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	<channel>		<title>RUWT? News</title>
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		<description>RUWT? News for Oklahoma</description>
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		<pubDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2009 03:44:59 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Texas Tech routs Oklahoma 41-13]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[LUBBOCK, Texas(AP) -- Taylor Potts threw for 388 yards and two
touchdowns as Texas Tech beat Oklahoma 41-13 on Saturday for its
most lopsided win ever over the Sooners.

Baron Batch ran for 136 yards and two scores for the Red Raiders
(7-4, 4-3 Big 12), who became bowl eligible for the 16th
straight season.

Oklahoma (6-5, 4-3) has its most losses since going 7-5 in 1999.
It was just the fifth victory in 17 meetings for Texas Tech
against the Sooners, and the Red Raiders had never won by more
than 10 points in the series.

The margin was a stunning reversal from last season, when the
Sooners crushed Texas Tech 65-21 to end the Red Raiders'
national championship hopes. Oklahoma hadn't lost this badly
since falling to Texas 45-12 in 2005.

Texas Tech's Alex Torres had his best game of the season with 11
catches for 163 yards.

The victory was No. 83 for Mike Leach, surpassing predecessor
Spike Dykes as the winningest coach at Texas Tech.

The Sooners' pass defense came in at No. 18 in the nation (178
yards per game) but couldn't hold back Texas Tech's passing
offense, ranked second in the country.

Brandon Sharpe helped keep the Oklahoma offense out of rhythm.
He entered the game second in the nation in sacks and added 2
1/2 more Saturday.

Landry Jones was 18 of 35 for 262 yards for the Sooners.

With Texas Tech comfortably ahead at the start of the fourth
quarter, Red Raiders fans and players began to hop up and down
to House of Pain's "Jump Around," reciprocating what Sooners
fans did at Memorial Stadium during last November's rout of the
Red Raiders.

That loss ended Tech's unbeaten season and kept the Sooners
ahead of Texas in the BCS standings, which helped send OU to
play for the national championship against Florida.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[ncaaf]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/ncaaf/news/136046-Texas-Tech-routs-Oklahoma-41-13</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/ncaaf/news/136046-Texas-Tech-routs-Oklahoma-41-13</guid>
				<pubDate>Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:17:08 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Stoops, Sooners try to end losing ways in Lubbock]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By JEFF LATZKE
AP Sports Writer

NORMAN, Okla.(AP) -- None of Oklahoma's players can claim many
happy memories from playing at Texas Tech.

Few would like to forget more than DeMarco Murray.

The Sooners' dynamic running back had his record-setting
freshman season cut short when he dislocated his kneecap while
trying to recover a failed onside kick in the Sooners' 34-27
loss to the Red Raiders two years ago. The defeat, in which
quarterback Sam Bradford suffered a concussion, knocked Oklahoma
out of the national championship chase.

"It was bad," Murray said Tuesday. "I've been thinking about it
a little bit, but come Saturday I don't think I'll be worried
about it."

Murray's injury, which kept him out of the Big 12 championship
game and Fiesta Bowl that season, provided a sour finish to
what's been a bitter road trip for the Sooners (6-4, 4-2 Big 12)
the last two times.

Back in 2005, Oklahoma lost 23-21 on a controversial Taurean
Henderson touchdown run on the final play of the game. An
instant replay review was unable to determine whether Henderson
had crossed the goal line because a key camera angle wasn't
available. Then came the seven-point loss in 2007.

Texas Tech (6-4, 3-3) hosts Oklahoma again on Saturday.

"We know the last two times we've been down there, we lost,"
Murray said. "Last year, we beat them here at home. But it's
always a crazy time playing down there in Lubbock. The fans are
pretty crazy. It's not as loud as other places but the
atmosphere, it's pretty crazy.

"I think we have to get immune to it and just settle down."

No Big 12 opponent has had more success at home against Sooners
coach Bob Stoops than the Red Raiders. (Remember that the annual
rivalry against Texas is played on a neutral field in Dallas.)
Texas Tech is the only conference school that can claim three
home victories against Stoops, also notching a 38-28 victory in
1999.

"When you go to someone's place and they're a good team, it's
harder to play there. For the most part, we've played well
here," said Stoops, who has a 29-game home winning streak. "And
you go most places who win a lot, they play well in their place.
I don't think there's anything magical about it."

The Sooners' struggles have certainly been amplified away from
home this season. While they're 5-0 at Owen Field, their record
is 1-4 elsewhere.

The most noticeable difference has been on offense. Oklahoma has
averaged 49.8 points in Norman and only 16.8 away from home.
Offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson suggested that the familiar
surroundings allowed the Sooners to overcome mistakes such as
penalties that have hurt them in other places.

"It's maximized on the road because on the road, when the crowd
goes against you, it snowballs," Wilson said. "At home, where
the crowd isn't as bad, we've overcame those things. We need to
go this week to Tech and be a team that's smart enough and good
enough to change and not give our opponent an advantage.

"We have a tough enough time winning in the first place, so why
do you want to help your opponent?"

Oklahoma also had five turnovers - all on interceptions thrown
by Landry Jones - in its last road trip, a 10-3 loss at
Nebraska.

"In our last three trips, we've had 12 turnovers. That's another
way to lose," Wilson said.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[ncaaf]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/ncaaf/news/135013-Stoops-Sooners-try-to-end-losing-ways-in-Lubbock</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/ncaaf/news/135013-Stoops-Sooners-try-to-end-losing-ways-in-Lubbock</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:13:36 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Jones leads Oklahoma rout of Texas A&M, 65-10]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By MURRAY EVANS
Associated Press Writer

NORMAN, Okla.(AP) -- A week after throwing five interceptions,
Landry Jones passed for a career-high 392 yards and five
touchdowns - two to DeMarco Murray - as Oklahoma became
bowl-eligible with a 65-10 rout of Texas A&M on Saturday night.

Murray rushed 18 times for 80 yards and had five catches for 143
yards for Oklahoma (6-4, 4-2 Big 12), which put the game away in
the first half by taking advantage of three lost fumbles by
Texas A&M (5-5, 2-4), two of those on kick returns.

Jones completed 24 of 39 passes as Oklahoma rolled up season
highs in offense (640 yards) and points. Chris Brown, Ryan
Broyles and Adron Tennell scored two touchdowns each for
Oklahoma, which has won seven straight against the Aggies. The
Sooners have won 29 straight home games, the longest active
streak in the FBS.

The Sooners' oft-criticized offensive line, which lost two more
starters to injury a week earlier in a 10-3 loss to Nebraska,
again had its share of miscues, but it didn't allow a sack
against an Aggie defense that entered the game third in the FBS
in that category.

Oklahoma's defense limited Texas A&M to 226 yards of offense.
Texas A&M quarterback Jerrod Johnson completed 12 of 33 passes
for 115 yards and one touchdown and the Aggies managed only 59
rushing yards.

A week after failing to score a touchdown against Nebraska - and
subsequently falling out of the Top 25 for the first time since
2005 - Oklahoma put 42 points on the scoreboard in the first
half.

Oklahoma led 7-0 before its first offensive snap as Brian
Jackson returned a fumble by Christine Michael 52 yards for a
touchdown. The Sooners went up 14-0 on receiver Broyles' first
career rushing touchdown, on a 25-yard reverse.

Michael Hodges intercepted a Jones pass and returned it 28 yards
to the Oklahoma 6, setting up the Aggies' only first-half
touchdown, a 9-yard pass from Johnson to Jeff Fuller that made
it 14-10. But Texas A&M's significant issues in the return game
allowed the Sooners to pull away.

Oklahoma's Keenan Clayton recovered a fumbled punt by Colt
Valencia at the Texas A&M 22, and Jones subsequently hit Broyles
on a 5-yard touchdown pass. Brown capped an 85-yard Oklahoma
scoring drive with a 6-yard touchdown run to make it 28-10.
After the Aggies went three-and-out, Murray's 36-yard
catch-and-run touchdown put the Sooners ahead 35-10.

Cyrus Gray fumbled while returning the ensuing kickoff and
Oklahoma's Ronnell Lewis recovered at the Aggies 25. Jones threw
an 11-yard touchdown pass to Tennell 54 seconds before halftime.

