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NORMAN, Okla. -- Oklahoma’s defense has passed test after test this season.

Yet, TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin brings a test the Sooners have not seen in 2013 when TCU visits Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on Saturday. It’s a scary prospect for Sooners’ fans nine months after they watched Johnny Manziel run around, weave through and flat out outrun the Sooners defense in the Cotton Bowl last January.

“He’s a great running quarterback and he has a great arm,” defensive end Geneo Grissom said. “We’re going to have our hands full keeping him in the pocket.”

Quite simply, OU’s defense has been outstanding during the 4-0 start. The defense has been the driving, consistent force while the offense struggled to find its way early. Louisiana-Monroe, West Virginia and Tulsa brought spread attacks to the table, testing the Sooners’ secondary, while Notre Dame brought a physical run game. The 4-0 record makes it clear that OU passed both tests.

Defensive coordinator Mike Stoops’ move to a three-man front to help increase the overall versatility and make the unit faster has paid off thus far but OU hasn’t seen a runner at the quarterback position like the Horned Frogs’ signal-caller. And Stoops didn’t think twice when asked if Boykin presents a test as a running quarterback which his defense hasn’t seen in 2013.

“Without question," Stoops said. "When you look at his speed, athleticism, ability to run and cut and then throw the football, he’s a very dynamic player.”

Fortunately for OU, it won’t be the first time it had to deal with Boykin’s unique running ability. One game before the Sooners’ defense was embarrassed by Manziel, they handled Boykin well in a 24-17 win on Dec. 1, 2012. He was held to 36 yards on 11 carries while completing 17 of 31 passes for 231 yards and one touchdown.

Yet, the majority of the Sooners’ defense didn’t make major contributions on that day, watching from the sidelines as their teammates slowed down the Horned Frogs offense. Seven new starters will line up against Boykin on Saturday with the hope of being as prepared as possible to keep a TCU offense, which has struggled this season, under wraps.

“A lot of guys don’t necessarily know what kind of athlete he is,” said cornerback Aaron Colvin, one of the few Sooners’ defenders who was on the field in Fort Worth that afternoon. “But when you watch him on film or TV, you can see he’s elusive with the ball. You can tell them all you want but when you see a guy on the field, it’s a different feel than what you’ve seen on film.”

OU’s scheme changes were made, in part, for games like this and quarterbacks like Boykin. Their 3-3-5 system gets more speed and athleticism on the field to help deal with athletic quarterbacks who can make defenses pay with their legs and arm.

One of the key players on Saturday could be linebacker Eric Striker, the main player who has seen increased playing time in the 3-3-5 system. The sophomore spends most of his time as a rush linebacker-- his hit on quarterback Tommy Rees caused Corey Nelson’s interception against Notre Dame last Saturday-- and he will be asked to help corral Boykin on Saturday.

“He’s very shifty and fast,” Striker said. “Our scheme will help [contain him) and our athletic ability [will help contain him].”

While Boykin is far from a Manziel-like test for the Sooners, the sophomore is a different test than they've faced this season. It’s a test the Sooners feel better prepared for this season than they may have been in the past.

“We’re faster and being more aggressive,” Stoops said of his defense. “We’ll, hopefully, use that aggressiveness to contain him, but you still have to be able to control their run game as well.”

NORMAN, Okla. -- Oklahoma cornerback Aaron Colvin will step on the Notre Dame Stadium turf with a complete understanding of the tradition that surrounds him.

“It’s going to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” he said.

The Sooners are just days away from taking on Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., on Saturday, their toughest nonconference road test since traveling to Florida State in 2011.

“[Notre Dame] has some of the same vibes because this is a really good team,” Colvin said. “It’s a traditional school and they’ve got a lot of history there. We know that the crowd is going to be hostile, much like Florida State was.”

OU prevailed on that night, leaving Doak Campbell Stadium with a 23-13 win over Florida State on Sept. 17, 2011. It was a tough, gritty win in a hostile environment. Exactly the type of win OU hopes to earn on Saturday.

How did they do it? OU opened the game with a plan to establish the run early and create balance on offense. The Sooners turned to their ground attack nine times during a 15-play touchdown drive to open the game, essentially taking the Florida State crowd out of it and grabbing momentum.

It’s an offensive game plan the Sooners would like to repeat. With quarterback Blake Bell making his first road start, OU will want to establish the run, ensure offensive balance and lean on its defense. But the Sooners face a tall task against a Fighting Irish defense that allowed just 15 rushing yards to the Sooners in Notre Dame’s 30-13 win last season.

“It’s a big test for us across the board for our five guys up front,” offensive coordinator Josh Heupel said. “We need to be efficient running the football.”

First-down success will be critical. The Sooners ended up in too many third-and-long situations in their loss to the Irish a year ago, thanks to their 0.6 yard-per-carry average on 13 first-down carries. Being stuffed on first down helped contribute to OU's converting just 4 of 14 third-down conversion attempts.

“They try to get you behind the eight ball by not allowing you success on first down, which puts you in third-and-long situations,” co-offensive coordinator Jay Norvell said. “We have to do a good job of making efficient plays on first down, whether it’s running or throwing.”

The Sooners have expressed plenty of confidence in Bell despite it being his first road start, pointing to his game experience as the "Belldozer" in short-yardage situations during the past two seasons.

“I expect Blake [Bell] to handle himself in a great way,” Heupel said. “He’s been in a tough environment in big games and in critical situations on the road. Because of his experience he’s had, I expect him to handle it extremely well.”

But Bell didn’t see the field in Tallahassee, Fla., in 2011, making this the most hostile nonconference road environment he has played in during his career and an environment the Sooners simply can’t simulate in practice.

