Some things may change, but others stay the same. In an offseason of turnover, the Oklahoma Sooners will still boast one of the best offenses in college football in 2022.
Led by Jeff Lebby and Dillon Gabriel, the Sooners will usher in a new fast-paced offensive attack that will provide a nice run-pass balance and set the tone for the Sooners as they look to adopt a more aggressive mindset on both sides of the football.
Brad Crawford of 247Sports recently projected the 10 best offenses for the 2022 season, and the Oklahoma Sooners come in at No. 7. They rank ahead of Red River foes the Texas Longhorns who land at No. 9.
A couple of surprises on the list include the Alabama Crimson Tide. who come in at No. 4 and the USC Trojans at No. 5.
Alabama boasts one of the best offenses in the country over the last several years and bring back the 2021 Heisman trophy winner. Perhaps the College Football Playoff Championship performance left a bad taste in Crawford’s mouth, but they should be higher. One could argue they should be right there with Ohio State as the No. 1 offense in the country, so to be behind Tennessee and Wake Forest is a bit of a surprise.
To his credit, Crawford’s piece came out before the news of Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman being forced to miss time due to a non-football related medical condition.
Speaking of the Trojans, does their No. 5 ranking pre-Hartman news indicate that the shine has worn off of Lincoln Riley a bit? Widely regarded by national media heading into 2021 as the best offensive mind in college football, things didn’t go well on the offensive side of the ball the last three games of the season. Armed with Caleb Williams, Oregon transfer Travis Dye, and Biletnikoff winner Jordan Addison, one would think the Trojans would be in the top three.
Here’s a look at the top 10.