Murray took a screen pass from Jones and cut right-to-left
across the field during a 67-yard touchdown play, putting
Oklahoma ahead 48-10 less than two minutes into the second half.
It was the longest reception of Murray's career.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[ncaaf]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/ncaaf/news/134089-Jones-leads-Oklahoma-rout-of-Texas-A-M-65-10</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/ncaaf/news/134089-Jones-leads-Oklahoma-rout-of-Texas-A-M-65-10</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 15 Nov 2009 04:18:02 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Effort, discipline lacking during Oklahoma's slide]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By JEFF LATZKE
AP Sports Writer

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) --  Dumb penalties. Dropped passes. Receivers
giving up on routes. Turnovers. No ranking. Four losses.

Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops is largely in uncharted territory in
his 11th season with the Sooners, one marred by all those
problems and a rash of devastating injuries.

Like many coaches, Stoops considers discipline and hard work to
be the cornerstones of his program. And he hasn't seen enough of
either one from his team to overcome the adversity.

Blame the coaches for failing to teach the players that
discipline or blame the players for failing to put in the hard
work.

Or, Stoops says, point fingers at both.

"Criticize us because ultimately we've got to get them to do it
right," Stoops said. "In the end, it's always the two of you.
End of story. It'll be that way until they quit playing
football."

More than a failure to evaluate talent - the Sooners have still
been pulling in some of the top-rated recruiting classes in the
nation - Stoops admits he and his staff may have misjudged some
players' willingness to put in their best effort.

"You try and get to know kids," Stoops said. "You try and you
visit with people that are involved with them. A recruiting
coach gets many opportunities to visit with them in person. ...
You're constantly trying to evaluate guys and how competitive
they are and what their will is, but it's not that easy to
determine."

Defensive coordinator Brent Venables said coaches use every
resource available during recruiting, questioning the prospects,
along with their coaches, assistant coaches, friends, parents
and anyone else for indicators of how committed a player will be
in college.

Does he constantly talk about going to the gym? If he's a
slacker, will someone close to him drop a hint?

Some of Oklahoma's most decorated players during Stoops' tenure
- such as Rocky Calmus and Teddy Lehman - were not the most
talented but had a willingness to work. Venables cited Jeremy
Beal, who leads the Sooners' seventh-ranked defense with 9 1/2
sacks, as a current example.

"You come here and we're going to push you and challenge you and
motivate you to be the best on and off the field, and when you
leave here, you'll never ever be able to say, `I never realized
my potential,' and have regret about that," Venables said. "I'm
big on promoting that line of thinking."

Recently, some players recruited by the Sooners haven't fit in
with that approach. Four offensive linemen have transferred or
been dismissed in the past two offseasons and the team's top
receiving prospect in recent years, Josh Jarboe, was asked to
leave after he followed a gun conviction by posting an online
rap music video about shooting people.

"There's a number of reasons. Some guys don't want to go to
class, don't want to work out. They want to set their own
schedule and that, generally with a team of 100 guys, doesn't
set real well. So eventually, they're dismissed," Stoops said.

Those players could be the missing link for Oklahoma, which lost
four starting offensive linemen and three senior receivers after
last season - all in moves expected as part of the normal
turnover of a college program.

But the Sooners, who are also operating without two scholarships
lost due to NCAA rules violations, haven't been able to make up
for the lost depth.

There was some false hope when Heisman Trophy winner Sam
Bradford and tight end Jermaine Gresham, a second-team
All-American, joined left tackle Trent Williams and defensive
tackle Gerald McCoy in returning for another year of college
instead of entering the NFL draft.

Instead, Gresham has missed the whole season after knee surgery
and Bradford has only played in three games because of a
shoulder injury.

Consider, though, that until three more starters were lost to
season-ending injuries this week, the Sooners had most of the
same personnel they would have expected before Bradford and
Gresham made surprising decisions to stay in school.

Stoops isn't convinced the Sooners would've been better off if
he had kept some players around. After all, the principles he
follows have led the Sooners to six Big 12 championships and
four appearances in the national championship game.

"In the end," Stoops said, "I'm very confident in our standards
and what we expect."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[ncaaf]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/ncaaf/news/133194-Effort-discipline-lacking-during-Oklahomas-slide</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/ncaaf/news/133194-Effort-discipline-lacking-during-Oklahomas-slide</guid>
				<pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:16:01 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Stumbling Sooners lose 3 more starters for season]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By JEFF LATZKE
AP Sports Writer

NORMAN, Okla.(AP) -- Bob Stoops hasn't been able to get an 'Are
you kidding me?' kind of laugh out of Oklahoma's string of
injuries. Never feels like screaming either.

"Not my style," he said.

There's no question, though, that this season has been trying
for the Sooners' coach. Tight end Jermaine Gresham, a
second-team All-American, suffered a season-ending injury days
before Oklahoma's opener against BYU and the challenges have
never let up.

Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford was out, then back in and
finally gone for good with an injury to his right, throwing
shoulder. Top receiver Ryan Broyles and tailback DeMarco Murray
were also hurt and missed games, and this week brings even more
injury to the insult of the Sooners' fourth loss and their first
time out of the AP rankings in four seasons.

Three more starters will miss the rest of the year, the latest
being offensive lineman Jarvis Jones. Stoops said Tuesday that
Jones fractured his heel during a 10-3 loss at Nebraska on
Saturday and won't be back this season.

A day earlier, he announced that defensive end Auston English
and team captain Brody Eldridge also suffered season-ending
injuries in the Nebraska loss. English was to have surgery
Tuesday on a tendon in his ankle, and Stoops said Eldridge's
injury was to his neck - and not his shoulder as previously
described - and would not require surgery.

"It's just odd, too, the injuries," Stoops said. "(Trainer)
Scott Anderson's never seen a fractured heel. The tendon that
Auston English is having operating on later today, he's never
seen that tendon - that ever happen in all his years of
training. Brody's situation, it's actually with his neck, he's
never had before.

"We've had a lot of odd situations, or odd injuries, that really
are highly unusual."

The injuries have played a role in perhaps the most
disappointing of Stoops' 11 seasons in Norman. Oklahoma (5-4,
3-2) started out with hopes of returning to the BCS championship
game for a second straight year, but instead has fallen from No.
3 all the way out of the poll for the first time since 2005,
heading into Saturday's game against Texas A&M (5-4, 2-3).

"At certain points, sure, all that's happened through the year,
it aggravates you. It motivates you do to better," Stoops said.
"You're constantly searching for ways to overcome it, so that's
what we're trying to do - to get better in certain areas, to not
hurt ourself with some foolish penalties, to execute better in
critical situations, to make a field goal when you've got to
make it."

The injury problems really started back in training camp, when
Eldridge was moved from tight end to center while Ben Habern was
hampered by a back injury. When Gresham got hurt, it created a
dilemma of whether to move Eldridge back to replace him or keep
him at center.

Then came the big blow: Bradford sprained his shoulder just
before halftime against BYU, and the Sooners ended up losing
14-13.

"It's kind of like a snowball effect after that, good player
after good player gets hurt," Habern said. "But you can't blame
the season on that. You can't say that, `Oh, we would have won
this game if we had him or if we had somebody else.'

Eldridge had moved to left guard after Brian Simmons hurt his
knee - he's still "a couple weeks away," Stoops said - and now
he's out, too.

Offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said Tavaris Jeffries is back
with the team after dealing with a family issue last week, and
freshman Tyler Evans and sophomore Brian Lepak will help fill
the holes at guard. Stephen Good, a guard, will work more at
tackle to prepare to back up Cory Brandon, and tight end Eric
Mensik will be an emergency option.

"We'll still hopefully have enough. We're at a point, though, we
need to knock on wood and kind of stay where we're at," Wilson
said. "We don't need to lose anyone else as far as being able to
manage and get through the season."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[ncaaf]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/ncaaf/news/132781-Stumbling-Sooners-lose-3-more-starters-for-season</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/ncaaf/news/132781-Stumbling-Sooners-lose-3-more-starters-for-season</guid>
				<pubDate>Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:04:49 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Eldridge, English, Jones out for season]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[NORMAN, Okla.(AP) -- The Oklahoma Sooners have lost three more
players for the season.

Coach Bob Stoops said Tuesday that starting offensive lineman
Jarvis Jones will miss the rest of the year with a fractured
heel suffered during a 10-3 loss at Nebraska on Saturday.

Jones is the fifth starter the Sooners (5-4, 3-2 Big 12) have
lost for the season.

Defensive end Auston English was scheduled to have surgery on an
injured ankle tendon Tuesday and team captain Brody Eldridge is
out the rest of the year with a neck injury. Stoops had
initially described it as a shoulder sprain.

Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford and star tight end Jermaine
Gresham had season-ending surgeries earlier this year.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[ncaaf]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/ncaaf/news/132739-Eldridge-English-Jones-out-for-season</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/ncaaf/news/132739-Eldridge-English-Jones-out-for-season</guid>
				<pubDate>Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:39:33 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Neb. intercepts OU's Jones 5 times in 10-3 win]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ERIC OLSON
AP Sports Writer

LINCOLN, Neb.(AP) -- No matter how ugly, a victory against
Oklahoma is always special for Nebraska. Just ask Cornhuskers
coach Bo Pelini.

"I've had some great ones, but this ranks right up there,"
Nebraska's second-year coach said.

Matt O'Hanlon had three of the Huskers' five interceptions
against Landry Jones, and they squeezed enough production out of
their struggling offense to beat No. 20 Oklahoma 10-3 on
Saturday night.

Nebraska snapped a four-game losing streak against its longtime
rival.

"That game could have gone a lot of different ways, and we just
found a way to hang in there and hang in there, and we made
enough plays to win the football game," Pelini said.

The Sooners (5-4, 3-2 Big 12) failed to score a touchdown for
the first time since a 29-0 loss to Texas A&M in 1998.

The Sooners had 325 total yards, but they moved inside the
Nebraska 20 just once, turned over the ball three times on
downs, missed two field goals and had another one blocked.

Then there were those interceptions.

Nebraska picked off five passes in a game for the first time
since 2003 against Texas A&M, and O'Hanlon became the first
Huskers player since 1979 to intercept three.

"They made the plays they needed to win the game," OU coach Bob
Stoops said. "It would have been hard for our defense to play
much better. Offensively, we moved the ball quite frequently,
but we couldn't produce points. We didn't execute well enough or
they'd execute better than we did in the red zone."

The Cornhuskers (6-3, 3-2) won despite getting just seven first
downs and 180 total yards. They were able to get a yard when
they really needed it, after Prince Amukamara returned an
interception to the OU 1 in the second quarter. Zac Lee threw to
Ryan Hill for Nebraska's fourth offensive TD in four games.

Oklahoma's last two possessions ended on interceptions,
including O'Hanlon's third, which he grabbed at the Nebraska 7
with 27 seconds left.

O'Hanlon ran back his first interception 30 yards to set up Alex
Henery's 28-yard field goal.

"Personally, it can't get much better," said O'Hanlon, who also
had a team-leading 12 tackles.

Roy Helu Jr. ran for 138 yards on 20 carries for Nebraska, which
beat Oklahoma for first time since 2001.

After Lee took a knee to end the game, Helu and a band of
teammates dashed to the end zone stands to do their own version
of the "Lambeau Leap" to celebrate with fans.

The Cornhuskers moved to within a half-game of first-place
Kansas State in the Big 12 North race.

Jones, who completed his last 14 passes against Kansas State a
week earlier, missed on 10 of his first 12 and finished 26 of 58
for 245 yards.

Jones' five interceptions came after a run of three games in
which he completed 64 percent of his passes with seven
touchdowns and three interceptions.

"Obviously, I'd like to have a couple of those plays back," he
said. "I missed a couple of throws high. Goes over the
receiver's head and the safety was right there. The ball was
sailing on me a little bit."

Oklahoma turned the ball over on downs three times inside the
Nebraska 25. Twice the Sooners were unable to convert
fourth-and-1s at the 20, including one messed up by a
false-start penalty on left tackle Trent Williams.

"Offensively, we took care of the football, and we were playing
well defensively," Pelini said. "I just felt like we were in
control. Even when they got down there close, I felt we were in
good shape."

O'Hanlon dropped what looked to be a sure interception on the
play before he picked off Jones to finish off the Sooners.
O'Hanlon flung the ball into the air, drawing an excessive
celebration penalty, and then the Huskers ran out the last few
seconds.

Nebraska led 7-3 at half and had made only one first down.

Quarterback Cody Green, who made his first start in last week's
20-10 win at Baylor, led the Huskers' first five possessions.
With the freshman in charge, the Huskers generated no first
downs and 19 total yards.

Lee replaced Green after Amukamara's interception and connected
with Hill for the touchdown on his first pass.

"How about our defense?" Lee said. "It's fun to watch when you
have a defense like that. It's good to know as a quarterback
that they can lock down a game."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[ncaaf]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/ncaaf/news/132260-Neb-intercepts-OUs-Jones-5-times-in-10-3-win</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/ncaaf/news/132260-Neb-intercepts-OUs-Jones-5-times-in-10-3-win</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 08 Nov 2009 06:16:05 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Huskers will test Sooners' inconsistent O-line]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By JEFF LATZKE
AP Sports Writer

NORMAN, Okla.(AP) -- Oklahoma offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson
proclaimed that his front line was as talented as any in the
country at the start of training camp.

For a group that had lost four starters from a season ago, it
was a bold statement of support for mostly unproven players
charged with protecting Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford and
opening holes in the running game.

It was also in stark contrast to coach Bob Stoops' comments in
the spring that the offensive line was the "weak link" of the
team.

Two-thirds of the way through the season, the line is still a
work in progress for the No. 20 Sooners (5-3, 3-1) as they
prepare to face Big 12 preseason defensive player of the year
Ndamukong Suh and Nebraska (5-3, 2-2) on Saturday night.

Wilson this week defended his earlier comments.

"Have you guys never played cards?" he asked. "Don't you watch
that Texas hold `em deal? Sometimes you're bluffing a little
bit. Sometimes you don't.

"The only problem I have is that those guys are more talented
than they have played, and they're gaining on it. The talent
level does not match their performance because I see their
talents and potential, but potential's a dirty word because that
means you haven't done it yet."

The group has been constantly shuffled this season, with six
different starting combinations through eight games. The
combination of Trent Williams, converted tight end Brody
Eldridge, Ben Habern, Stephen Good and Cory Brandon has started
the last two games while left guard Brian Simmons continues to
recover from a right knee injury.

That continuity is not necessarily a sign that the problems are
solved.

"If those guys for one second think they've got it figured out,
then they're a long way off and we are definitely doomed,"
Wilson said. "I hope they'll have enough confidence in
themselves and play like they've been playing and don't make the
opponents, as tremendous as their defensive players might be,
don't make it bigger than it is."

While Suh has gained a reputation as a top NFL prospect, his
teammates have been productive, too. Fellow defensive tackle
Jared Crick set a school record with five sacks in last week's
20-10 win at Baylor.

"They have two of the top guys in the nation - big, strong,
physical guys - and we're looking forward to the challenge,"
said Good, who has started the last two games at right guard.

The problems for the line have been brewing for some time.
Tackle Britt Mitchell left the program prior to last season and
Jason Hannan, the team's backup center last year, and guard Kody
Cooke followed suit this offseason. Stoops then kicked tackle
Alex Williams off the team.

That drained the depth for a line set to lose five players with
starting experience, including three who are currently on NFL
rosters.

"There's a little bit of everything," Stoops said. "We got
caught thin with a big graduating class. It's not often you have
five guys that leave all at once. I think it's fair to say,
sure, we've had guys leave. We've had to remove guys because
they don't go to class, they don't do what the team requires
them to do. And then development, a lot of it's on these guys.
Certain guys have a better work ethic than others."

The departures mirror a trend from before the 2005 season, when
Oklahoma also suffered three early losses. That year, linemen
Akim Millingon and Brandon Keith left the team just before the
season.

Wilson blamed the exodus on an offseason conditioning program
that can be difficult for players to endure if it doesn't result
in playing time. He says the Sooners are trying to combat that
by getting younger players into the game sooner, when possible.

"We're trying to show them if you play, it's fun and all this
lifting and all this stuff is great because the guys that play
don't mind the lifting and running," said Wilson, who also
opened the door for walk-ons committed to work hard. "It's the
guys that aren't getting rewarded because they're not getting on
the field."

He suggested that the failures of the Sooners' coaching staff
have come in evaluating players' work ethic, not their talent.

"I'm still intrigued by our group because their talent level is
still better than they've played, and they still have a great
opportunity this week against an extremely talented and a proven
defensive line, because this group is proven. They play like a
great team," Wilson said. "We have a chance to make a statement
and see if we're gaining on that and getting closer to being a
decent offensive line."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[ncaaf]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/ncaaf/news/131743-Huskers-will-test-Sooners-inconsistent-O-line</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/ncaaf/news/131743-Huskers-will-test-Sooners-inconsistent-O-line</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:43:48 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Stakes not so high when No. 20 OU, Nebraska meet]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ERIC OLSON
AP Sports Writer

LINCOLN, Neb.(AP) -- Mention the Oklahoma-Nebraska rivalry to
longtime college football fans, and it conjures memories of
November classics from yesteryear.

