Kickoff time announced for Oklahoma Sooners vs. Auburn

Broadcast information and kickoff time announced for Oklahoma Sooners vs. Auburn Tigers

The Oklahoma Sooners are 3-1 through four games of the 2024 season after losing on Saturday night to Tennessee, 25-15.

OU showed off an impressive defense that looks able to hang with the best in the country. The Sooners held the normally high-flying Volunteers to an output of 23 points on offense.

However, the Oklahoma offense has major problems a month into this season.

Offensive coordinator [autotag]Seth Littrell[/autotag] has struggled mightily since being promoted to the play-caller role. The offensive line and running game have been unmitigated disasters. There are more injuries at wide receiver to keep track of, and Jackson Arnold was benched against the Vols in favor of true freshman [autotag]Michael Hawkins Jr.[/autotag]

We may not find out who will start for the Sooners at quarterback, as the coaching staff will undoubtedly keep that under wraps. But head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] was clearly frustrated with what he’s seen from Arnold through four starts. Hawkins Jr. provided a spark and moved the ball once he settled. He also had zero turnovers to Arnold’s three.

Up next for the Sooners is their first road game of the season and first road conference game as a member of the [autotag]SEC[/autotag]. Oklahoma will travel to Auburn to face the Tigers, who are 2-2 and coming off a loss to Arkansas.

The game will kick off at 2:30 p.m. CT at Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium, and it will broadcast on ABC.

https://twitter.com/OU_Football/status/1837877136767472023

This one could turn into a defensive slugfest, as neither team currently wields a competent offense. For Oklahoma, it’ll need to figure out if it’s time to overhaul the entire operation on that side of the ball or if it’s wiser to let it ride and try to improve for the final eight games of the season.

The Sooners look to improve to 4-1 going into their bye week in their first trip away from Norman in 2024.

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3 keys that could lead to an Oklahoma victory over Tennessee

Three keys to the game as the Oklahoma Sooners get set to take on the Tennessee Volunteers.

It’s safe to assume Oklahoma’s preparation has intensified over the last week. The Sooners are preparing for a much more talented foe than they have seen at any point this season. No. 7 Tennessee presents an incredible challenge for OU on Saturday night, but that’s to be expected with the Sooners entering the SEC. The conference games will be more challenging than they were in the Big 12.

The rest of the college football world doesn’t give the Sooners a real chance to win this game. Brent Venables, a master motivator and no stranger to coaching in high-profile matchups over the last 20 years, knows what it will take for his team to come out on top Saturday night.

While Tennessee is the higher-ranked team, it is not invincible. Oklahoma has a path to victory. We took the time to highlight that path with our three keys to the game below.

1. Start Fast

It’s such a cliche statement, but it does hold a lot of weight in a football game. Especially in a game where one team has heard they were the underdogs and didn’t have a chance at winning. It’s a confidence thing that can boost one team and psychologically damage the other.

Oklahoma has had some decent starts to their games this season, but they’ve yet to carry it into the second quarter. And that’s where Oklahoma needs to hone in on Saturday. Play a complete first half, take a breather, and gear up to scrap in the second half because Tennessee will not go away if you come out swinging.

Oklahoma offensive coordinator Seth Littrell must get his young quarterback into a rhythm. Maybe start out with the short passing game and mixing in designed QB runs along with the regular run game to ease him in. As the results show and his confidence grows, Littrell can then start to open up the playbook even wider.

Up Next: More Keys to the Game

Last time Tennessee came to Norman, Oklahoma’s defense came up big

The last time Tennessee visited the Sooners, Oklahoma’s defense reigned supreme.

The year was 2014. The Big 12’s Oklahoma Sooners were hosting the [autotag]SEC[/autotag]’s Tennessee Volunteers in a primetime showdown in Norman, as OU looked to make an early season statement.

Head coach [autotag]Bob Stoops[/autotag] led the Sooners to a surprising Sugar Bowl victory over Alabama the previous January, and now, in September, Oklahoma was undefeated and ranked in the top five. They had hopes of making the inaugural College Football Playoff behind emerging star quarterback Trevor Knight (a Heisman Trophy candidate heading into the season after his performance against the Crimson Tide) and a stout defense led by Mike Stoops. Fourth-year offensive coordinator [autotag]Josh Heupel[/autotag] was at the controls of OU’s offense.

