After their first losing season in a quarter century, Sooners fans go into the 2023 season cautiously optimistic, but sure that Oklahoma must quickly recover from the effects of Lincoln Riley’s departure a year ago in order to be prepared for a much tougher SEC schedule next year.
Head Coach Brent Venables has done well recruiting, but it may take time for that improved talent to work its way through the pipeline. The question becomes: Will Oklahoma eek out enough wins this season for Venables to have long-term opportunity to manage the Sooners’ comeback to the college football main stage.
The Sooners’ 2023 schedule suggests an eight or nine-win season, but with thin ranks in key areas the chances of returning to Jerry’s World in Arlington for the Big 12 Championship appear below average — a stark departure from Oklahoma’s history, which includes winning many conference championships.
Oklahoma can expect three wins in the non-conference matchups, although the SMU ponys who come to Norman on September 9 won’t be any cake walk. Tough road games at Kansas, Oklahoma State and BYU, plus the usual Red River game against the perineal “They’re Back” Longhorns and a season finale home contest against TCU pose the greatest risk to the Sooners.
The Sooners have won 14 Big 12 conference championships. To put that in perspective, the next highest number is only three, and that’s shared by Texas, Kansas State and Baylor.
But if they are to even have an opportunity to capture another title before the moving truck from the SEC arrives, the Sooners’ defense is going to have to vastly improve.
Defensive back Reggie Pearson, who transferred from Texas Tech, could play a pivotal role in that. Talk around campus is he’s shining in pre-season practices. Fans will remember Pearson’s hard hit on QB Dillon Gabriel in last year’s Texas Tech game. Pearson could shore up a secondary hampered by injuries last year to Billy Bowman, Jr. and Key Lawrence. Five-star freshman Peyton Bowen could also get playing time.
The secondary last year gave up the Big 12-worst 273 yards passing per game (and worse, 411 pass yards average in the last three games).
The defensive woes are not new. In 2021 the Sooners won the close games, winning five games by 7 points or less (and going 11-2 for the season). Last year the Sooners lost five games by 7 points or less (ending the season with a 6-7 record).
The difference was the offense. In 2021 QB Caleb Williams made the difference. In 2021, Gabriel’s mid-season injury and “average” play was not enough to overcome the deficiencies of the defense.
Gabriel’s return should bring improvement to the offense. But, the question remains, what if he’s not?
He could get the same greeting from the booing OU student section that Spencer Rattler experienced when Williams was called for from the bench.
Only this time, the QB on the bench is highly recruited Jackson Arnold, who hasn’t played a snap of college football. But, in 2023, he may get the chance.
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