If Bell struggles -- or, quite possibly, even if he doesn’t -- the Sooners will probably have to lean on their defense. It worked against FSU in 2011, as the Sooners' defense beat up the Seminoles’ offense, even knocking quarterback E.J. Manuel out of the game while holding FSU to 246 total yards and 4.1 yards per play.

If OU’s defense shows up in a similar way on Saturday, it will likely take the crowd out of the game and increase its chances of having a joyous plane flight back to Oklahoma. If it doesn't, the crowd will get rowdy and the environment will get even more hostile, making life that much harder on Bell.

“You have to play good defense,” defensive coordinator Mike Stoops said. “You can’t give up big plays, you have to be able to keep the crowd out of the game, and that’s what Notre Dame did to us a year ago. We couldn’t get any momentum throughout the course of that game.”

The Irish’s victory in Norman could be considered the blueprint in many ways. Notre Dame made key plays -- on the ground and through the air -- on offense, dominated defensively and won the competitive plays when it mattered in the fourth quarter.

While OU has cruised to a 3-0 mark this season, plenty of questions remain, and the Sooners’ first road game of the season will answer questions even Heupel has about his offense.

“How are we going to play in a tough environment when things don’t go well?” he said. “How are we going to respond? Are we going to do the little things you have to do to win on the road in a tough environment and be a championship-type football team? We’ll find out a lot of that this weekend.”

If those questions are answered positively, OU could surge into the national title conversation, setting itself up as a dark-horse candidate, particularly if it looks impressive while securing a win over the Irish. If those questions are answered negatively, the Big 12 could become even more wide open than it already is.

“It’s an important road test to win in a tough environment where there’s been a lot of history and not a lot of teams have won,” Norvell said. “It would be a real notch for our football team to go up there, play well and get a win in that environment.”

On Saturday, Oklahoma will make its first trip to Notre Dame Stadium in 14 years. The Irish won that 1999 contest, 34-30, and have won eight others against the Sooners, as they hold a 9-1 all-time mark in the series. Last season's game turned on several big Notre Dame plays on both sides of the ball, lifting the Irish to a 30-13 road win and an 8-0 record.

What will happen this time around? We turn to Big 12 reporter Brandon Chatmon and Notre Dame reporter Matt Fortuna to preview this weekend's tilt in South Bend, Ind.

Matt: Brandon, Blake Bell earned the noble distinction last year of becoming the first player to rush for a touchdown against Notre Dame. That was eight games into the Irish's season, and this year they have already given up two scores on the ground. Obviously, Bell has a lot more on his plate this time around. And he is making his first career road start, in a stadium where the Irish have won 10 straight games. What can Notre Dame's defense expect to see from Bell on Saturday?

Brandon: The Irish will actually have to account for the possibility they will see No. 10 throw the ball when he's behind center. Notre Dame will have to be prepare for Bell to test its secondary with his arm more than his feet, and he showed he might be a better passer than people think in his first start against Tulsa. Undoubtedly, the windows will shrink against ND but the fact remains that the Irish will have to prepare for Bell, who could test them with his arm and feet, unlike their preparations for Landry Jones, who doesn't put fear into the heart of any defense with his legs. The overriding question in Norman is: how have the Irish changed in the trenches after manhandling OU in Norman last season? Can they do that again?

Matt: The depth of Notre Dame's defensive line took some hits this offseason -- first with the transfer of Eddie Vanderdoes to UCLA, then with the ACL tear suffered by Tony Springmann. Still, the front-line guys remain very dangerous, though the numbers have not exactly depicted that through four games. The Irish's opponents have done a good job of establishing a quick-strike passing game, effectively negating the strengths of the Irish's defensive linemen. A mobile quarterback like Bell will likely present more challenges Saturday, and it us up to the Irish to continue to adjust. The other side is a bit of a mystery as well. Notre Dame has struggled to establish much of a run game so far, but its offensive line has done a tremendous job of keeping Tommy Rees standing up straight through four games, and the offense has again limited the turnovers. Rees and this year's group of running backs just don't pose the kind of threat that Everett Golson and last year's backfield did, so it's hard to imagine the Irish running to set up the deep pass in the same way they were able to last year, when they connected with Chris Brown for a game-changing 50-yard strike in the fourth quarter. They may have more weapons at receiver this year, though. How does Oklahoma's pass coverage match up with TJ Jones, DaVaris Daniels and company?

Brandon: Well, Matt, the Sooners' secondary would like to think it's ready for the challenge against Rees and Notre Dame's receivers. All-Big 12 cornerback Aaron Colvin won't be a concern, but the rest of the secondary is somewhat untested. Senior Gabe Lynn is starting at safety, a new position, after spending his first three seasons at nickelback and corner, and he has played well. OU's three new starters, nickelback Julian Wilson, cornerback Zack Sanchez and safety Quentin Hayes, have looked good but haven't yet played a quarterback who will capitalize on their mistakes. That said, the OU secondary, without question, is faster and better in coverage than the 2012 version. Whether it will it hold up mentally in a hostile environment is the unanswered question, so I can't wait to see how it all plays out. Anyway, who do you like this weekend?

Matt: Notre Dame's defense played its best game Saturday, responding to Brian Kelly's mid-week challenge. But I'm just not sure it has completely turned the corner yet. I think the Irish are getting Oklahoma at a more opportune time, as Bell is making just his second start and the Sooners have yet to really be tested. But I have not seen enough so far that makes me believe Notre Dame will be able to handle everything Oklahoma will throw at it offensively. Oklahoma has had one more week to prepare, and I sense a bit of wounded pride coming from the Sooners after the Irish out-muscled them late last year and, eventually, ended up ruining the their BCS-bowl hopes. How do you see this one unfolding?