On the other side, Butch Jones seemed to be turning things around in Knoxville. The Vols were undefeated, and though they knew a long road back awaited them, they believed they had the right man for the job in Jones. He was recruiting well and adding talent to the Tennessee roster.

Fast forward ten years, and a lot has changed, but a lot has stayed the same. The Sooners and Volunteers now reside in the SEC, but the game will still be in primetime on Owen Field, and Oklahoma would still love an early season statement.

The baton was passed from Stoops to Lincoln Riley in Norman. He carried it for a while before tossing it aside. [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] was the man chosen to begin the climb back to the top. Venables was at Clemson ten years ago, but many of his recruits were on OU’s roster that night.

The Sooners are unbeaten through three games once again in Venables’ third season as the head coach. However, they aren’t ranked as high as they were when they faced the Vols ack in 2014. It’s [autotag]Seth Littrell[/autotag] in control of the offense. His quarterback is [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag].

The Volunteers went from Butch Jones to Jeremy Pruitt before finally hiring the right coach in Heupel. He was let go by Stoops after the 2014 season but has reemerged as a star on Rocky Top. Heupel is doing everything in Knoxville that Jones was thought to be doing a decade ago. The Vols are not the underdogs this week, and they are playing just like anyone in the country. Heupel has a star quarterback of his own in Nico Iamaleava.

On that night in 2014, the Sooners reigned supreme with a strong defensive effort. Oklahoma was constantly pressuring Tennessee quarterback Justin Worley and picked off two of his passes. They also forced a Worley fumble and sacked him five times. Oklahoma won by a score of 34-10, thanks to two Keith Ford touchdowns for the offense.

One of Worley’s interceptions came courtesy of Julian Wilson in the fourth quarter. Wilson returned the ball 100 yards to seal another OU victory. Other standouts included linebacker Eric Striker and defensive backs Zack Sanchez and Quentin Hayes.

Offensively, it was a solid outing for Knight and the Sooners, as they did more than enough to get the win, considering how well the defense played. Tennessee had just 313 total yards and only 112 on the ground.

Unfortunately, Oklahoma didn’t continue their strong play in the 2014 season. We may have Katy Perry to thank for that.

A team with playoff hopes coming into the season went just 8-5, getting exposed on both sides of the ball. Heupel was fired, Knight lost a quarterback battle the following summer to Baker Mayfield, and the Sooners bounced back with much better seasons in the final two years of the Stoops era before he retired in the summer of 2017.

Bringing things to the present day, Venables has brought defense back to Norman after it was missing in the Riley era. Tennessee is an extremely good football team, and Oklahoma will have to get more out of their offense this week if they want to pull the home upset.

However, if the Sooners are able to do just that, it’ll be the defense once again dominating the day as Oklahoma hosts Tennessee under the lights.

More: Sooners Wire staff predictions for Oklahoma vs. Tennessee

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Oklahoma star has high praise for Sooners tight ends

Oklahoma’s tight ends have been a bright spot for the Sooners offense to start 2024.

Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag] is carrying quite a heavy load on the OU offense right now.

The Sooners struggled to move the football in a 16-12 victory over Houston last week, as there was no part of the offense that looked in sync in a tough outing. Offensive coordinator [autotag]Seth Littrell[/autotag]’s unit has been behind the eight-ball two weeks into the season, forcing OU’s defense and special teams to pick up the slack.

Part of the reason for the issues is the myriad of injuries the Sooners are facing on offense. In the offensive line room, Geirean Hatchett is out for the season, while Branson Hickman, Jake Taylor, and Troy Everett are all working their way back from injuries. One of OU’s best offensive linemen, Jacob Sexton, might be playing out of position due to all of the injuries, and the Sooners are down to their fourth-string center in Joshua Bates and a backup tackle in Spencer Brown. The other tackle, Michael Tarquin has played on both sides of the line, and because of all of the shuffling, the only player excelling in one spot up front is right guard Febechi Nwaiwu. These are just the beginning of the issues for an offensive line that has struggled through two weeks.

There are similar issues at wide receiver. Jayden Gibson is done for the year. Jalil Farooq is still two months from returning. Andrel Anthony has been extremely limited as he attempts to return from his injury, and [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] hasn’t played yet in 2024. Anderson is expected to be back “sooner rather than later,” but until he is, OU will be hurting at wide receiver.

