Tag: Oklahoma Sooners Football

Where Oklahoma and its 2021 opponents finished in SP+ rankings

One of the more interesting analytics models is the SP+, where did Oklahoma and their future opponents finish in 2020?

There are many metrics that can be used to grade a team’s performance in a season. When looking at the Oklahoma Sooners record for 2020, a 9-2 record is a pretty good indication of how the team performed. As legendary coach Bill Parcells once said, “you are what your record says you are.”

While that does hold true, not everything is as black and white as that statement claims. There is a multitude of variables, models, and analytics to break it down even further. One such model is the SP+ model developed by ESPN’s Bill Connelly.

*Link requires paid subscription

What is SP+? ESPN’s website has a quick breakdown of this model.

In a single sentence, it’s a tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency.

The model ranks offense, defense, and special teams. The final team ranking is determined by offense plus special teams grade and subtracts the defense-grade.

Oklahoma’s Final SP+ Ranking

Oklahoma Overall Offense Defense Special Teams
Rating 27.5 44.9 19.6 0.4
Ranking 4th 3rd 15th 23rd

The Sooners finished the 2020 campaign with the fourth-highest overall SP+ ranking just behind the Alabama Crimson Tide, Ohio State Buckeyes, and Clemson Tigers. Three of the four teams that competed in the 2020 College Football Playoffs. The other participant being the Notre Dame Fighting Irish who fell all the way to No. 16.

The Sooners were just on the cusp of being one of those top teams, had it not been for a couple of mishaps to begin Big 12 Conference play in weeks two and three of the season. Moving forward into the 2021 season with a more experienced quarterback in Spencer Rattler, there is a great deal of hope that Oklahoma can return to the College Football Playoffs next season after a one-year hiatus in 2020.

In an effort to look forward, Sooners Wire looks at the 2021 opponents on the schedule and how they finished out the 2020 season with their SP+ rankings. The only team not accounted for will be Western Carolina who are members of FCS (Football Championship Subdivision).

Oklahoma has 6 players make Pro Football Focus’ top-101 players from 2020 season

The Oklahoma Sooners once again finished on top of the Big 12 mountain in 2020. PFF ranked six of their players in their top 101 in 2020.

Many fans and media alike knew there were going to be growing pains when it came to the Oklahoma Sooners football team in 2020. Continue reading “Oklahoma has 6 players make Pro Football Focus’ top-101 players from 2020 season”

Where the Oklahoma Sooners finish in final ESPN power rankings

The 2020 college football season is now complete. In ESPN’s final power rankings of the year, the Oklahoma Sooners finished No. 6 overall.

After starting out the season with an opening win over Missouri State, the promising season hit a road bump with back-to-back losses to Kansas State and Iowa State. Following the brief benching of starting quarterback Spencer Rattler, the Sooners were able to right the ship,  finishing the year on an eight-game win streak. This included some retribution from their last loss of the year against the Cyclones in Ames.

Down the stretch of the season, Oklahoma was one of the hottest teams in the country not named Alabama. ESPN produced their final power rankings of the season in which they have OU just outside the top five teams in the country.

The Sooners won their sixth straight Big 12 championship to complete a stirring turnaround after starting the season 1-2, including a 38-35 loss to Kansas State that saw OU blow a three-touchdown lead in the second half. That loss likely kept the Sooners from making their fifth College Football Playoff appearance in the past six years, but they finished the season on an eight-game winning streak, including a 55-20 rout of Florida in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic. – ESPN’s Chris Low

The Sooners will be looking to make it a lucky seven in a row when they take the field in September. The opener at this point is scheduled to be in New Orleans when Oklahoma takes on the Tulane Green Wave on Sept. 4.

The other Big 12 teams in the final rankings:

  • Iowa State- No. 9
  • Texas– No. 18
  • Oklahoma State- No. 19

[vertical-gallery id=23042]

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

Download the USA TODAY SportsWire app to follow Sooners Wire and your other favorite teams in the Apple Store for iPhones and Google Play for Android devices.

Big 12 Football: Way-too-early power rankings for 2021 season

With only one new head coach taking over, the conference as a whole is in a stable place. Here are the way-too-early 2021 power rankings:

The Big 12 conference is coming off of a season where a representative once again did not make the College Football Playoff. Iowa State and Oklahoma were the conference’s two best shots, but multiple losses damaged their hopes.

Had TCU’s bowl game not been canceled, six Big 12 teams would have made the postseason. In the five that did play, all of them won, including two New Year’s Six bowl wins from the Cyclones and the Sooners.

With only one new head coach taking over (Steve Sarkisian), the conference as a whole is in a good and stable place at the moment. Competitive games each week prove how strong it is from the top to the bottom, excluding Kansas.

