Oklahoma is three days into preseason practice, but Wednesday’s Media Day was the prefect time to pose five questions to Sooner players and coaches. How these questions are answered will likely dictate the success, or lack of it, OU encounters this season.

1. Will the back of the defense struggle?

If there’s a weakness OU has on paper it’s at linebacker and secondary. The reason is the lack of experience. Barring preseason injuries, OU will lineup with only three returning starters — middle linebacker Ryan Reynolds and safeties Nic Harris and Lendy Holmes — in those seven spots.

That isn’t much experience, especially playing in a pass-happy league like the Big 12.

OU coach Bob Stoops admits there are questions, but also believes in the Sooners’ ability to answer.

“I do feel there is some excellent potential with some of our linebackers and secondary people,” he said. “Some of those guys that have shown through the spring and a couple of days here in our summer session, the ability to play like we are used to be playing and hopefully that will continue to improve and those guys can continue to make plays at the level we’re used to.”

After three days of drills coaches have aired no complaints about cornerbacks Dominique Franks and Brian Jackson, nor linebackers Austin Box and Keenan Clayton. That’s a good start, because those are the guys who will be asked to prove themselves at their positions for the first time.

“I think we have a good balance between young and old guys and that’s pretty much what you need. And the young guys are like sponges, they learn everything we possibly do,” safety Nic Harris said.

2. How good can the offensive line become?

Last season this group was supposed to be one of the best in the nation and for most of the season it clearly was. OU set a school record for points scored and gave up only 14 sacks all season long. Still, the Sooners were better early than late.

Six of the sacks were allowed in OU’s three losses, including three in a Fiesta Bowl loss to West Virginia.

“This year we have to be the guys who step it up all the time and set the tempo,” All-American guard Duke Robinson said. “We’re the guys up front and we’re the guys who make the plays happen. We have to be the guys who are dominant on every play.”

The group has the talent and the experience to do those things. It returns intact for the second straight season and some — Robinson, center Jon Cooper and tackle Branndon Braxton — have been starting since 2005.