Tag: red river rivalry

USA TODAY Sports college football expert offers early prediction for OU-Texas

USA TODAY College football expert believes Georgia will hand Texas their first loss, not the Oklahoma Sooners.

We’re still nine days out from the Red River Showdown, but the buzz is beginning to grow between the fan bases from the storied rivalry.

Each team has a bye week to prepare for the showdown in the Cotton Bowl. OU-Texas will kick off the second half of the season, two months that should be full of the drama and excitement college football has to offer.

Nobody on either side is going to look past OU-Texas. But huge games loom on the other side. The Sooners host a better-than-perceived South Carolina team, and the Longhorns host the Georgia Bulldogs. As much as we’ve talked about Oklahoma’s challenging schedule, the SEC schedule makers did Texas no favors by giving them the Bulldogs right after the Red River Showdown.

In a story predicting when each undefeated team will take its first loss, USA TODAY Sports Paul Myerburg believes it will be the Bulldogs, not the Sooners, that hand the Longhorns their first loss of the season.

Look for the Longhorns to sail past No. 17 Oklahoma on Oct. 12 given the Sooners’ offense state of affairs. Getting Georgia at home definitely helps, but the Bulldogs are heading into October deeply motivated to move past last Saturday’s setback at Alabama and end the regular season with just one loss. – Myerburg, USA TODAY Sports

It’s no surprise that many of the national analysts will ride with the Longhorns when they make their predictions next week for the Red River Rivalry. The Longhorns are No. 1 in the US LBM Coaches Poll and the No. 2 team in the AP Top 25. Texas was considered the better team coming into the season, and there hasn’t been much reason to divert from that opinion.

The Horns have a big win on the road over Michigan and have taken care of business despite the absence of Quinn Ewers the last two weeks.

On paper, the Longhorns will be viewed as the more talented team. But that’s why we play the games. Oklahoma’s defense and an improving offense will give the Sooners a chance to pull off an upset for the second season in a row.

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Why a chaotic college football season could benefit the Sooners

Chaos could be the way the Sooners find their way into the College Football Playoff.

The 2024 college football season is underway. Week Zero featured just four FBS games on Saturday before most teams get started in Week One, which will begin on Thursday night and run through Monday evening.

Game No. 1 of the college football season gave us our first upset, as No. 10 Florida State was defeated by unranked [autotag]ACC[/autotag] foe Georgia Tech in Dublin, Ireland. The Seminoles fell by a final score of 24-21, as the Yellow Jackets made a field goal as time expired. If the first day of games is any indication, we could be in for a chaotic season in 2024.

It’s now game week for the Oklahoma Sooners, as they’ll host Temple in their first game of the season. The Owls will come to town on Friday night for a 6 p.m. kickoff. Normally, programs like Oklahoma would like to avoid chaos, as they’ve typically been favored in most games in the [autotag]Big 12[/autotag]. As one of college football’s premiere blue-blood programs, regularly among the best in the country, the word upset is not something the Sooners like to hear.

But the game has changed. OU is now a member of the [autotag]SEC[/autotag] and is no longer the biggest fish in a relatively small pond. Instead, the Sooners are a big fish in an ocean filled with plenty of other big fish.

In addition, the postseason in college football has changed. The [autotag]College Football Playoff[/autotag] has expanded from four to 12 teams, with the four highest-rated conference champions earning first-rounds byes.

Chaos might help the Sooners for the first time, as there will be plenty of teams hovering around the 10-15 rankings, hoping they won’t be left on the doorstep of the [autotag]CFP[/autotag]. Oklahoma could be one of them. A 2007-style year where unpredictability reigns supreme in college football would be something that could benefit OU.

The Sooners are facing a brutal schedule in Year 1 in the SEC. Home games against Tennessee and Alabama are mixed in with road contests against Ole Miss, Missouri, and LSU. Not to mention the annual neutral-site [autotag]Red River Rivalry[/autotag] matchup against Texas. The other conference games aren’t gimmes either, as contests at Auburn and at home against South Carolina will test the Sooners at all levels. It’s also imperative that Oklahoma goes undefeated in nonconference action, as well with home games against Temple, Houston, Tulane, and Maine.

