7 Bold Predictions for the Oklahoma Sooners matchup with the Kansas Jayhawks

As the Oklahoma Sooners look to extend their 16-game winning streak over the Kansas Jayhawks, here are 7 Bold Predictions for Saturday.

Heading into the Oklahoma Sooners matchup with the Kansas Jayhawks, the most important question has been answered. The Sooners know who they’re quarterback is and based on the way Caleb Williams has played in his first extended run leading the way for Oklahoma, it’s unlikely he’ll cede that spot anytime soon.

That said, there are still questions for Oklahoma as they work through the 2021 season.

With injuries in the secondary and an unknown timetable for the return of Woodi Washington and Delarrin Turner-Yell, someone will need to answer the bell as defensive playmaker for the Sooners.

Offensively things have gone as well as can be expected the last two weeks as Caleb Williams has helped Oklahoma rediscover its big-play ability.

As the Sooners get set to take one the Kansas Jayhawks in Lawrence, Kansas this Saturday, let’s take a look at 7 Bold Predictions for this week’s game.

Stock Up, Stock Down: How are the Sooners trending as they prepare for the Kansas Jayhawks?

Following a resounding win over TCU, how are several Sooners trending in this week’s Stock Report?

A flashy and explosive offensive performance has dominated the news cycle in the wake of Oklahoma’s 52-31 win over the TCU Horned Frogs. We are now. a few days removed from the game and the Sooners have turned the page and are prepping for a road matchup with Kansas.

Offensively and defensively, the Sooners had some great performances and some showings that are quite worrisome going forward. We’ll unpack whose stock is up and whose stock is trending downward as the Sooners turn the page on TCU.

STOCK UP: Andrew Raym, Center

Andrew Raym, like the rest of the offensive line, is figuring it out. Raym was one of the most sought-after Oklahoma offensive line prospects in recent memory.

He contracted COVID before the season and Robert Congel started in his place. Raym would eventually replace Congel in the second half of the Nebraska game and since then has not given the job up.

He’s played well anchoring the middle. He’s had to navigate a quarterback change and handled that seamlessly. He’s doing a good job in the passing game and opening holes on the ground for these running backs.

Raym posted the third-highest grade on Oklahoma’s offense for his performance Saturday according to PFF.

STOCK DOWN: Billy Bowman, Defensive Back

This particular name is more a function of having a couple bad games in a row. Billy Bowman was solid early on but has struggled the last few games.

He’s ultra-talented and his coaches and teammates believe in him. Unfortunately, he was saddled with a tough matchup  against the much bigger Quentin Johnston against TCU.

Bowman a talented player who will continue to improve. Hopefully, his struggles over the last couple of weeks are things he can work through and aren’t compounded any further.

Playing as an outside corner for the first time on Saturday was a tough ask if the true freshman.

The Sooners are so depleted at cornerback asking Bowman to move outside was necessary. Another week of working at outside in practice could do him well, but hopefully they can keep him at his more natural slot corner spot. He’ll have the benefit of a less than stellar Kansas opponent looking across at him.

Up Next: More Stock up, Stock Down

Report Card: Grading the Sooners following their 52-31 win over TCU

The Sooners dispatched TCU relatively comfortably. Let’s take a look at how each position group graded out in the 52-31 win.

For a while, it may have seemed like an afterthought to grade out the offense with A’s and B’s across the board. However, that time has arrived.  The offense was a bright spot, and the defense wasn’t as bad as maybe it appeared.

As we do each week, let’s look at how each position group graded in the Sooners 52-31 thrashing of the TCU Horned Frogs.

Quarterbacks: A

No need to beat around the bush here: Caleb Williams was phenomenal in his first start since usurping Spencer Rattler in Oklahoma’s thrilling come-from-behind win against Texas.

He dazzled the sold-out crowd in Norman and had national media in an uproar. Williams was 18 of 23 for 295 yards passing and four touchdowns, three of which made their way to Jadon Haselwood. He added 66 yards rushing, including the electric 41-yard TD run in the third quarter you can see below.