Brandon: I think everything falls on the shoulders of the quarterbacks. Rees is much more experienced than Bell and I have a feeling that's going to show itself on Saturday as the Irish make Bell uncomfortable in the pocket and force a couple of mental mistakes from the junior during his first road start. OU's defense will hold up and play well, giving the Sooners the chance to remain in the game no matter what happens offensively. But turnovers will be the difference and ND will win the turnover battle and win a close, hard-fought game at home.

NORMAN, Okla.--Disappointing. Frustrating. Ridiculous.

Oklahoma coaches and players used those words to describe the Sooners’ defensive performance against West Virginia a year ago. OU won 50-49 but the numbers its defense surrendered to the Mountaineers’ spread offense were staggering:

• 778 total yards, 9.5 yards per play

• 458 rushing yards, 9.7 yards per carry, three touchdowns

• 320 passing yards, four touchdowns

• 572 all-purpose yards from Tavon Austin, including 344 rushing yards

“It hurt, I’m not going to lie,” OU’s all-Big 12 cornerback Aaron Colvin said. “For us to give up those kind of numbers to a team like that. Don’t get me wrong, they are a great team and the coaches do a great job of putting them in the right situation, but as far as the defense, especially here at the University of Oklahoma, it’s not acceptable. We had to move forward from last year. This year we remember what happened last year and we will not forget it.”

The Sooners may not forget it but can they stop it from happening again?

Defensive coordinator Mike Stoops hopes so. And he’s made some changes to the Sooners’ defense to help handle the explosive spread offenses in the Big 12 like WVU. Gone is the Sooners’ four-man front, replaced by a three-man look that allows OU’s defense to be faster and more versatile.

“When you get run over like that, you don’t want to be stubborn. We had to make some changes,” Stoops said. “Between that night and what happened in the bowl game (633 yards allowed in a 41-13 Cotton Bowl loss to Texas A&M) it convinced us we need to be more flexible, be more diverse and put pressure on the quarterback.”

Enter the 3-3-5 look the Sooners employed in the season opener against Louisiana-Monroe. Replacing a defensive lineman with a linebacker allows Mike Stoops to get creative with his blitz packages and defensive schemes with the aim of confusing opponent’s pass protection schemes and pressuring the quarterback with relative ease.

It worked to perfection at times in OU’s 34-0 victory against ULM as Sooners’ defenders rushed unblocked on multiple occasions as Warhawks quarterback Kolton Browning never seemed to get into a rhythm and managed to led his team to just 166 total yards, 2.7 yards per play and 2 of 16 third down conversion attempts.

“It’s probably worked better than we anticipated,” Stoops said of the changes. “We got our athletes on the field and they played fast and they played aggressive and really that’s what defense is about in this league. We did a good job of putting our athletes in position to succeed, better than we did a year ago. We were more of a react team a year ago, now we’re more of a attacking team.”

The simplified, aggressive approach has helped the Sooners play faster. A move from a read-and-react two-gap scheme along the defensive line to an aggressive one-gap scheme has made a noticeable difference and more disguising blitzes should serve to keep quarterbacks off balance.

“You have to create indecision in the quarterback’s mind constantly,” Stoops said of the new approach.

Colvin likes the new defensive scheme because he thinks it will make things more difficult for opposing signal callers, thus making his job, dealing with the best the Big 12 has to offer at receiver, a bit easier.

“They don’t necessarily know what we’re doing every time,” he said. “We’re trying to do a better job at disguising looks, it makes the offense somewhat unsure of what we’re going to play.”

Asked if he thought offenses knew what to expect in 2012, Colvin was surprisingly candid.

“At times I did,” the senior said. “We were kind of ‘take it how it is’ defense.”

If this defense ultimately fails it won’t be because the Sooners were sitting back, allowing offenses to attack them. This year, they plan to be the aggressor with an eye on making sure it is controlled, intelligent aggression by creating controlled chaos around the line of scrimmage.

“It is great,” Colvin said of the new defense. “It allows us to be more aggressive. It gives us more confidence in what we’re doing because we know we can mess with the quarterback’s head or the receiver’s head or whoever we’re facing. So when we can make the offense unsure of what we’re doing, it only means good things for our defense.”

OU’s stellar defensive performance in Week 1 is just one step forward. As the season progresses, expect the Sooners’ defense to continue to evolve.

“We have a lot of flexibility and that’s good,” Stoops said. “We can go a lot of different ways and we’re going to continue to change our package week to week. It’s built off a lot of the same principles but different angles, different people, different alignments. You try to change and give the offense different things to look at as the year goes on.”

The Sooners face another test, and a chance for redemption for last season’s embarrassing defensive display, when the Mountaineers visit Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on Saturday.

“As good as we were the other night, we were equally bad that night [in 2012 against WVU]. We’ll get a little better test this weekend, hopefully we can hold them to less than 778,” Stoops said with a chuckle.

NORMAN, Okla. -- Few people are better prepared to explain how new Oklahoma quarterback Trevor Knight can test opponents defenses than Mike Stoops.

The Sooners defensive coordinator looked on as Knight opened eyes while running the scout team offense in 2012, then watched this August as the redshirt freshman continued to make plays against his defense during preseason scrimmages. First he learned to respect Knight’s ability, now he’s quick to praise his skills.

“He can make explosive plays,” Mike Stoops said. “He can make a bad play [into] a good play, he has that uncanny ability to make plays on his feet and he can make plays with his arm."

