The Oklahoma Sooners are off to their first 4-0 start of the Brent Venables era. After how conference play began a year ago, this is a breath of fresh air.
Though things weren’t great in their win over Cincinnati, the Sooners escaped their first true road game of the season with a comfortable win. That’s a positive sign of things to come. Oklahoma’s winning by an average margin of 38.25 points per game this season.
There’s a lot to feel good about in their undefeated start to the season.
The Sooners are one of 27 remaining undefeated teams in college football. After their win over Cincinnati, they moved up to No. 7 in Bill Connelly’s ranking of the unbeaten (ESPN+).
Why they’re ranked here: Dillon Gabriel and the OU offense have made a habit of destroying bad defenses (69.5 points per game against Tulsa and Arkansas State) while struggling against decent ones (24.0 against Cincinnati and SMU). The Sooners’ defense, however, has been elite. They’re second in points allowed per drive, combining big-play prevention with run disruption and timely third-down and red zone excellence. OU will play against the Big 12’s two best defenses over the next two weeks (Iowa State and Texas), but if the Sooners make it to 6-0, they could make it to 12-0. – Connelly, ESPN
The Sooners have played well in their 4-0 start but have room to improve on both sides of the ball. Though they may not answer every question this week with Iowa State coming to town, how they perform against one of the better defenses in the league will be telling.
The following week against Texas is the biggest test of the season for the Sooners. In the shadow of 49-0, all eyes will be on Brent Venables and the Sooners and how they respond to one of the worst losses this program has ever experienced.
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