When Lincoln Riley bailed on Oklahoma to head USC after the 2021 season, the Sooners shrugged and hired Clemson defensive specialist Brent Venables to lead the team. That nonchalant shrug soon turned into a Surrender Cobra with Oklahoma turning in a 6-6 record behind college football’s 122nd ranked defense.

“It’s not like Brent Venables all of a sudden forgot how to coach defense,” the wise Dabo Swinney reportedly observed. Yeah, but maybe he did forget how to coach defense? Perhaps those ACC offenses weren’t much of a Rubik’s Cube to solve? Or perhaps much like Chad Morris, Venables is a better Clemson coordinator than he is a head coach? No matter (and I mean that literally), the nation’s press has ignored last season’s results and named Oklahoma among the 20 best programs in the nation.

The History Ain’t Good

The first time Arkansas State tangled with Oklahoma was in 1992, which ended in a 61-0 defeat that had A-State head coach Ray Perkins reevaluating his career choices. The second time occurred eight years later under Joe Hollis, resulting in a 45-7 destroying. I did the math, and it appears that Oklahoma has outscored Arkansas State 106-7. Congratulations to A-State legend Danny Smith, history’s only Arkansas State football player to find the end zone against the Sooners.

Common Opinion Sees A Rebound for the Sooners Defense

Curious as to why the press has such a high opinion on the 6-6 Sooners, I dipped into the journosphere to ascertain some clues. According to USA Today’s John Williams, the Sooners “made significant additions to the defensive side of the ball to bolster their front seven. Rondell Bothroyd, DaJon Terry, Davon Sears, and Trace Ford join a developing defensive line.”  Nothing new now about filling gaps with transfer talent. Sun Belt fans may recognize Sears, who played on Texas State’s defensive line last season.

So they got some new bodies, and they get All Big 12 Second Teamer Ethan Downs back on defensive end. Perhaps that’s enough to make all the difference?

Something to Think About

Not a single Sooner made the Preseason All Big 12 First Team this year, which seems kind of odd for a program selected as the 20th best in the nation. PPF, which does a pretty good job in my opinion, does see Ethan Downs, Rondell Bothroyd, and linebacker Danny Stutsman as defensive second-team selects, in addition to offensive guard McKade Mettauer. There’s talent simmering beneath the surface.

Dillon Gabriel is Trouble

Oklahoma’s defense was bad last year, but the offense was very good, ranking 13th nationally and churning a cool 476 yards of offense per contest. Quarterback Dillon Gabriel (5’11”, 204 pounds) is a big reason why the Sooners offense is so productive. A transfer from UCF, Dillon was named Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year after compiling 3,168 passing yards for 25 touchdowns against just six picks.

Gabriel can move when he has to, delivering 300+ yards last season and scoring another 6 touchdowns on the ground. The dual-threat quarterback will be a massive test for the Red Wolves’ promising secondary and a linebacker squad that looks to very good this season.

Oklahoma Release Their Depth Chart (Tuesday, Aug 29)

You can see the Arkansas State Red Wolves two-deep here.

How Do the Red Wolves Avoid Seeing General Booty?

In case you missed it, the Sooners have a redshirt sophomore QB named General Booty. I don’t know where Booty falls on the Oklahoma depth chart, but personally, I don’t want to see Booty mopping up against the Red Wolves.

Avoiding Booty (or any second-string QB), will require a level of football we’ve not yet seen in the Butchboro Era. Butch Jones often talks about “team football,” but it will be individual effort from key contributors that determines the outcome on Saturday.

• Micah Bland, the 318-pound senior transfer from North Alabama, will need to be the anchor on the defensive line, forcing the Sooners run game outside and allowing defensive ends Keyron Crawford and Thurman Geathers to do their work creating havoc.
• Wide receivers Corey Rucker and Jeff Foreman need to put on a show. Whether its the experienced transfer JT Shrout or the emerging sophomore Jaxon Dailey starting behind center on Saturday, Rucker and Foreman must emerge as dependable, reliable playmakers.
• Samy Johnson and the Red Wolves secondary will need to hold their own against Dillon Gabriel and projected WR1 Jalil Farooq. Along with the offensive line, the A-State secondary looks to be one of the team’s strongest unit. Johnson & Friends will have the opportunity to prove it on Saturday.
• While all eyes will be on the entire offensive line, much of its success will be on the enormous shoulders of Jacob Bayer, the 315-pound junior transfer from Lamar now plugged in at center for the Red Wolves. He’ll be buttressed by behemoths like Jalen Cunningham, Mekhi Butler and a deep pool of heavies. They’ll have their paws full dealing with the Sooners defensive line.

What’s The Dish?

This isn’t an un-winnable situation for Butch Jones and the Red Wolves. Quite frankly, there may be more pressure on Brent Venables and and the Sooners, given the high expectations. It’s not genius analysis to say that the Red Wolves need to play a full-four quarters. However, Arkansas State’s recent history for vanishing in the fourth quarter makes the obvious observation necessary. If the Red Wolves can remain focused the entire game, and if the offense can find ways to shake the confidence of Oklahoma’s much scrutinized defense, we’ll see a promising game in Norman.

PHOTOS: Mine