Tag: Sooners

Oklahoma Sooners have impressive record against top 25 teams since 2010

It’s no secret the Oklahoma Sooners have been a premier program in college football for a long time and have a great record verses the top 25 since 2010

It’s no secret the Oklahoma Sooners have been a premier program in college football for a long time.

The 2010s and beyond weren’t any different. The Sooners won eight Big 12 titles.

247Sports put together a top 10 list of schools with the best record versus the top 25 teams since 2010

Oklahoma comes in at No. 3 with an impressive 42-21 (.666) record in those games.

That is number one among Big 12 teams and only behind the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Both of those teams have been beaten by OU when ranked as well. But this just shows the dominance of the Sooners.

 

It didn’t matter who was the head coach because Bob Stoops, Lincoln Riley and so far even Brent Venables all have had success in those games.

For how bad last season was, Venables was 2-1 versus teams that were ranked in the top 25 when they played last season. The only loss was to Florida State in their bowl game.

Oklahoma played that game without a lot of their starters after they decided to opt-out. And like so many games last season, the contest ended with a game-winning field goal by their opponent and a three-point loss.

But to ultimately earned a record as good as that, Oklahoma dominated the conference and specifically the conference championship game.

Now, Sooner fans are hoping to see that same success versus the Big 12 conference this season and go out on a high note as champs before joining the SEC.

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5 freshmen who could make an immediate impact for the Oklahoma Sooners

The five-stars weren’t the only ones in this star-studded class who could make an immediate impact for the Oklahoma Sooners.

The 2023 recruiting class was special. It was the fourth-ranked class in the country, which, after the team went 6-7, is unreal.

The Sooners signed three five-star recruits: quarterback [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag], safety [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag] and edge [autotag]Adepoju Adebawore[/autotag].

But they weren’t the only players in this star-studded class, and some of the rest could make an immediate impact. This was one of the more balanced classes in recent memory.

If Oklahoma has the season many people believe it could have, it’s going to be up to some of these freshmen to step up and become the players the coaching staff thinks they can become.

Oklahoma Sooners’ cornerbacks balance experience with youth

It’s been a while since the cornerbacks have had this much depth. While some of it is unproven there’s still a lot of talent that remains.

The next position we look at in this summer’s position breakdown is cornerback.

It has been a while since the Sooners have had this much depth at cornerback. While much of it is unproven in the wake of the departure of Jaden Davis, a great deal of talent remains.

Woodi Washington, who has been a mainstay since the 2020 season, returns hoping for his best season yet. He is one of Pro Football Focus’ best-returning cornerbacks in the Big 12.

The key is who will step up to replace C.J. Coldon, who was a pleasant surprise toward the end of last season.

Three names are vying for that position and that’s [autotag]Gentry Williams[/autotag], [autotag]Kendel Dolby[/autotag] and [autotag]Jasiah Wagoner[/autotag].

Dolby was an elite junior college player last season. He was ranked as the top corner and the fifth overall player.

Williams is in Year 2 in the scheme. He has great speed and athleticism, and he is an aggressive player who challenges the ball in the air. He has substantial ability.

Wagoner is a true freshman who impressed during spring ball.

All three would be a good option, but all figure to be a factor this season, rotating in and out of both corner positions. Wagoner, in particular, looks to be a great option to work in the slot as a true freshman.

Kani Walker is another player to watch. There was a great deal of hype for him last offseason, but he couldn’t put it all together. Now a sophomore and not dealing with the transition from Louisville, Walker could be a factor. He has the size and the tools to be an impact player on the outside.

This position, combined with the safeties, is probably the best position group on the defense. They have more depth than the other positions, and we’ll see how it translates to the field.

As long as there can be somewhat of a pass rush, these guys should do a good job in coverage. It’s been a while since the Sooners have had a good secondary, but they have a chance to be just that and then some.

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Oklahoma Sooners make the 2024 College Football Playoff in 247Sports projection

Oklahoma makes the expanded playoff field in 247Sports early 2024 College Football Playoff projection.

We haven’t kicked off the 2023 football season, but that’s not stopping people from looking ahead to 2024.

There’s a lot of excitement for 2024 for a great many reasons, including conference realignment and an expanded playoff. Oklahoma and Texas are headed to the SEC next summer, and USC and UCLA are moving to the Big Ten. The playoff is expanding to 12 teams.

So get ready for all sorts of fun in 2024.

Brad Crawford of 247Sports put out an early 12-team College Football Playoff.