Needless to say, going 12-0 or 11-1, the normal expectations in Norman, will be a difficult mountain to climb. Oklahoma isn’t favored to win the conference, or even to play in the conference title game. The SEC tests your program every week, a change from the Big 12. Instead, if the Sooners are at their best in 2024, they will likely be hovering in the hunt for a playoff berth.

That’s where the chaos comes in. If the Florida State loss is just the beginning of something bigger, Oklahoma could slip in and steal a playoff spot, provided that they take care of business on their end. The Sooners will need higher-ranked teams to lose two or even three games in the 12-team playoff format. This is because that’s likely where Oklahoma will be as well. That’s where “SEC-bias” could also help OU, as playing in the sport’s strongest conference and going, let’s say 9-3, with their difficult schedule could push them in over other 9-3 or even 10-2 teams.

College football’s unpredictable nature is one of the best things about the sport. Typically, it’s been something Sooner fans have hoped to avoid, as simply winning all of their games has been enough to get OU where they need to be. However, with the move to the SEC, there will be setbacks and rough outings. Chaos across the sport this season is something Sooner Nation should root for and embrace in 2024.

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Casey Thompson’s long journey highlighted in Washington Post article

Casey Thompson is battling for Oklahoma’s backup quarterback job.

The quarterback room has changed a lot for the Oklahoma Sooners entering 2024. [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag], [autotag]Casey Thompson[/autotag], [autotag]Michael Hawkins Jr.[/autotag], [autotag]Brendan Zurbrugg[/autotag] and [autotag]Steele Wasel[/autotag] make up the unit this season. They’ll be coached by [autotag]Seth Littrell[/autotag], who will serve as co-offensive coordinator along with [autotag]Joe Jon Finley[/autotag].

As OU enters Year 3 of the [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] era, the head coach has been hyper-focused on building up every part of the roster. He found what could be a key walk-on transfer in a veteran journeyman who has been all over the college football map.

Ideally, a backup quarterback isn’t something that is ever a big part of your season. Arnold is the starting quarterback for the Sooners in 2024 and will stay in that role as long as he is healthy enough to do so. If the worst does happen and Arnold falls with injury, Thompson and Hawkins Jr. would be the first options to replace him, with Zurbrugg and Wasel behind them.

While Thompson’s fellow backup quarterbacks are all youngsters (as is the guy playing in front of him) he’s the outlier. Thompson is entering his seventh year of college football and playing for his fourth different school.

It’s part of the reality of the new world of college football. The transfer portal, COVID-years of eligibility, and injury waivers provide the opportunity for players to play six or seven seasons at this level. The Sooners may benefit from Thompson’s final year of eligibility.

The Washington Post’s Kent Babb featured Thompson in a detailed article that dove deeper into the quarterback’s journey.

His father, Charles, was a star QB for the Sooners from 1986-1988, the final three seasons of the [autotag]Barry Switzer[/autotag] era. His older brother Kendal was a backup QB at OU from 2011-2013, before transferring to Utah for the next two seasons. However, Casey chose a different path out of high school, committing to play for the rival Texas Longhorns and head coach Tom Herman.

He spent three seasons as Sam Ehlinger’s backup before replacing him in the 2020 Alamo Bowl. He played under new head coach Steve Sarkisian in 2021, facing off against the Sooners in the fabled [autotag]Red River Rivalry[/autotag] game that season and diced up Alex Grinch’s defense. He helped the Longhorns jump out to a huge first half lead.

But after battling all season with Hudson Card for the starting gig in a 5-7 year, and with Quinn Ewers on the way to Austin in 2022, Thompson transferred to play for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. He again met rival Oklahoma in a blowout loss in Lincoln, and his time as a Husker didn’t go as planned.

“Once Casey started the 2022 season as the Cornhuskers’ starting quarterback, the offers poured in,” Babb said “He endorsed a protein doughnut brand, an apparel company, a barbershop. He spent $1,800 on a pair of off-white Air Force 1s, and when a group of high school buddies wanted to go to Austin on a weekend trip, the group stayed in a 10-bedroom mansion. Life was good, but Charles kept issuing warnings. Casey and his two brothers had grown up hearing them almost constantly, the echoes of their father’s trauma reverberating through every stage … In the Huskers’ first game of 2022, Coach Scott Frost opted to try a surprise onside kick against Northwestern. It failed, the first domino that ended in a blown double-digit lead. Two weeks later, Frost got fired, and players were left to flail. Casey got sacked 19 times and says now that he was hit 137 times in six weeks, at various points suffering injuries to a shoulder, a calf, his hip, his left wrist, an AC joint, even his jaw. Thumb surgery had weakened his grip on the ball, and yet another collision damaged nerves in his elbow.”

