The defending national champion. Four teams in the ESPN/USA Today Top 11. A fifth team contending for the Top 25. Seven teams that went bowling a year ago.
There are some who think No. 3 Oklahoma may have been slighted in the preseason poll. After all, they're still the champs until they lose, right? But it won't be a free pass to Pasadena for another shot at the national title.
Sure, they have eight starters are back on offense, six on defense. More importantly, 23 of the top 44 players on last year's national title team were freshmen and sophomores. And coach Bob Stoops is a master motivator.
But there are several thorns on the Sooners' road to the Rose Bowl. In order of importance:
Quarterback. Can Oklahoma transition from Josh Heupel to Nate Hybl or Jason White? Both Hybl, a junior, and White, a sophomore, have stronger arms than the Heisman Trophy runner-up but will they have his nerves of steel?
Texas. On Oct. 6, the Longhorns will be bent on avenging their atrocious 63-14 loss to OU in Dallas last year. Of any Big 12 team, Texas might have the most talent to match Oklahoma score for score. Plus, the Longhorns have an easy schedule, save for a trip to College Station.
Nebraska. If the Huskers find a running back, receivers, and a new right side of their offensive line by Oct. 27 -- the date Oklahoma comes to Lincoln -- they could return to glory.
Kansas State. Never count out a team coached by a perfectionist like Bill Snyder. And the Wildcats actually have a nonconference test (USC) to prepare them for the Big 12 and Oklahoma.
|  | | Bob Stoops guided Oklahoma to its first title since 1985. |
The rest of the conference, from those who went to a bowl last year (Iowa State, Texas A&M and Texas Tech) to those who went looking for a coach (Missouri and Oklahoma State) will be relegated to the role of giant killer.
The darkhorse is Colorado. Coach Gary Barnett warns that no one should judge his team by last year's 3-8 record. With sophomore sensations Craig Ochs and Marcus Houston returning -- and a gentler schedule -- the Buffaloes are ready for redemption.
But all eyes are on Oklahoma. If the national champs survive Texas, they will likely get a rematch against either Nebraska or Kansas State in the Big 12 championship game in Dallas.
For the Sooners, nothing could smell sweeter.
Game of the Year: Oklahoma at Nebraska, Oct. 27. This game has all the ingredients of those Thanksgiving-weekend tussles of yesteryear: The Sooners with their swagger vs. the Huskers with their home crowd. A cocky coach vs. a coach trying to step out of long shadows. All of it should add up to an ESPN instant classic -- unless Oklahoma's defensive speed humiliates the Huskers again.
Offensive Player of Year: Nebraska's Eric Crouch. A team that returns just four offensive starters has no business being in the preseason top 5 -- unless its quarterback is Eric Crouch. Finally healthy, Crouch, who should own Nebraska's all-time total offense record by game two, still has to prove that he can pass. In turn, he has to prove that he can pass Nebraska's ultimate test for a quarterback -- leading a team to a national championship.
Defensive Player of Year: Oklahoma's Rocky Calmus. At linebacker, Kansas State's Ben Leber is bigger and Colorado's Jashon Sykes is faster. But neither of them has Rocky Calmus' cajones. With Torrance Marshall gone, Calmus, who describes himself as all "heart and hustle" will be Oklahoma's best -- and the Big 12's.
Todd Cooper is a staff writer for the Omaha World-Herald.
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