Burks has been the only player at the position who can provide quarterback [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] with a reliable, open target in the passing game, as the unit has struggled with getting separation and with drops. Brenen Thompson, J.J. Hester, and Jaquaize Pettaway haven’t been what Sooner fans had hoped for so far in 2024. True freshmen Zion Ragins, Zion Kearney, and Ivan Carreon will be asked to step up even more if the injury issues continue. If OU wants to improve in the air, they need other options to step up until Anderson returns and Anthony is healthy enough to have an impact.

Enter the tight ends.

[autotag]Bauer Sharp[/autotag] and [autotag]Jake Roberts[/autotag] have each had one excellent performance and one so-so performance so far in 2024, but luckily for the Sooners, they came on opposite nights.

Against Temple in week one, Sharp stepped up alongside Burks to five passes and a touchdown. He was reliable over the middle of the field and got open for Arnold. He didn’t have a catch against Houston, dropping a key third-down pass, but his running mate picked up where he left off.

After being used mainly in a blocking role against Temple, Roberts burst onto the scene in week two against Houston. He caught three passes, with two going for key first downs and one going for a touchdown. He was the only player on OU’s roster aside from Burks who had multiple receptions in a lackluster overall offensive performance.

During post-practice media availability Monday night, reporters asked Burks about the emergence of the two tight ends. Josh Callaway, who covers OU for 247Sports, shared Burks’ response on social media.

‘Them guys is leaders,” Burks said. “They come in every day with the same mindset, bring everybody’s energy up; energy is contagious, honestly. They’ve got reliable hands and stuff like that as well, just dudes you can rely on, so it’s a great thing when we go with the “21” personnel and run two tight ends and stuff like that as well, so I think it’s great.”

https://twitter.com/JoshMCallaway/status/1833600765166031255

As Oklahoma readies for Tulane, and anticipates the return of Anderson to boost the passing game alongside Burks, look for even more emphasis on the two tight ends who have been one of very few positives early this season for the OU offense.

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Are the Oklahoma Sooners overrated?

Athlon Sports believes the Oklahoma Sooners are one of the more overrated teams in the nation.

The Oklahoma Sooners remained at No. 15 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll, after week two, even as teams ranked above them fell. That’s because OU barely escaped on their home field with a four-point win over the Houston Cougars.

Oklahoma’s offense sputtered repeatedly, but the defense and special teams came up big in the 16-12 victory. Former conference foes Oklahoma State and Kansas State jumped the Sooners in the rankings.

While fans and experts are concerned, especially when it comes to the offense, OU’s early-season performance has already led some to claim they shouldn’t be ranked as high as they are.

Dan Lyons of Athlon Sports identified the three teams in the Top 25 poll that he believes are the most overrated. The Sooners appeared on that list, along with No. 8 Penn State and No. 16 LSU.

Houston was picked last in Athlon’s preseason Big 12 power rankings and 15th in the league’s preseason media poll. Yet, that Coogs team effectively shut down Oklahoma, which expects to be in the mix for a College Football Playoff spot. The Sooners were outgained 318 yards to 252. Third-down continues to be a glaring issue for [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag]’ team, which is 5 for 26 on conversions, the third-worst percentage in the Football Bowl Subdivision. After scoring touchdowns in each of the first two quarters, the Sooners offense did not score in the second half. The team’s final two points came on a safety late in the game … The offense will need to wake up next week, when OU takes on Fritz’s old team, Tulane, which nearly upset Kansas State in Week 2. – Lyons, Athlon Sports

Quarterback [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] and the offense were unable to move the ball at all in the second half against Houston, and offensive coordinator Seth Littrell stressed the importance of consistency and cleaning up third downs in his postgame press conference. OU is missing key players due to injuries along the offensive line and at wide receiver, but the lack of conversions and points was alarming.

Tulane nearly upset the Sooners in the season opener three years ago, and they’ll be back in Norman with a better roster than they had in 2021. Oklahoma will have to continue to surge on defense and special teams while also getting far more help from the offense if they want to avoid going into [autotag]SEC[/autotag] play with a loss already on their record.

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Oklahoma Sooners have to improve efficiency per Saturday Down South

The Oklahoma Sooners have to improve their work on third downs when they face the Houston Cougars.

The Oklahoma Sooners will play their first game against a fellow Power Four opponent this season, when they host the Houston Cougars on Saturday night. It’s also the only Power Four opponent outside of the [autotag]Southeastern Conference[/autotag] that OU will see in 2024.

