It was only a year ago that Dillon Gabriel led No. 12 Oklahoma to a thrilling upset over No. 3 Texas in the River River Rivalry. The Sooners moved all the way to No. 5 after that game, Gabriel played a phenomenal game, and folks in Norman were starting to wonder about the College Football Playoff. Fast forward a year, and Oklahoma is in a completely different world.
Their five-star quarterback of the future, Jackson Arnold, has been benched in favor of true freshman Michael Hawkins. The Sooners offense has been inconsistent at best and unable to earn first downs at worst and they still have yet to enter the toughest stretch of their schedule. While none of that will stop Sooner fans from packing the Cotton Bowl and throwing as many “horns down” as they possibly can, it’s hard not to compare OU to Texas and be amazed at how far apart the two programs seem.
But the great part about college football is that everything can change on a dime. If Oklahoma and Brent Venables can manage to upset those hated Longhorns for the second year in a row, the Sooners would be back in business. So with that in mind, how can Oklahoma go about beating the number one team in the country?
Why Oklahoma Will Bring Home the Win Against Texas
Michael Hawkins Jr.
Surprise, surprise, now that Michael Hawkins Jr. holds the keys to the car, he will also be the biggest x-factor in this game. In three games, he is 23 of 37 passing (62.2 completion percentage) for 310 passing yards and one score. He also has 101 yards on the ground and a rushing touchdown, which came on an electric run against Auburn. But the offense has only looked mildly better under Hawkins than it did under Arnold, and the Sooners are going to need a lot more than that to beat the talented Longhorns.
For OU to even have a chance in this game, Hawkins will need to be explosive with his feet. The Sooners maligned offensive line will have its hands full with Texas’ defensive linemen, so Hawkins absolutely needs to level the playing field with his running ability, much like Gabriel did last year. But he’ll also inevitably need to hit a few shots down the field and add up chunk plays through the air. The fact of the matter is that Hawkins will need to be exceptional in all facets of the game to help OU secure the win.
Superheroes on Defense
Luckily for Oklahoma, their defense has been sensational this year. It even managed to hold down Tennessee’s high-powered offense and almost single-handedly won the Auburn and Houston games. But they’ll have to be even better against Texas’ offense. Between quarterback Quinn Ewers, backs Jaydon Blue and Jerrick Gibson, receivers Isaiah Bond and Ryan Wingo, and tight end Gunnar Helm, the Longhorns can score any way they please.
But the Sooners have some stars of their own on defense. Danny Stutsman has once again been a force, patrolling the middle of the field and shutting down runs. Robert Spears-Jennings has been great alongside preseason All-SEC safety Billy Bowman. R Mason Thomas has been the breakout star of the year, racking up six-and-half tackles for loss and five-and-a-half sacks, both team highs. Venables’ unit has been the pillar of the team this season, and it cannot change on Saturday if the Sooners want to pole Texas’ season. Every single defensive player that OU trots out there will need to play fast, physical, and smart — they’ll need to be superheroes.
Prediction
If Oklahoma can pull this off, they’ll need to drag Texas into a rock fight and not let off the gas for all 60 minutes. Maybe this is the game that cements Hawkins Jr. as not just the starting quarterback, but also as a Sooner legend. Look for Stutsman and Bowman to leave their mark on this game too.
Prediction: Oklahoma 24 – Texas 23
Main Image: BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