Those were the days in the 1970s and '80s when Big Eight
championships and, often, national title hopes were on the line.
Even as the Big Eight morphed into the Big 12, and the
scheduling format allowed the teams to meet only twice every
four years, the series still had its moments.

Unfortunately, Saturday's game offers little for folks who still
think of Barry Switzer and Tom Osborne when they hear the words
Oklahoma and Nebraska.

Texas seems well on its way to winning the Big 12 South, leaving
the 20th-ranked Sooners (5-3, 3-1 Big 12) to jockey for the best
possible bowl bid.

Nebraska (5-3, 2-2) is still very much alive in the North
despite an offense that has generated just three touchdowns in
three games. If the Huskers win their mess of a division, the
reward likely would be a date with a Texas team that will be
favored by double digits in the conference championship game.

Sooners coach Bob Stoops tried to inject some oomph into
Saturday's game by showing his players Oklahoma-Nebraska video
clips from back in the day.

"There's a lot of amazing tradition and history," Stoops said.
"I always wonder if our freshmen, sophomores and guys who
haven't been around very long have a true understanding of the
tradition and history and pride of that program. I've always
felt that playing them is tough."

Nebraska coach Bo Pelini said his players understand the
history.

"But we're worrying about 2009 right now," he said.

The Sooners have won four straight against Nebraska, including
last year's 62-28 victory in Norman. For the Sooners, it was the
first of five straight games they scored in the 60s before they
lost to Florida in the national championship game. For the
Huskers, it was their last loss before they started a six-game
win streak that carried into this season.

Neither program has recaptured its momentum.

Sam Bradford, the Sooners' 2008 Heisman Trophy-winning
quarterback, injured his right shoulder in the opener against
BYU and was knocked out for the season against Texas in
mid-October. The Sooners had already lost All-America tight end
Jermaine Gresham to a knee injury.

Landry Jones has been a capable replacement for Bradford,
throwing 17 touchdown passes against six interceptions.

"It's exciting to see what he has been able to do," Stoops said.
"In five starts, he has been the player of the week twice in the
Big 12 Conference, so he's doing an excellent job."

The Sooners' defense ranks 11th or higher in three of four major
statistical categories. Still, losses to BYU, Miami and Texas
have taken the air out of a season that started with the Sooners
ranked No. 3.

Stoops said his players have kept a good attitude.

"They are pushing to get better," he said. "We've made some
improvement. There is still a lot more to go though. We're not
at all where we can be."

Nebraska also expected to have achieved more by this point in
Pelini's second season.

The Huskers were in position to beat Virginia Tech on the road
but ended up losing by a point after giving up an 81-yard play
on the Hokies' winning drive. They rose to No. 15 in the AP poll
after rallying in the fourth quarter to beat Missouri last
month, but embarrassing home losses to Texas Tech and Iowa State
have left them out of the rankings and behind upstart Kansas
State in the North.

"Hopefully we'll move forward and it will allow us to get into
the Big 12 championship and get into a good bowl game," Nebraska
nose tackle Ndamukong Suh said.

For that to happen, the Huskers better find some offense.
Freshman quarterback Cody Green is in line to make his second
start after taking over for Zac Lee, who struggled against Texas
Tech and was victimized by a school record-tying eight
turnovers, three of them his own, against Iowa State.

"We haven't put it all together," Pelini said. "We have been
mixing and matching a decent amount trying to find the right
combinations where we're limited. We just have to execute more
consistently. That will be even more magnified against a group
like this."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[ncaaf]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/ncaaf/news/131739-Stakes-not-so-high-when-No-20-OU-Nebraska-meet</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/ncaaf/news/131739-Stakes-not-so-high-when-No-20-OU-Nebraska-meet</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:01:46 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Huskers, Sooners set for battle of defensive lines]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ERIC OLSON
AP Sports Writer

LINCOLN, Neb.(AP) -- Nebraska and Oklahoma have been laying it on
the line all season. That would be the defensive line.

The Cornhuskers' Ndamukong Suh and the 20th-ranked Sooners'
Gerald McCoy are the best known of the men in the middle, but
they've gotten plenty of help as their teams' defenses have
developed into two of the nation's best.

No doubt, the boys up front will be a focal point when the teams
meet Saturday night.

"It's the battle of the best," Suh said. "We want to prove we're
the best."

The Huskers (5-3, 2-2 Big 12) have their strongest defensive
front since All-Americans Jason Peter and Grant Wistrom were
winning national championships in the 1990s. The Sooners (5-3,
3-1) have a line comparable to those headed up by All-American
Tommie Harris and Dusty Dvoracek earlier this decade.

The central figure at Nebraska is Suh, who has 13 tackles for a
loss, five sacks, 14 quarterback hurries and a team-leading
seven pass breakups.

McCoy, a fellow Lombardi Award semifinalist and Outland Trophy
candidate, hasn't put up the same numbers as Suh, but he can be
just as disruptive. Twelve of his 19 tackles have been behind
the line of scrimmage, and he leads the Sooners with eight
hurries.

Suh and McCoy are projected to be top 10 picks in next spring's
NFL draft, and they've been treated as such by drawing
double-teams from opposing offenses. All that's done is provide
opportunities for others.

Last week, Suh's linemate, Jared Crick, recorded a school-record
five sacks and a career-high 13 tackles in the Huskers' 20-10
win at Baylor. Suh wasn't exactly quiet: He had five tackles and
a sack.

Crick earned two national defensive player of the week awards
for his performance against Baylor, just as Suh did for his
dominating showing against Missouri a month ago.

"We were hoping throughout the season that if you double-team
Suh, I'm going to go at it and try and make plays," Crick said.
"After the last game, I would hope that teams would kind of
start shading my way more and let Suh have the opportunity to
make plays."

Defensive ends Pierre Allen and Barry Turner also have done
their part. Allen has three sacks and nine tackles behind the
line and Turner two sacks and seven tackles for a loss.

"It's going to be a huge battle up front," OU offensive lineman
Stephen Good said. "Two big guys and the D-ends are pretty big,
too. We're just going to have to come off the ball and move our
feet."

Nebraska's offensive line will get its biggest test of the
season going against McCoy, Adrian Taylor and ends Jeremy Beal
and Auston English.

"They're very aggressive up front," Nebraska coach Bo Pelini
said. "Obviously, to play good offense you have to have some
control of the line of scrimmage. To me, that's where it starts.
If we're able to do that we'll be able to have some success."

Taylor, who has 2.5 sacks and 18 tackles, has clogged the middle
for Oklahoma along with McCoy and, according to his coaches and
teammates, has been playing some of the best football of his
career in recent weeks.

Beal has come on strong this season and earned the nickname
"Sackmaster" from his teammates. He has at least one sack in
five of the last six games and leads the team with 8.5. He made
a career-high 12 stops in a loss to Texas.

Beal and English each have 18 career sacks and share the No. 10
spot on Oklahoma's all-time chart.

Beal said if opponents focus too much on McCoy and Taylor, he
and English and the OU linebackers will make them pay.

"Not taking away from them, they're two outstanding players,"
Beal said. "But we work as a unit and we do things as a unit.
That's how it is.

"If one guy is taking on a double-team, it's easy for the rest
of the D-line. You can't double-team everybody. If you get a
one-on-one, it makes it that much easier for everybody else."

---

AP Sports Writer Jeff Latzke in Norman, Okla., contributed to
this report.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[ncaaf]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/ncaaf/news/131492-Huskers-Sooners-set-for-battle-of-defensive-lines</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/ncaaf/news/131492-Huskers-Sooners-set-for-battle-of-defensive-lines</guid>
				<pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:50:17 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Oklahoma-Nebraska Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By JEFF LATZKE
AP Sports Writer

No. 24 Oklahoma (5-3) at Nebraska (5-3), 8:00 p.m. EDT

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) --  Bob Stoops is great friends with Nebraska
coach Bo Pelini and even let Pelini's brother stay at his house
for an extended period while they worked together at Kansas
State.

He grew up admiring from afar the rivalry the Cornhuskers had
with Oklahoma, where he'd eventually be hired as the head coach.

But would he like to see the Huskers re-establish themselves as
the marquee team in the Big 12 North?

"I'd rather they didn't," Stoops said with a chuckle Tuesday.

The Battle of the Big Reds has been a bit unbalanced lately and
Stoops likes it that way. While Nebraska has been rebuilding,
Stoops has been able to win four straight games in the series
and keep the No. 20 Sooners (5-3, 3-1 Big 12) among the nation's
top teams headed into Saturday night's game with the Huskers.