The Cougars are in their second season in the [autotag]Big 12[/autotag] and are also the only new member of the conference that OU didn’t play in 2023. As the Sooners enter their first year in the [autotag]SEC[/autotag], Houston is far from the most daunting opponent on the schedule. The Cougars fell at the hands of UNLV by a score of 27-7 last week, while Oklahoma defeated Temple 51-3. That being said, anything can happen in college football and OU needs to improve in a couple of areas as league play approaches.

Saturday Down South staff writer Connor O’Gara gave his early thoughts on each SEC matchup as we head into the second week of the season. Oklahoma vs. Houston is far from the most notable matchup on the docket, but there will be a few things to watch for.

Oklahoma’s first-team offense was 0-for-10 on 3rd down in the blowout win against Temple. That was the bizarre stat of the night for a Sooners offense that showed promise with [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag], but left plenty of opportunities on the board. A depleted group of receivers could’ve played a part in that, but against a defensive-minded coach in Willie Fritz, Oklahoma isn’t guaranteed to figure that out just because the Cougars couldn’t stop UNLV. Oklahoma OC [autotag]Seth Littrell[/autotag] would like to find that identity before the gauntlet really begins. – O’Gara, Saturday Down South

Converting on third downs is something that Oklahoma will have to improve before conference games begin. However, Saturday’s game against Houston is another solid opportunity before tougher opponents come to town.

First-year head coach Willie Fritz is an excellent coach who has moved up a level in competition from Tulane to Houston. Though he doesn’t have the highest level of overall talent on his roster yet, he’ll still be an intriguing matchup of wits on third downs against Seth Littrell.

Oklahoma and head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] didn’t get many breaks when it came to the SEC schedule in 2024. However, one break they do get is that their first big-time game isn’t until week four on September 21st. Having three non-conference games to break in new starters and new coordinators before Tennessee comes knocking is a situation that the Sooners need to take advantage of. That began on Friday against Temple, in a game that showed what OU needs to improve. It needs to continue on Saturday against Houston, beginning with an improved conversion rate on third downs from the offensive starters.

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New wide receiver emerging as Sooners’ lead target

Deion Burks flashed his exceptional skills and his chemistry with Jackson Arnold.

Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag] has stolen the show both times he’s appeared in front of Sooner fans in 2024.

In April, he was the star of the spring game after transferring from Purdue this winter. Everyone left spring ball thinking he could become an explosive weapon in OU’s passing game.

In his first OU football game last Friday night, Burks was at it again, catching six passes for 33 yards and three touchdowns against Temple. He emerged as a star and the focal point of the passing game as the Sooners won 51-3.

Burks has gone from one of the guys to “the guy” for sophomore quarterback [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] and new offensive coordinator [autotag]Seth Littrell[/autotag]. He has been the only starter at wide receiver that has been immune to the injury bug, and his performance against the Owls could signal the start of a colossal season in 2024.

Oklahoma will be without [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag] for the season and will not have [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] for at least the next six to eight weeks. As [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag] and [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] continue to work back from their injuries, Burks’ role in the offense will only increase in the early stages of the year.

The first-year Sooner has a chance to join some of the great OU names at wide receiver if he continues to lead the way as Arnold’s go-to target. It’s been a couple of years since Oklahoma had a true No. 1 wideout, but if Burks continues to shine, he could etch his name in the history books in 2024.

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Jackson Arnold details Sooners win over Temple with Paul Finebaum

Jackson Arnold threw for four touchdowns in the Sooners win over Temple and the OU starting quarterback joined the Paul Finebaum Show to break down the win.

Oklahoma Sooners sophomore starting quarterback [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] earned his first career win on Friday night in his debut as OU’s full-time starter. Oklahoma beat Temple, 51-3, in Norman, as Arnold threw four touchdown passes.

Arnold joined host Paul Finebaum on “The Paul Finebaum Show” on Tuesday to go over the win, OU’s first as a member of the [autotag]Southeastern Conference[/autotag]. Arnold told Finebaum he was happy with the win over the Owls, but that the Sooners had plenty of things to clean up on offense.

“(In the) film room first off, just seeing what the mistakes actually are, whether it’s missed assignments, missed signals, missed throws or missed reads,” Arnold said. “Anything like that you first see it in the film room, know what you need to adjust and then you go out to the field whether it’s the next day or next couple days and you work on those things that you messed up.”

