The Auburn Tigers have an offense that can move the ball when they protect the ball. Running back Jarquez Hunter and a group of young playmaking wide receivers have had standout performances. The problem is Auburn has been terrible at protecting the football.
The Tigers are No. 2 in the nation in turnovers and No. 1 among Power Four teams. They average 3 1/2 turnovers per game, led by their quarterbacks Payton Thorne and Hank Brown, averaging two interceptions per game through four games. That also ranks second in the nation.
On the flip side are the Oklahoma Sooners, who rank second in the nation, forcing three turnovers per game and one interception per game. To say it’s not a great matchup for the Auburn Tigers would be an understatement.
At the same time, Oklahoma is starting a talented but inexperienced true freshman quarterback, Michael Hawkins, in a difficult environment. Last week against Tennessee, Hawkins was thrown into the fire at the end of the second quarter and looked the part. Though it didn’t result in a win, Hawkins showed capable of leading the Sooners offense, and the moment didn’t look too big for him.
Hawkins put his body on the line late in the game to get Oklahoma in the end zone. He was ruled inches short of the goal line on two occasions, but he showed plenty of heart. Beyond that, Hawkins looked comfortable throwing the ball, making several high-level throws in Oklahoma’s comeback attempt.
It’ll be a challenge for the young quarterback, given the injuries sustained by the wide receiver corps and facing a good Auburn defense, which is allowing just 16.8 points per game in 2024.
But if the Sooners can get him going early and find some semblance of a run game, it will allow Hawkins and the offense to build some confidence that could sustain them.
Ultimately, this game is going to depend on the Oklahoma Sooners’ defense. It did a great job against Tennessee last week, and it should be able to slow down the Tigers run game and put whichever player starts at quarterback this week into some third-and-long situations.
Sooners 24, Tigers 16
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