Nothing like seeing an SC player eating dirt....McFadden's a specimen anyways....

Cooler weather, football, and hunting season!

ESPN NCAA preseason rankings

1. USC | 2. LSU | 3. Texas | 4. West Virginia | 5. Michigan | 6. Oklahoma
7. Virginia Tech | 8. Florida | 9. Louisville |10. Wisconsin | 11. Georgia
12. Ohio State | 13. Penn State | 14. Cal | 15. Florida State | 16. Auburn

6. Oklahoma Sooners
Last season: 11-3, 7-1 in Big 12

Rick Scuteri/US Presswire

OU running back Allen Patrick should have room to run behind Phil Loadholt.

Heard the latest one about Oklahoma's new left tackle? Phil Loadholt is so big (How big is he?), the protective boot he wore all spring doubled as freshman kicker Jimmy Stevens' dorm room. Okay, the Sooners aren't the Simpsons. Fact is, Loadholt is enormous. The 6'8", 350-pound transfer from Garden City (Kan.) JC can't help but stand out -- and out. "Phil's a beast, the biggest guy I've ever seen," says senior RB Allen Patrick.

Of course, Bob Stoops won't entrust his QB's blind side to just any dormitory of a man. Loadholt emerged as a dominant force last season, flashing the same fancy footwork that made him a runner-up to Colorado's Mr. Basketball in high school. "He's amazing to watch," Stoops says. Which made that protective boot (for a broken big toe) anything but a joke. Loadholt has made a nice recovery, though; Stoops says he's been blown away by Loadholt's speed this preseason. With three QBs who've combined to complete a total of one college pass, Loadholt and talented junior guard Duke Robinson (6'5", 330) will have their work cut out for them. "This can be a great line," Loadholt says. "I feel very comfortable protecting that back side." In other words, no biggie. -- Liam McHugh

Let's Ask Bristol
Todd Blackledge on Pass Offense
No one is sure what OU will get with either Joey Halzle or Sam Bradford under center. But book this: The passing offense will get by. The wideouts will make sure of it. Malcolm Kelly, in particular, is not only big (6'4", 217) and very physical, he also has terrific hands and speed.

Bill Curry on Run Offense
Patrick is potentially a great tailback. At 6 feet, 191, he's smaller than dearly departed Adrian Peterson, but he's just as fast (4.45 speed) and he's sturdier than his size suggests. The line returns nine of the two-deep top 10, so the run-blocking will be ferocious again.

Rod Gilmore on Pass Defense
Reggie Smith is a classic CB/safety tweener. He's a little too aggressive to play corner but not quite big enough (6'1", 197) for safety. Still, he is a really nice problem to have.

Chris Spielman on Run Defense
You know what the most important factor in honing OU's run D will be? Its offensive line. Just wait until young, talented kids like DT DeMarcus Granger, a 6'3", 300-pound soph who can collapse pockets, get some reps against the first-team blockers. By Week 10, they'll be tough. Believe it.

Desmond Howard on Special Teams
Smith is a stud return man (7.8 ypr on punts, 22.6 ypr on kicks), but he'll split duties with WR Juaquin Iglesias. Better yet, Stoops, an underrated special-teams mind, should give Smith one job and Iglesias the other, to give each player a break. The Sooners can't afford either guy getting hurt.

Jim Donnan on Coaching
At 86-19 for his career, Stoops is obviously one of those very successful coaches who came from a defensive background. But the Sooners did bite a bit too hard on play-action last season, and what about that No. 41 pass D (188.4 ypg)?

Brad Edwards on Schedule
Sure, OU has to beat Miami, and taking down Texas goes without saying. But playing at Texas Tech is never fun, with that unorthodox offense and wild crowd, and this time it could be a real trap game. Stoops will be glad to skip out of Lubbock with one more point than the Red Raiders.

One of AD's first highlight pics in the pro's....Poor Rufus, I hope he can make it back!

Not sure I would have put Tx and Fl above OU...but I guess you could always argue these things... I am a Sooner fan but I am not biased.

1 USC 90-35 .720 2 national; 5 conf. 4-3
Tradition, a talent pool that is local and deep, a coach who is both football smart and people smart, and a national identity among recruits as the "it" school: The Trojans have it all.

2 Ohio State 97-28 .776 1 national; 4 conf. 5-4
There may be eight Division I-A schools in the state, but there's only one that rules it from Toledo to Cincinnati. Coach Jim Tressel has polished the Buckeyes program to a fine sheen.

3 Texas 98-28 .778 1 national; 1 conf. 6-4
Vast resources and vaster tradition. Coach Mack Brown has brought back the Darrell Royal touch with the common folk, and he wins like Royal, too.

4 Florida 94-32 .746 1 national; 2 conf. 5-5
Were it not for the three moderately successful Ron Zook years, the Gators would be ranked higher. Only a strong program could rebound as quickly as Florida did.

5 Oklahoma 95-33 .742 1 national; 4 conf. 4-4
The Sooners won one national championship and played for another. Even after vacating eight victories at the NCAA's behest, coach Bob Stoops is averaging nearly 10 wins a year.

Well,

I had to move my office today and I hate moving elelctronics more than anything. Not that I have trouble putting that stuff together, but running wires and hiding them from view can take some time.

Now I have a bare office and the wife is gonna have to put some things together for me so I can spruce up the place.

Jimmy got us some great seats and we had a blast. Very nice as I have not heard the Indy cars in a few years and needed a fix. Anyways, its always nice to be an owner when your cars take 1st, 2nd and 3rd. Helio would have been up there too but he was taken out of the race by another driver's mistake.

 Where you at Penske?