It’s fair to say Mike Stoops is a fan of OU’s decision to name Knight its starter over Blake Bell, who was the favorite to land the job.

Eyebrows raised around the country when the Sooners turned to a quarterback who has never played a game over Bell, who has spent the past three years preparing to be a starter including two seasons playing a short yardage role in the offense. But Knight beat out Bell for the job during the offseason and preseason camp by combining his terrific physical abilities with strong leadership traits and a solid grasp of the OU offense.

“It’s fair to say overall, through all of these practices, there’s just been more consistency [from Knight],” coach Bob Stoops said Monday. “He’s very athletic, has great speed, he’s got a very strong football he throws, quick release and he’s a strong leader.”

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While Bell was playing an active role with the Sooners, scoring 11 touchdowns as the Belldozer in OU’s short yardage offense last fall, Stoops still noticed Knight’s unique ability as he quietly redshirted. It was at that point the Sooners veteran coach started to realize his redshirting freshman had some special abilities.

“I saw it every day at practice running the scout team,” Stoops said. “You see it early in the year then in the middle of the year it’s like, ‘This doesn’t change, it’s every day. This guy is on the mark, he throws a great ball.’ Watching practice a year ago we’d sometimes shake our head, ‘Wow did you see what he just did?’ He was making plays like that in practice quite often.”

Making plays on the scout team offense and running the Sooners’ attack are two different things. The mental tests increased during the spring and preseason as Knight had to start running the Sooners offense, including the reads and progressions required, instead of making pre-conceived reads as a scout team signal caller.

All the physical gifts would have meant nothing if Knight could not show Stoops and the Sooners’ coaching staff he had the ability to mentally process everything as well during the past eight months.

“I think for any young player it comes down to consistency and limiting mistakes and getting us into the best things we can get in,” Mike Stoops said. “And he’s done a great job of that.”

The decision to go with Knight is a clear sign the Sooners believe he is mature beyond his years with the ability to run the offense at a high level. Offensive coordinator Josh Heupel said during preseason camp that the Sooners’ starter will be expected to play at a high level from Game 1 and Bob Stoops reiterated that point on Monday. Stoops said the Sooners won’t strive to ease Knight into the heat of battle simply because he’s a freshman.

“He’s got to come out and run the offense,” Bob Stoops said. “Coach Heupel is very good at what are [their] favorites, the things he really likes and play to his comfort early, but you have to run your offense.”

His teammates, who were the first to start praising his talents in 2012, are confident he's ready to accept the challenge and have noticed a change in Knight since those days of making big plays against the No. 1 defense.

“He’s done a great job from then to now, we’ve seen him mature,” cornerback Aaron Colvin said. “His game has matured a lot, he just goes out there and makes plays, he can do it with his feet or in the passing game.”

As a defensive player who has had to deal with the likes of Robert Griffin III, Johnny Manziel, Geno Smith and Ryan Tannehill during his first three seasons in crimson and cream, Colvin knows how difficult it is to defend passing quarterbacks who can also take off and run. Therefore, it excites him to think Knight might be able to do similar things for OU’s offense in 2013.

“It opens up a lot of things for those guys on the offensive side,” Colvin said. “Receivers can find a way to get open longer, he can make more time for them. But he can still throw, it’s not like there’s a drop off in passing. His running game opens up a lot of options for them. I have all the confidence in the world in Trevor, I’m excited to see him show what he can do.”

We're counting down to the beginning of the season with the top 25 players in the Big 12. The official list is locked away in a vault in an undisclosed location, but we'll be revealing players from the bottom of the list all the way to No. 1.

Here's more on my criteria.

Let's move on with the list:

No. 6: Aaron Colvin, CB, Oklahoma

2012 numbers: Made 61 tackles and intercepted four passes. Had two sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss. Also broke up 11 passes.

Most recent ranking: Colvin was No. 22 in our postseason list of the Big 12's top 25 players.

Making the case for Colvin: Colvin has showed tons of promise since his freshman year in 2010, but the versatile defensive back truly broke out last season. He spent 2011 as a first-year starter at safety and was an above average player at the position. After moving back to his natural position of cornerback in 2012, he proved himself as one of the league's elite players at the position.

The 6-foot, 192-pound native of Tulsa, Okla., earned both of his sacks in a win over Oklahoma State to keep the Sooners in position to win a share of the Big 12 title. His 15 passes defended are more than every player in the Big 12 last season besides TCU's Jason Verrett. The league gave him a well-deserved first-team All-Big 12 honor for the first time and he's in great position to do so again this season. He's physical (sometimes a bit too much so downfield) and a solid hitter who makes it easy to see why OU's defensive staff knew he could do well at safety in 2011. Seeing his cover skills full-time in 2012 showed, however, that he's a corner and 2013 will be far from the last time he holds down that position on a football field. Great future ahead for him.

The rest of the list:

• No. 7: John Hubert, RB, Kansas State
• No. 8: James Sims, RB, Kansas
• No. 9: Ty Zimmerman, S, Kansas State
• No. 10: Jackson Jeffcoat, DE, Texas
• No. 11: Trey Millard, FB/RB/TE, Oklahoma
• No. 12: Kerry Hyder, DL, Texas Tech
• No. 13: Josh Stewart, WR, Oklahoma State
• No. 14: BJ Finney, C, Kansas State
• No. 15: Eric Ward, WR, Texas Tech
• No. 16: Cornelius Lucas, LT, Kansas State
• No. 17: Tevin Reese, WR, Baylor
• No. 18: Calvin Barnett, DT, Oklahoma State
• No. 19: Jalen Saunders, WR/PR, Oklahoma
• No. 20: Quandre Diggs, CB/PR, Texas
• No. 21: Tyler Lockett, WR/KR, Kansas State
• No. 22: Justin Gilbert, CB/KR, Oklahoma State
• No. 23: Le'Raven Clark, OG, Texas Tech
• No. 24: Shaun Lewis, LB, Oklahoma State
• No. 25: Damien Williams, RB, Oklahoma

Today we take a closer look at Oklahoma, which enters the season looking to win its ninth Big 12 title under Bob Stoops.