Instead of the rivalry determining the conference champion - as
it did 31 times in 36 years in the Big Eight - and even a
national championship, the game has had less panache in recent
years. There was the series' second "Game of the Century" in
2000 and the teams met for the Big 12 title in 2006, but it's
been nothing like the days of Barry Switzer vs. Tom Osborne in
the 1970s and '80s.

This time, both teams are just trying to make up ground in the
divisional standings. It's the fourth straight time Nebraska
(5-3, 2-2) enters the rivalry unranked and, before that,
Oklahoma was outside the Top 25 for six of eight meetings in the
1990s.

Pelini said he is "worried about 2009 right now."

"They've played for a long time and any time you've played for a
long time and the games were meaningful, there's going to be a
different air to the game," Pelini said. "A lot of people take
it seriously, obviously, and we're looking forward to it."

Some of today's players have a feel for the rivalry, although
they're more familiar with the 2000 and 2001 games than with
those further back. Sooners cornerback Dominique Franks, whose
uncle played for the Sooners, recalled watching recent rivalry
games on television.

"It was amazing," Franks said. "With all the athletes they've
had and the OU athletes, it's always been a great rivalry and I
don't expect anything less for this game."

"It's a big one, the Battle of the Big Reds," he added. "You
don't have to say too much after you say Oklahoma vs. Nebraska."

Stoops tries to make sure his players know the context of the
game. As he does with other traditional rivals, he showed clips
to the team about the history of the series.

"I always have had, playing Nebraska here for a long time, great
respect for them. An amazing tradition and history," Stoops
said. "I always want our freshmen, sophomores, guys that haven't
been around that long to have a true understanding of the whole
tradition, history and pride of that program.

"I've always felt that way. Playing them has always been tough."

All the history will be brought up at a reunion Friday night in
Lincoln. Switzer, Osborne and some of their best players -
including Heisman Trophy winners Steve Owens, Johnny Rodgers,
Billy Sims, Mike Rozier, Eric Crouch and Jason White - will eat
dinner together and then be introduced at halftime of Saturday
night's game.

Oklahoma held a similar reunion last year for players from the
1971 "Game of the Century."

"It's a great rivalry. I'm proud to be a part of it," said
Nebraska defensive tackle Jared Crick, who grew up watching the
rivalry in Cozad, Neb. "I can't really think about it too much
going into this week but it's in the back of my mind `Hey, this
is Oklahoma. If we beat them, we get bragging rights."'

Oklahoma won 62-28 last year in Pelini's debut in the rivalry.
Franks intercepted Joe Ganz's first pass and returned it for a
touchdown, and Oklahoma opened a 28-0 lead in the first 5 1/2
minutes. The Sooners' final point total was their highest ever
in the series.

"I just think it really took everything out of them. Just the
first play of the game having a pick-6, that'll discourage any
offense," Franks said. "It seemed like we jumped on them real
early and just took the life out of them."

Whether he likes it or not, Stoops said he expects Nebraska to
rise again. He knows the Pelini family well from their days in
Youngstown, Ohio.

"I just know Bo and his attention to detail, his understanding
of all parts of the game, that he'll continue to do a very good
job there at Nebraska and continue to build the program," Stoops
said.

---=

AP Sports Writer Eric Olson in Lincoln, Neb., contributed to
this story.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[ncaaf]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/ncaaf/news/131111-Oklahoma-Nebraska-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/ncaaf/news/131111-Oklahoma-Nebraska-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:17:50 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Stoops not eager to see Nebraska as powerhouse]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By JEFF LATZKE
AP Sports Writer

NORMAN, Okla.(AP) -- Bob Stoops is great friends with Nebraska
coach Bo Pelini and even let Pelini's brother stay at his house
for an extended period while they worked together at Kansas
State.

He grew up admiring from afar the rivalry the Cornhuskers had
with Oklahoma, where he'd eventually be hired as the head coach.

But would he like to see the Huskers re-establish themselves as
the marquee team in the Big 12 North?

"I'd rather they didn't," Stoops said with a chuckle Tuesday.

The Battle of the Big Reds has been a bit unbalanced lately and
Stoops likes it that way. While Nebraska has been rebuilding,
Stoops has been able to win four straight games in the series
and keep the No. 20 Sooners (5-3, 3-1 Big 12) among the nation's
top teams headed into Saturday night's game with the Huskers.

Instead of the rivalry determining the conference champion - as
it did 31 times in 36 years in the Big Eight - and even a
national championship, the game has had less panache in recent
years. There was the series' second "Game of the Century" in
2000 and the teams met for the Big 12 title in 2006, but it's
been nothing like the days of Barry Switzer vs. Tom Osborne in
the 1970s and '80s.

This time, both teams are just trying to make up ground in the
divisional standings. It's the fourth straight time Nebraska
(5-3, 2-2) enters the rivalry unranked and, before that,
Oklahoma was outside the Top 25 for six of eight meetings in the
1990s.

Pelini said he is "worried about 2009 right now."

"They've played for a long time and any time you've played for a
long time and the games were meaningful, there's going to be a
different air to the game," Pelini said. "A lot of people take
it seriously, obviously, and we're looking forward to it."

Some of today's players have a feel for the rivalry, although
they're more familiar with the 2000 and 2001 games than with
those further back. Sooners cornerback Dominique Franks, whose
uncle played for the Sooners, recalled watching recent rivalry
games on television.

"It was amazing," Franks said. "With all the athletes they've
had and the OU athletes, it's always been a great rivalry and I
don't expect anything less for this game."

"It's a big one, the Battle of the Big Reds," he added. "You
don't have to say too much after you say Oklahoma vs. Nebraska."

Stoops tries to make sure his players know the context of the
game. As he does with other traditional rivals, he showed clips
to the team about the history of the series.

"I always have had, playing Nebraska here for a long time, great
respect for them. An amazing tradition and history," Stoops
said. "I always want our freshmen, sophomores, guys that haven't
been around that long to have a true understanding of the whole
tradition, history and pride of that program.

"I've always felt that way. Playing them has always been tough."

All the history will be brought up at a reunion Friday night in
Lincoln. Switzer, Osborne and some of their best players -
including Heisman Trophy winners Steve Owens, Johnny Rodgers,
Billy Sims, Mike Rozier, Eric Crouch and Jason White - will eat
dinner together and then be introduced at halftime of Saturday
night's game.

Oklahoma held a similar reunion last year for players from the
1971 "Game of the Century."

"It's a great rivalry. I'm proud to be a part of it," said
Nebraska defensive tackle Jared Crick, who grew up watching the
rivalry in Cozad, Neb. "I can't really think about it too much
going into this week but it's in the back of my mind `Hey, this
is Oklahoma. If we beat them, we get bragging rights."'

Oklahoma won 62-28 last year in Pelini's debut in the rivalry.
Franks intercepted Joe Ganz's first pass and returned it for a
touchdown, and Oklahoma opened a 28-0 lead in the first 5 1/2
minutes. The Sooners' final point total was their highest ever
in the series.

"I just think it really took everything out of them. Just the
first play of the game having a pick-6, that'll discourage any
offense," Franks said. "It seemed like we jumped on them real
early and just took the life out of them."

Whether he likes it or not, Stoops said he expects Nebraska to
rise again. He knows the Pelini family well from their days in
Youngstown, Ohio.

"I just know Bo and his attention to detail, his understanding
of all parts of the game, that he'll continue to do a very good
job there at Nebraska and continue to build the program," Stoops
said.

---=

AP Sports Writer Eric Olson in Lincoln, Neb., contributed to
this story.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[ncaaf]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/ncaaf/news/131078-Stoops-not-eager-to-see-Nebraska-as-powerhouse</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/ncaaf/news/131078-Stoops-not-eager-to-see-Nebraska-as-powerhouse</guid>
				<pubDate>Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:27:56 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Jones' 4 TDs lift Oklahoma past K-State 42-30]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By MURRAY EVANS
Associated Press Writer

NORMAN, Okla.(AP) -- Landry Jones learned earlier in the week that
Sam Bradford wouldn't be returning this season, leaving Jones as
the full-time, rather than fill-in, starting quarterback for No.
22 Oklahoma.

His comfort level is increasing with every start, and that's one
reason Oklahoma's offense is beginning to catch up to its
defense. In his fifth start, the redshirt freshman completed 26
of 37 passes for 294 yards and four touchdowns in the Sooners'
42-30 victory over Kansas State on Saturday night.

