Last year about this time, Jacob Rice was trying to help get his Norman High Tigers football team into the state Class 6A playoffs. This year, Rice, the starting deep snapper, is trying to help the OU Sooners make their way to a Bowl Championship Series bowl and possibly a national title.
What a difference a year makes.
"There is just a huge difference between high school and college football," Rice said. "High school is so much slower. You think it's fast but I went back and watched a high school game last week and it was like they were barely moving. In college you have got to keep up because you've got the fastest guys in the nation running right by you, so you've got to be on your toes."
Despite the differences, Rice has succeeded in the college game while having only a few months under his belt as a Division I athlete. With Rice snapping, there has not been a single muffed exchange on a field goal, extra point or punt the entire season.
"It's a dream to be playing here, but it's night and day the differences from high school. All I used to have to do was snap the ball and run down the field and make the tackle. In college, teams try to block almost every time and I have had to learn blocking assignment, calls telling me which way to go. I had to learn to snap it and get back fast and still run down the field and tackle," Rice said.
Despite the team's stumble last weekend at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas, Rice said he, as well as the rest of the team, remain optimistic about their chances going into their last few games.
"Coach Stoops keeps saying that we need to just let it go. If we dwell on this we're going to get rolled over by every other team. We still have a chance and we just need to focus week to week and keep our eyes on our ultimate goal," he said.
What would it be like to come in as a true freshman, 18 years old, start for one of the top teams in the country, and make it to a BCS bowl and possibly a national championship game?
"I can't even imagine. I just focus on the next game because if I take my mind off of that."
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