Oklahoma was given a tough four-quarter matchup by historical rival Nebraska. It was a game that went the distance and required the Sooners come up with several defensive stops to seal the victory.
Unfortunately for Oklahoma, struggling against an unranked team for the second time in three weeks left many national observers disappointed with a preseason favorite.
Barrett Sallee of CBS Sports handed out grades for the top playoff contenders in college football and the Oklahoma Sooners came up with a disappointing “C+.”
Here’s what Sallee had to say.
Yeah, it was a rivalry game, but Oklahoma underwhelmed in its 23-16 win over Nebraska. The Cornhuskers defense was a pain in the rear for Sooners QB Spencer Rattler , who was erratic. This team looked like anything but a title contender. – Sallee
Week to week is going to be an adventure for the Oklahoma Sooners as they enter Big 12 play. Nebraska’s “2-high” safety look cause some issues for the Sooners deep passing game and Oklahoma wasn’t consistent enough after opening the game with a 14 play drive for a score.
Did Nebraska provide the recipe for how to slow down Lincoln Riley’s offensive attack? Possibly. The good news, however, is that the running game and the defense were more than capable of picking up for the Sooners passing attack.
Kennedy Brooks and Eric Gray combined for 159 rushing yards and the defense made just enough splash plays to hold off a valiant effort from Cornhuskers quarterback Adrian Martinez.
There are still questions to be answered about this Oklahoma team as they get ready to host West Virginia, a team they haven’t lost to since the Mountaineers entered the Big 12. But it’s still early in the season and the Sooners have more than enough time to get it right to defend their Big 12 championship and contend for the College Football Playoff.
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