The 2021 Oklahoma football season kicks off on Saturday with the Sooners playing at home as the visiting team against the Tulane Green Wave out of the American Athletic Conference. That is the same conference, incidentally, from which the Big 12 Conference is interested in plucking three teams: Cincinnati, Central Florida and Houston. An announcement […]
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What will be our takeaways from this first game?
This is the final installment of three preseason roundtable sessions pertaining to the 2021 Oklahoma Sooners. After covering the offense and the defense, we enter the miscellaneous category.
I think we all know who we’re picking to win the Big 12 in 2021, but who finishes second?
Allen:TCU, but I’ve picked the Horned Frogs to finish second for five straight years now.
Stephen:Iowa State. They have the experience and the coach to do it all over again.
Seth: Kansas State, just so Lincoln Riley can even the score against Chris Klieman.
Jack: Texas. I think beating Texas twice in one season would be neat.
In an attempt to predict the future, what do you think will be your main takeaway following the season opener versus Tulane?
Allen: The Sooners will look sharp and build enough of a first-half lead to pull the starters for the second half. Even if the Green Wave put a few scores on the board late, there shouldn’t be any of the questions about “killer instinct” that dogged OU a season ago.
Stephen: Oklahoma looks the part of a national championship contender. Alex Grinch’s most complete defense yet. Oklahoma’s offense looks improved and someone will suggest Caleb Williams should be QB1 moving forward.
Seth: Defense. Defense. Defense. Specifically the D-line. I expect that group to live up to their lofty projections and put on a show from start to finish. I’m talking pass breakups, forced fumbles, multiple sacks and tackles-for-loss for multiple players. The whole nine.
Jack: Rattler impresses by distributing the rock fairly evenly amongst his targets. The defense looked solid after some busted plays in the early going. The newcomers (Mike Woods, Eric Gray, Mario Williams, Billy Bowman) stand out the most.
The current line for OU-Tulane is -31.5. Do the Sooners cover?
Allen: Tulane will sneak in the back door for a late cover.
Stephen: Oklahoma covers. I think Lincoln will want to see what he has offensively which means he won’t take the foot off the pedal.
Seth: I definitely see OU covering, and I don’t think it’ll be all that close. It would honestly shock me if the Sooners win this by only four touchdowns. I’m actually predicting the final margin to be in the neighborhood of 35-42 points.
Jack: I’ll go with an OU cover, as I think the depth of this team — particularly on defense — will keep that intact in the second half.
Which college football pundit is going to irritate you the most in 2021?
Allen: Kirk Herbstreit. He’s actually a fine analyst, but with his kids playing at Clemson, he has an obvious conflict of interest. He has basically turned into a Dabo Swinney hype man.
Stephen: Not sure I have one specific. I’ll say anyone that suggests it was Oklahoma’s decision to move to the SEC is bad for college football but fails to recognize Bowlsby’s ineptitude to keep a P5 conference together. I’ll also go with Joey Galloway since he doesn’t watch much football.
Seth: Whenever Jim Mora Jr. is on my screen, I lose brain cells. I don’t know if he’s still employed by ESPN or if he’s somewhere else, but wherever he is, I hope his mic is turned off. Also, I really, really hope Tim Brando is never assigned to call another OU game for as long as I shall live.
Jack: Tommy Tuberville is now in the US Senate, so my first choice is gone.
Does OU win Natty No. 8 this year?
Allen: Yes.
Stephen: Yes.
Seth: Yes.
Jack: At the risk of allowing myself to be hurt again… yes.
BONUS: What’s your favorite thing about New Orleans? (Note: Can answer even if you haven’t been)
Allen: I love everything about New Orleans, but my favorite thing is Port of Call on Esplanade.
Stephen: I’ve never been to New Orleans, but will be making my first trip there next spring. I plan on asking Trevor Knight where he got whatever voodoo magic he used against Alabama. Also heard beignets are good.
Seth: I’ve not had the pleasure of visiting NOLA, but I do fancy Cajun cuisine. So whenever I do make the trip, my favorite part will probably be the food.
Jack: The food is superb (shout-out to the Court of Two Sisters). Live music at places like Tipitinas is an experience to put on the bucket list.The to-go drink situation is obviously nice, but you’ll actually be able to do that on game day in Norman this year. The historical significance of the town is endless. It’s really difficult to pick one thing.
DOUBLE BONUS: Once OU joins the SEC, which fan base within the conference will you despise the most?
Allen: Alabama. It’s more the guys in the stands with pom-poms… er, “shakers.”
Stephen: Hard to pick between Texas A&M and LSU. I’ll go with A&M though.
Seth: During football season – probably Auburn fans. During softball season – definitely ‘Bama fans.
Jack: Arkansas fans are already under the impression that OU is their rival, so this is just going to add fuel to that inferiority complex. I love Hog fans, but my word… their delusion knows no bounds.
Nine years ago, Oklahoma opened at UTEP, winning 24-7. Two years before that, it slipped past Utah State 31-24, even at home. Four years earlier, against Alabama-Birmingham, it was 24-17.
