To many, the expectations for Oklahoma football changed after Rhett Bomar was dismissed from the team. The loss of the starting quarterback was seen as a crippling blow to a team with national-title aspirations.

However, it changed nothing to those who will lead the Sooner defense this season. Their belief in what they can do remains unfazed.

“Expectations are always high and the bar is always set high,” Sooner linebacker Rufus Alexander said Friday at OU’s media day. “On this defense, you’ve got to go out there and just do what we’ve been doing, just go out there and execute our defense and do what we’re supposed to do and everything will take care of itself.”

The Sooner defenders brushed off the dismissal of Bomar and offensive lineman J.D. Quinn like it a blip on their radar. To them, it was just another obstacle to overcome.

Fact is, the Sooner defense was seen as the major reason OU was the consensus pick to win the Big 12 South and was picked No. 5 in the preseason ESPN/USA Today coaches poll. Nine starters are back from a defense that was ranked No. 4 against the rush and No. 13 in total defense last season.

The defensive line has more depth than a year ago and the secondary has much more experience.

Alexander, the preseason Big 12 defensive player of the year, and Zach Latimer return at linebacker.

They’re excited about what lies ahead.

“We’re going to be able to be more aggressive across the board,” defensive coordinator Brent Venables said. “We didn’t have a lot of depth last year and you can see that in our fourth quarter defense last year. It was atrocious. But this year we feel that we can improve on that and dictate play throughout the game.

“Last year we were really talented but we had zero experience in some key areas. We weren’t too far off last year. We had a few busts but we lacked aggressiveness and the assuradness needed to play good defense.”

Defensive backs D.J. Wolfe and Reggie Smith were just trying to work into the lineup this time last year. Both emerged as reliable starters.

Their confidence level is off the charts compared to last season.

“I feel 50 times better,” Wolfe said. “I’m not going into anything shaky or tense. I have a year under my belt and I’m ready to make a bigger contribution to the team.”

Perhaps big enough to overshadow Bomar’s departure. Only time will tell. But no one playing defense at OU is ready to think expectations have been lowered.

“I still feel like the goals we set of winning the Big 12 South, the Big 12 championship and a national championship are there,” said defensive end Larry Birdine, who missed all but the Holiday Bowl last season with a torn biceps injury.