Oklahoma Sooners College Football Preview 2021: Keys To The Season
Oklahoma Sooners Biggest Key: Offense
Weak cliché warning … Oklahoma wins if it doesn’t beat itself.
Sorry – there’s a payoff at the end here to make up for that.
The running game will be better and should be more consistent. It’s not going to get the production with Spencer Rattler under center like it did with Kyler Murray or Jalen Hurts, but the quarterback doesn’t need to take off and rock if the talented backs – Eric Gray and Kennedy Brooks – do their thing.
With that said, the Sooners struggled to run in both games against Iowa State, couldn’t move a lick against Baylor, and averaged under five yards per carry for the first time since 2012. That has to change, but more than that …
It wins if it doesn’t beat itself. More like, it wins if it doesn’t screw up.
Oklahoma is ten-miles more talented than everyone on its schedule. There might be one loss on the slate, but the only way it drops two games is with a whole lot of giveaways – like the four in the 38-35 shocker against Kansas State. That was the only time OU lost the turnover battle.
The Sooners were -2 against K-State in 2019, too, in their only regular season loss. They lost one regular season game in 2018 – and it was the only time all season they were -3 in turnover margin.
Oklahoma has never lost a game in the Lincoln Riley era when it won the turnover battle. In fact, the last Sooner loss when it was on the plus side was …
2014. It was +1 in a 37-33 loss to No. 3 TCU. Before that? November 6, 2010 against Texas A&M.
If it’s not the turnovers that might do in the Sooners …
Oklahoma Sooners Biggest Key: Defense
Don’t let anyone bomb away. Oklahoma doesn’t have a problem getting into firefights – it can hang with just about anyone – but there’s a huge problem when quarterbacks are able to hit the big plays.
Kansas State was a lot of things last year, but it wasn’t exactly a high-powered passing team. That’s partly because Skylar Thompson was knocked out for the year early on, but even so, the O only averaged more than ten yards per attempt once – against Oklahoma.
In the win, the Wildcats averaged 13.4 yards per throw. A week later, Iowa State’s Brock Purdy – who was a bit hit-or-miss throughout last season – averaged close to 11 yards per throw in the Cyclone win.
Of course Joe Burrow averaged close to 13 yards a pass in the College Football Playoff Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl win, making OU 0-3 over the last two years against teams that averaged over ten yards a throw.
Before that? Tua Tagovailoa averaged 11.7 yards per pass in the CFP Orange Bowl. The Sooners beat West Virginia in 2018 when Will Grier went off, but that was a 59-56 insanity-fest.
Throw in a loss to Iowa State in 2017, and under Lincoln Riley OU is 2-4 when giving up over ten yards a pop. So …
Oklahoma Sooners Key Player To A Successful Season
CB DJ Graham, Soph.
Woodi Washington will be fine on the other side, and Jaden Davis is a decent veteran who can step in. The 5-11, 195-pound Graham, though, came on late in his freshman year to finish with 21 tackles with a pick and a broken up pass.
The talent and speed are all there, but he’ll have to make teams pay for throwing his way. Everything else is in place on D – the corners have to be great.
Oklahoma Sooners Key Game To The 2021 Season
Iowa State, Nov. 20
Yeah, yeah, yeah, it’s of course the Texas game, and if it’s not the Texas game it’s the trip to Oklahoma State to close out the regular season.
And yeah, yeah, yeah, it would be nice if the Sooners could quit biffing against Kansas State after losing two straight. But they can drop a game along the way, get to the Big 12 Championship, and get into the College Football Playoff.
However, losing in the home finale against a very, very good Iowa State team could be a killer.
That comes before the date up the road about 80 miles to deal with the Cowboys and after what might be a sneaky-lookahead game at Baylor. Beat Iowa State convincingly, and everything this team is looking for should be there for the taking.
– Oklahoma Football Schedule Breakdown & Analysis
2020 Oklahoma Sooners Fun Stats
– 1st Quarter Scoring: Oklahoma 151 – Opponents 20
– Penalties: Opponents 100 for 798 yards – Oklahoma 80 for 738
– 4th Down Conversions: Oklahoma 8-of-10 (80%) – Opponents 15-of-23 (65%)