Despite remaining competitive through the first half, the Oklahoma Sooners lost 37-17 to LSU in their final regular season game of 2024. As per usual, the Sooner offense started slowly, leaving coach Brent Venables’ defense to keep the team in the game. Luckily, they turned defense into offense in the last first quarter. After Gracen Halton sacked Garrett Nussmeier and forced him to fumble, R. Mason Thomas scooped the ball up and returned it for a touchdown, tying the game at 7-7.
Early in the second quarter, Thomas sacked Nussmeier and landed on him hard, forcing him out of the game with a shoulder injury. After a 60-yard pass to J.J. Hester, a 28-yard run by Jackson Arnold, and a two-yard run by Xavier Robinson, the Sooners took a 14-10 lead with 7:22 left in the first half. But the lead didn’t last long, as LSU returned the ensuing kickoff 100 yards for a score. After Oklahoma tied the game with a field goal and with Nussmeier back in the game for the Tigers, LSU scored on a 40-yard pass and led 24-17 at halftime. Midway through the third quarter, Nussmeier and the Tigers struck from long range again, scoring on a 45-yard pass to give them a 31-17 lead that OU would not overcome, and the game ended in a 37-17 final score.
All things considered, the Sooners finished the season than probably anyone thought they would. After a 35-9 drubbing against South Carolina in mid-October, Oklahoma seemed to right the ship a bit and played much more competitive games. Granted, they barely made it to six wins, but one of those wins was a phenomenal upset over No. 7 Alabama.
Brent Venables and his squad will be heading to a bowl game, and with the transfer portal opening on December 9, there will be no shortage of news coming out of Norman. So what are the biggest questions facing Oklahoma this offseason?
Crucial Questions Facing Oklahoma This Offseason
Who will the new offensive coordinator be?
While Joe Jon Finley did an admirable job filling in for Seth Littrell, OU really needs to go out and spend on a talented offensive coordinator. Who exactly the new hire will be is very hard to predict. Maybe Venables will dip into the Group of 5 ranks and try to lure away an established coach who is looking to move to a bigger school. Maybe he’ll pick a young, up-and-coming coach from a Power 4 school. Maybe he’ll do neither of those things. Right now, it’s too early to tell who will be Oklahoma’s offensive coordinator in 2025, but it will almost certainly be someone new.
Who will be OU’s quarterback next year?
Down the stretch, it seems like Venables and the coaching staff settled on Arnold as the number one guy. After all, he’s only a sophomore who was once a five-star recruit. But in today’s day and age, any hint of uncertainty can cause players (or coaches) to hit the portal. There’s been no chatter from Oklahoma folks about whether or not Arnold is looking to leave, but it wouldn’t be surprising if he wanted a fresh start. I think it would be more surprising if OU decided they wanted to bring in a transfer quarterback, but it’s not totally out of the question. Part of this answer may be tied to the team’s new offensive coordinator. Maybe Venables will only bring in someone who is willing to work with Arnold, or vice versa. However, expect news bout Arnold to emerge sooner rather than later, with the portal opening less than two weeks away.
How much can the offensive line improve?
This is a pretty simple one. Whether through offseason workouts or new players from the portal, the Sooners simply cannot have an offensive line like they did this year. It was atrocious and certainly a source of the offense’s struggles. I expect Venables to bring in numerous transfers and recruits to help shore up that unit.
While Oklahoma has a lot of growing to do during this offseason, there are a lot of talented, foundational players left on the roster. Taylor Tatum looks like a star in the making. With time to heal, the wide receiver room should be very deep next season. Kip Lewis, Peyton and Eli Bowen, and Jayden Jackson look like they could have All-SEC potential. There is a lot to be excited about for Oklahoma and its fans in 2025, so long as they address the play caller, quarterback, and o-line issues.
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