OU or UT has represented the Big 12 in every Conference Championship Game since Bob and Mack starting competing. This year both OU and UT have enough questions that one could honestly ask if someone is ready to finally end that their hegemony over the rest of the division. However, questions at the only teams to really challenge both schools (Tech and OSU) to date are perhaps larger than at OU. Also, the bottom dwellers conference wise don't appear to have made enough of an improvement to challenge OU and UT, but might be able to move up the division rankings.

Before we at TaW can even get the "State of the Season" post finished, OU's east coast duo of Stephen Pledger and Andrew Fitzgerald added another chapter to it by shoplifting (allegedly) from the Sooner Fashion Mall Dillard's on Saturday night after the game.

There was going to be a post here talking about the best of the Super Bowl halftime commercials, but this one with Betty White and Abe Vigoda might have already won it:

Pre Spring Top 25

Trying to piece together a Top 25 right after signing day is a little bit crazy but here goes.

Recruiting Wrap for 2010

I'm just going to link to the stats, rankings, and accomplishments from the OU official site instead of rehashing them in the wrapup.

http://www.soonersports.com/sports/m-footbl/archive/2010_signing_day.html

There are highlights reels on this site and Rivals also has footage on the signees. But, I'm going to include links to as much other free video highlights as I can find.

John Cullen chose UTAH. That should be it for recruiting. Bob's PC will be on at 3pm Central.

COREY NELSON TO OU- LOI received. Huge props to Joe Powell for breaking the news on KREF

John Cullen JUCO OT to decide around lunch time central time (Utah is the favorite).

Jarrett Lake will not be signing today with OU. Lake is not on progress to make it academically. He may sign with someone else like Arkansas, but will probably end up going the JUCO route.

Nice interview with Aaron Franklin on KREF (whose fax has not arrived yet). Franklin's 6-2, 207, running a 4.47 according to him.  Hopefully that's a recent time since Franklin hurt his knee in 2008. Tyrus Thompson reporting in at 6-6, 297. Torrea Peterson at 6-4, 295.

SIGNED

1. Kenny Stills 6-1, 180, 4.35 WR - Enrolled (Still not cleared by NCAA, but on campus)
2. Tony Jefferson 6-0, 200, 4.5 DB Chula Vista, CA  - Enrolled
3. Bronson Irwin 6-5, 310, 5. 2 OG- Mustang, Ok - Enrolled
4. Austin Woods 6-5, 290, 5.1 OC - Rockwall, TX - Enrolled
5. Sheldon McClain  6-2, 180, 4.5 WR Cibolo, TX - Enrolled
6. Blake Bell 6-6, 215, 4.6 QB, Wichita, KS (Bishop Carroll) - Signed
7. Quentin Hayes 6-1, 175, 4.4 DB  Lancaster, TX - Signed
8. Julian Wilson 6-3, 180, 4.35 DB Southmoore, OK- Signed
9. Geneo Grissom 6-4, 230, 4.6 DE Hutchinson, KS - Signed
10. Daryl Williams 6-5, 270, 5.0 OT  Lake Dallas, TX- Signed
11. Trey Millard 6-2, 245, 4.6 TE Columbia, MO - Signed (OU is listing him as a LB???)
12. Chuka Ndulue 6-3, 245, 4.6 DE Dallas, TX Signed
13. Aaron Colvin 5-11, 175, 4.5 DB Owasso, OK Signed
14. Tyrus Thompson 6-5, 290, 5.1 OT Pflugerville, TX Signed
15. Austin Haywood 6-5, 245, 4.7 TE Southmoore, OK Signed
16. Daniel Noble 6-4, 275, 4.8 DT Flower Mound, TX Signed
17. Eric Humphrey 6-4, 275, 4.75 DT Dallas, TX Signed
18. Justin McCay 6-3, 200, 4.5 WR Shawnee Mission, KS Signed
19. Adam Shead 6-4, 320, 5.2 OG Cedar Hill, TX Signed
20. Damon Williams 6-4, 295. 5.0 DT Irving, TX Signed
21. Torrea Peterson 6-4, 295, 4.9 DT San Antonio, TX Signed
22. Rashad Favors, 6-2, 225, 4.5 LB Ft Worth, TX Signed
23. Trey Franks 5-9, 170, 4.3 WR Orange, TX
24. James Haynes 6-1, 185, 4.35 DB Orange, TX
25. Roy Finch 5-8, 180, 4.45 RB Niceville, TX
26. Corey Nelson 6-0, 210, 4.5 LB Dallas, TX
27. Joe Powell 6-0, 175, 4.5 WR Dallas, TX
28. Brennan Clay 6-0, 190, 4.45 RB San Diego, CA

OU 2010 Super Early Preview: Defensive Backs

OU has lost their two starting cornerbacks but seems to have game ready replacements for those positions, but that reshuffling will open a spot at safety instead it would appear. OU's finally restocked their secondary positions to a nice degree, and has an excellent class of players enrolling as well.

