As the Oklahoma Sooners face the Oregon Ducks in the Alamo Bowl, there is no shortage of storylines? Will interim Hall of Fame coach Bob Stoops be given a fitting sendoff complete with a Rock ‘N Roll Tequila bath? Will it be Caleb Williams’ final game in Crimson & Cream, or the first of many more to come? Will the shorthanded Ducks come out with a chip on their shoulder, or will they phone it in?
Take it away, Toby!
Tonight, the Hall of Famer who resurrected Oklahoma Football will once again lead the Crimson and Cream in to battle.@LandersChevyOK Scene Setter ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/oAfFOKNPf5
The Sooners can end the 2021 season on a relatively high note with a win over the disheveled Ducks.
After a turbulent turn of events over the last month, the No. 16 Oklahoma Sooners (10-2) are finally set to close out the year against the No. 14 Oregon Ducks (10-3) in the 2021 Valero Alamo Bowl. This marquee Big 12/Pac-12 matchup will be just the eighth all-time meeting between these two iconic college football brands and the first since the colossal onside kick debacle in ‘06. To make matters all the more unique this time around, both teams will undoubtedly look much different than they did during the regular season due to a laundry list of coaching moves and player attrition. Regardless, this game represents an opportunity for each program to enter the upcoming offseason with a modicum of momentum.
Speaking of coaching changes, Bob Stoops will be back on the sideline as OU’s interim head coach after Lincoln Riley accepted the job at USC. On the other side, Oregon’s passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach Bryan McClendon has also taken over on an interim basis following the departure of Mario Cristobal to Miami.
When you tune in to watch Oklahoma take on the Ducks, you won’t see WR Jadon Haselwood, QB Spencer Rattler or TE/H-back Austin Stogner inside the Alamo Dome as they’ve all officially found landing spots through the transfer portal. Additionally, OLB Brian Asamoah, EDGE Nik Bonitto, DE Isaiah Thomas and DT Perrion Winfrey have each opted out of the bowl game after declaring for the 2022 NFL Draft. While that’s admittedly a lot of talent that won’t be suiting up for the Crimson & Cream, OU isn’t in too bad of shape after the recent coaching exodus nearly sent the program into a tailspin.
On the flip side, Oregon will reportedly be without more than 30 players for a number of reasons on top of the fact that the team will be without former head coach Mario Cristobal. On paper, Oklahoma certainly looks like the odds-on favorite with a significant advantage from a depth perspective alone, but this is college football, and strange things are known to happen.
What kind of energy will OU play with?
The bowl season is typically dictated by which teams want to be there more than their opponent, but in this matchup that’s difficult to determine from the outside looking in. Both squads had legitimate College Football Playoff aspirations deep into the season, and both saw those dreams dashed down the stretch. Plus, given the aforementioned coaching changes and player attrition, it wouldn’t be surprising if either group wasn’t overly excited about kicking this one off. Still, the game will be played, and a winner will be crowned as a result. If Stoops can galvanize his beloved Sooners in his temporary return, that could go a long way toward deciding the outcome of this contest.
How much will revenge factor into this game?
In short: it won’t play a factor at all. At least not for the players, although it would be mighty interesting to hear what Stoops would say off the record given he was on the receiving end of that absolutely atrocious call that ultimately decided that non-conference contest 15 years ago. Still, this game won’t be about revenge, but for the fans it’s been a fun side storyline that has only helped boost the intrigue of this matchup.
Caleb Williams still has a decision to make
True freshman phenom Caleb Williams has the potential to become the face of college football in the very near future. His ability is that elite, and that’s why his upcoming decision to stay in Norman or leave Oklahoma will be a game-changer, one way or another. For now, ‘Superman’ is doing all the things that a guy who intends on sticking around would do, and it’s a probably good sign that former five-star receiver Theo Wease removed himself from the transfer portal to announce that he’s staying at OU. Still, nothing is official until CW makes it official, and that likely won’t happen until some time after the Alamo Bowl.
Prediction
The combination of having Bob Stoops back in the saddle and Oregon’s depth issues will prove to be too much to overcome for the Ducks. Oklahoma feels like the team with more stability and energy coming into this game, and that should bode well for the Sooners who were once reeling to end the regular season. One thing is for sure, and it’s that Caleb Williams will be the best player on the field whenever his team has the ball, especially since UO star DE Kayvon Thibodeaux opted out to prepare for the draft. On the other side, expect to see a lot of relatively unfamiliar names for interim DC Brian Odom, as that’s the side of the ball that will have to replace the most starters for the Crimson & Cream. Because of this, I can see this game looking particularly sloppy in the early going, but in the end, I see OU holding onto a late lead for its first Alamo Bowl victory in school history.
Bob Stoops won a program-record 190 Oklahoma football games over 18 seasons. Only one other Sooner head coach was at the job longer than the man they once called “Big Game Bob.” Coaching greatness isn’t just measured in wins and losses, it also takes into account the number of conference championships, the number of All-Americans […]
The Oklahoman-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Content Services, LLC
Bob Stoops may finally get a proper sendoff as OU’s interim coach against the Oregon Ducks
Want to hear something incredible? The Oklahoma Sooners played their last football game one month ago. With all that has happened around the program since then, it feels more like a year.
Frankly, as the Sooners prepare to take on the Oregon Ducks this week in San Antonio at the Alamo Bowl, it’s hard to remember what the team even looked like the last time it took the field. The overwhelming feeling in the aftermath was disappointment over a Bedlam loss to the Oklahoma State Cowboys in which OU looked disjointed. The ensuing shock of Lincoln Riley’s departure for USC meant the particulars of that game got lost in the wash, however.