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Head on down to the comments section to give us your thoughts on the game and everything else throughout the day!
With Hurricane Ida displacing most of Southeast Louisiana and moving this weekend’s contest to Norman, the Oklahoma Sooners and Tulane Green Wave are set for an unconventional event in which Willie Fritz’s program will officially be the home team. The fact that this is even taking place is a testament to each of these two athletic departments, and they each deserve an emphatic tip of the cap for their efforts.
Bringing a little bit of the Big Easy to the Palace.
No Hand Grenades on Bourbon Street. No beers at The Boot. No live music on Frenchmen Street. No burgers at Port of Call. No bad decisions (or at least fewer bad decisions). No bachelor party in New Orleans for yours truly.
We might not be enjoying the opening of football season down in New Orleans, but I’m as excited for this game as any in quite some time. OU fans are getting a true “Party at the Palace” for the first time since November of 2019, and I’m sure as hell not taking that for granted.
Photo by Bobby McDuffie/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Are you ready for some football?
After one of the most interesting offseasons in recent memory, the No. 2 Oklahoma Sooners are finally on the doorstep of the 2021 college football campaign. To officially kick-off the regular season, OU is set to host the Tulane Green Wave inside the Palace on the Prairie this Saturday morning.
As many are already aware, this season opening game was originally scheduled to be played in New Orleans, but due to the effects of Hurricane Ida, both sides agreed to move this contest to Norman. Speaking of which, here is Tulane’s preferred relief fund if you’d like to help out.
Check out this awesome gesture from Oklahoma’s athletics field crew. Our hearts and thoughts are with the Tulane faithful and all of those who have been directly impacted by this devastating storm in the Southeast Louisiana area.
After a shocking 1-2 start to last season, Oklahoma rebounded in a big way by winning its final eight games of the season, including a sixth consecutive Big 12 title over Iowa State and a victory over Florida in the Cotton Bowl Classic. Now entering 2021, expectations for Lincoln Riley’s ballyhooed squad couldn’t be higher. Of course, even with a win, nothing definitive will be answered this Saturday as far as the Sooners’ overall goals are concerned, but it’ll be important to start off on the right foot with the spotlight as bright as it currently is.
Will the Sooners’ defense dominate as expected?
Alex Grinch took over as OU’s defensive coordinator in 2019, and in just two seasons, he has completely transformed the confidence and culture on that side of the ball. ‘Speed D’ is a very real thing, and it’s obvious to anyone that his players have totally bought into that mantra. Nevertheless, the real test will come against playoff caliber competition and only then, but in order to earn that opportunity, the Sooners must first take care of business week to week, starting this Saturday.
Will a third running back option emerge?
Right now, Oklahoma’s running back depth chart looks like Kennedy Brooks, Eric Gray, and a whole lot of questions marks. This offseason wasn’t too kind to DeMarco Murray’s group, with several defections for a multitude of reasons. Still, as the old adage states, it’s simply the next man up. So who will step up as the third back for Riley’s offense? Will it be Jaden ‘Weatherman J’ Knowles, or possibly Todd Hudson? Could someone who normally plays a different position emerge as a viable option (possibly WR Brian Darby)? What happens this weekend against Tulane could go a long way in answering those questions, but for now, the situation remains a shaky mystery.
Can this team show a killer instinct?
Far too often, Oklahoma has built a lead only to see it threatened or even erased completely. That tendency cost them against Kansas State and ISU last season, and it very nearly cost them again against Texas and in the Big 12 Championship Game. If this team wants to prove its worth among college football’s elites, it will be up to Lincoln Riley and the leaders on this team to make sure any late-game or second half lead is maintained through 60 minutes. Saturday might not be the best barometer, mind you.
Is Spencer Rattler ready to lead OU back to the playoffs?
No player is coming into the 2021 college football season with more expectations than second-year starter Spencer Rattler. He’s the preseason Heisman Trophy favorite, he’s on every QB award watch list, and he’s been projected to become the first overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Plus, for the last two months, he’s taken full advantage of his newly granted NIL rights. Needless to say, Rattler is the big man on campus, and considering how strong his play was to close last season, the ceiling is the roof (it’s a reference, look it up) for this young man. If he has indeed made improvements to his game since his last live game rep, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t have his Sooners back in the CFP competing for a national championship.
Prediction
I predict the Sooners will come out fast right away in the first quarter, both offensively and defensively. Rattler will pick apart the Green Wave’s defense with surgeon-like precision, while Nik Bonitto and company will overwhelm Willie Fritz’s O-line with an unrelenting pass rush. Truthfully, I don’t see Tulane finding the end zone at all, but they’ll manage to get into decent field goal range a few times. Meanwhile, the balance that Oklahoma will display on offense will be a spectacle to behold. Expect half-a-hundred points for the Crimson & Cream, and don’t be surprised if you see a little more.
Rumors of the Big 12’s demise may have been greatly exaggerated. After seeming to be on life support and at deaths door a little over a month ago, the Big 12 Conference appears closer than many thought to staving off relegation and actually growing following the departure of its two biggest brands, Oklahoma and Texas. […]
