Oklahoma’s trip into SEC play arrives with the temperature already rising around Brent Venables’ team. The Sooners are coming off a rough offensive showing in a 14-6 win over New Mexico, a game in which they never reached 300 total yards and spent most of the night trying to steady themselves after the loss in Ann Arbor.
Now the challenge jumps in a hurry. No.
2 Georgia is next, and the Bulldogs have been punishing opponents with the kind of consistency that makes every Saturday feel uphill for the other sideline. Kirby Smart’s team has won 51 straight games against unranked opponents, and after falling out of the AP Poll, Oklahoma now fits that description.
Georgia is also 55-2 in Athens since 2017.
The Sooners head into this one with plenty to clean up, especially after quarterback John Mateer threw two interceptions against New Mexico and nearly turned a close game into a full-blown disaster. Still, Oklahoma has at least one area it can trust: the defense. Defensive tackle David Stone delivered the key fourth-down stop when New Mexico tried to go for two and force overtime, keeping the Sooners from a much uglier finish.
That defense is going to be tested by a Georgia offense that found its footing after a slow start against Arkansas. The Bulldogs won their SEC opener 45-17, and the game got so lopsided that Georgia was doing drills against itself during TV timeouts just to stay sharp.
Saturday’s matchup will ask a lot of Oklahoma up front. The Sooners’ defense has to find ways to create negative plays, because Georgia did allow three sacks last week and that’s the kind of pressure Oklahoma needs to repeat if it wants any shot at an upset.
Georgia’s defense brings its own problems. Linebackers Chris Cole and AJ Kruah are tied with safety Rasean Rinkins for the team lead with 10 total tackles, while linebacker Raylen Wilson has already posted two sacks through three games. Behind them sits a secondary loaded with talent, led by Preseason All-SEC First Team selections KJ Bolden and Ellis Robinson IV.
For Oklahoma, the assignment on the other side is just as demanding. The Sooners will have to deal with left tackle Earnest Greene III, who protects quarterback Gunner Stockton, a Preseason All-SEC Third Team selection by the conference’s coaches. They’ll also need to slow down running back Nate Frazier, who is averaging 8.4 yards per carry and has scored five touchdowns.
This will not be the first time Oklahoma and Georgia have crossed paths, but it has been a while since the teams shared a conference schedule. The Sooners did not face the Bulldogs in SEC play last season. Georgia went 11-1 in the regular season, with its only loss coming against Alabama, then beat the Crimson Tide 28-7 in the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta before the season ended with a College Football Playoff quarterfinal loss to Ole Miss.
The only previous meeting between Oklahoma and Georgia came in one of the most memorable games either program has played. Baker Mayfield and Lincoln Riley led the Sooners against Smart’s defense in the 2017 CFP Rose Bowl, where Oklahoma built a 31-17 halftime lead. Georgia answered with 28 second-half points to force overtime, then finished the job with a 54-48 win in double overtime.
In Other News...
Kirby Smart Just Put Oklahomas Brent Venables Defense In The Spotlight
Ahead of Oklahomas upcoming meeting with Georgia, Kirby Smart made clear how much respect he has for Brent Venables and the defense hes built in Norman. Smart pointed back to their previous battles when Venables was at Clemson, a reminder that this matchup comes with a long history of game-planning, adjustments and a lot of mutual familiarity between two coaches who have spent years around elite defenses.
For Oklahoma, the attention only adds to the significance of a game that already carries plenty of weight based on where both teams stand right now. Venables defense has been a defining part of the Sooners identity, and Smarts praise puts that unit directly in the spotlight before kickoff, with Georgia clearly preparing for one of the most respected defensive minds in the sport. [Read more 🡒]
Former Sooners Are Making Oklahomas Offensive Questions Even Louder
A wave of former Oklahoma players is making life a little awkward for the Sooners offense, because several of the guys who moved on have started to look more comfortable and productive elsewhere. Javonnie Gibson has seen his receiving numbers climb at Cincinnati, Michael Hawkins Jr. has emerged as a dual-threat spark at West Virginia, Zion Ragins is showing real production at receiver, and Jake Taylor has settled in as both a starter and a team captain at Iowa State.
The common thread is hard to miss: each player appears to be benefiting from a different offensive environment and a new coaching voice. For Oklahoma, it only adds to the conversation around how much system fit matters, especially when familiar names are thriving in spots that seem to be putting their strengths to better use. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahomas Offensive Struggles Just Put Jim Nagy In A Tough Spot
Oklahomas uneven offense has turned a lot of attention away from the preseason buzz and back toward the decisions that built this roster in the first place. With general manager Jim Nagy and coach Brent Venables both tied to the personnel plan, the Sooners are now living with the consequences of a group that has not consistently held up on offense and has left questions about depth in more than one spot.
The concerns do not stop there, either, because injuries have added another layer of strain and the linebacker room has become part of the larger roster conversation. In hindsight, the exit of former linebacker Sammy Omosigho looks more significant by the week, since keeping him around might have offered some relief for a team that now appears thin in exactly the places it can least afford to be thin. [Read more 🡒]