This projection has the Sooners as the No. 4 team in the field, earning a first-round bye.

Unfortunately for the Sooners, they’ll face the No. 5 Alabama Crimson Tide in Norman for the second time that season.

Crawford has the Sooners falling to Alabama in that quarterfinal game. It’s unclear who he has winning the game earlier in the season, but if the Sooners were to win that one, it would be hard to beat Alabama twice in one season, no matter where it’s played at.

That ultimately sets up for an all-SEC final with the Georgia Bulldogs and Alabama facing off.

For Oklahoma, what a season that would be to make the playoff in their first year in the SEC.

I bet if you asked Oklahoma fans today about making the playoff in Year 1, they’d take that in a heartbeat.

But there’s still a lot of work to be done and the 2023 season to be played before that season is upon us.

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Oklahoma’s Linebackers look to be the heart and soul of the defense

Led by Danny Stutsman, the Oklahoma’s linebackers will be the heart of the 2023 Sooners on defense.

There’s no secret: In [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag]’ defense, the linebacker is the heart and soul of it.

It’s the position he coached and spent the most time with during his career. It will be essential for the unit to take another step if this defense is to improve in 2023.

The Sooners return [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag], who led the Big 12 in tackles with 126 last season. Part of the reason is he never came off the field. Only two players played more snaps in 2022 than Danny Stutsman. He was really good in the first half, but in the second half, like the Sooners’ defense, he struggled. This year, the depth is better but unproven. Stutsman will likely be this team’s starting weak side linebacker

Next to him will be either [autotag]Jaren Kanak[/autotag] or [autotag]Kobie McKinzie[/autotag]. They replacing [autotag]David  Ugwoegbu[/autotag], who was fourth in the Big 12 in tackles but transferred to the Houston Cougars to play his more natural position of defensive end.

While neither McKinzie nor Kanak bring the experience Ugwoegbu had, they bring the athleticism Ugwoegbu lacked.

Both should be key for the Sooners’ defense this year. Kanak brings incredible athleticism and can fly around the field, while McKinzie brings the power. If you could combine those two, they’d be the perfect linebacker.

After that, there are question marks. [autotag]Kip Lewis[/autotag] flashes every time you watch him, but he has to add weight. He was incredibly productive in the spring game, leading the Sooners with 11 tackles.

[autotag]Shane Whitter[/autotag] has been around for a while. He got hurt last year but at least brings experience. He’s a really good rotation linebacker that could play a key role in keeping Stutsman fresh throughout games.

Can any of the freshmen make an impact? There’s a great deal of hype around [autotag]Lewis Carter[/autotag], [autotag]Samuel Omosigho[/autotag] and [autotag]Phil Picciotti[/autotag]. But as we saw last year with Kanak and McKinzie, it’s hard to get on the field as a freshman.

One thing is for certain. The coaches have to find ways to spell Stutsman and get him off of the field for a series or two during a game. If they do that, he could be primed for a breakout season that could garner postseason honors.

Overall as a unit, they have to be better.

Too often last year, they looked confused and out of place. They looked hesitant and weren’t trusting what they were seeing. That can’t happen this season if they want to achieve their goals as a defense.

But if there’s one person I’d never question when it comes to linebacker play, it’s Venables.

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Sooners come in at No. 2 in PFF’s Big 12 power rankings 

In Pro Football Focus’ preseason power ranking, the Sooners come in at No. 2 just behind the Texas Longhorns. 

Pro Football Focus is out with another power ranking as we are 69 days before the Sooners take the field vs. the Arkansas State  Red Wolves in Norman.

In their preseason power ranking, the Sooners come in at No. 2, just behind the Texas Longhorns.

There’s no doubt for years, the Sooners and Longhorns have been the cream of the crop when it comes to the most talented teams in the Big 12.

But as we saw last year, talent can only get you so far. You have to develop that talent and put them in positions to succeed.

 

Lincoln Riley’s coaching staff did not develop the talent very well, especially on the defensive side of the ball. The new staff struggled with catering to what the team did well while also trying to implement their schemes.

That is why Sooner fans have a reason for optimism this upcoming season. The scheme has been in place for over a year. The players have had a year to develop with the new staff, and the staff went out and got players they felt fit their scheme.

There’s no doubt there has to be an improvement both with the players executing what is called and the coaches doing a better job putting them in positions to succeed.

Now we play the waiting game to see if the Sooners can put it together and get back to being the kings of the conference one last time.