"The most exciting part of tonight was when the offense answered
back when it had to," Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said. "... It's
a sign we're becoming a more complete team."

Running back DeMarco Murray returned from a one-game absence due
to an ankle injury and scored three touchdowns for Oklahoma
(5-3, 3-1 Big 12). The Sooners jumped ahead 21-0 and hung on
while Kansas State (5-4, 3-2) twice closed to within five points
in the second half.

In the fourth quarter, Jones went 10 of 10 passing while Murray
scored twice, on a 6-yard reception and a 3-yard run, helping
the Sooners hold their lead.

"Every game you just have to keep getting better," Jones said.
"And I'm getting better. I'm seeing the stuff easier out on the
field and seeing the coverages more."

Bradford, who won the Heisman Trophy last season, announced last
Sunday he would undergo season-ending surgery and likely enter
the NFL draft. Jones' teammates said they have confidence in his
ability to lead the Sooners the rest of the season.

"Landry is growing each week," Murray said. "He's a great player
and a great competitor. He knows the job is his now."

Oklahoma's defense, so strong in a close loss to No. 3 Texas and
in a rout of then-No. 24 Kansas, came through in the final
minutes against the Wildcats. The Sooners stopped Kansas State
on downs at the K-State 41 with 4:10 left and Quinton Carter
intercepted a pass from Grant Gregory at the Oklahoma 2 with 42
seconds left.

The Wildcats' Brandon Banks returned a fourth-quarter kickoff 98
yards for a touchdown, the fifth time he's scored on a kickoff
return in his career and the fourth time this season - both Big
12 records. He also caught nine passes for 156 yards.

"Brandon played well in a lot of different ways," Kansas State
coach Bill Snyder said. "...You begin to expect him to do some
things with kickoff returns. But I thought he went up and
competed well and made some catches in coverage."

Kansas State remained atop the conference's North Division
despite the loss.

DeJuan Miller, who had 11 catches all season entering the game,
led the Sooners with nine for 94 yards, while Ryan Broyles had
eight for 91 yards and two touchdowns. Oklahoma has won 28
straight home games, the longest active streak in the Bowl
Subdivision.

Kansas State hasn't won at Oklahoma since 1997.

"A loss is a loss," Snyder said. "I think the fact the
youngsters did come back and made the effort and got back in the
ballgame, I think that is a positive.

"You have got to be proud of the fact that they didn't give up,
which I am."

Early on, it looked as if the Sooners would run away from the
Wildcats, as Oklahoma needed just four plays to score on each of
its first two possessions. Jones hit Broyles for a 15-yard
touchdown 73 seconds into the game, and his 23-yard scoring pass
to Miller made it 14-0. Oklahoma scored again on its next
possession, as Jones and Broyles connected on a 2-yard touchdown
pass with 4:40 still left in the first quarter.

Keithen Valentine's 2-yard touchdown run made it 21-6 in the
second quarter, but Oklahoma's Adrian Taylor blocked the
extra-point kick. A 44-yard run by Oklahoma's Chris Brown to the
Kansas State 5 set up a 1-yard scoring run by Murray.

Valentine's 14-yard touchdown run on a fourth-and-1 play and a
2-point conversion early in the third quarter made it 28-17.
After Oklahoma went 3-and-out, the Wildcats went on a 75-yard
touchdown drive, highlighted by a 41-yard halfback pass from
Daniel Thomas to Banks. Oklahoma's Auston English blocked the
attempt, leaving the Sooners up 28-23.

A holding penalty wiped out a 38-yard touchdown pass from Jones
to Broyles, and a subsequent unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on
Broyles gave Oklahoma a first-and-45 late in the third quarter,
but the Sooners picked up the first down, thanks to an 18-yard
reception by Murray and a 25-yard catch-and-run by Broyles.

Murray closed the drive with his 6-yard touchdown catch, but
Banks returned the ensuing kickoff for a score, making it 35-30
with 11:18 left.

Thomas, who entered the game as the Big 12's leading rusher,
carried 16 times for 88 yards. Gregory completed 19 of 30 passes
for 174 yards.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[ncaaf]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/ncaaf/news/130495-Jones-4-TDs-lift-Oklahoma-past-K-State-42-30</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/ncaaf/news/130495-Jones-4-TDs-lift-Oklahoma-past-K-State-42-30</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 01 Nov 2009 09:01:46 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Disciples see Snyder's plan working at K-State]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By JEFF LATZKE
AP Sports Writer

NORMAN, Okla.(AP) -- Kansas State wasn't a popular pick to be the
front-runner in the Big 12 North this season. You sure wouldn't
know it by talking to the pair of Bill Snyder disciples on the
coaching staff at Oklahoma.

"I'm not surprised at all," said Sooners coach Bob Stoops, who
got his big break on Snyder's staff with the Wildcats. "You do
see a lot of similarities to all of coach Snyder's teams: good
solid defense, discipline, an excellent rushing attack. That's
where they always begin, along with the quarterback run game and
every way conceivable to run the football and gain an
advantage,"

"Good disciplined football, and sure it's what I expected to
see."

After three years of struggles under Ron Prince, K-State (5-3,
3-1 Big 12) is right back in the championship race heading into
Saturday night's game at No. 22 Oklahoma (4-3, 2-1).

The Wildcats bring in a one-game lead in the Big 12 North over
Iowa State, the only team picked to finish behind K-State in the
division in the conference's preseason poll.

Snyder's return got off to a shaky start with a four-point win
against Massachusetts of the Football Championship Subdivision
and then losses to Louisiana-Lafayette and UCLA. But what will
matter is how the Wildcats finish.

After Oklahoma, the rest of their schedule features consecutive
games against the teams expected to contend for the North title:
Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. Those games will determine
whether K-State can return to the conference title game for the
first time since 2003, when Snyder picked up his lone win
against Stoops in six tries.

"Things didn't go as well as they would have liked to early in
the year, and he's got the perfect demeanor to keep the ship
righted and in the right direction and keep the waters calm and
continued to focus every minute and every detail of every day,"
said Sooners defensive coordinator Brent Venables, who played
for Snyder before joining his staff.

"You just push to get better, work harder than you did the day
before and stay focused. He provides that type of leadership and
fosters that type of environment for his team to improve daily."

Stoops and Venables played a role in Snyder's "Miracle in
Manhattan," taking what was the only college team with 500
losses and winning two-thirds of his games over the next 17
seasons. Venables credited Snyder for a "tremendous amount" of
his coaching style and he figures the same keys to Snyder's
previous success- a detailed plan, tireless work ethic and
determination - are at the heart of his team's current success.

"It's not a bunch of schemes and tricks and a magic formula in
how you play well," Venables said. "It requires a great deal of
investment, belief and work ethic to get consistency."

The Wildcats' success so far has been built around a strong
running game led by Daniel Thomas that averages 186.5 yards per
game. The Sooners will test that with the third-best rushing
defense in the country, allowing just 70.1 yards per game.
Oklahoma is also yielding just 10.1 points per game, the
second-fewest in the nation, to give the offense a chance in
every game despite the loss of Heisman Trophy winner Sam
Bradford and tight end Jermaine Gresham to season-ending
injuries.

"Obviously, the defense is very impressive," Snyder said. "All
of the numbers would indicate that. The coaching background
there would indicate that. Maybe equal to that is their ability
to overcome the loss of their quarterback and replace him with
young guys who are playing lights out."

While piling up big rushing numbers, the Wildcats have been
largely ineffective through the air - with a Big 12-worst 170
yards passing per game. They're also last in the conference in
third-down conversions, picking up a first down just 33 percent
of the time.

"He's more of like an old-school guy," Sooners linebacker Travis
Lewis said of Snyder. "He's going to find little ways to hurt
you and they're going to put the ball downhill. They're an
option team, they like to run with that quarterback and I think
they took on the personality of their coach because they're a 10
times different team than they were last year."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[ncaaf]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/ncaaf/news/130104-Disciples-see-Snyders-plan-working-at-K-State</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/ncaaf/news/130104-Disciples-see-Snyders-plan-working-at-K-State</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:15:36 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[QB Bradford's surgery called a success]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[NORMAN, Okla.(AP) -- Oklahoma's Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback
Sam Bradford had surgery on his injured right shoulder Wednesday
and the school called it a success.

In a release sent out by the school, Bradford's father says Dr.
James Andrews informed him that the procedure went "just as we
expected."

