Oklahoma gets a primetime shot to reset Saturday night, and the setting couldn’t be bigger: the Sooners are headed to Gainesville to face Florida for the first time in program history.
The Sooners come in at 4-4 after a 17-point home loss to South Carolina, a setback that has them chasing bowl eligibility and trying to salvage a disappointing Year 5 for Brent Venables in Norman. Florida enters at 5-3 and 3-3 in the SEC, carrying signature wins over Ole Miss and Texas and some momentum in year one of the Jon Sumrall era.
Both teams have spent the week making major offensive changes. Oklahoma parted ways with offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle on Monday and turned the offense over to future Hall of Famer and Sooners tight ends coach Jason Witten. Florida has rotated between Aaron Philo and Tramell Jones at quarterback, and this week Jones is set to start against one of the SEC’s stronger defenses.
The Gators will also use the night to honor the 2008 national championship team that beat Sam Bradford and Oklahoma. The Sooners, meanwhile, will try to spoil the celebration under the lights at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
Here’s how to watch the game:
TV channel: SEC Network
Livestream: ESPN, Fubo (free trial)
Matt Schumacker and Aaron Murray will call the action from the booth, with Taylor Davis reporting from the sideline.
Date: Saturday, Nov. 7
Start time: 6:45 p.m. CT
The game is set for 6:45 p.m. CT from Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Florida.
BetMGM listed Florida as a 6-point favorite, with the over/under at 44 1/2. The moneyline has Oklahoma at plus-175 and Florida at minus-220.
A prediction attached to the matchup has Oklahoma winning 23-20, with the Sooners defense bouncing back and the offense finding a more reliable run game in Witten’s first week in charge.
In Other News...
Oklahoma Gets A Needed Boost But Saturday Questions Still Linger
Oklahoma got a small but meaningful lift heading into the weekend with cornerback Eli Bowen and tight end Rocky Beers cleared off the injury report and available for the game against Florida. In a week when the availability list has been a moving target, getting those two back gives the Sooners a little more flexibility on both sides of the ball as they try to settle in before kickoff.
The bigger concern is what still remains unresolved. Wide receiver Elijah Thomas and defensive end Kenny Ozawalu are among the players listed as questionable, while eight others have already been ruled out and one more is doubtful, leaving Oklahoma with several late decisions still hanging over Saturday. The update helps, but it also underscores how much the Sooners are still managing as they head into a game where depth could matter just as much as the game plan. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Gets A Needed Boost But One Florida Concern Remains
The Sooners are getting some reinforcements at a useful time, with several players set to return to the lineup for the upcoming game against Florida. Eli Bowen, Jake Maikkula, Jer'Michael Carter and Rocky Beers are all back in the mix, which should help Oklahoma add some much-needed depth as it tries to steady itself for a tricky SEC matchup.
Still, the availability report is not all encouraging. Ryan Fodje, Cole Sullivan and Jacobe Johnson have already been ruled out, and Peyton Bowen remains questionable, leaving one important spot in particular still worth watching as kickoff approaches. For Oklahoma, the returns are welcome, but there is still at least one Florida-related concern hanging over the week. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Football Fans Wont Believe How One Playoff Spot Was Decided
When three Oklahoma high school football teams finished tied for third in District A-II-3, there was no film room, no points-differential debate and no last-second appeal left to sort it out. Liberty, Central Sallisaw and Gore had run through every available tiebreaker, and with only four playoff spots in the district, the decision came down to a coin toss at Catfish Round Up near Seminole.
Liberty and Central Sallisaw came out on top and moved on, while Gore was left out in the cold on the sports most old-school kind of margin. It is the sort of finish that reminds you just how thin the line can be in high school football, where a whole season can hinge on a flip once the usual math has been exhausted. [Read more 🡒]