After that performance, there’s no need to speculate about who will be the quarterback as Oklahoma heads to the state of Kansas again for their second true road game against the Kansas Jayhawks.

The next step for Williams is to continue to mature and grow within the offense.

Up Next: Backs and Pass Catchers

Red River Showdown: 5 recruits Oklahoma and Texas vying for

A look at five recruits Oklahoma and Texas are both competing for and an update on their recruitments.

On or off the field, the battle between Oklahoma and Texas for supremacy never ends. When these teams line up for this year’s battle, there will be quite a bit of familiarity between the players. Oklahoma has 48 players from the state of Texas on their roster.  The number is significantly less for Oklahoma players on Texas’ roster but nonetheless, these teams cross paths in recruiting so frequently it’s become normal.

Guys like Billy Bowman and Ja’Tavion Sanders were high school teammates in Texas but ended up going to Oklahoma and Texas respectively. Both schools were the finalists for both. They aren’t the first and they sure won’t last recruits these teams will fight over.

Luckily, we compiled a list of a few notable names from the 2022 recruiting class and the 2023 recruiting class that both Oklahoma and Texas are duking it out over.

*In order to qualify, we selected names that are seriously considering both schools or we feel as if both schools will be right there at the end for said prospect’s commitment.*

Going behind enemy lines for Texas-Oklahoma with Sooners Wire

Come for the football questions, stay for the State Fair food.

For the fourth time in four years, Texas and Oklahoma will meet up as ranked opponents. No rivalry in college football has been more consistent in producing entertaining and high quality games.

Saturday’s matchup at the Cotton Bowl is going to be no different. It’s a battle of Steve Sarkisian and Lincoln Riley, two of the best offensive minds in the sport. The rightful name for the game, Red River Shootout, should truly become a shootout this year.

Tipico Sportsbook has the Sooners favored by 3.5 points. 2012 was the last time Texas-Oklahoma was decided by at least double digits, putting the term “throw the record books out the window” to good use.

To get a better idea of how Oklahoma is going to attack Texas, we turned to our friends at Sooners Wire. Thanks to managing editor John Williams for featuring in this week’s “Behind Enemy Lines” feature.

Come for the football questions, stay for the State Fair food.

12 Sooners who Stood Out in Oklahoma’s win over Kansas State

In their win over Kansas State, the Oklahoma Sooners got contributions from a variety of sources. Here are 12 Sooners who stood out.

Football is the ultimate team game. It takes 11 guys on both sides of the ball and a variety of role players to put a team in a position to win the game. Though it’s a quarterback’s game, it takes a team to win football games.

And that’s what the Sooners got on Saturday in their 37-31 win over Kansas State. It wasn’t a perfect team win, but the defense held the Wildcats to 24 points (that kickoff return for a touchdown isn’t on the defense) despite Skylar Thompson and Deuce Vaughn having monster games.

The defense also got the offense a short field and looked to be on the verge of scoring until a botched snap and penalty forced them to kick a field goal after having second and goal at the one.

In the first half, it looked as if the Kansas State defense was going to be as stingy as West Virginia’s. However, Spencer Rattler and company continued their efficiency and at the end of the game they had scored on of their eight possessions (not counting the kneel-downs at the end).

It wasn’t a win that moved the needle in the eyes of the voters, who allowed the Sooners to drop back a spot in the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll and let a team jump them in the AP Top 25.

Despite how the Sooners are viewed nationally, they’re 5-0 and coming off arguably their best win of the season. Here are 12 players who made significant contributions to the win.

Passing Out Grades: Report Card for the Sooners vs. West Virginia

The Oklahoma Sooners played another tight one in their 16-13 win over West Virginia, but how did each position group grade out in the week 4 win?

Without ever having thoughts of being a teacher, passing out bad grades doesn’t seem like a fun time. The Oklahoma Sooners won against West Virginia but it wasn’t pretty and most notably one side of the ball struggled immensely.

At the end of the day, a win is a win. However, things must change offensively if the Sooners are to seriously contend for any trophies this season.

Let’s pass out some grades.

Quarterbacks: C-

This grade is the lowest grade I’ve handed out to this position group this year. It needs to be said that all quarterback grades are products of the offensive line play in front of them.

