Biggest concerns in OU's quest to win a national championship?

Big year for Bob Stoops. The eleventh year--can you believe it?--Sooner boss is confident as always heading into the '09 season with multiple NFL caliber players.

But he seems hesitant when it comes to one issue that has to be in the front/middle and the back of Sam Bradford's mind: The inexperience of his offensive line.

Yes, LT Trent Williams is there to cover Bradford's backside. We all know he's a first-rounder if he stays healthy.

But trust me. There's more required than having Williams and a bevy of big backs and H-back types who will post up along the LOS to create mismatches and provide both run and pass blocking.

Just because you have a Heisman superstar taking snaps, don't forget what helped him win the Heisman: A strong run game that created balance that allowed a superior pass blocking OL to provide Bradford for substantially longer time to wait for receivers to break out of cuts than the other QBs in the US of A.

2009 All-Big 12 fullback Matt Clapp and 2008 All-Big 12 fullback Brody Eldridge(although he didn't play that position)are special players who can to a degree help the offensive line.

But in the end, don't full yourself and buy all the talk that there are few concerns up front because of these assets.

I like to ask players how much better they are toward the end of their careers than when they first stepped into a huddle. They all laugh and say it's night and day. That they didn't know who to block and it was all a blur. Jon Cooper--the most reliable center for OU since Tom Barany in the late 60's/early 70's--was one who really shook his head.

A mighty load will fall on the expanding shoulders of newcomer Ben Haber. Cooper said he called assignments up front and didn't know what was going on half the time. That's not good. Even though he was being modest, you get the point. Haber best be good. And smart. Lots to ask of a freshman who had a lot of growing up to do when he hit campus.

Haber reportedly brings an aggressive attitude to the position, but to me will be the focus up front.

NFL-body type and heavily-recruited Steven Good goes at RG and has star potential. But will he do a championship job after playing sparingly as a TR FR last year? I like him.

Cory Brandon brings some experience and should go at RT. If he continues to progress he might be an asset sooner rather than later, if nothing else because he's been on the field before.

Brian Simmons has earned a start at LG and got some starts last season. Coaches are saying he's improving and has a chance to do the job.

But doing the job and protecting your franchise and executing play in and play out well enough to beat BYU, Miami and Texas early in the season are two different things.

Depth is needed and you will probably see Jarvis Jones, Brian Leak and Donald Stephenson on the field some. No experience. Meaning? Guys must stay healthy. Must.

Having said all that, you have several options from which to choose as the biggest concerns for this team.

My questions are about the OL, WR depth, the health of Las Vegas standouts RB Demark Murray and MLB Ryan Reynolds, the overall defensive play, Bradford dominating again in '09, and the BCS bowl game history of flops.

Or do you simply believe this team is overrated, as do so many of the national critics? My number two vote would be the schedule.

It's rated the toughest of the teams rated in the top of the country who'll battle for a trip to Pasadena.

BYU is a dicey opener. Tulsa is good. Miami should scare the dickens out of anyone who owns a crimson and cream garment, Texas, OSU and a schedule of Big 12 teams that are not lay-me-downs.

My number one concerns is a no-brainer. Keep Bradford healthy. End of story.