But that wasn’t the end of the rough season, according to Babb.

“In a game against Illinois, a defender crashed into Casey as he threw a pass, leaving him without feeling in his fingers. He had torn his labrum but, after missing two weeks, returned to the lineup and again played through it. Even running a makeshift attack, behind one of the nation’s worst offensive lines, Casey was among the nation’s most effective passers. Then, more dominoes. Nebraska hired Matt Rhule, the former Baylor and Carolina Panthers coach. A fourth playbook in two years and a fifth offensive coordinator. The winter transfer portal opened, and by the time it closed, 6-foot-4 quarterback Jeff Sims had departed Georgia Tech and was signing with the Cornhuskers. With his shoulder still healing, Casey couldn’t practice all spring. He and Rhule agreed that the new system, based more on power rushing than prolific passing, wasn’t a perfect fit. Though the portal had closed to football players, its gray areas include an exception for players with a new head coach. In April 2023, Casey’s future was again draped in uncertainty. Rhule hadn’t named a starter, but after their conversation, Casey knew the score. The only thing he could be sure of was that, 72 hours after the spring game, the portal would close.”

Thompson’s journey continued, ending up at Florida Atlantic for the 2023 season.

“During his third game, Casey fell to the turf while evading a Clemson defender. The pop in his right knee was the shredding of his ACL, his season finished in the blink of an eye,” Babb said.

After things didn’t go as planned at FAU, he had a decision to make about his future.

“When the NCAA approved his request for a medical exemption, granting him a chance to be a seventh-year college senior, he decided to continue only if one program welcomed him,” Babb said. “It’s the same one that recruited, excommunicated, and eventually forgave his dad. Casey had gone on a winding journey only to wind up back where he started. It had taken him traversing the country and multiple injuries for him to realize that, deep down, it was neither profit nor glory he had been chasing. It was stability. He yearned to belong, as his father does, and remember how it feels to be home.”

Thompson transferred and walked on at OU to batlle true freshman Hawkins Jr. for the back up job behind Arnold and has been rehabbing his injury, missing spring football. However, if his number is called upon in 2024, he could be ending his college football career, helping out his fourth-different team in seven seasons.

This time, it would be one close to home.

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What an opposing coach thinks about Jackson Arnold?

The Sooners officially hand the reins over to Jackson Arnold on August 30th.

The college football season starts in a matter of days, with Week Zero action on Saturday, August 24th featuring four FBS games. The slate is headlined by Florida State vs. Georgia Tech in an ACC battle taking place in Ireland. Six days later, the Oklahoma Sooners will take on the Temple Owls on Friday, August 30th to kick off their 2024 season.

There is optimism in Norman this year, despite the brutal realities of a very tough [autotag]SEC[/autotag] schedule.

Head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] enters Year 3 with a veteran-led defense that projects as the best Oklahoma has had in a long time.

On offense, sophomore quarterback [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] steps into the driver’s seat, a moment that Sooner Nation has been anticipating for years. He needs to gain experience and reps with live bullets flying, but his upside and talent have the coaching staff excited. He’ll be relying on a deep core of weapons and a rebuilt offensive line to help him put points on the scoreboard.

But just about every team is excited about their quarterback this time of year, whether it’s a new player or a returning starter. To cut through the clutter, ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg “spoke with more than 25 head coaches and defensive assistants (mostly coordinators) during the spring and summer to gather intel on the top returning quarterbacks and what to expect (ESPN+) — both good and bad — this fall.”

Arnold was one of many quarterbacks profiled and a familiar name for Sooner fans went on record to give a very positive evaluation of the former five-star prospect. Here’s what Rittenberg heard on Arnold.

“The Sooners had a peaceful transition of QB power from [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] to Arnold, ESPN’s No. 3 overall recruit in the 2023 class,” Rittenberg said. “Like Gabriel, Arnold is a shorter quarterback (6-1) with dual-threat ability and a track record of prolific passing (more than 7,000 yards in high school). Arnold started the Alamo Bowl against Arizona and had 361 pass yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions. His first season as OU’s full-time starter coincides with the team’s move to the SEC, which brings a schedule featuring Alabama, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Missouri and LSU in addition to the [autotag]Red River Rivalry[/autotag] game against Texas.”

