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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.
NORMAN – The Oklahoma volleyball team picked up its first win of the season with a 3-1 victory over Air Force at the Gonzaga Invitational in Spokane, Wash.
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