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’ve still got 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 up with 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 said. “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]CFP[/autotag] (Georgia, Texas and Alabama), with four more teams 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 why 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.
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.