Kent Bradford said his son was experiencing some soreness, but
was otherwise resting comfortably in Alabama after a 35-minute
surgery. The quarterback, who had sprained the AC joint in his
shoulder, was expected to return to Oklahoma within the next day
or two.

Bradford has said he plans to enter the NFL draft if his
recovery goes as planned. That process is expected to take four
to six months.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[ncaaf]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/ncaaf/news/129623-QB-Bradfords-surgery-called-a-success</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/ncaaf/news/129623-QB-Bradfords-surgery-called-a-success</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 28 Oct 2009 22:03:43 GMT</pubDate>
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			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Kansas St.-Oklahoma Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By JEFF MEZYDLO
STATS Senior Writer

Kansas State (5-3) at Oklahoma (4-3), 7:00 p.m. EDT

Sam Bradford's career at Oklahoma might be over, but his
teammates are prepared to finish the season strong without their
Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback.

The 22nd-ranked Sooners look to build off a dominating victory
while trying for a fourth straight win over visiting Big 12
North leader Kansas State on Saturday night.

A day after Oklahoma (4-3, 2-1) rolled to a 35-13 victory at
then-No. 24 Kansas last Saturday, Bradford announced he will
have season-ending shoulder surgery and plans to enter the NFL
Draft in April. The junior injured his throwing shoulder in a
season-opening 14-13 loss to BYU, and most recently against
Texas on Oct. 10.

Bradford broke school records with 4,720 passing yards and 50
touchdowns en route to the Heisman and the BCS championship game
last year. It was a 24-14 loss to Florida in the title game that
brought him back, but he threw for 562 yards and two touchdowns
while finishing one of three games he played.

Without Bradford, the Sooners lost three times and fell out of
national title contention.

"I don't think Sam, by any means, has held us back from just all
the talk," Sooners coach Bob Stoops said. "(The players)
understand Sam's situation. So there isn't anybody (that's) been
slowed by this."

The post-Bradford Era begins against Kansas State (5-3, 3-1),
the North's surprise leader which has dropped three straight to
Oklahoma since a 35-7 win at Norman on Dec. 6, 2003. Road dates
against Nebraska and Texas Tech, plus home games versus Texas
A&M and No. 13 Oklahoma State follow on the Sooners' schedule.

Third in the Big 12 South, Oklahoma moves on with improving
freshman quarterback Landry Jones, who's thrown for 1,363 yards
and 13 touchdowns with six interceptions in six games.

"He's feeling more comfortable out there," said receiver Ryan
Broyles, the team leader with 36 receptions and eight
touchdowns. "Now that Sam's out, I guess he can feel like he can
be more of a leader. We all know that he can play football."

Last weekend, Jones benefited from a dominating effort by the
Oklahoma defense, sixth in nation allowing 264.9 yards per
contest.

The Sooners intercepted star Todd Reesing on Kansas' first three
possessions and held the nation's second-ranked offense to 305
yards - about 200 fewer than its average.

"It's really comforting to have a great defense like that," said
Jones, who threw for 252 yards and two touchdowns.

Though Oklahoma allowed 550 yards in a 58-35 win at Kansas State
last season, the Wildcats are averaging 15.5 points per game
while going 1-3 on the road, compared to 38.0 at home where
they're 4-0.

Offensively, running backs Chris Brown and DeMarco Murray hope
for another big game against Kansas State. While the pair has
combined for 830 yards this season after each rushed for more
than 1,000 yards a year ago, Brown ran for 142 yards and Murray
104 with two TDs versus the Wildcats last season.

Though Kansas State has allowed 44 total points at home this
season, it's giving up an average of 32.3 on the road.

Meanwhile, Oklahoma has averaged 44.0 points during its
three-game winning streak over Kansas State, which begins a
rough final stretch that concludes with games against Kansas,
Missouri and Nebraska.

Since early losses at Louisiana-Lafayette and UCLA, the Wildcats
have won three of four. One week after a 62-14 rout of Texas
A&M, Kansas State beat Colorado 20-6 last Saturday to take a
one-game lead over Iowa State in the North.

"It feels good. We have to keep it up," receiver Brandon Banks
said of the Wildcats, the only member of the division with a
winning league record. "Hopefully we can stay on top and
continue to win."

After allowing 739 yards in a 66-14 loss at Texas Tech on Oct.
10, Kansas State has dominated the first half the past two
weeks, leading Texas A&M and Colorado by a combined 58-6. The
Wildcats have forced 10 turnovers and recorded nine sacks in
those contests after getting six the first six games.

Kansas State's running game has been a big part of its recent
success. The Wildcats are second in league averaging 186.5 yards
on the ground and 218.0 in their last two games.

Averaging 101.8 yards per game, junior Daniel Thomas rushed for
a career-high 145 yards and a TD on 20 carries against Colorado.

Kansas State, which hasn't started 4-1 in league play since
1999, has lost four in a row against ranked opponents since
winning 41-21 at then-No.7 Texas on Sept. 29, 2007.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[ncaaf]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/ncaaf/news/129416-Kansas-St-Oklahoma-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/ncaaf/news/129416-Kansas-St-Oklahoma-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:29:06 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Will Bradford's decision bring Oklahoma closure?]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By JEFF LATZKE
AP Sports Writer

NORMAN, Okla.(AP) -- After weeks of uncertainty over whether
Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford would be able to finish the
season as Oklahoma's quarterback, his teammates are moving on
with the knowledge that he's not coming back.

Bradford's announcement that he'll have season-ending surgery
and enter the NFL draft clears the way for backup Landry Jones
to take ownership of the team for the rest of this year, and
perhaps beyond.

"There's a little relief," said Jones, who has thrown for 1,363
yards and 13 touchdowns while replacing Bradford.

The initial prognosis suggested that Bradford could return as
early as two weeks after he sprained a joint in his right
shoulder in Oklahoma's season opener against BYU. Instead, it
ended up being five weeks - with three solid weeks of questions
about when he'd return - before he played again.

Then in his second game back, Bradford got hurt again - bringing
on another round of questions until he announced his plans
Sunday. Without Bradford, the Sooners (4-3, 2-1 Big 12) lost
three times and fell out of the national championship race after
playing in the BCS title game last season.

"I don't think Sam, by any means, has held us back from just all
the talk," Sooners coach Bob Stoops said Tuesday. "I think you
guys overestimate what kids pay attention to."

Stoops said the way the finality of Bradford's decision can help
Oklahoma is that Jones, a redshirt freshman, can accelerate his
development by getting more practice time the rest of the
season, not by eliminating distractions or uncertainty.

"They understand Sam's situation, " Stoops said. "So there isn't
anybody (that's) been slowed by this, as far as the uncertainty
of what his path was going to be."

Ryan Broyles, the Sooners' leading receiver, said Jones can take
more initiative now that his role is solidified.

"He knows that he doesn't have to worry about if he's going to
be starting this week or how many reps he's going to get. He
knows he's the man right now," Broyles said. "That definitely
gives him confidence."

While Bradford was recovering, Oklahoma tried to get both
quarterbacks ready to play by having one run plays during
practice while the other would stand several steps behind and go
through the motions.

Offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said Drew Allen is now the
No. 2 quarterback, although he hasn't decided yet whether he
would want to pull the freshman's redshirt simply to get him
some game experience. Walk-on John Nimmo played in mop-up duty
instead of Allen earlier in the season, when Bradford was still
expected to return.

"It's not good not having a very good player in Sam," Wilson
said. "Like I said a couple weeks ago, I thought we had two
quarterbacks. Now I'm not sure. We've got one, and now the other
guy hasn't played.

"The only thing is at least you kind of know here is where
you're at. You're not in a wait-and-see deal, with all the hype
that goes on: `What's the timeline?' or `Sam could be back."'

Jones said no amount of practice time could have aided his
development as much as playing in every game this season.

On Saturday, Jones had a career-high 26 completions for 252
yards and two touchdowns in Oklahoma's 35-13 win at Kansas - his
first road victory.

"He's definitely stepping up. He's feeling more comfortable out
there," Broyles said. "Now that Sam's out, I guess he can feel
like he can be more of a leader and more of a vocal leader. We
all know that he can play football."

Jones won over his teammates early on by speaking out in the
locker room at halftime of the BYU game after Bradford was
injured. He followed that with a school-record six touchdown
passes two weeks later against Tulsa.

"I think after Sam went down that it was Landry's team," left
tackle Trent Williams said. "Knowing that Sam had that shoulder,
we weren't real sure on how much we could count on him staying
healthy."