The coach that Rittenberg spoke to about OU’s new man under center was former offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach [autotag]Jeff Lebby[/autotag], who recruited Arnold to come to Norman, coached him last season as a freshman and is now the head coach at Mississippi State. Predictably, Lebby is still very high on his prized recruit.

“He’s going to have a chance to have a really good year,” said Lebby. “They’ve got some really good pieces around him. They’re going to be better at tight end, better at running back, and they’ve got some great, great pieces in the receiver room. He’s set up really, really well.”

The pieces around Arnold are solid, as running back [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag] and wide receivers [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag], [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag], [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] and [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag] are all really good weapons. If the tight end position improves as Lebby believes it will and the new offensive line gels, Arnold could be leading a very productive offense into battle each Saturday.

Arnold is now in the hands of co-offensive coordinators [autotag]Seth Littrell[/autotag] and [autotag]Joe Jon Finley[/autotag]. The latter will continue to coach tight ends while the former will replace Lebby as the play caller and quarterbacks coach, meaning he’ll be speaking to Arnold throughout the game in college football’s new helmet communication system. Littrell and Arnold had a good relationship while Littrell was an offensive analyst in 2023. The development of the young QB is squarely on the shoulders of the former North Texas head coach.

Oklahoma’s success won’t depend entirely on Arnold going nuclear every week in 2024. However, the Sooners will need him to be a star if they want to navigate the difficult SEC slate successfully and take another step forward in Venables’ third season.

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Ranking the Texas Longhorns top five rivals in football

Which teams are ranked in the Texas Longhorns top five rivalries

There is much debate about ranking the Longhorn’s top rivals in football but we will rank their top five rivals.

The Texas Longhorns have a rich history of rivalries on the football field as many fans can imagine. While the departure of Texas from the Big 12 has shifted who the Longhorns will consistently play on the football field, a group of football programs continue to hold significant importance on the football field with Texas. Here is a brief look at the Longhorns’ football rivals before we rank them one through five.

Oklahoma Sooners: This is arguably one of the most historic and popular rivalries in college football. Known simply as the Red River Shootout, but the name has changed over the years as it was briefly named the SBC Red River Rivalry as the name was used in 2005 to distance the game from gun violence and then the AT&T Red River Showdown in 2014 after AT&T became a sponsor and finally, the  Allstate Red River Rivalry used in 2023 after Allstate secured naming rights for the annual game.

TCU Horned Frogs: The rivalry intensified once the Horn Frogs joined the Big 12, fueled by both teams’ success in conference play. They have played one another every year from 2012 to 2023 but that is changing with the Longhorns’ move to the SEC. This matchup has become increasingly competitive throughout the past four years with each game being decided by a touchdown or less.

Texas A&M Aggies: The Lone Star Showdown is arguably one of the top three fierce and intense in-state rivalries with deep-rooted animosity between the two schools. The move of Texas to the SEC has only intensified the rivalry as these two teams will play one another in football for the first time since 2011.

Arkansas Razorbacks: Although not as intense of a rivalry in the 21st century compared to the 20th century since these two schools have played one another only six times this century, the rivalry with Arkansas has historical significance and carries importance for both fanbases and is revised since both schools are now in the SEC.

Nebraska Cornhuskers: Although the Cornhuskers left the Big 12 in 2012, there is still a great deal of animosity among alums and fans of both teams. Though the two programs have only faced off 14 times, a good number of those matches have been exciting with them playing one another three times in the Big 12 Championship game. The last four times they have played one another, the games have been decided by seven or less points.

Rice Owls: The Longhorns and Owls were conference rivals years ago in the Southwest Conference from 1915 to 1995. The Longhorns have played the Owls nearly a hundred times on the football field throughout the years.

Baylor Bears: While not always at the same level as the other in-state rivals, the in-state rivalry with Baylor has grown in intensity, especially with Baylor’s success in recent years with the Bears winning two of the last five games they have played one another. However, like TCU, these two teams are unlikely to play one another with the Longhorns now in the SEC.

