Oklahoma resumes conference play on Saturday as they load up and head to Ames, Iowa to take on Matt Campbell’s Iowa State Cyclones. Oklahoma comes off their bye week rejuvenated and largely very healthy, with the only notable injury being that of impact defender Billy Bowman. Oklahoma’s defense has been playing without Bowman for weeks now, so they should be acclimated to life without their best defensive back.
With Bowman out of the lineup, new guys have been given opportunities to showcase themselves. While no one player has stood out, the coaching staff likes the open competition and is giving different players looks. The rest of the defense will also have to take their games to the next level, as the last road trip for Oklahoma ended with TCU scoring over 50 points on the Sooners.
Iowa State no longer has running back Breece Hall, who went head-to-head the last few seasons with the Texas Longhorns’ Bijan Robinson for best RB in the Big 12. They did return Xavier Hutchinson, and he’s taken his game to the next level. He’s the toughest skill player Oklahoma will be scheming to stop.
The Iowa State offense is anemic in comparison to the other Big 12 offenses Oklahoma has seen to this point. However, the Cyclones will get up for Oklahoma. As we get ready for kickoff, here are five defenders to watch for as Oklahoma takes on Iowa State.