The 2021 season will be no different, with four teams hoping to stay put atop the rankings and the middle of the pack looking to finally challenge for a Big 12 championship.

Take a look at our way-too-early 2021 power rankings.

Four-star offensive tackle Savion Byrd releases top five schools

Savion Byrd released a top-five school list consisting of Auburn, LSU, SMU, OU, and Texas. Herb Hand will need a late push to land Byrd.

Since losing the Brockermeyer brothers to Alabama, offensive line coach Herb Hand has been searching for replacements. It has been a struggle for Texas, losing out on lower-rated players to schools such as Baylor and Stanford.

Savion Byrd is a player who could turn that around for the Longhorns. A four-star on the 247Sports composite, Byrd is the No. 6 offensive tackle in the country. He released a top-five school list on Friday night consisting of Auburn, LSU, SMU, Oklahoma, and Texas.

The Mustangs and Sooners seem to have the upper hand in Byrd’s recruitment at the moment. Hand and the Longhorns have been pushing for the Duncanville High School product for quite some time now but has never emerged as a favorite to land him.

Hayden Connor is the only other member of Texas’ 2021 class that is projected to play offensive tackle. In what has been a horrific recruiting cycle for Tom Herman, landing Byrd would be a significant accomplishment and possibly rejuvenate the class.

Byrd also has experience playing defensive tackle, primarily playing there during his junior season. Duncanville finished as runner ups in the 6A-DI playoffs.

An announcement date has not yet been announced by Byrd. It will be a highly contested battle between some major programs.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Oklahoma-TCU scoring summary (live)

Oklahoma and TCU head into Saturday’s game 1-2 in conference play with wins against the same opponent and losses against the same teams

Oklahoma and TCU head into Saturday’s game 1-2 in conference play with wins against the same opponent and losses against the same teams. In fact, the two lost to Iowa State and Kansas State by the same amount of points. The Sooners are 6.5-point favorites and it is expected to be a close game. A loss knocks Oklahoma completely out of the Follow along here for scoring updates.

 

Oklahoma-TCU scoring summary (live)

Oklahoma and TCU head into Saturday’s game 1-2 in conference play with wins against the same opponent and losses against the same teams

Oklahoma and TCU head into Saturday’s game 1-2 in conference play with wins against the same opponent and losses against the same teams. In fact, the two lost to Iowa State and Kansas State by the same amount of points. The Sooners are 6.5-point favorites and it is expected to be a close game. A loss knocks Oklahoma completely out of the Follow along here for scoring updates.

1Q—11:57—OKLAHOMA 7 TCU 0

T.J. Pledger 12-yard rushing touchdown.

Drive: Six plays, 73 yards, 2:57

Oklahoma RB Seth McGowan available for TCU after missing OU-Texas

Oklahoma is going to be getting a boost at the skill position for TCU. Freshman running back Seth McGowan missed the Texas game.

Oklahoma is going to be getting a boost at the skill position for TCU.

Freshman running back Seth McGowan took over the reigns of the running back position during the Kansas State and Iowa State games. He’s averaging 5.3 yards a carry through his first three games and has accounted for three touchdowns.

McGowan, though, missed the Texas game a week ago for an undisclosed reason. He appears to be available today for TCU.

Players out don’t typically travel or warm up in pants.

T.J. Pledger started for Oklahoma against Texas and became the first Sooners’ running back to eclipse the 100-yard rushing game number on the season. Pledger went for 131 yards on 22 carries and scored two rushing touchdowns.

Marcus Major played major snaps in replacement of McGowan. He scored a touchdown, but only rushed for 43 yards on 12 carries.

Oklahoma and TCU will kickoff at 11 a.m. CT from Fort Worth, Texas.

[vertical-gallery id=19241]

What Sooners Wire will be watching for in Oklahoma’s game against TCU

Oklahoma and TCU are set to kickoff in just over an hour. Here is what Sooners Wire will be watching for in Saturday’s game.

For many, the turning point in Oklahoma’s season was the win down at the Cotton Bowl over Texas. For the Sooners, it’s winning today’s game down in Fort Worth, Texas.

Oklahoma heads into Saturday’s game 2-2, but 1-2 in conference play. The Sooners’ Big 12 Championship streak of five-straight is in real jeopardy and winning out is paramount to that becoming a possibility.

TCU is desperate, too. Gary Patterson and his 2020 team are 1-2 and are trying to bounce back from a disappointing 2019 campaign.

Both teams have losses to Kansas State and TCU. Both have beaten Texas. Even both losses are by the same combined points (10). The line on the game is 6.5-points.