Texas Tech Red Raiders: The last time that these two teams did not play one another was way back in 1959. In the Battle For The Chancellor’s Spurs, this rivalry has been intense and high-scoring recently in games going back to 2015. The Longhorns have the upper hand in this historic meeting but Texas Tech even if they lose to Texas, they make the games more interesting than not in terms of the final score.

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Brent Venables believes there’s no limit to what Sooners can achieve

The Sooners’ head coach joined SEC Network’s Marty and McGee to talk about the Oklahoma standard.

Oklahoma Sooners head football coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] answered many questions in 2023.

After being hired to be the next head coach of the historic OU football program on Dec. 5, 2021, he had plenty of work to do to build the program in his image after his predecessor’s sudden and unexpected departure.

At the time, Oklahoma fans didn’t know just how much of a rebuild it would be. Venables clearly believed the Sooners had slipped from the standard of toughness, physicality and discipline that made them one of college football’s premier programs.

Venables’ inaugural season was a disappointment. OU went 6-7, its worst record of the 21st century. At this time last year, there were plenty of questions nationally about Venables and his direction for the program in Norman.

A 10-3 season last year answered many of the critics. The Sooners bounced back, improving in just about every area. A [autotag]Red River Rivalry[/autotag] win over Texas was the season’s highlight, but unfocused and mistake-filled football plagued OU in losses against Kansas and Oklahoma State.

Those games not only kept Oklahoma out of the [autotag]College Football Playoff[/autotag] after a 7-0 start, they also kept the Sooners out of the [autotag]Big 12[/autotag] championship game. Oklahoma settled for an Alamo Bowl berth, which was an uneven, turnover-plagued loss against Arizona with a different starting quarterback and offensive coordinators.

The message from Venables to his team was clear: The Sooners still had plenty of room for improvement.

Now, the Sooners enter the toughest conference in college football, the [autotag]SEC[/autotag].

Oklahoma must continue along its trajectory and take another step forward in 2024. However, a brutal schedule in a very strong conference will make that difficult to do. But Venables was hired with the SEC move in mind, and he has been preparing for this for 2 1/2 years. His focus is competing for championships in 2024 and beyond.

OU looks ready to improve again this season with a veteran defense leading the way. A younger, but talented, offense has big potential, and the head coach knows special teams must be better. Along with breaking in new coordinators on both sides of the ball, there are points of concern on the roster and, of course, with the schedule. But the Sooners have the pieces to make another leap in 2024. They also have a head coach who believes he has improved since this journey started as well.

Venables joined the SEC Network’s Marty Smith and Ryan McGee on their show, “Marty and McGee” to talk about his team and the program overall entering the SEC. He was asked what led to him finally becoming a head coach after a long stint as an assistant at Kansas State, defensive coordinator at Oklahoma and then Clemson.

“I’ve always had this stance. That if you have what you’ve always valued, don’t screw it up,” Venables said. “I think too often we go with the narrative of the next raise or the next title or the next promotion. We make it about ourselves, and then we get into our feelings, and we start comparing our career to someone else’s or whatever everybody else expects you to do. When you have this amazing quality of life, don’t screw it up. So I always had this amazingly high standard for what it would take for (Venables’ wife) Julie and our family to pivot, and I’ve always been a people person.”

But, Venables explained that his relationships and confidence in Oklahoma’s leadership, namely athletic director [autotag]Joe Castiglione[/autotag] and university president [autotag]Joseph Harroz Jr.[/autotag] led him back to Norman.

“So at the end of the day, when this opportunity came, you’re talking about somebody in myself, in our family, all four of our children were born in Norman, the relationship, the peace, and the confidence I had in the leadership of Joe Castiglione and Joe Harroz, these are mainstays at Oklahoma during my career,” Venables said. “I know if I’m going to be successful as a head coach, I want to wake up every day when my feet hit the ground and love what I do, where I do it, and where I do it with, and it was just like check, check, check. I had this peace because of the past experience, and I always knew, man, there’s no limits on what Oklahoma can achieve. This is the standard in college football.”

Venables was long coveted by other programs to become a head coach after successful stints calling defenses at both Oklahoma and Clemson. He was the co-defensive coordinator (along with Mike Stoops) for the 2000 team that won the national championship at OU and the 2003 team that played for a national title. He was the solo DC for the 2004 and 2008 OU teams that played for national championships as well. He was a a part of seven of [autotag]Bob Stoops[/autotag]’ 10 conference titles at Oklahoma.