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Oklahoma’s defensive line needs to make a significant jump in 2023

For the Sooners to improve defensively in 2023, Oklahoma’s defensive line will have to make significant improvements.

It’s no secret a big reason the Oklahoma Sooners didn’t achieve what they wanted to last year was the defense. The Sooners finished 106th in run defense, 119th in pass defense and 122nd in total defense.

A big reason those numbers were so horrific was how poor the defensive line was last season. It couldn’t generate a pass rush, and it struggled to get off blocks and make stops in the run game.

It’s clear the staff recognized the issues from last year and attacked the transfer portal, hoping to improve the defensive front. The big priority over the last few recruiting classes has been to add blue-chip defensive linemen.

The Sooners added six players from the transfer portal: Jacob Lacey, Trace Ford, Davon Sears, Rondell Bothroyd, Da’Jon Terry and Phillip Paea. Throw in Dasan McCullough, who played edge for Indiana in 2022, and the Sooners made a concerted effort to add players that can affect the running game and get to the quarterback.

Each of those additions should contribute this year, and a few might even start. The transfer portal is not the only place where the Sooners added talent. They also added five-star P.J. Adebawore.

He might not be a starter immediately, but he has the potential to start by the season’s end. The team also returns starters Isaiah Coe, Ethan Downs and Reggie Grimes.

A guy that played quite a bit last season as a true freshman and is poised for a breakout season is R Mason Thomas. He’s added weight and appears to have kept his speed and twitch.

The starting defensive line could be Thomas, Coe, Terry and Bothroyd when the Sooners deploy four-man fronts. When they go with a three-man front, it could be Thomas or Downs, Terry and Bothroyd until Adebawore becomes more comfortable.

There’s no doubt the Sooners needed to upgrade the defensive line. Now we’ll see if the results follow.

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‘It does not change’: Gabe Ikard says the expectations at Oklahoma are still high

On the Unnecessary Roughness podcast, Gabe Ikard shared his thoughts on the expectation for Oklahoma’s season in 2023.

We are 70 days from the start of college football season in Norman.

The Sooners take on Arkansas State to open the year. Many vary on how Oklahoma’s season will go.

Some think it could be a disastrous year again for the Sooners, but others think they could make a run at the College Football Playoff. Based on preseason projections, the national narrative has Oklahoma among those who will contend for the Big 12 title in 2023.

According to a former Sooner great, that shouldn’t come as a surprise.

Former Sooner Gabe Ikard went on the “Unnecessary Roughness” podcast, and when asked his expectations for the Sooners, his answer was simple, “The expectation is to win the Big 12 and go to the College Football Playoff.”

Ikard was then pressed by one of the hosts of the show, Kayce Smith, to give a real expectation.

“It does not change,” Ikard said. “I’m telling you, it does not change. When you look at the Big 12, they are going to play one team where the argument can be made that the team’s got more talent than them. If you’ve got more talent than the other team and you’re well coached, you are supposed to win.”

He followed that by saying going 6-7 last season does not change the expectation, “That’s just life at OU.”

Ikard seems to be speaking from a player’s perspective. The players obviously understand the standard at Oklahoma is to win championships.

With that said, a lot of factors go into being able to do that, and it’s not just talent. Bob Stoops and Lincoln Riley almost always had the most talent but rarely went undefeated. Riley never did.

A lot of stuff has to line up, like your roster construction, the scheme you play in, and how that fits your players.

Also, you can have a bunch of four and five-star players, but unless they develop and reach their ceilings, are they really that “talented?” And as we’ve seen in recent years, star status doesn’t always match reality.

Brent Venables was tasked with a tough job because the last staff did a great job developing the offensive side of the ball but did a poor job developing the defensive side.

Combine that with a lot of the offensive guys they developed left to either follow Riley or go to the NFL, and it makes it tough.

That’s not to make excuses. That’s just facts. Year 2 should be better, and it better be better. Win the Big 12 and making the CFP might be the standard, but that’s not a goal fans should expect. Winning the Big 12 is reasonable, but after seeing all of the holes from last year’s team, making the CFP is a stretch, to say the least.

A realistic goal is nine-plus wins and making the conference title game. After that, we’ll see what happens.

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Offensive line hopes to anchor the 2023 Oklahoma Sooners

The offensive line is crucial to what every team wants to do offensively. Ever since Bill Bedenbaugh came to town it’s arguably been the strength of the Oklahoma Sooners.

Another day and another position group. This one is the position that doesn’t get enough credit, but it might be the most fun position to talk about.