It’s got a really chance to be another close game for Oklahoma. Something they’re accustomed to winning and something the Sooners proved they could do two weeks ago over the Longhorns.

Here is what Sooners Wire will be watching for in Saturday’s game.

IS ANTON HARRISON THE STARTING LEFT TACKLE?

He has to be, right?

Anton Harrison has been better and Oklahoma’s offense has been better with him in the starting lineup over Erik Swenson. The rotation needs to come to an end.

DID T.J. PLEDGER SOLIDIFY BEING THE STARTING RUNNING BACK?

T.J. Pledger was really good against Texas. Really good. He ran physically, finished runs and continued to pick up in pass protection.

But Seth McGowan is back. He’s been Oklahoma’s best running back by far. Does he retake the reigns at the running back position?

HOW MUCH RUN DOES CHRIS MURRAY GET?

The UCLA transfer is eligible and ready to play.

Chris Murray has all the talent in the world to be able to make a huge impact for Oklahoma’s offense. How much run does he get today against TCU? Tyrese Robinson and Marquis Hayes played better against Texas, but both guards have struggled at times this year.

CAN THE DEFENSIVE LINE MAKE AN IMPACT?

TCU’s offensive scheme is close to being full air raid. At least it was against Texas and Iowa State.

Short, quick throws to get the ball in playmaker’s hands. Zone-reads with a mobile quarterback.

Oklahoma’s defensive line has been the best unit for the Sooners so far. Getting pressure whenever they need it. But can they get home today?

DOES DAVID UGWOEGBU TAKE CONTROL OF MIKE?

DaShaun White has been underwhelming in his second year of fully playing for Oklahoma’s defense. He’s touted himself as being a leader of the defense in 2020.

But he hasn’t been that guy. White struggled against Texas and David Ugwoegbu played the majority of snaps a week ago late in the OU-Texas game. If White struggles to contain Max Duggan, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Ugwoegbu take full control of the MIKE linebacker position.

HOW MANY MORE GUYS PLAY IN THE SECONDARY?

We saw 10 or 11 defensive backs for Oklahoma a week ago.

Woodi Washington got a lot of run at corner. Tre Norwood at safety. Jeremiah Criddell at nickel back.

Does the transition of the old guard into the new guard happen? It may. This is a good TCU skill group.

[vertical-gallery id=19241]

Three biggest matchups in Oklahoma’s game against TCU

For many, the turning point in Oklahoma’s season was Texas. It’s Saturday against TCU. Here are the three biggest matchups in OU-TCU

For many, the turning point in Oklahoma’s season was the win down at the Cotton Bowl over Texas. For the Sooners, it’s winning today’s game down in Fort Worth, Texas.

Oklahoma heads into Saturday’s game 2-2, but 1-2 in conference play. The Sooners’ Big 12 Championship streak of five-straight is in real jeopardy and winning out is paramount to that becoming a possibility.

TCU is desperate, too. Gary Patterson and his 2020 team are 1-2 and are trying to bounce back from a disappointing 2019 campaign.

Both teams have losses to Kansas State and TCU. Both have beaten Texas. Even both losses are by the same combined points (10). The line on the game is 6.5-points.

It’s got a really chance to be another close game for Oklahoma. Something they’re accustomed to winning and something the Sooners proved they could do two weeks ago over the Longhorns.

Here are the three biggest matchups in Oklahoma’s game against TCU on Saturday.

SPENCER RATTLER VS. TCU SECONDARY

This is going to be the highlighted matchup for good reason. The TCU secondary has at least three future NFL players in Trevon Moehrig, Ar’Darius Washington and Noah Daniels.

Any time Spencer Rattler gives those guys a chance to make plays on the football, they’re going to. He has been susceptible to that. It’s going to be a great battle.

MAX DUGGAN VS. OKLAHOMA LINEBACKERS

I highlighted this in the three keys, but DaShaun White, Brian Asamoah and David Ugwoegbu are going to be the focus of Oklahoma’s defense today.

The Sooners spied Sam Ehlinger for much of two Saturdays ago, but did so unsuccessfully about the same rate as successfully. It’s going to be paramount that they do it successfully a lot on Saturday. The Sooners can’t let him extend drives or make big plays with his legs.

Both things could hurt Oklahoma in a big way.

LINCOLN RILEY VS. GARY PATTERSON

This is the ultimate chess match.

Two of the great minds in college football going at it is always a treat. Lincoln Riley and his scheme against Gary Patterson and his. TCU has yet to beat Oklahoma since Riley arrived in 2015, but they’ve got extremely close.

Patterson is going to throw the kitchen sink at the Sooners today. There is plenty out there of how to defend Rattler and the Oklahoma offense. You bet Patterson is going to be ready for this one.

[vertical-gallery id=19241]