Tide Illustrated staff writer Henry Sklar spoke with OUInsider beat writer Jesse Crittenden to get some insight on this week's matchup between No. 7 Alabama and Oklahoma.
With two games remaining in the regular season, how would you grade Oklahoma's first season as a program in the SEC from a state-of-the-program point of view?
To evaluate OU’s season with a letter grade, it’s simply a D.
It’s not just about going 5-5 in the first 10 games. It was reasonable to suspect that there would be some bumps as Oklahoma transitioned to the SEC. The main issue has been the general lack of competitiveness. OU has been outscored 171-91, And four of their five losses have been by 10 points or more.. Of course, the biggest reason has been the offense, which has been historically bad. OU is averaging just 15.1 points per game in conference play and ranks 118th in total offense.
The reason why the grade isn’t an F is because OU has made real strides both defensively and on special teams, which is often overlooked because of the offense’s ineptitude. OU ranks inside the top 25 nationally in total defense, rushing defense, sacks and tackles for loss, and it’s likely that the numbers would be better if the offense was more competent.
But it’s hard to ignore how much the season has impacted both the short-term and long-term future of the program. The offensive coordinator was fired midseason, there’s tons of speculation regarding Brent Venables’ future, and the quarterback situation has been a mess all year.
So yeah, it’s a D.
With a 1-5 SEC record up to this point, despite the massive contract extension, what does Brent Venables job security look like after this season?
There’s no way to sugarcoat it. It’s not great.
The reality is that Venables had his mulligan season. The Sooners went 6-7 in his first year back in 2022, but there were a lot of reasonable excuses to make at the time. Lincoln Riley’s departure decimated the roster and forced Venables to rebuild the roster (and the coaching staff). Plus, four of OU’s seven losses were by exactly three points.
But whether it’s fair or not, it’d simply be unacceptable if Venables finishes with a second losing season in three years. And given that the stakes are so much higher in the SEC, the Sooners really can’t afford to let this thing fall much further. Venables will almost certainly get another offseason to try to make things work, but his job status will certainly be one to watch heading into next season. If the Sooners lose these last two games, and if both games are not competitive, that will only add fuel to the fire.
The fanbase is already upset. There’s no longer any margin for error.
Who on Oklahoma's offense can pose the biggest threat to Alabama's defense?
Running back Jovantae Barnes missed the previous game against Missouri. But if he’s back against Alabama, he’s the player to watch. He had been on a late-season tear before missing the Missouri game, logging at least 67 yards in three straight games — which included his 203-yard, three-touchdown performance against Maine — while averaging over four yards per carry. Those numbers are even more impressive given how much OU’s offensive line has been really bad this season.
Outside of Barnes, it’ll be interesting to see if Xavier Robinson sees much playing time. The true freshman running back was the lone bright spot against Missouri, taking nine carries for 56 yards. He has an aggressive and physical running style that has proven difficult for opposing defenses to stop.
Similarly, who on Oklahoma's defense can potentially shut down the run game that's come up big recently for Alabama's offense?
It’s been an all-hands-on-deck approach for OU’s defense, but the head of the snake is Danny Stutsman. In addition to being the unquestioned leader, he has a 90.7 run-defense grade on Pro Football Focus, which leads the entire country. He also logged a career-high 19 tackles against Missouri.
Saturday will mark his final home game as a senior. It’s reasonable to expect Stutsman will be operating in a different gear.
Finally, what has to go right for the Sooners to knock off the Crimson Tide in what would be a shocking upset?
There’s not a whole lot of paths to victory for Oklahoma, even at home. The offense hasn’t been anywhere close to good enough against SEC opponents, and as much as the defense has improved, there’s only so much it can do if the offense can’t score.
Having said that, the recipe is simple. Lean on the defense, and don’t turn the ball over. OU has committed 16 — yes, 16 — turnovers in conference play. The Sooners have a turnover margin of -9 in six conference games. The Sooners likely beat Missouri, and maybe have a better chance against South Carolina and Tennessee, if they simply hadn’t committed several backbreaking turnovers.
The Sooners will need a lot of things to go their way to pull off a shocking upset. The first step is to taking care of the ball.
