After going undefeated for the first four games of the 2014 season, the Oklahoma Sooners found little consistency thereafter to support their bid for a ninth national title. An 8-5 record is by no means a total failure, but many pundits expected more from a storied school such as Oklahoma.
The Sooners also ended the previous season with a whimper, getting maimed by the Clemson Tigers 40-6 in the Russell Athletic Bowl. And yet, there’s still a lot of optimism heading to this season for Oklahoma to bag their first NCAA championship since the start of the new millennium.
Read on as we get up-close with what’s in store for the boys from Norman. Take a look at our in-depth preview for the entire Big 12 Conference after this, as well as our coverage on one of Oklahoma’s conference rivals in West Virginia.
[sc:NCAAFArticles ]2015-2016 Oklahoma College Football Preview
Overview
The Oklahoma Sooners and their 5-4 conference record from 2014 would attest that its tough having to compete in the crowded Big 12. Everybody else is going aerial on offense, so Oklahoma needed to adjust accordingly. Hiring Lincoln Riley from East Carolina as the team’s new offensive coordinator should provide a boost to the team’s passing game.
[sc:NCAA240banner ]Riley has two suitable options at quarterback who could start for the team in Trevor Knight and Baker Mayfield, but both have not proven to be as prolific as their conference rivals’ counterparts. As of the moment, Mayfield is the favorite to land the starting job.
But even if the passing game does not provide instantaneous rewards with their new OC, the Sooners can still rely on their stellar running attack to grind out quality yardage and wins. Oklahoma arguably has the best backfield depth and talent around. Last season, the team had 2,802 total rushing yards at an amazing rate of 6.14 yards per carry and 261.2 yards per game.
Be on the lookout for the emergence of former five-star recruit Joe Mixon to get involved on the ground. Mixon, a U.S. Army All-American, had over 1,700 yards rushing and 23 touchdowns in his senior year prior to joining the Sooners.
And of course, the eighth-best defense in the nation will be back to keep opposing offenses in check. Led by All-Big 12 linebacker Eric Striker (nine sacks, 17 tackles for loss), Oklahoma is in great form to put a stop to opposing running attacks. The Sooners only gave up 3.2 yards per carry against the run last year.
However, as good as the Sooners’ run defense has been, the same cannot be said about how they defended against the pass. The team surrendered 276.2 yards in the air per game last season. Cornerback Zack Sanchez, who had six interceptions and eight passes broken up, needs more help from the rest of the Oklahoma secondary and prevent games from getting out of hand.
Key Player – Samaje Perine
Going back to Oklahoma’s amazing corps of running backs, Samaje Perine was the one who stood out above the rest in that group, and he should be in great form to provide more quality outings for the Sooners for the next few seasons.
The Jackson, Alabama native was impressive in his rookie campaign to say the least, finishing the 2014 season with 1,713 rushing yards at a fantastic 6.5 yards per carry along with 21 touchdowns. Perine even set a new NCAA FBS single game rushing record last season when he busted out for 427 yards and six scores on 34 carries against the Kansas Jayhawks.
There’s no doubt that the Sooners will continue to rely heavily on the run in 2015, and Perine is one of the country’s elite backs with his superior speed and strength. Expect to see a lot more of the sophomore as he tries to top his debut effort and have his hand in defying the +3,300 odds against Oklahoma in winning the national title this 2015.
Key Game – vs. TCU (November 21)
The Sooners’ fifth game last year against the TCU Horned Frogs was the advent of the team’s lackadaisical run for the rest of the season. In that game, Oklahoma gave up a backbreaking pick-six in the fourth quarter, ultimately losing the game, 37-33.
This season, much more will be at stake when these two fierce rivals meet in the penultimate regular season match in November. A trip to the College Football Playoff could very well be on the line at this point, and the Sooners must have their defense ready to try and contain TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin and the seventh-best passing offense in the FBS.
That Week 5 game against Texas Christian will also be played in Norman, so you can bet that the home crowd will be rockin’ the house to cheer for head coach Bob Stoop’s boys to squash their pesky rivals.
Best/Worst Case Scenario for the Season
Best Case Scenario
The Sooners find themselves back atop the Big 12, mostly thanks to a Heisman-worthy season from Perine. Riley does wonders for the Oklahoma passing game, and the defense stands firm.
Worst Case Scenario
Perine proves to be just a flash in the pan, and opposing quarterbacks decimate Oklahoma’s secondary on a weekly basis. Neither Mayfield nor Knight proves to be a reliable playmaker. The Sooners lose six games in the regular season for the first time since 1998.
Complete Schedule
| DATE | OPPONENT | TIME |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday, September 5 | Akron | 7:00 PM ET |
| Saturday, September 12 | @ Tennessee | 6:00 PM ET |
| Saturday, September 19 | Tulsa | 12:00 PM ET |
| Saturday, October 3 | West Virginia | TBA |
| Saturday, October 10 | @ Texas | TBA |
| Saturday, October 17 | @ Kansas St. | TBA |
| Saturday, October 24 | Texas Tech | TBA |
| Saturday, October 31 | @ Kansas | TBA |
| Saturday, November 7 | Iowa St. | TBA |
| Saturday, November 14 | @ Baylor | TBA |
| Saturday, November 21 | TCU | TBA |
| Saturday, November 28 | @ Oklahoma St. | TBA |
Writer’s Prediction
Oklahoma avoids its first back-to-back single-digit winning seasons in the Bob Stoops era to finish above its projected 8.5 win total for the 2015 season with a record of 10-3. The Sooners win a Bowl game, but still fall short of claiming the school’s ninth national football title.
Create a betting account now to start placing your winning predictions on Oklahoma sooner rather than later.
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