Tag: 2023 Alamo Bowl

Social media reacts to the Oklahoma Sooners loss to Arizona in the Alamo Bowl

It was a tough way to end the 2023 season in the Sooners 38-24 loss to Arizona and here’s how social media reacted.

At one point in the third quarter, it looked as if the Oklahoma Sooners were going to run away from the Arizona Wildcats in their Alamo Bowl matchup. But the turnover bug that hurt the Sooners in the first quarter, reared its ugly head again toward the end of the third.

Instead of potentially going up 31-13 late in the third, the Sooners led by just three. And after the Wildcats defensive touchdown, it seemed as if the wheels fell off for the Sooners offense.

It was a tough way to end the season, but there were some promising moments that give us something to look forward to.

So how did social media react to the Sooners’ 38-24 loss? Always hard after a loss, but let’s take a look at some reactions to the overall performance, Jackson Arnold’s first start, and Nic Anderson and Drake Stoops’ big days.

No. 12 Oklahoma vs. No. 14 Arizona Wildcats: Sooners Wire staff predictions

The Oklahoma Sooners take on the Arizona Wildcats in the Alamo Bowl. Sooners Wire staff predicts the final game of 2023.

The [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] era has officially begun in Norman, Oklahoma. He’ll make the first start of Sooners’ career in the Alamo Bowl when the Sooners take on one of the hottest teams in the country, the Arizona Wildcats.

On paper, this looks like an even matchup between two teams that rank inside the top 50 on both sides of the ball.

Like Oklahoma, the Wildcats will start a freshman at quarterback, Noah Fifita. He’s played really well in 2023 and is a big reason Arizona is on the verge of a 10-win season.

To get you ready for the 2023 Valero [autotag]Alamo Bowl[/autotag], here are our final Sooners Wire staff predictions for the 2023 season.

No. 12 Oklahoma Sooners vs No. 14 Arizona Wildcats: How to Watch and key players for game day

The Sooners play their final game of the season in the Alamo Bowl, here is how you can watch the game and some key players.

The Oklahoma Sooners are set to wrap up their 2023 season. The Sooners are 10-2, but will face an [autotag]Arizona Wildcats[/autotag] team that is 9-3 and ranked No. 14.

The Sooners’ two losses came by a combined eight points. The Wildcats also know about close losses. Their three losses came by a combined 16 points, and two came in overtime.

There is a strong argument there isn’t a hotter team in college football than Arizona. It has won six straight by an average margin of 20.2 points per game, including four against ranked teams.

The Wildcats bring in the nation’s 18th-ranked offense and the 36th-ranked defense. They rank in the top 26 in both scoring offense and scoring defense.

Outside the [autotag]Red River Rivalry[/autotag], Arizona might be the most complete team the Sooners have faced all season. So, let’s take a look at how you can watch the game, some key players and an update on who is playing.

Oklahoma Sooners depth chart for Alamo Bowl matchup vs. Arizona Wildcats

A look at the Oklahoma Sooners depth chart heading into the Alamo Bowl.

The Oklahoma Sooners released the depth chart for the 2023 Valero Alamo Bowl matchup with the Arizona Wildcats.

The depth chart is one of the more intriguing storylines, considering the opt outs and the transfer departures. That is particularly true on the offensive side of the ball. Oklahoma will break in a new starting quarterback and multiple offensive linemen when it takes on an Arizona defense that ranked No. 27 in the nation in points per game allowed.

The biggest storyline for the Sooners comes at quarterback. Jackson Arnold is set to make his first career start for OU. That alone makes the game incredibly intriguing for the Sooners, who hope Arnold can take their offense to another level as they prepare for their first season in the SEC.

The Oklahoma Sooners depth chart heading into the Alamo Bowl:

Oklahoma vs. Arizona in the Alamo Bowl one of the best of bowl season

This year’s Alamo Bowl matchup between the Oklahoma Sooners and Arizona Wildcats ranks as one of the best bowls this season per CBS Sports.

The Oklahoma Sooners were on the cusp of reaching the Big 12 title game but just missed out when BYU fell to Oklahoma State. Then, it seemed like they had a shot to sneak into a New Year’s Six bowl, but the committee felt like their losses outweighed their win over Texas.

Still, there’s one more game to make a statement in 2023 with a matchup against the Arizona Wildcats in the Alamo Bowl. An opportunity to finish with 11 wins and head into the offseason with more momentum.

And this matchup with Arizona has a chance to be one of the best of the bowl season. Tom Fornelli of CBS Sports put the Alamo Bowl at No. 5 in his ranking of every bowl game this season.

Arizona was one of my favorite teams to watch this season. Early in the year, the Wildcats were forced to turn to backup QB Noah Fifita, and it was the best thing that could’ve happened to them as Fifita has been one of the best players in the country since. He’s been the driving force behind leading the Wildcats to their best season since 2014. They’ll face an Oklahoma team that’s been up and down this year. The Sooners are 10-2, but the offense tends to disappear at times, and offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby just left for the Mississippi State job. Still, my initial reaction to seeing this matchup is that it has the potential to be a thriller, which would be nothing new for an Alamo Bowl.

If you’re not familiar with our beloved Alamo Bowl’s history, it’s traditionally been a high-scoring game. The last 14 games have averaged 66.2 points with the winning team averaging 40.3. Both of these teams are more than capable of living up to the game’s past. – Fornelli, CBS Sports

The Arizona Wildcats were a really good team in 2023. Their losses to Washington and USC came by a combined nine points. They won six in a row to close out the regular season, which included a 42-18 win over Utah.

The Wildcats rank in the top 30 nationally in scoring offense and scoring defense. They’ve allowed just 20.8 points per game and are scoring 34.3 points per game.

The Sooners have been one of the best offenses in the country this year. They’re No. 3 in the nation in scoring, averaging 43.2 points per game. The defense finished No. 42 in the nation, allowing 22.3 points per game, which is an improvement from the 30 points per game they allowed in 2022.

The transfer portal departures of [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag], [autotag]Tawee Walker[/autotag], and [autotag]Key Lawrence[/autotag] could have an impact on the outcome of the Alamo Bowl. [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] will get the first start of his career, and with a month to prepare, he should be more than ready for the bright lights in San Antonio, Texas.

[autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag] proved to be Oklahoma’s best running back down the stretch, notching four straight 100-yard days to finish the season. While Lawrence will be a loss on defense, the Sooners feel really good about their young safeties and future NFL-er Billy Bowman.

As Fornelli mentions, this is going to be a fun matchup that has the potential to be one of the best in this year’s bowl season.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on Twitter @john9williams.