to your team, your school, when everybody is told to look out for number one. and what happens to the guys that think they're good enough but aren't? i think it's just a sign of the times. too bad.
i can't imagine anyone drafting loadholt. given his lack of performance they would be drafting on size alone, but then again that's how ou recruited him. schools will have to change the way they recruit thinking a true blue chipper will only be around for the minimum stay. plus the fact that classes generally get harder that last year. the guys majoring in nfl prep will run out of the easy stuff and go pro rather then sweat elgibility. used to be only a few were good enough to enter the draft, now too many of them think they are. why not, even a late round pick makes alot of $$$$$. why be loyal to your team, your school, when everybody is told to look out for number one. and what happens to the guys that think they're good enough but aren't? i think it's just a sign of the times. too bad.
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Seems like OU survived those early departures all the way back to a BCS game.