Ridiculous levels of Panic on Sooner message boards concerning Sooner recruiting exist right now. There's one poster who is referring to this year as the Red River Recruiting Rape. Jackson Jeffcoat's decision to choose UT is being treated as some kind of massive recruiting Cannae (Hannibal's amazing rout over the Roman Legions) that Bob and Sooners might as well quit playing football or recruiting in Texas at all. Corey Nelson's "verbal" then reversal is also being treated as some kind of sign that OU's recruiting in Texas is coming to some awful end.

Lost in all this ridiculous panic are several facts.

• OU's highest ranked recruits are not all from Texas. OU top ten verbals in my opinion.

1. Blake Bell QB 6-6, 220, 4.6 (Five Star QB by two services)Tony Jefferson DB 6-0, 200. 4.5 (ESPN's #21 player in the nation)
2. Tony Jefferson DB 6-0, 200, 4.5 (#22 player in the nation by ESPN, #62 player by Rivals)
3. Justin McCay WR 6-3, 200, 4.5 (Five Star WR/Ath by Scout, #52 player by Rivals)
4. Austin Haywood TE 6-5, 245, 4.7 (ESPN's #48 player in the nation)
5. Brennan Clay RB 6-0, 190, 4.45 (Five Star RB by Scout, #53 player by Rivals)
6. Kenny Stills WR 6-1, 180, 4.35 (Five Star WR by Scout)
7. Roy Finch RB 5-8, 175, 4.45 (#93 player by Rivals)
8. Tyrus Thompson OT 6-6, 310, 5.1 (#164 player by Rivals)
9. Bronson Irwin OG 6-5, 310, 5.1 (#3 OG by Scout, #195 player by Rivals)
10. Eric Humphrey DT 6-4, 275, 4.7  (#208 player by Rivals, from being unranked)
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Recruiting Update 1/30:

• QB (1): Blake Bell 6-6, 230, 4.7
• RB (2): Brennan Clay 6-0, 190, 4.45  Roy Finch 5-8, 180, 4.45
• WR (5): Justin McCay 6-3, 204, 4.5   Kenny Stills 6-1, 180, 4.35  Sheldon McClain 6-3, 185, 4.5  Joe Powell 6-0, 185, 4.5  Trey Franks 5-9, 185, 4.3
• TE/FB (2): Austin Haywood 6-5, 245, 4.7  Trey Millard, 6-3, 250, 4.7
• OL (5): Austin Woods 6-4, 290, 5.0 OC  Adam Snead 6-4, 310, 5.2 OG  Bronson Irwin 6-5, 310, 5.2 OG  Darryl Williams 6-5, 280, 5.0 OT  Tyrus Thompson 6-6, 310, 5.1 OT
• DT (4): Daniel Noble 6-4, 280, 4.9  Torrea Peterson 6-4, 290, 4.9 Damon Williams 6-5, 320, 5.1  Eric Humphrey 6-4, 275, 4.75
• DE (2) : Chuka Ndulue 6-4, 245, 4.7, Geneo Grissom 6-5, 230, 4.6
• LB (3): Rashad Favors 6-2, 225, 4.5  Garrett Lake 6-2, 210, 4.5  Aaron Franklin 6-2, 210, 4.5
• CB (2): James Haynes 6-1, 185, 4.35  Aaron Colvin 6-0, 185, 4.5
• Safety (3): Tony Jefferson 6-0, 195, 4.5  Julian Wilson 6-1, 185, 4.35  Quentin Hayes 6-1, 185, 4.4

Update:

So OU had a weird week in recruiting with one expected but disappointing result, one surprising result which is still not finished.

The expected news happened on Friday with Jackson Jeffcoat (DE 6-3, 230, 4.6) choosing UT. OU's spent a lot of energy the last 12 months plus recruiting Jeffcoat so losing him to UT was a tough blow. You could sense that OU knew that this would be the result when they put on the full court press to get Geneo Grissom (a very similar athlete to Jackson). Jeffcoat didn't give many specifics about UT over OU mainly saying that's where he felt more comfortable. Obviously, UT's great season compared to the struggles OU had all year long didn't help in this battle.

Now for the surprising result. Last weekend, Corey Nelson (OLB 6-0, 210, 4.5) visited OU and from all the rumors was seriously considering choosing OU. Friday it was reported by ESPN that Nelson had verbaled to OU. Now, no one could get Nelson on the record to support that claim and the rest of the day Friday there were more confusing updates. By the end of the day, Nelson seemed to be back in the ATM camp. Now, you can bet OU has a LOI ready for Nelson to fax on signing day if he starts to waver. In fact, I can easily see the dead period where ATM cannot contact him letting Nelson change his mind again.

So ignoring any signing day drama with Nelson, there are only two players left in play.

John Cullen JUCO OT 6-6, 285. Seems like he's down to OU, Utah, and maybe USC. Cullen throughout this process has seemed like he would stay out west.

Damien Robinson OT 6-8, 330. Massive OT from Mississippi. Down to OU, Ole Miss, Miss State. Probably stays in the SEC somewhere.

2010 Super Early OU Preview: Linebacker

OU has the most turnover at LB than anywhere else on the defense with Reynolds and Clayton graduating. Doing the LB review is a little tough because it's hard to know which way Venables takes the defense.