Spencer Rattler’s offensive line was not good but he has also had moments when he answered the call. Rattler, upon further review, missed a few throws that really would have given Oklahoma some chances to open things up.

He’s still struggling to make better decisions throwing vertically. A contested deep ball to wide receiver Michael Woods could have been intercepted had the defensive back not prematurely celebrated.

He threw an interception as he was targeting Drake Stoops late in the first half, focusing on Stoops the entire route and letting the ball float in the air too long.

At times, he continues to not set his plant foot and drive off of it causing balls to sail or not have the accuracy they need.

At the end of the game, he was 6 for 6 and orchestrated the game-winning drive to lead his team down the field and get them in a position to win. He has to be better and Lincoln Riley has to coach him better.

Most importantly…

Up Next: The Offensive Line

Jeremiah Criddell OUT, Billy Bowman IN for Sooners vs. West Virginia

As the Sooners get set to take on the West Virginia Mountaineers, Jeremiah Criddell will be out of action while Billy Bowman is back.

The Oklahoma Sooners continue to have injury issues in the secondary. Woodi Washington will miss his second straight game. As the Sooners get warmed up for tonight’s matchup with the West Virginia Mountaineers, injury news is coming out.

According to several reports from Owen Field, first, from Jason Kersey of The Athletic, it looks like Jeremiah Criddell will be out of action tonight against West Virginia.

And though that’s a huge loss for the Sooners secondary, they’ll get some good news as Billy Bowman is back and ready to roll.

Criddell and Bowman have been the two primary players for the Oklahoma Sooners at slot cornerback. Getting some consistency in the secondary will be huge for the Sooners at some point this season and though they’ll miss Criddell, Bowman’s presence will help a secondary that has struggled with injuries.

Jaden Davis and D.J. Graham will start on the outside with Bowman and Justin Broiles taking over the majority of the snaps.

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

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Final thoughts on the Oklahoma Sooners matchup with the Nebraska Cornhuskers

Final thoughts as the Oklahoma Sooners get set to close out their non-conference schedule vs. the Cornhuskers on Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff.

The anticipation has come to a head as the Oklahoma Sooners get set to take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers today at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium as part of Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff.

Bob Stoops will be in Norman with Fox and will be honored at halftime for his upcoming College Football Hall of Fame Induction in December. It is fitting that Stoops is in attendance as the former Oklahoma Sooners head coach was on the sidelines the last time these two teams met in the 2010 Big 12 Championship game.

The Oklahoma Sooners take on a Nebraska team that has rebounded well after a week 0 loss to Illinois in the rare opening week conference game. The Cornhuskers have won their last two games against Fordham and Buffalo by an average of 35 points.

Nebraska isn’t the team it once was, but that doesn’t lessen the excitement for this game. Our Sooners Wire Staff feels very confident in the Sooners’ chances to win this game, but some things need to be figured out as the two teams lock up for the first time in more than a decade today.

Key Players for the Oklahoma Sooners defense vs. Nebraska

A look at the three players on the Oklahoma defense that are key players against Nebraska.

Oklahoma will wrap up its nonconference schedule with their toughest opponent thus far in Nebraska. The game is symbolic as an old rivalry is renewed on the 50th anniversary of the ‘Game of the Century.

On the field, OU will face a noticeable step up in competition as opposed to their games against Tulane and Western Carolina University. Defensively, they will have to contend with one of the best running quarterbacks in the nation in Adrian Martinez.

Martinez, a veteran quarterback has seen a lot of football over the years and will hardly be scared of the moment. However, his relatively young offensive line will line up across from one of the best front sevens in the country. Pressure is something Martinez is very familiar with. We wrote about that here.

Oklahoma will be without some key players on the back end of their defense. Woodi Washington and Billy Bowman are not expected to play. Look for Latrell McCutchin and Jeremiah Criddell to fill in for them in their spots. Here are candidates for the defensive players to watch as Oklahoma tries to bottle up Nebraska and head into Big 12 play undefeated:

Up Next: A Monster in the Middle ready to be unleashed.