OKLAHOMA SOONERS

Coach: Bob Stoops (149-37 overall record, 14 seasons; 149-37 at OU, 14 seasons)

2012 record: 10-3 (8-1 in Big 12, co-champions)

Key losses: QB Landry Jones, LT Lane Johnson, WR Kenny Stills, S Tony Jefferson, CB Demontre Hurst, S Javon Harris

Key returnees: WR Jalen Saunders, CB Aaron Colvin, RB Damien Williams, C Gabe Ikard, RT Daryl Williams, DT Chuka Ndulue, LB Corey Nelson.

Newcomer to watch: S Hatari Byrd. The California native was so impressive early in camp that the Sooners played him at three different positions in three days, clearly looking to find a way to get the true freshman on the field this season.

Biggest games in 2013: A three-game stretch could define the Sooners' season as they travel to Notre Dame (Sept. 28) before hosting TCU (Oct. 5) and battling Texas in the Red River Rivalry (Oct. 12). Road games at Baylor (Nov. 7) and Oklahoma State (Dec. 7) are the biggest games down the stretch as OU plays three of its final four games away from Norman.

Biggest question mark heading into 2013: It’s easy to assume replacing Landry Jones is the No. 1 priority. But the Sooners have three quality candidates in Blake Bell, Trevor Knight and Kendal Thompson, making the defensive line the biggest question mark at OU.

A lot of the Sooners’ defensive struggles in 2012 were rooted in their lack of a pass rush. OU doesn’t have proven playmakers at defensive tackle or defensive end but several youngsters like Jordan Phillips and Charles Tapper have plenty of upside.

Forecast: Watching OU's offense struggle to score touchdowns while Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel ran circles around the defense in the Cotton Bowl didn’t sit well in Norman. Coach Bob Stoops replaced three assistant coaches, adding new faces in the trenches with offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh and defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery joining the program.

Bell is the favorite to start at quarterback and could bring a run-pass threat at the position that was absent during Jones’ tenure. A veteran offensive line and a bevy of talented ball carriers, led by Damien Williams, should provide a strong running game that makes the transition easier for whoever is named the starter at quarterback. And top receiver Jalen Saunders is one of the Big 12’s most explosive players.

Defensively, the Sooners will need several young players to grow up quickly with just four starters returning. All-Big 12 cornerback Aaron Colvin provides a foundation for the secondary and will be counted on to slow the Big 12’s top pass catchers. Linebacker Corey Nelson hopes to have a breakout senior season and junior Geneo Grissom could finally fulfill his potential at defensive end.

DALLAS -- This week, Big 12 media days had a different feel for the Sooners.

The feel of not being the favorites.

For the first time since 2007, Oklahoma was not the preseason pick to win the conference (or South Division, when it was voted that way).

Instead, Oklahoma State received 15 of 43 first-place votes to edge out the Sooners for the top spot. Other preseason polls, including ESPN Insider Phil Steele’s, have the Cowboys ranked higher, too. Some have Texas and TCU ahead, as well.

The Sooners, however, aren’t bristling at being overlooked. Instead, they are relishing this rare opportunity of not being the favorite.

“I love being the underdog,” said cornerback Aaron Colvin. “That’s where I’m most comfortable at.”

While Colvin says he’s comfortable as the underdog, it’s not a place he’s been often since signing with the Sooners. OU has been the underdog just three times in the past three seasons -- to Texas A&M in last season’s bowl game, and the 2010 and 2011 trips to Oklahoma State.

The Sooners figure to be underdogs at least twice this season, and could start with their lowest preseason ranking since 2000. Of course, that team went on to win the national championship. And these Sooners are thinking such a slight could give them an edge they haven’t had in the past.

“You can use that to motivate yourself on and off the field,” said fullback Trey Millard. “You have that to use as fuel during that extra rep in practice, knowing that going into the week you’re not supposed to win.”

During the Bob Stoops era, the Sooners have usually performed well the few times they haven’t been expected to win. In 2010, OU went to Stillwater getting a field goal and knocked off the Cowboys with the Big 12 South on the line.

The year before that, the Sooners were also underdogs against Texas, and despite losing Sam Bradford to injury in the first quarter, forced the Longhorns to sweat out a 16-13 victory.

OU’s most famous dark-horse performance under Stoops, however, came in the 2000 Orange Bowl, where the Sooners were double-digit underdogs to Florida State. OU dominated the game to win 13-2 and secure the school’s seventh national championship.

Could the Sooners channel a similar attitude?

“If we’re an underdog as a team, I feel like this team will have a chip on its shoulders and you will see guys out there competing to the fullest,” Colvin said. “I know when I’m the underdog, I go out there and compete as hard as I can, so I’m excited for it."

I asked you earlier this week to weigh in on your pick for the Big 12's Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. Considering the postseason player of the year was just a freshman in 2012 and obviously returns for 2012, I figured the voting would be simple for the fans.

Apparently not.

TCU's Devonte Fields earned just 18 percent of the vote, finishing third in our poll. He hasn't had a fantastic offseason, but still, I'm surprised to see a pair of upperclassmen eclipse Fields in the voting.