Jones said he doesn't expect to receive the same kind of
attention as Bradford and even suggested that his girlfriend,
Whitney Hand, was a bigger star at Oklahoma as a starter for the
Sooners' women's basketball team that went to the Final Four
last season.

Eventually, though, the expectations will fall to Jones as he
takes over for the leading passer in school history.

"Obviously, it's extremely hard. Sam's a great player," Jones
said. "He's one of the best quarterbacks to ever come through
this school, a Heisman Trophy winner, so I have some big shoes
to fill."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[ncaaf]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/ncaaf/news/129318-Will-Bradfords-decision-bring-Oklahoma-closure-</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/ncaaf/news/129318-Will-Bradfords-decision-bring-Oklahoma-closure-</guid>
				<pubDate>Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:59:32 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Oklahoma DT Granger denied medical hardship waiver]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[NORMAN, Okla.(AP) -- The NCAA has denied a request from Oklahoma
defensive tackle Demarcus Granger for a medical hardship waiver
that would allow him to play another season.

Sooners coach Bob Stoops said Tuesday that Granger's request for
a fifth year of eligibility had been turned down.

A former starter, Granger had surgery on his lower back in
December. He's said he was born with a condition that didn't
allow enough room for the nerves in his lower back, and a
surgeon had to scrape some bone away to relieve the pain.

Granger started 11 games for Oklahoma in 2007 before playing as
a reserve last year.

The 22nd-ranked Sooners host Kansas State on Saturday.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[ncaaf]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/ncaaf/news/129306-Oklahoma-DT-Granger-denied-medical-hardship-waiver</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/ncaaf/news/129306-Oklahoma-DT-Granger-denied-medical-hardship-waiver</guid>
				<pubDate>Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:14:04 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
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				<title><![CDATA[`Unanimous' advice led Bradford to leave Oklahoma]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By JEFF LATZKE
AP Sports Writer

NORMAN, Okla.(AP) -- As his teammates gathered around him in a
show of support, Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford described
the unanimous advice it took for him to enter the NFL draft and
end his college career at Oklahoma that was the fulfillment of
his childhood dreams.

"To make this decision and realize that I've probably played my
last game at Oklahoma," Bradford said, taking pause at the
thought, "it's really tough."

Bradford was raised by a former Sooners lineman just up the
interstate in Oklahoma City and he considered the team a fitting
substitute for the pro sports franchise, the state lacked. He
signed with Oklahoma as an unheralded recruit, only to win the
starting quarterback's job as a redshirt freshman and then have
his career take off as a sophomore.

He broke the school records with 4,720 yards passing and 50
touchdowns en route to the Heisman Trophy and the BCS
championship game a year ago, and it was a 24-14 loss to Florida
in the title game that brought him back for another season for
another shot.

He leaves Oklahoma, which has never produced a starting NFL
quarterback, as perhaps the school's most notable passer. Among
his school records are the career marks for passing yardage and
touchdowns.

"It's extremely tough considering that this is where I grew up,
this is where I dreamed about playing. To put this in the past
it's extremely tough," Bradford said.

"But I've been extremely blessed to be here. The past 3 1/2
years have been 3 1/2 of the best years of my life. I wouldn't
trade a day of it."

Teammates including fellow captains Gerald McCoy and Brody
Eldridge, tight end Jermaine Gresham - who's also out for the
season following knee surgery - and starters Chris Brown, Ryan
Broyles and Trent Williams filed in behind Bradford as he spoke
in the team's meeting room.

Dr. James Andrews will perform season-ending surgery on
Bradford's right, throwing shoulder Wednesday in Birmingham,
Ala. Bradford's recovery is expected to take four to six months,
with the NFL draft slightly less than six months away. Bradford
said he'll stick with his plan to enter his name in the draft in
January as long as his rehab is going according to plan.

He said he doesn't know when he expects to get drafted.

"We'll figure that out," Bradford said.

Bradford said he will not hire an agent until after the season
is over, so he can continue to travel with the team and remain
involved. He intends to complete his degree in the spring, and
is hopeful he can do so by taking online courses.

"I just know him personally, how hard this is for him to do this
because I know deep down in his heart he wants to play," coach
Bob Stoops said. "But really for his future, immediate and long
range, we are all the way fully supportive and want what's best
for him. And as hard as it is for him to do, this is the right
path to take."

Bradford was hurt just before halftime in the Sooners'
season-opening loss to BYU and returned to play one full game
before getting injured again in an Oct. 17 loss against Texas.
He accompanied the Sooners for their win at Kansas on Saturday,
then announced his decision the following day.

"After talking to a lot of people and getting a lot of
information, it seemed like this was kind of the unanimous
decision that everyone came to," Bradford said.

Bradford was projected as high as the No. 1 overall pick in this
year's NFL draft before deciding to return to school. He took
out an insurance policy to protect his future earnings, but
declined Monday to talk about the terms of it.

"Some people think money is everything, but to me money is not
everything," Bradford said. "To look at these guys and look at
the relationships I've built and the experience that I've had
here. Not many people can say that."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[ncaaf]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/ncaaf/news/129167--Unanimous-advice-led-Bradford-to-leave-Oklahoma</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/ncaaf/news/129167--Unanimous-advice-led-Bradford-to-leave-Oklahoma</guid>
				<pubDate>Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:41:00 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Bradford intends to enter NFL draft after surgery]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By JEFF LATZKE
AP Sports Writer

ST. LOUIS(AP) -- Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford will have
season-ending shoulder surgery and expects to enter the NFL
draft in April.

The Oklahoma quarterback injured his right, throwing shoulder
twice this season, most recently against Texas on Oct. 10.

The school announced Sunday that Dr. James Andrews will perform
the operation Wednesday in Birmingham, Ala. Bradford is expected
to address reporters following the Sooners' practice on Monday
night in Norman, Okla.

"I dreamed about coming to Oklahoma my whole life," Bradford
said Sunday in a statement. "That's the reason I came back for
this season. And I came back to play, not sit on the bench.
That's the reason I tried to play after the injury. I'm very
disappointed that it didn't work out differently.

"Under these circumstances, and after talking to several people,
this is the right thing for me to do at this point."

Bradford passed up the chance to be a first-round NFL draft pick
this year - he was projected as high as No. 1 overall - to play
another season with the Sooners, who he grew up following as a
child in Oklahoma City.

After he was hurt against the Longhorns, reaggravating a sprain
of the AC joint in his shoulder, Bradford initially said he was
going to wait until the end of the season to make a decision
about his future. He then called a news conference for Wednesday
on campus, then canceled it about two hours before it was
scheduled to take place.

He accompanied Oklahoma to its 35-13 road win at Kansas on
Saturday.

According to his statement, Bradford expects his recovery time
to be four to six months. As of Sunday, the April 22 draft was
about six months away.

"I'll be up to the challenge," Bradford said in the statement.

Bradford led the Sooners to the BCS championship game last
season as a sophomore, setting school records with 4,720 yards
passing and 50 touchdowns while throwing only eight
interceptions. Oklahoma lost to Florida 24-14 in the
championship game, and Bradford announced less than a week later
that he intended to return for his junior year - along with
classmates and fellow NFL prospects Gerald McCoy, Jermaine
Gresham and Trent Williams - for another chance at the title.

It ended up being the exact opposite of what he expected.

He broke 2003 Heisman Trophy winner Jason White's school record
for passing yards in a career one play before he was hit by BYU
linebacker Coleby Clawson just before halftime in the season
opener. The Sooners ended up losing that game and again at Miami
without Bradford before he returned to throw for 389 yards in a
win against Baylor.

On the second series against archrival Texas, Bradford fell on
the shoulder again when he was sacked by Texas cornerback Aaron
Williams in what will likely be the last play of his college
career. The Sooners, now ranked No. 22, lost for the third time
this season to fall out of the national championship race and
jeopardize their chances at a fourth straight Big 12 title.

Bradford also holds several other school records, including
career touchdown passes (88) and yards passing in a game (468).

"We want Sam to pursue the best option for his recovery and
future," coach Bob Stoops said in a statement. "We obviously
feel this is best for his long-range future. Sam has led us to
two Big 12 championships and an appearance in the national title
game, and has demonstrated uncommon leadership skills. He is an
absolute role model as a student-athlete and loyal teammate.

"We appreciate the incredible contributions he has made to this
program and university."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[ncaaf]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/ncaaf/news/128929-Bradford-intends-to-enter-NFL-draft-after-surgery</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/ncaaf/news/128929-Bradford-intends-to-enter-NFL-draft-after-surgery</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 25 Oct 2009 21:59:45 GMT</pubDate>
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