The secondary will miss the big-play ability of free safety J.T. Thatcher, but as we saw in the Orange Bowl, the secondary has several stars, the biggest of which figures to be safety Roy Williams. Oklahoma appears ready to go to a nickel package about 75 percent of the time, meaning Williams will end up at strongside linebacker, too. Bob Stoops is the hottest thing in coaching, taking over a program that hadn't had a winning record in five seasons and guiding them to a perfect record and a national championship two years later. Stoops is 20-5 at OU, and is just the second Oklahoma coach to lead his first two squads to bowl berths, joining Chuck Fairbanks, who also did so in 1967 and 1968. Rocky Calmus and Roy Williams are All-American candidates.
Defense is rock solid, particularly in the backfield.
Offense is loaded at skilled positions. A bull's-eye is back on the OU jersey. Heisman runner-up Josh Heupel at quarterback and Orange Bowl MOP Torrance Marshall at linebacker are huge losses. But, as the 2000 season showed, you underestimate the Sooners at your own risk. The Sooners are coached by the hottest staff in America and are armed with dedicated players who accept roles.