Texas defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat took home the title with 30 percent of the vote, just ahead of fellow senior Ty Zimmerman, a safety from Kansas State. Zimmerman earned 26 percent of the vote.

Oklahoma cornerback Aaron Colvin checked in at fourth with 17 percent of the vote, well ahead of TCU cornerback Jason Verrett, who earned just nine percent of the vote.

Even though Fields finished a lot lower in the vote than he probably should have, I'd say the fans mostly got it right. I'm taking Jeffcoat as the single best defender in the Big 12 this year, and might have beat out Fields for the postseason honor if he'd stayed healthy. I hate to see what's becoming an annual injury for Jeffcoat, who's so loaded with potential. He's produced a lot when he's on the field, even though he still has to develop his technique and not rely quite so much on his freakish athleticism. I'm betting he does a good deal of that this offseason, especially since I'm sure he heard similar feedback from NFL teams.

A big year for Jeffcoat could mean a top-10 selection in next May's NFL draft. Zimmerman's a solid, instinctive player who Kansas State needs to play well this season, but I don't necessarily see him as a guy who'll end the season as the Big 12's best safety. He's solid. He's well above average, but it's hard for me to envision him winning the league's Defensive Player of the Year award in the pre- or postseason.

I'm surprised to see Verrett get as little of the vote as he did, especially considering he outplayed Colvin last season. We can only use five players in our polls, so don't be surprised if guys like Karl Joseph or Calvin Barnett get votes next month. Still, for me, when the ballots arrive, I'm with the fans on this one: Jeffcoat gets my vote.

We talked offense last week, but what about the Big 12's best defensive player?

The Big 12's preseason awards won't be handed out until next month, but let's see about the fan vote. Who should be the Big 12 Preseason Defensive Player of the Year?

Devonte Fields, DE, TCU: Fields won the postseason award in 2012 as a true freshman and returns for an encore in 2013. He's the favorite to earn the nod next month after leading the Big 12 with 18.5 tackles for loss last season and finishing third with 10 sacks. Two things could knock him off his perch: He's suspended for the first two games of 2013 and in TCU's final six games, he had just 4.5 tackles for loss and two sacks.

Jackson Jeffcoat, DE, Texas: Jeffcoat might be the league's most physically impressive talent, but injuries have kept him from reaching his potential. He made 12 sacks in his first 13 career games, but he missed half of last year with a torn pectoral. He had 11 tackles for loss and four sacks in those first six games, but the former No. 1 overall recruit is dreaming big for his senior season in 2013.

Jason Verrett, CB, TCU: Verrett was the Big 12's best cornerback last season, emerging from almost no preseason attention at a loaded position a year ago. He was third nationally in passes defended and earned All-America honors with six interceptions and 16 pass breakups. He added 63 tackles and earned his reputation as an elite corner taking on a tough set of receivers in the Big 12 a season ago.

Ty Zimmerman, S, Kansas State: The rest of Kansas State's defense was decimated, but Zimmerman will try and hold it together after linebacker Arthur Brown, the entire defensive line and both cornerbacks exhausted their eligibility. His absence didn't help K-State in its perfect season-ruining loss to Baylor, and a leg injury cost him the last two games of the regular season. He picked off five balls and scooped up a fumble last year. He'll be counted on for even more this season.

Aaron Colvin, CB, Oklahoma: Colvin's already hearing NFL hype attached to his name, but the experienced Sooner is a third-year starter from nearby Tulsa who picked off four passes and broke up 11 more last season. The 6-foot, 181-pounder plays physical on the outside and spent some time at safety in 2011 after starting his career at corner in 2010. He's back at corner now, and has a chance to state his case as the Big 12's best.

Who's your vote? Make yourself heard in our poll.

Phil Steele knows college football, and rolled out his preseason all-conference teams recently, including the Big 12.

You can see the full conference picks here, but plenty of interesting selections from the college football guru. ESPN.com's teams won't be released until much later this offseason, but here's a few thoughts on Steele's teams:

• Is it a little bit crazy to pick a guy who has thrown 10 career passes as your first-team All-Big 12 quarterback? Absolutely. If I had to pick one, though, would I tab Baylor's Bryce Petty as the first-team All-Big 12 quarterback to close the season? Yes, I would. Generally, I see preseason honors as a "Who's had the best career to this point?" type of deal and not as much of a prediction, but that's a personal belief and not anything the Big 12 officially states when it sends out preseason All-Big 12 ballots. Petty is an intriguing choice as the Big 12's No. 1 quarterback that's obviously going to draw attention, but I'm not going to be one to argue.
• I'd say selecting Petty as the Big 12's No. 1 QB says just as much about the rest of the guys in the Big 12 than it does about Petty. Steele tabbed TCU's Casey Pachall as his second-teamer, Texas' David Ash as his third and Oklahoma's Blake Bell on the fourth team. I'd say Clint Chelf or Michael Brewer belongs in that mix, but none of those guys have the statistical potential of Petty. Pachall makes great decisions on the field, but TCU's offense doesn't give him the capability to routinely roll up 400-yard games. Ash is above average, but he's not a world-beater (doesn't need to be for Texas to win a Big 12 title, I might add) and still has to prove he can be more consistent.
• This might be the deepest season at running back we've seen in a long time. I'd put John Hubert or James Sims ahead of Oklahoma's Damien Williams, but good selections from Steele to give Andrew Buie, Johnathan Gray and Malcolm Brown a little love, too. Opportunities are all that's limited Jeremy Smith from having a big year. He'll have them now, and I'm betting on him to be the seventh consecutive Oklahoma State running back to top 1,000 yards.
• Conversely, this could be one of the weakest years for wide receivers. There are a lot of above average receivers in the league, but there's not a guy that jumps out as one defenses really fear and spend a ton of time game-planning for. Mike Davis and Josh Stewart are good, somewhat obvious picks for the first team, but I'd go with Jalen Saunders ahead of Tracy Moore, and probably Eric Ward, too.
• Tough picks this year at safety, which has been easy for a while in the Big 12 with Tony Jefferson and Kenny Vaccaro hanging around. Tons of depth at that position. Steele went with Ty Zimmerman and Daytawion Lowe as his first-teamers. I'd probably say Joseph over Lowe by a hair but even when you get down to third-teamers like Baylor's Ahmad Dixon or fourth-teamers like Iowa State's Jacques Washington and Texas' Adrian Phillips, you're talking about guys who can really, really play. Could be a very defensive year in the Big 12, relative to what we're used to seeing in this league. Look at the cornerbacks, too. The dropoff from the first to third teams is negligible. Aaron Colvin and Jason Verrett have NFL-type measurables, but so do Justin Gilbert and Quandre Diggs and third-teamers Carrington Byndom and Joe Williams could be strong.
• Steele illustrates the weight of Delvon Simmons' departure from Texas Tech. The defensive lineman was on Steele's second team before leaving school and electing to transfer. Kliff Kingsbury said last week he wants guys who want to be Red Raiders, but it's still a big loss for the Tech defense.
• What about the kickers? It seems like everybody in the league hates their kicker these days, but two guys on Steele's list have their jobs up for grabs. Iowa State's Edwin Arceo is a second-teamer, but he'll be battling freshman Cole Nettlen to even get on the field once fall camp begins. Fourth-teamer Ron Doherty from Kansas is on the chopping block, too. Weis was displeased with just about every facet of his special-teams units last year, and completely revamped the way the units are coached. Every assistant coach now is in charge of one facet of special teams, instead of having one special teams coach. He brought in juco kicker Nick Pardula to try and fix those issues, too. He'll compete with Doherty in the fall, but Weis raved about Pardula's big leg when I talked with him last month. First-teamers Jaden Oberkrom from TCU and Iowa State's Kirby Van Der Kamp are certified studs, but it could be an ugly year elsewhere in Big 12 special teams.

We're walking through each Big 12 team and identifying its most irreplaceable talent. He's the guy they can least afford to lose, and the guy to whom an injury or departure would have the most effect.

Let's move on with Oklahoma.

More most indispensable players.

Most indispensable player: OL Gabe Ikard

Why Oklahoma can't afford to lose him: This was a tough pick, and I narrowed it down to three players: CB Aaron Colvin, LB Corey Nelson and Ikard. Oklahoma doesn't have any All-Americans on this roster in terms of pure talent, so it's tough to look at one player and say, "Man, if Oklahoma loses him, they're a completely different team." There's just not a guy like that on Oklahoma's roster.

Still, I point to Ikard because he's held down Oklahoma's offensive line together even as it was trimmed to a razor-thin unit. It was a unit basically reduced to five guys that couldn't afford to sit for exhaustion or injury at the end of 2012. He's the most talented player on the Sooners' offensive line and showed some versatility by moving over to center from left guard last year following Ben Habern's injury in preseason camp.

With a new quarterback, strong play up front on the offensive line is a must-have. That's going to make life easier on any quarterback, but the gap between an inexperienced quarterback with a good offensive line and a poor offensive line is enormous. That extra second or two in the pocket can be the difference between 10-15 percent of third-down conversions to keep the ball, move the chains and put points on the board. Ikard's the biggest key and most experienced member of the Sooners' line with 38 career starts entering the season. Oklahoma simply can't afford to lose him. It just might be the difference between an eight-win season and an 11-win season.

OKLAHOMA SOONERS

2012 record: 10-3

2012 conference record: 8-1 (tied for first, Big 12)

Returning starters: Offense: 7; defense: 4; kicker/punter: 1

Top returners

RB Damien Williams, FB Trey Millard, WR Jalen Saunders, WR Sterling Shepard, C Gabe Ikard, DE/DT Chuka Ndulue, LB Corey Nelson, CB Aaron Colvin

Key losses

QB Landry Jones, WR Justin Brown, WR Kenny Stills, OT Lane Johnson, DE David King, CB Demontre Hurst, FS Tony Jefferson, SS Javon Harris

2012 statistical leaders (*returners)

Rushing: Damien Williams* (946 yards)
Passing: Landry Jones (4,267yards)
Receiving: Kenny Stills (959 yards)
Tackles: Tony Jefferson (119)
Sacks: Chuka Ndulue* (5)
Interceptions: Javon Harris (6)

Spring answers

1. Playmakers abound: The Sooners might have lost leading receivers Kenny Stills and Justin Brown, but there’s plenty of firepower back to support whoever wins the starting quarterback job. Jalen Saunders was actually Oklahoma’s most efficient receiver the second half of last season and seems primed to take over as the go-to target. The Sooners also have several talented up-and-coming receivers who had good springs, led by slot extraordinaire Sterling Shepard. The backfield is even deeper, with leading rushers Damien Williams and Brennan Clay back, to go along with Trey Millard, one of the top all-around fullbacks in the country.

2. Cortez will flank Colvin: The secondary was decimated by graduation and Tony Jefferson’s early entry into the NFL draft. One of those voids was cornerback, where Demontre Hurst had started the previous years. That void at least, however, appears to have been filled. Arizona transfer Cortez Johnson seized the job from the first day of spring drills, and has given the Sooners every indication to believe they’ll have a big, physical corner to pair with All-American candidate Aaron Colvin in the fall.

