NORMAN, Okla. -- In 2008, Sam Bradford quarterbacked Oklahoma's record-setting offense all the way to the BCS national championship game.

Not since have the Sooners contended for a national title. Not past October, at least.

Blake Bell is the favorite to start at quarterback for the Sooners in 2013, and OU's offense should be dynamic. Tim Heitman/US Presswire

And Friday night's 41-13 loss to Texas A&M in the AT&T Cotton Bowl showed just how far OU is from being a true contender again.

With little hope of that changing anytime soon, either.

OU will go into 2013 without its record-setting quarterback, two of its best receivers and several of its best defenders off a defense that was a disaster anyway the second half of the season.

The schedule will be unforgiving, as well.

In September, OU returns a visit to Notre Dame, which could be the defending national champion. The Sooners finish the regular season with a trip to Oklahoma State, which took the Sooners to the brink in Norman this season and blasted them the year before in Stillwater. The Sooners also have to deal with potentially troublesome November road tilts at Baylor and Kansas State. All told, 11 of OU's 12 opponents in 2013 will be coming off bowl appearances.

The good news is that the offense could be explosive again, even facing a makeover without quarterback Landry Jones. Assuming he wins the starting job to replace Jones, Blake Bell's mobility will give the Sooners an element they haven't had in years. If coordinator Josh Heupel tailors the offense to Bell's skill set, the Sooners will be running more zone-read, while operating less out of four-wide sets.

The "Belldozer" will still have plenty of weapons to work with in the passing game, even without leading receiver Kenny Stills, who, a source told ESPN on Sunday, will enter the NFL draft. Wideout Jalen Saunders, OU's most efficient receiver the second half of the season, returns. So does slot man Sterling Shepard, who as OU's fourth receiving option had a fabulous true freshman season with 45 receptions. The Sooners will have to mine another outside receiver to take the place of Justin Brown, but Trey Metoyer and Durron Neal were highly recruited receivers who have shown flashes.

Tailbacks Damien Williams and Brennan Clay -- who combined for 1,500 rushing yards in 2012 -- also both come back, as does fullback Trey Millard, who averaged 6 yards per rush and 11.2 yards per reception.

Bell and that trio of backs will be operating behind an offensive line that welcomes back four starters and a bevy of key reserves. Center Gabe Ikard is coming off another All-Big 12 campaign, and he'll be flanked by veteran guards Adam Shead, Bronson Irwin and three-year starter Tyler Evans, who will rejoin the team after sitting out this season with a torn ACL. The Sooners should be solid again at tackle, as well, with Daryl Williams and Tyrus Thompson.