Preseason
In 2006, the team and the fanbase were stunned when the returning starting quarterback, Rhett Bomar was kicked off the team one day before the start of fall practice. Quarterback-turned-wide receiver Paul Thompson was converted back to quarterback and led the Sooners to an 11–3 season capturing the Big 12 Championship and competing in a BCS bowl game. However, the fallout of the Bomar scandal began to affect the team in 2007. On 2007-07-11, the NCAA announced a finding of "failure to monitor" the employment of student athletes and handed out penalties, most of which were extensions of punishments already set in place by the university.
- Probation until May 2010
- The loss of two scholarships through the 2009–10 season
- A reduction by one of the number of coaches who can recruit off campus
- A public reprimand and censure
- A disassociation with the dealership manager for five years
- All wins from the 2005 season were vacated, changing the team's record from 8–4 to 0–4 for that year
The university announced that it would appeal the Infraction Committee's finding and the vacation of the wins from the 2005 season. University president David Boren released a statement that the university " not believe that erasing the 2005 season from the record books is fair to the over 100 student athletes and coaches who played by the rules and worked their hearts out for a successful season." The Sooners won the appeal to get back their wins from the 2005 season.
On July 19, a preseason poll voted on by members of the media that cover the Big 12 was released. The Sooners were chosen to finish second in the Big 12 South behind Texas. They finished nine votes behind the Longhorns but 44 points above Texas A&M, the third team. This poll was released in anticipation of the Big 12 media day which began on July 23, 2007. Most publications have the Sooners ranked between number five and ten in the preseason. Phil Steele's self-titled publication, which is considered to be the most accurate college football preseason prediction magazine, had the Sooners ranked number three in terms of how they would finish the year and how strong the team is going into the year.
The 2006 season was the last for quarterback Paul Thompson. With his departure came the race for the next quarterback for the Oklahoma Sooners. The three players in contention for the coveted spot included true freshman Keith Nichol, redshirt freshman Sam Bradford and junior Joey Halzle (the only one of the three with actual game experience). They competed throughout the summer and well into fall practice. On August 21, 2007, it was announced that Sam Bradford will start the first game of the season.
Read more about this topic: 2007 Oklahoma Sooners Football Team