During his time at Clemson, the Tigers rose to national prominence, often with Venables’ defense leading the charge. Clemson won two national titles (2016 and 2018), played in two more national championship games (2015 and 2019), and fell in the [autotag]CFP[/autotag] semifinals twice (2017 and 2020). Six conference titles came from the 10-year Dabo Swinney-Brent Venables partnership at Clemson.

Though Venables was heavily pursued on multiple occasions to leave Clemson and take the reins of his own program, he didn’t budge. That was until his former employer came calling. Now, over 2 1/2 years later, Venables has the Sooners on the rise again after the rebuild that proved necessary. They were slipping under former head coach Lincoln Riley. Though some rough times have followed, the roster looks more and more like a Venables team.

Venables and Oklahoma agreed to, essentially, a two-year contract extension this offseason, meaning the feeling of fit and belonging the head coach has in Norman is mutual. The extension’s statement is obvious. The Sooners believe they have their guy in place to lead them into the [autotag]Southeastern Conference[/autotag], and Brent Venables is fired up to be the one in that position.

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Brent Venables shares update on Jayden Gibson’s injury situation

Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables provided an update to Jayden Gibson’s injury situation.

The Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver room is one of the deepest in the country. That depth has been put to the test during fall camp with several key receivers dealing with a variety of injuries.

Last week, George Stoia of SoonerScoop and On3 reported that wide receiver [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag] suffered a knee injury in practice. OU hasn’t made details of the injury available but when Sooners head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] met with the media on Tuesday, he revealed Gibson “won’t be back.

It’s a devastating blow for Gibson, who was on track to build off of a 2023 season in which he caught 14 passes for 375 yards and five touchdowns. He operated in a rotational role for the Sooners, starting the season as the No. 5 wide receiver but seeing more opportunities after [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag] was lost for the season in the [autotag]Red River Rivalry[/autotag]. And he took advantage of the increased playing time.

Gibson was explosive and provided another big-play threat in the passing game due to his remarkable size and speed combination. Now, Gibson hopes to return in time to start for the Sooners in 2025.

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Where does Oklahoma land in ESPN’s SEC preseason power rankings?

OU’s first preseason in the SEC sees some doubt from national analysts.

The Oklahoma Sooners are about three weeks away from beginning the 2024 football season, their first as a member of the [autotag]SEC[/autotag]. Talking season and prediction season are almost over, but for now, we still have a few more weeks of projections to go.

ESPN has been previewing the college football season, going conference-by-conference to look at each team. On Thursday, staff writers Chris Low and Mark Schlabach previewed the SEC, giving their power rankings and [autotag]College Football Playoff[/autotag] outlook for the conference.

The duo had the Sooners as the eighth-best team in the conference, matching ESPN’s Football Power Index and the SEC media poll. Here’s what they had to say about the Sooners landing in the middle of the league.

“In his third season at OU, [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] likes the experience on this team, with many players having been in the program for three years now,” Low and Schlabach wrote. “The Sooners’ schedule in Year 1 in the SEC is challenging, to say the least.”

The pair also had Oklahoma as a playoff long shot along with Texas A&M. In all, they believed three SEC teams should make the [autotag]playoff[/autotag] (Georgia, Texas and Alabama) with four more in the running (Ole Miss, Missouri, Tennessee and LSU) ahead of the Sooners and Aggies, who they believe have less of a chance.

“There’s no question the Sooners were better in Venables’ second season in 2023, but it might be rough sledding in Year 1 in the SEC,” they said. “Oklahoma faces a brutal road slate that includes games at Auburn, Ole Miss, Missouri and LSU, as well as home contests against Tennessee and Alabama, and the [autotag]Red River Rivalry[/autotag] game against Texas. Quarterback [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] takes over for [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag], who left for Oregon. The bigger question is up front on offense, where all five starters departed. The Sooners are hoping five transfers can help: tackles [autotag]Spencer Brown[/autotag] (Michigan State) and [autotag]Michael Tarquin[/autotag] (USC), guards [autotag]Geirean Hatchett[/autotag] (Washington) and [autotag]Febechi Nwaiwu[/autotag] (North Texas) and center [autotag]Branson Hickman[/autotag] (SMU).”

Oklahoma’s home matchup with Tennessee was specifically highlighted. OU’s first conference game is starting to generate plenty of buzz. After all, it’s not every day that the program’s most recent national championship-winning starting quarterback and his team come to town.