The offensive line is crucial to what every team wants to do offensively. Ever since Bill Bedenbaugh came to town, it’s arguably been the strength of the Oklahoma Sooners.

But the Sooners will have their work cut out for them as they replace three starters from last year’s team. [autotag]Anton Harrison[/autotag], [autotag]Wanya Morris[/autotag] and [autotag]Chris Murray[/autotag] are gone.

They added transfer [autotag]Walter Rouse[/autotag] from the Stanford Cardinal to fill Harrison’s spot at left tackle. He comes in with a ton of experience and should help lessen the blow of losing Harrison.

[autotag]Tyler Guyton[/autotag] will slide into the right tackle spot replacing Morris. Guyton played a great deal at the position early in the season when Morris was out. They love his upside, and he has the potential to be a future first-round pick. He’s extremely athletic but needs to improve on his technique. He’s poised for a breakout season in 2023.

The replacement for Murray is a little trickier. Bedenbaugh doesn’t like to show his hand this early, but all signs point to Savion Byrd taking that role.

Byrd is a violent blocker. He’s reminiscent of how the 2018 line played: They just mauled you. Now, he has some technique work to do, but his performance against Florida State in the Cheez-It Bowl was fun to watch. If he can refine some of his technique, he could be special.

I know [autotag]McKade Mettauer[/autotag] started most of the games at left guard, but I think for this team to really have a dominant offensive line, someone like [autotag]Jake Taylor[/autotag] needs to take over.

You know exactly what you’ll get from Mettauer. He’s a steady piece with a lot of experience, but he doesn’t have the upside Taylor has. That guy can be similar to Byrd. He just plays mean.

The Sooners also bring back center [autotag]Andrew Raym[/autotag], who brings significant experience. He should be able to help solidify this line as it navigates the turnover experienced this offseason.

They also add transfers [autotag]Troy Everett[/autotag] from the Appalachian State Mountaineers and [autotag]Caleb Shaffer[/autotag] from the Miami (Oh.) RedHawks. Both of those guys will add depth to the line and should play a role on this team.

If you want to talk about some fun video, turn on Everett’s tape versus the Texas A&M Aggies. You’ll thank me later.

All in all, the Sooners have a lot of depth and have the potential to roll out the best offensive line in Norman since that elite 2018 line. Now, they still have to put things together, and players will have to progress the way a lot of people think they can, but the potential is there.

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2023 Oklahoma Sooners a top 15 team per Pro Football Focus

Pro Football Focus has the Sooners ranked just ahead of their bowl opponent, the Florida State Seminoles heading into the 2023 season.

Oh, the smell of the college football season is in the air. We are counting down the days until the season kicks off. We are now 71 days away from the Oklahoma Sooners season opener.

One thing that fuels the anticipation for the season is preseason polls.

Pro Football Focus (subscription required) believes the Oklahoma Sooners are one of the best 15 teams in the country heading into 2023. They have the Sooners coming in at No. 13, just ahead of their bowl opponent, the Florida State Seminoles.

Brent Venables’ first season as Oklahoma’s head coach couldn’t have gone much worse, as the Sooners endured their first losing season this century. Still, there’s reason for optimism in 2023. Five of their seven losses were decided by one possession while four of them were by three points. Dillon Gabriel is back at quarterback and second among FBS signal-callers in 2022 with a 1.1% turnover-worthy play rate. – Max Chadwick PFF

Chadwick hit the nail on the head. While 2022 was disastrous, there’s plenty of optimism for 2023.

Familiarity with the schemes, especially defensively, will provide the biggest reason for a jump in performance from the Sooners.

Defense is so much about reacting. If you aren’t confident in the call or in your keys, it creates hesitancy.

A hesitant defense gets shredded, as we saw last season. Oklahoma being more comfortable in the scheme should eliminate that hesitancy, hopefully leading to a defense that plays fast and makes plays. There should be a pretty decent jump on the defensive side of the ball with more familiarity, but also with an improved defensive roster.

Offensively, they were pretty good last season but have to clean some things up on third and fourth down and in the red zone.

The pass catchers lack experience, and there isn’t a bonafide go-to player. That much has been well publicized, but the run game and the offensive line could actually be better. Again, the players being more comfortable in Jeff Lebby’s offense should help.

Returning players having more familiarity will allow them to better integrate the transfer portal acquisitions and 2023 recruiting class, creating better depth across the board.

All in all, there should be great expectations for the Sooners this season. Not national title chances, but double-digit wins and an appearance in the conference title game are very much attainable.

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