The bye week arrives with real purpose for Oklahoma, not just as a breather, but as a reset button after a 2-2 start and a 41-13 pounding from Georgia. The Sooners now turn their attention to No.
1 Texas in the Red River Rivalry at the Cotton Bowl, and that stretch - facing the nation’s No. 1 and No. 2 teams back-to-back - leaves little room for comfort. Still, the break gives Oklahoma a chance to heal up, trim a lengthy injury list and sort through some glaring offensive issues.
That makes this week especially important for a handful of players who have the most to prove.
One of them is sophomore receiver Manny Choice, who may have a real opening to climb the depth chart. Oklahoma still hasn’t found a true No. 2 option behind Isaiah Sategna III, with Parker Livingstone and Elijah Thomas both getting chances without locking down the role.
Choice, meanwhile, just posted a career-high 19 snaps against Georgia and turned that into a 14-yard touchdown. It was a small sample, but one that should have gotten attention.
Now he gets a week of practice to show that he deserves a bigger share of the offense.
Michael Fasusi is in a similar spot, only his return would be huge for a different reason. The starting left tackle has been Oklahoma’s best offensive lineman, but he’s played only 17 snaps all season after getting hurt in the first quarter of the opener and missing action ever since.
He has at least suited up for the last two games, which suggests he’s getting close. This week should help him get fully healthy and regain his rhythm before Oklahoma needs him at his best against Texas edge rusher Colin Simmons, who just set the Longhorns’ single-game sack record with 5.5 against Tennessee.
The backfield needs answers, too. Lloyd Avant has been the clear RB1, but Oklahoma’s rushing production has lagged at only 99 yards per game.
Freshman Jonathan Hatton Jr. has stepped into the RB2 role, and the bye week gives him a chance to push for more. As a top-10 running back recruit in the 2026 class, the talent is obvious.
What he can show now is whether he can handle the full package - the details, the trust, the stuff that gets a back more than just carries. That’s what could make him the guy and maybe give the Sooners a spark.
Then there’s John Mateer, who carries the most pressure of anyone in the program right now. His three turnovers against Georgia have fans wondering why he’s still starting, and his play has not matched the expectation around him.
The ability is there somewhere; he was a favorite to win the Heisman Trophy this time last year. But since injuring his thumb, and even this season when he was supposed to be healthy, Mateer hasn’t looked like himself.
OU safety Peyton Bowen said this week that Mateer needs "his swagger back." This bye gives him a chance to step away, reset and maybe rediscover it.
If he can’t, the conversation only gets louder.
The backup situation at quarterback adds another layer. Whitt Newbauer’s job doesn’t appear to be in immediate danger because there isn’t a proven answer behind Mateer.
Newbauer is in his second season at Oklahoma after transferring from Mercer, where he was not especially productive as a freshman at the FCS level. He hasn’t taken a meaningful snap for the Sooners, though he did run for a three-yard touchdown in garbage time against UTEP in Week 1.
For him, practice is the stage now. Venables said reserves are getting more reps during the bye while the starters rest, which includes Newbauer and freshman Bowe Bentley.
Mateer may still be QB1, but the staff is paying close attention, and Newbauer has a chance to show he belongs in the conversation if Oklahoma ever needs another option.
In Other News...
Peyton Bowen Sees One Big Issue Holding Back Oklahomas Quarterback
Peyton Bowen has seen enough around Oklahomas quarterback room to know how quickly things can change when turnovers start piling up. The Sooners safety pointed to the pressure John Mateer has been dealing with after recent miscues, and he drew a clear parallel to what former teammate Jackson Arnold went through in a similar stretch. Bowen still believes Mateer has the talent and leadership to steer things in the right direction, but he also made it clear that the mental side of the position can get heavy fast.
For Oklahoma, the concern is not whether Mateer can make plays in practice, where Bowen says he has shown plenty, but whether that confidence carries over once the games begin to tighten up. Bowen has been supporting him personally through the rough patch, knowing how important it is for a quarterback to trust his own game again after criticism starts to build. The Sooners have a long season ahead, and how quickly Mateer can turn practice production into game-day results may end up shaping a lot more than one stat line. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahomas Offensive Line Battle Just Took A Meaningful Turn
Oklahomas offensive line has been under the microscope for weeks, and Brent Venables said the group showed a little more steadiness in pass protection during the recent game against Georgia. The Sooners also cleaned up one of the issues that had been adding to the pressure, finishing with only one false start, while the staff continues sorting out who can hold up best up front as the season moves along.
One part of that evaluation is giving Peyton Joseph more snaps and seeing whether the depth can keep improving beyond the first group. Venables also said injured tackle Michael Fasusi is making progress, but Oklahoma still does not have a timetable for his return, leaving the lines next step tied to both development and health. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahomas QB Situation Just Put Brent Venables In A Tough Spot
Brent Venables spent part of the week trying to steady Oklahomas quarterback picture, and for now it still points back to John Mateer. The Sooners coach said he has confidence in backups Whitt Newbauer and Bowe Bentley, but he also made clear that Mateer remains the starter despite recent struggles and turnovers, a reminder of how thin the margin has become at the games most important position.
Venables even acknowledged there were conversations about benching Mateer after the poor performance, yet Oklahoma is sticking with the current plan heading into Texas. Newbauer brings some FCS starting experience, while Bentley has not made his college debut, which leaves the Sooners in a familiar bind: leaning on the quarterback who has already been under fire, while waiting to see whether the depth chart can really offer a safer alternative. [Read more 🡒]