In light of the coaching turnover and numerous opt-outs by OU players heading to the NFL, that performance – or any other from OU’s 2021 season – may not give us a good gauge of what we’ll see on the field against UO anyway. In fact, the most interesting thing about this game may be who is on the sidelines for the Sooners.
The current line per DraftKings sits at -7 in favor of the OU, which is indicative of the fact that UO’s roster situation is on much shakier ground entering this one.
Oregon plays Oklahoma on Wednesday in the Alamo Bowl. Watching the Ducks practice today was more like watching an NFL roster than a college roster. The Ducks are without over 30 scholarship players due to injury, opt-outs, transfers going into the game.https://t.co/nCHrRnMIelpic.twitter.com/lZZRGD2Od8
OU’s interim coach headlines what to watch as the Sooners and Ducks do battle Wednesday night.
Big Game Bob’s coaching cameo
It feels silly to paint filling in as an interim coach as a heroic act. Even so, Bob Stoops probably did as much in the last month to build his legend around Oklahoma as any other time since he came to the state in 1999.
Stoops told the players: “You’re OU football. He [Lincoln] isn’t.” #Sooners
By serving as the familiar public face of OU football following Riley’s unexpected departure, Stoops helped ease anxieties among fans. More importantly, he struck the right note by reminding everyone that OU’s players really make the program. That kind of message probably resonates more strongly in a locker room than people outside of it realize. In that sense, Stoops’ protege Brent Venables likely owes his mentor big time for preventing a roster exodus as he takes over as head coach.
Great answer from #Sooners safety Pat Fields about playing for Bob Stoops.
Mentioned how much the guys have wanted to be pushed and want to play at an elite level to honor Stoops, in a way. pic.twitter.com/JZqM3AAnC1
In the week before Venables got the job as head coach, speculation ran wild that Stoops would end his retirement and come back as a caretaker for a few years. The fact that he didn’t may offer the strongest indication yet that we won’t see him on a college sideline again after Wednesday. A win seems like a fitting way to give Stoops the sendoff he didn’t get when he stepped down in 2017. (And here’s hoping Stoops makes the first kickoff versus the Ducks an onside.)
The Caleb Williams show
SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK
The assistant coaches on the offensive side of the ball for OU find themselves in the unique position of retaining their jobs through a change at the top of the org chart. While the team will have a new offensive coordinator next season in Jeff Lebby, position coaches Cale Gundy, Bill Bedenbaugh, Joe Jon Finley and DeMarco Murray can get an early start on 2022 here.
Keeping promising freshman quarterback Caleb Williams in the fold has been a top priority for the holdovers since Riley left for California. The early signs look good. A showcase game for Williams might help seal the deal – if it’s not already.
Additionally, a star turn versus the Ducks could lay the foundation for a preseason Heisman Trophy campaign and lucrative marketing deals for Williams. Count on Gundy and company drawing up a game plan that gives the young QB plenty of opportunities to make a statement with his legs and his arm.
Reintroducing the wide receivers
If the idea is to let Williams show out, that also bodes well for a group of wide receivers who went underutilized this year.
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
OU’s leader in receptions, Jadon Haselwood, has already packed up to transfer to Arkansas. Marvin Mims, on the other hand, made it known he’s coming back to Norman, so look for the Sooners to set up some downfield shots to their deep threat.
The future of Mario Williams hasn’t received as much attention as the outlook for Mims, but getting the feisty rookie back next year seems important. He should see more than his fair share of targets.
Other underclassmen like Trevon West and Brian Darby may be in line for more targets than usual, too.
The future of the defensive line
BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN via Imagn Content Services, LLC
The absences of defensive linemen Perrion Winfrey and Isaiah Thomas, outside linebacker Nik Bonitto and inside linebacker Brian Asamoah took a little shine off this game. So think of it instead as a preview of what OU’s team will look like in ‘22.
Clearly, the defensive front feels like the area to watch. Three-tech defensive tackle Jalen Redmond seems to be trending towards another season in Norman, but we should get an extended look at the candidates to play nose tackle and defensive end next year.
At nose tackle, Isaiah Coe will probably play with the first unit. Josh Ellison, Jordan Kelley and Kori Roberson should expect to see snaps there as well. Keep an eye out for standouts who could catch the attention of the incoming coaching staff.
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Defensive end seems less settled. Freshman Ethan Downs played a larger role at the position as the season wore on, but he may find himself headed to three-tech. Does Reggie Grimes still have a future at DE, or will he also be switching positions? Freshman Nathan Rawlins-Kibonge didn’t see much action this year, but Thomas’ absence could put him on the field against the Ducks.
Lastly, the Sooners will likely see a healthy dose of RUSH linebacker Marcus Stripling with Bonitto sitting out and Caleb Kelly’s career ended by another knee injury. The more intriguing option here is freshman Clayton Smith, however. The five-star edge player could get time and still retain his redshirt status under the four-game rule. Smith doesn’t seem to have a natural fit in Venables’ defensive scheme, but the new regime should find a way to get that kind of talent on the field in ‘22.
It’s been over a month since the last Oklahoma football game, but you’d hardly know it with all the news that has come out of the Sooner program over that time, including a surprising head-coaching change. Lincoln Riley was the Oklahoma coach the last time the Sooners took the field, on Nov. 27 against Oklahoma […]
The offensive line could be a concern for the Oklahoma football team next season, but the Sooners picked up some needed O-line help on Monday courtesy of the transfer portal. Junior offensive lineman McKade Mettauer announced on Monday that he is transferring to Oklahoma from the University of California, where he has been a three-year […]
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23129477/usa_today_17416279.jpg)
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23129485/usa_today_17061398.jpg)
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23129478/usa_today_16736819.jpg)
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23129489/usa_today_16987552.jpg)