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The 2006 Oklahoma Sooners football team will represent the University of Oklahoma in the college football season of 2006-2007. The previous year's team did not quite reach to the expectations that head coach Bob Stoops has set for his teams. It was a rebuilding year as they lost many of their star players, including Heisman Trophy winner Jason White. In all, ten players were drafted from the 2004 squad, representing nearly a third of all Big 12 players drafted that year.[1] The Sooners ended the season with eight wins and four losses, third in the Big 12 South standings and 22nd in both the Associated Press and USA Today polls. The team will continue to be coached by head football coach Bob Stoops. The Sooners will play their homes games in Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.

Preseason

After last year's disappointing 8-4 season, the Sooners look to return to form in 2006. Sophomore quarterback Rhett Bomar now has a full season of collegiate football under his belt and he appears ready to lead the team. Standout running back Adrian Peterson is once again healthy and ready to present his Heisman credentials. Both Bomar and Peterson are on the Maxwell Award watchlist.[2]

As with all Stoops's squads, the defense is looking to dominate again this year. Star linebacker Rufus Alexander (a Bednarik Award hopeful[3]) returns for his senior campaign as do defensive ends C.J. Ah You, Larry Birdine, and Calvin Thibodeaux (Ah You and Birdine are Ted Hendricks Award hopefuls[4]).

Nearly all major sports publications have the Sooners in the preseason Top 10.[5] Some even have the Sooners as the preseason #1 pick including Athlon[6] and Gold Sheet[7]. The team has a lot of young talent. The high school scouting website Rivals.com ranked Oklahoma's 2005 recruiting class number nine in the nation[8] and the 2004 recruiting class number three.[9] Some of this year's signees will make an impact in coming years but several have the chance of making an immediate impact on the 2006 season. Signees from last year's number one recruiting class[10] will make even more of an impact this year. When combined with statements from the OU coaching staff, the Sooners look to be back in contention for the national title this year.

Schedule

Date Time Opponent# Rank# Site TV Result
09/02/2006* 6:00 p.m. UAB Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium · Norman, OK TBS
09/09/2006* 2:30 p.m. Washington Oklahoma Memorial Stadium · Norman, OK ABC[11]
09/16/2006* 2:30 p.m. @ Oregon Autzen Stadium · Eugene, OR ABC[11]
09/23/2006* TBA Middle Tenn State Oklahoma Memorial Stadium · Norman, OK
10/07/2006 TBA Texas Cotton Bowl · Dallas, TX (Red River Rivalry)
10/14/2006 TBA Iowa State Oklahoma Memorial Stadium · Norman, OK
10/21/2006† TBA Colorado Oklahoma Memorial Stadium · Norman, OK
10/28/2006 TBA @ Missouri Faurot Field · Columbia, MO
11/04/2006 TBA @ Texas A&M Kyle Field · College Station, TX
11/11/2006 TBA Texas Tech Oklahoma Memorial Stadium · Norman, OK
11/18/2006 TBA @ Baylor Floyd Casey Stadium · Waco, TX
11/25/2006 1:30 p.m. @ Oklahoma State Boone Pickens Stadium · Stillwater, OK (Bedlam) FSN
*Non-Conference Game †Homecoming #Rankings from Coaches Poll released prior to game.[5] All times Central Standard Time (UTC-6) and subject to change.