“It’s Oklahoma’s SEC debut and a homecoming of sorts for [autotag]Josh Heupel[/autotag], who played quarterback for the Sooners and was the runner-up for the [autotag]Heisman Trophy[/autotag] in 2000,” Low and Schlabach said. “But his exit as OU’s offensive coordinator in 2014 wasn’t his fondest memory as he was fired by [autotag]Bob Stoops[/autotag]. Both teams have talented young quarterbacks in their first years as starters, Nico Iamaleava at Tennessee and Jackson Arnold at Oklahoma. It should be a wild atmosphere in Norman with the winner making a major statement in the playoff chase.”

Lastly, linebacker [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] was named one of the duo’s favorite players in the conference heading into the season. The senior will have to be instrumental if OU will be better again defensively.

“Stutsman is a big reason the Sooners improved from 106th in the FBS in rushing defense (187.5) in 2022 to 44th (138.6) last season,” they said. “Stutsman is a tackling machine with more than 100 stops in each of the past two seasons to go with six sacks and two forced fumbles. His return should help OU take another step forward under Venables.”

As previously stated, the Sooners have been picked to be middle-of-the-pack, specifically eighth in the conference, multiple times in the last month. Venables and his team have reiterated time and time again that they aren’t focusing on any outside noise or anything but themselves and getting better. Still, you have to think they’re seeing the lists and predictions and remembering that the national media thinks they’ll be an average SEC team in 2024. As the games come closer, Oklahoma is almost through talking season. They’ll finally have an opportunity to prove themselves on the field.

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ESPN thinks this is Oklahoma’s X factor in 2024

ESPN’s X-factors for their Top 25 teams reveal a lot about their opinions of the Oklahoma Sooners.

The 2024 college football season is about a month and a half away. It’s a big one for the Oklahoma Sooners, as the football program enters Year 3 under head coach[autotag] Brent Venables[/autotag]. OU also departs the [autotag]Big 12[/autotag] in favor of the [autotag]SEC[/autotag], which had been in the works for three years and became official on July 1.

Venables has been around for two-and-a-half years, preparing the Sooners for this moment, trying to get them SEC-ready.

Oklahoma knows the road to winning national championships will be harder in the SEC, due in large part to the league’s competitive nature. The schedule OU faces every year in the SEC will be tougher than the hardest season in the Big 12 in recent years. Venables and his staff have been working hard to rebuild the program while positioning it to compete in its new era.

This brings us to the biggest X factor for Oklahoma this season, according to ESPN. Its staff laid out the make-or-break situations for each of their Top 25 teams (ESPN+) before fall camp.

ESPN has the Sooners ranked 18th overall and eighth in the SEC heading into fall camp. They believe the schedule for the Sooners in their new conference home is the biggest X factor in Norman this year. Here’s what Dave Wilson had to say.

That SEC schedule. Tennessee, at Auburn, Texas (in Dallas), South Carolina, at Ole Miss, at Missouri, Alabama, at LSU. Colleague Bill Connelly points out that six of those eight are in the SP+ top 16 and while there is a nonconference game with Maine mixed in there, it just keeps coming when you look down the list. The Sooners won’t be intimidated, but they’ll need the depth to survive a season full of bowl games at the same time they’ll be breaking in a new quarterback in [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag]. – Wilson, ESPN

The schedule is brutal, no doubt. Oklahoma wasn’t done any favors by the folks who put it together. It’s a rude awakening to introduce OU to life in the Southeastern Conference.

First things first, the Sooners must go 4-0 in their nonconference games against Temple, Houston, Tulane and Maine. OU will be solid favorites in each game (all at home) and it can’t slip up against Willie Fritz and the Cougars or Jon Sumrall and the Green Wave. Oklahoma needs to be 3-0 when Tennessee comes to town on Sept. 21.

Two more games Oklahoma needs to win are on the road against Auburn and at home against South Carolina. Those games are far from gimmes, especially against the Tigers in Jordan-Hare Stadium. But the Sooners have more talent than either of those teams. Winning these types of games will be crucial in the SEC, where they will not have a talent advantage in multiple weeks of the season.

Splitting the home game against Tennessee and the road contest against Ole Miss would be a successful September and October if OU takes care of its  business elsewhere in those two months. The [autotag]Red River Rivalry[/autotag] matchup against Texas will be another toss-up. That game is almost always decided right at the end, regardless of how good or bad the teams are.