The [autotag]SEC[/autotag] analyst commented that the offense looked very vanilla in the first game, something offensive coordinator [autotag]Seth Littrell[/autotag] also alluded to in his postgame press conference.

Arnold said that is about to change.

“The playbook is definitely going to open up,” Arnold said. “It’s not that the playbook was very vanilla to begin with for the game plan it’s just coach Littrell liked the things that coach Littrell liked. I felt like he called a great game, put us in great positions, and I think for these next couple weeks it’s just us developing an identity, really establishing what we’re going to do with this offense and yeah I’m super excited for these next couple weeks to really open up the offense.”

Arnold also talked about his growth as a leader and his confidence coming into this season, as he knew he was going to be “the guy” after [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag]’s portal exit. He credited his coaches for their help in his development in that area as well.

“That was the biggest thing, I think, for me this offseason was going into a situation where I knew I was going to be the guy,” Arnold said. “I knew that all these coaches had faith in me to go out and perform. I think for me, just building that leadership and the toughness that it takes to be the quarterback at, not only a Power Four school, but at the University of Oklahoma. Just having the offseason to really prepare myself for what I was walking into was huge for me, and to build chemistry with my coaches and my teammates.” —

Arnold is no doubt aware of the heavy burden he carries on his shoulders both in the present and the future at Oklahoma, but his first start as “the guy” showed he’s got the potential to lead the Sooners were they want to go.

Oklahoma will face the Houston Cougars on Saturday night in Norman. Kickoff is set for 6:45 p.m.

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Bauer Sharp answered the question at tight end for the Sooners

Bauer Sharp impressed in this first game as a Sooner. Can he step up in the passing game?

Coming into the 2024 season, the Oklahoma Sooners had some questions at the tight end position.

Two years ago, [autotag]Brayden Willis[/autotag] was one of the best players on the team, combining his ability as a receiver with his excellent blocking skills to have a very productive season. Though OU went just 6-7, the senior had a career year in his final collegiate season, catching 39 passes for 514 yards and seven touchdowns while opening up holes in the running game.

Last year, the Sooners expected similar contributions from [autotag]Austin Stogner[/autotag], who returned to Norman after a year in South Carolina. But the tight end production dipped, as Stogner caught just 17 passes for 196 yards and one touchdown. He also struggled to match Willis’ effectiveness as a blocker. Too often last season, it felt like OU was playing 10-on-11 when running the ball with a tight end in the game.

But that’s where Southeastern Louisiana tight end [autotag]Bauer Sharp[/autotag] comes in. After serving as a game captain, he ended the night as OU’s leading receiver with 47 yards on five catches with a touchdown. He seemed to be the only option aside from Burks that could consistently create separation and catch the ball.

Though he came from an FCS school, Sharp looked the part of a Power Four tight end. He and [autotag]Jake Roberts[/autotag] got the initial snaps at tight end, with the latter serving in more of a blocking role. Sharp, who started the game, has been earning high praise since the spring, with one player in his corner being superstar senior linebacker [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag].

Sharp displayed sound chemistry with [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag], often acting as a safety valve over the middle of the field for his quarterback as pressure closed in. With the struggles of the offensive line and the running game, he’ll be asked to provide more in the passing game, especially until the bigger names get healthy.

Of course, it’s only been one game. Maybe the running game will get on track in the next couple of weeks. Maybe the offensive line gets healthy and in sync. Maybe [autotag]Brenen Thompson[/autotag], [autotag]J.J. Hester[/autotag] and the other depth options at wide receiver just had a rough night and will be just fine. Maybe [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag] gets back to his pre-injury self much earlier than expected and [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] is able to stave off any other injuries. .

But in the meantime, Bauer Sharp will need to build on his strong first game in a Sooner uniform to take some of the load off of Arnold and [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag]. Oklahoma has a struggling Houston squad on the schedule next, before a sneaky non-conference game against Tulane. The Sooners need to use the next two weeks to find a rhythm and an identity running and throwing the ball in [autotag]Seth Littrell[/autotag]’s offense before the Tennessee Volunteers and conference play arrive on their doorstep on September 21st.

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Final thoughts on Oklahoma Sooners vs. Temple Owls

The Oklahoma Sooners get set to open the season against the Temple Owls and here are this week’s final thoughts.

It’s football time in Oklahoma, and the Sooners are stepping into a monumental season in college football. The Sooners enter 2024 in unfamiliar territory as a team with something to prove.