3. The linebackers will play: In a desperate move to slow down the high-powered passing attacks of the Big 12, defensive coordinator Mike Stoops pulled his linebackers off the field. The plan backfired, as opposing offenses ran at will over the linebacker-less Sooners. This spring, Stoops has renewed his commitment to the linebacker, which, ironically, could be the strength of the defense. Corey Nelson, Frank Shannon and Aaron Franklin are all athletic and capable of generating negative plays, something Oklahoma’s defense sorely lacked last season.

Fall questions

1. Who the QB will be in October: Bob Stoops said he would wait until the fall before naming a starter, and so far, he’s made good on his word. Junior Blake Bell took a lead in the competition during the spring, as expected. But sophomore Kendal Thompson and redshirt freshman Trevor Knight, who both got equal reps as Bell, played well at times, too. It’s hard to see Bell not starting the first game. But if he struggles against a tough September schedule, it’s not unthinkable one of the younger QBs would be given a shot.

2. How the new offense will fare: Looking to utilize the skill sets of their mobile quarterbacks, the Sooners will be running a very different offense from the one Sam Bradford and Landry Jones both operated. Offensive coordinator Josh Heupel kept most of these new plays - including loads of read option -- in his hip pocket during the spring game. But it will be interesting to see how the Sooners -- and just as important, opposing defenses -- adjust to this new era of offense in Norman.

3. Defensive line play: The Sooners went into spring ball with just three defensive tackles on the roster, and little experience at defensive end. The unit showed strides during the spring, with Chuka Ndulue making a smooth transition from end to tackle, and tackle Jordan Phillips coming up big in the spring game. But that was the spring. The defensive line will have to continue to grow rapidly in the fall for the Sooners to have any hope of improving from last year defensively.

NORMAN, Okla. -- After a freshman season that did not go as planned, Oklahoma receiver Durron Neal appears poised to make an impact during his second year on campus. With Kenny Stills and Justin Brown moving on to the NFL, Neal is in the middle of a competition to replace the Sooners' starting outside receiver duo.

“I’m very excited,” Neal said. “I’m up to the challenge. It’s one of the reasons I came here. My coaches believe in me, my teammates believe in me and I’m ready to step up and not let them down.”

At one point last summer it appeared the Sooners would lean on Neal to make an immediate impact as a freshman. Then Brown joined the program in August after transferring from Penn State and Jalen Saunders immediately became eligible after his transfer from Fresno State, allowing Stills to move back outside after spending the first month of the season at slot receiver.

Suddenly OU had two veteran receivers on the outside and Neal was left to watch and learn despite playing himself out of a redshirt season with a strong preseason camp. Neal and the Sooners are hoping his learning experience will pay off during his sophomore season.

“Every day last year I took in all I could,” Neal said. “I came in and was ready to learn. I knew I didn’t know as much as I thought I knew. Coming in, I really used Kenny as a resource because I knew that’s who I’d be backing up.”

Even though he saw limited action, Neal flashed some playmaking ability.

“When Durron was in games he did a great job,” OU coach Bob Stoops said. “He's a big play type guy, and strong.”

(Read full post)

The Oklahoma Sooners open spring practice this weekend with change in the air. Let's take a closer look.

Schedule: The Sooners begin spring ball Saturday, the first of 15 NCAA-allowed practices. OU will hold its spring game April 13.

What's new: What’s not? Bob Stoops brought in three new assistants, seven defensive starters are gone, and for the first time in six years, the Sooners have a quarterback competition. After back-to-back three-loss seasons, this is lining up to be the most important -- and most intriguing -- spring of the Stoops era in Norman.

All eyes on: The quarterback derby, which will be the dominant storyline of the spring. Junior Blake Bell, sophomore Kendal Thompson and freshman Trevor Knight are all vying to replace four-year starter Landry Jones. Bell is the favorite because of his age and experience in the “Belldozer” package, but insiders around the program believe Knight is capable of unseating him. Whatever happens in the spring, don’t expect a starter to be named. Stoops waited until the fall to declare Sam Bradford his starter in 2007, and figures to do the same here.

New faces: The Sooners welcome four mid-semester enrollees, and all four have a chance to make immediate impacts. Toronto native Josiah St. John, the No. 1 junior-college offensive tackle in the country, figures to be no worse than a key backup. Wide receiver Dannon Cavil, who grew up a Texas fan, has great size and should vie for a rotation spot at outside receiver. Defensively, Ahmad Thomas will be given every opportunity to start at safety, and defensive end D.J. Ward, the top player coming out of the state of Oklahoma, could boost a defensive front that ranked 108th nationally in tackles for loss last season.

Question marks: With only 11 starters back, the Sooners have plenty. On top of the quarterback battle, OU must overhaul virtually the entire defense, with All-Big 12 cornerback Aaron Colvin the only returning impact defender. Defensive tackle and back safety are especially tenuous. The Sooners have only three defensive tackles on the roster to practice with at the moment, and no one other than Colvin has a down of experience at back safety. Mike Stoops will have to be creative just to get through the spring, until reinforcements arrive over the summer.

Don’t forget about: Wide receiver Trey Metoyer, who was the star of last spring as a true freshman. Metoyer, however, failed to carry that momentum into the fall, lost his starting job and eventually fell out of the rotation. A new year and new quarterback should re-energize Metoyer, who has all the tools to become a dominant outside receiver.

On the mend: Guards Tyler Evans and Nila Kasitati, who are both coming off season-ending knee injuries. Both, however, are hoping to be at least limited participants in the spring, which would spur them into summer workouts.