Roster

Once again, the Sooners will be competing with a relatively young team. Of the 72 players listed on the latest roster, only 9 of them are scholarship seniors.[12] Nevertheless, the younger players on the team as a whole have more experience than their peers at other universities. The offense will once again rely on sophomore quarterback Rhett Bomar and his string of young, but talented wide receivers including Malcolm Kelly, Manuel Johnson, Juaquin Iglesias and the elder Paul Thompson. Not to mention junior Adrian Peterson, the team's main ball carrier. Most of the Sooners' experience lies on the other side of the ball. The Sooner linebackers are the most experienced players on the team. The squad is anchored by NFL hopefuls Rufus Alexander and Zach Latimer. Alexander was ranked as the third best linebacker in the country by College Football News.[13] Behind them are other key players such as Demarrio Pleasant and Lewis Baker. Sophomore Ryan Reynolds will be trying to make a name for himself this year as well. In addition to a veteran linebacker squad, OU has a number of big-name defensive ends. College Football News ranked Larry Birdine, Calvin Thibodeaux and C.J. Ah You in the top 25 best defensive ends for the 2006 season (ranked 14th, 20th, and 22nd, respectively).[14] Oklahoma was the only team with three players in the top 25. Template:2006 Oklahoma Sooners football roster

Coaching staff

Name Position Years
at OU
Bob Stoops Head Coach 8
Brent Venables Associate Head Coach
Defensive Coordinator
Linebackers		 8
Bobby Jack Wright Assistant Head Coach
Co-Defensive Coordinator
Defensive Backs		 8
Kevin Wilson Offensive Coordinator
Tight Ends/Fullbacks		 5
Cale Gundy Recruiting Coordinator
Running Backs		 8
Kevin Sumlin Co-Offensive Coordinator
Receivers		 5
Josh Heupel Quarterbacks 3
James Patton Offensive Line 1
Jackie Shipp Defensive Line 8
Chris Wilson Defensive Ends 2

Game notes

University of Alabama at Birmingham

1 2 3 4 Total
Blazers 0
Sooners 0

The Sooners begin their season at home on September 2 against UAB. Last year, UAB finished with a 5-6 record, following their respectable 7-5 record of the year before. UAB is looking to start their season on a high note, much the same way TCU was able to do against OU last year. UAB begins the year with a tough non-conference schedule that includes away games against Oklahoma and Georgia. Needless to say, the Blazers will be looking toward their quarterback for leadership, whomever that may be. As of July 24, 2006, OU was a 27-point favorite over UAB.[15]

References

  1. ^ "A Closer Look at OU and the 2005 NFL Draft" (HTML). SoonerSports.com. Retrieved 2006-07-05.
  2. ^ "OU's Bomar, Peterson make Maxwell Award watch list" (HTML). ESPN.com. Retrieved 2006-07-05.
  3. ^ "Alexander on Bednarik List" (HTML). SoonerSports.com. Retrieved 2006-07-05.
  4. ^ "Ah You, Birdine on Hendricks List" (HTML). SoonerSports.com. Retrieved 2006-07-05.
  5. ^ a b See also 2006 NCAA Division I-A football rankings.
  6. ^ "Preseason Top 25" (HTML). Athlon Sports, Inc. Retrieved 2006-07-05.
  7. ^ Marshall, Bruce. "THE GOLD SHEET PRESEASON TOP 25!" (HTML). The Gold Sheet. Retrieved 2006-07-05.
  8. ^ "2006 Team Rankings" (HTML). Rivals.com. Retrieved 2006-07-17.
  9. ^ "2005 Team Rankings" (HTML). Rivals.com. Retrieved 2006-07-29.
  10. ^ "2005 Team Rankings" (HTML). Rivals.com. Retrieved 2006-07-17.
  11. ^ a b Announcers for this game will be Brad Nessler, Bob Griese and Paul Maguire in the booth and Bonnie Bernstein on the sidelines.
  12. ^ Davis, Brian (January 27, 2006). "Peterson, OU are set to strut their stuff". The Dallas Morning News Co. Retrieved 2006-07-27.
  13. ^ "2006 CFN All-America Defensive Ends" (HTML). Collegefootballnews.com. Retrieved 2006-07-13.
  14. ^ "2006 CFN All-America Linebackers" (HTML). Collegefootballnews.com. Retrieved 2006-07-13.
  15. ^ Haney, Jeff. "Jeff Haney draws a bead on a long shot to win the 2007 BCS championship". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved 2006-07-24.
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2006_Oklahoma_Sooners_football_team&oldid=67041134

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