No longer are they the conference powerhouse, but instead will fight to earn their place at the SEC’s grown-up table alongside Georgia and Alabama. But that’s what this program has been about throughout its existence. The Sooners are one of the big boys of college football, a blue blood that’s had as much success as anyone.

But, like anything in life, the Sooners will have to earn the respect of their new conference brethren. And that’s the way Brent Venables wants it.

As the Sooners get set to kick off the 2024 season, here is this week’s final thoughts.

Offensive Line Time

So much has been said about the Oklahoma Sooners offensive line. Sure, they don’t return a primary starter from a year ago. But no reason to fret. The Sooners have had productive offensive line play for a long time and are coached by one of the best in the business in [autotag]Bill Bedenbaugh[/autotag].

It will come together and this week against Temple provides the first opportunity to see the unit begin to gel. [autotag]Michael Tarquin[/autotag], [autotag]Jacob Sexton[/autotag], [autotag]Branson Hickman[/autotag], [autotag]Febechi Nwaiwu[/autotag], and [autotag]Jake Taylor[/autotag] have a nice mix of blue-chip talent and experience.

Believe in Bedenbaugh.

Need for Speed

The Oklahoma Sooners will start two legitimate speedsters this week against the Temple Owls when [autotag]Brenen Thompson[/autotag] and [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag] take the field. Burks showed off his big-play ability in the spring game and Thompson, though in a limited role, averaged more than 34 yards per reception on his seven catches last season because of his track speed.

The Temple defense is going to have a difficult time keeping track of Burks and Thompson, who will blow down the field like an Oklahoma wind on the prairie.

Welcome Back JoBa

[autotag]Jovantae Barnes[/autotag] got off to a great start to his collegiate career when he emerged as the backup to [autotag]Eric Gray[/autotag] during the 2022 season. He ran for over 500 yards and looked headed for a jump in production as a true sophomore in 2023. However, injuries kept Barnes from getting going and last season was pretty much a wash.

In 2024, Barnes has stayed healthy and looks primed to reprise his role from the 2022 Cheez-It Bowl, where he and fellow 2022 four-star signee [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag] operated in the lead running back tandem.

Sawchuk may get the start, but Barnes is going to get a lot of work in 2024 and the two will complement each other well in the Sooners rushing attack.

Jackson Arnold Show

The former five-star quarterback, Elite 11 winner, and Gatorade National Player of the Year is set to take the stage for his first season as a starter, and the anticipation has reached a fever pitch. [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] has all the talent in the world to be Oklahoma’s next great quarterback.

With an entire offseason to work with his wide receivers and to familiarize himself with [autotag]Seth Littrell[/autotag]’s offense, look for a much more comfortable and decisive heading into his second career start. Though the level of competition isn’t quite what Arnold faced in the Alamo Bowl, there’s still a lot to be gleaned from this game against Temple.

Defensive Dominance

The Oklahoma Sooners’ defense will lead the way for the Sooners in 2024. And that starts against Temple. The Owls are one of the worst teams in the country in SP+ offensive ranking and don’t have a settled situation at quarterback.

Oklahoma’s depth and talent are so much greater on the defensive side of the ball. The Sooners should be able to dominate the line of scrimmage, making life incredibly easy for the back seven. Look for this game to resemble what OU did to Arkansas State last year.

Brent’s Guys

It’s year three of the [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] era. All but a handful of guys on the roster committed and signed to play for Brent Venables and the Oklahoma Sooners after his arrival.

This team has his fingerprints all over it on both sides of the ball. It’s a team marked by energy, intensity, and determination. They may not be the most talented team in the country, but they’ll be one of the hardest working and toughest teams in the nation.

Young Guns

The [autotag]2024 recruiting class[/autotag] has already made a name for themselves with the way they’ve worked this offseason to get ready for OU’s first year in the SEC. [autotag]Jayden Jackson[/autotag] earned a starting spot on the defensive line. Venables praised David Stone’s work ethic. [autotag]Taylor Tatum[/autotag] and [autotag]Eddy Pierre-Louis[/autotag] received rave reviews for the work they put in after arriving this summer.

We still need to see that group on the field. What they look like in year one isn’t a finished product. But from what we’ve seen, the Sooners coaching staff won’t have to wonder if this crew is going to work for what they want.

Tonight, we get our first glimpse of what this class is made of.

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