That leaves at Missouri, at home against Alabama and at LSU to close the season. November could be interesting in Norman. Venables will hope the offensive line has jelled, Arnold has settled into the role with nine more starts under his belt, and positions such as defensive line, special teams and tight end are sorted out.

Even if Oklahoma goes, say 1-2 in those three games, a strong start to the year could still result in a successful season for the Sooners. Wins in the nonconference and against Auburn and South Carolina get the Sooners to .500 already. Splitting their six other games against Tennessee, Texas, Ole Miss, Missouri, Alabama and LSU still gets OU to 9-3, which likely puts them in the expanded 12-team [autotag]College Football Playoff[/autotag] discussion.

It’s a tall order, to be sure, and Venables and his players would say they’re worried about what’s going on inside the walls, as opposed to outside of them.

The SEC meat grinder is why you line up and play the games in the fall. Saturdays are the lifeblood of the sport, even as it’s changed with realignment, NIL, [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] and playoff expansion. The test for the Oklahoma football program comes in how it responds to the challenge week in and week out in the snake pit that is the SEC. It’s time to see what OU’s head coach, his staff and his players are made of.

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Pair of Oklahoma wide receivers could get more snaps to start the season

Oklahoma’s wide receiver room has the pieces to survive some early-season injuries to veteran players.

The Oklahoma Sooners are a month and a half from beginning the 2024 season, their first in the [autotag]SEC[/autotag]. Head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] spoke to reporters at [autotag]SEC media days[/autotag] on Tuesday, as OU took its turn at the podium.

The third-year coach addressed local media before taking the stage, updating On3 and SoonerScoop’s George Stoia about players rehabbing from offseason or spring ailments before the Sooners begin preseason fall camp.

Quarterback [autotag]Casey Thompson[/autotag], offensive lineman [autotag]Geirean Hatchett[/autotag] and cornerback [autotag]Gentry Williams[/autotag] are cleared and ready to go for August. Another member of the offensive line, [autotag]Troy Everett[/autotag], is ahead of schedule from his spring football injury, and Venables expects him back sooner as opposed to later.

However, two members of Oklahoma’s wide receiver room have a little more uncertainty with fall camp around the corner.

Senior [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag], who was injured in spring ball, is still recovering from a foot fracture. Venables said he didn’t have surgery and is taking it easy at this point. His status will be cleaerr when the week of the first game rolls around.

[autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag] is still on the mend after getting injured in the [autotag]Red River Rivalry[/autotag] in October. Venables is hopeful the deep ball threat will be practicing before Aug. 30, but Anthony hasn’t been cleared yet.

The uncertainty of Farooq and Anthony is nothing to be downplayed, but it’d be even more of a problem most years in the wide receiver room. This year, however, is the exception. The position group is absolutely loaded in 2024.

Though leading receiver [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag] is off to the pros, the Sooners have suitable replacements in the slot. [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag] was a star in the spring after transferring from Purdue and [autotag]Jaquaize Pettaway[/autotag] was a standout in the 2023 recruiting class.

On the outside, if Farooq and/or Anthony miss significant time, two players are ready to step into an even brighter spotlight.

[autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] was a touchdown machine a year ago for the Sooners, making plenty of huge plays in 2023. He was electric, scoring 10 touchdowns and finishing with 798 yards receiving despite not stepping into the starting lineup until Anthony was hurt. He’d be a good bet to start on the outside, especially with the injuries factoring in.

[autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag] also saw more playing time in 2023 when Anthony went down. He came into his own as the season progressed, catching five touchdowns on just 14 receptions. He finished with 375 yards and could have pushed for a starting spot even if the entire receiver room was healthy. These two players, both from Venables’ first recruiting class in 2022, could see plenty of targets especially early in the season.

Behind them, wide receivers coach [autotag]Emmett Jones[/autotag] has [autotag]J.J. Hester[/autotag] and [autotag]Brenan Thompson[/autotag], who could also see an increase in playing time.

Anderson and Gibson are the pair that would benefit the most from more targets coming their way. Both possess tremendous upside. If one or both of them can develop great chemistry with quarterback [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag], it might be tough to take them off the field, even when the veterans become healthy again.

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