The Oklahoma Sooners are entering uncharted waters in Year 3 of the [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] era. OU leaves the [autotag]Big 12[/autotag] and moves to the [autotag]SEC[/autotag] in 2024, walking into college football’s toughest conference.
Will Backus of CBS Sports gave his best- and worst-case scenarios for the Sooners before the season begins.
Here’s what Backus had to say if everything falls right in Norman:
Oklahoma will be fielding its best defense in years; Venables has put in a ton of work improving that side of the ball from the line of scrimmage back. The Sooners also have skill talent in droves and a veteran group of wide receivers that will help acclimate first-year starting quarterback [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag]. At least ten wins would put OU right on the doorstep of the [autotag]College Football Playoff[/autotag], with the potential to make the cut with at-large spots up for grabs. Backus, CBS Sports
However, if the season doesn’t go the way Sooner fans hope it will, Backus has some bad news about how the season could go:
Chief among them is a new offensive line replacing five players with starting experience. In a vacuum, that raises an immediate red flag about Oklahoma’s ability to compete right off the bat. When you realize that Arnold will be taking his first meaningful season-long snaps behind this entirely rebuilt front wall, that red flag becomes an alarm. The Sooners did bring some meaningful talent in via the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] and [autotag]Bill Bedenbaugh[/autotag] is as good of an offensive line coach as anyone in football, so there’s hope that all the hand-wringing may be for naught. – Backus, CBS Sports
The Sooners seem to be viewed by the national media as a bit of a wild card in Year 1 in the SEC. If Venables sees Jackson Arnold and his offensive line click, the defense should be good enough for Oklahoma to make some noise. If the defense isn’t as good as expected or Arnold gets beat up behind a porous O-line, it’ll be tough to see OU prove to the country in 2024 the fruit of what Venables is building.
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