The 2015 season kicks off for the Oklahoma Sooners football team tomorrow. And if you read our previews, this season comes with much optimism, if not angst. While there are questions to be answered on both sides of the ball, many are looking forward to heading down to Norman tomorrow to watch the boys plant some shiny cleats in the collective ass cracks of the lowly Zips from the MAC. Questions be damned, this will be a cakewalk. Or will it really? While the budget-friendly sneaker from the 80s (turns out they still make these FYI - research!) may not strike fear in your heart, this a dangerous team to look past.
The days of OU having enough talent to sleepwalk past a team like this ended about eight years ago, if you think otherwise, you've been pulling a Rip Van Winkle since then. Akron has a talented defense that ranked very highly nationally last season and they return the bulk of their starters. Cody Grice is a load that plays NT and turns around and becomes their short yardage battering ram in goal line scenarios (12 TDs last season). That type of athleticism can be found at nearly every position where Terry Bowden (yes, that Terry Bowden) has brought in many former 3 and 4 star recruits that left bigger programs for various reasons.
The Zips biggest questions lie on offense where they struggled last season. That said, they return eight starters on that side of the football. While Bowden hasn't named his starter, his two leading candidates are a two-year starter in Kyle Pohl, your more traditional pocket passer and Tra'von Chapman, a former 4 star recruit at Pitt who is the running hybrid style Q that gives Mike Stoops et al fits. Bowden is waiting to name the starter until "tee time," a smart bit of gamesmanship no doubt designed to give OU two very different styles to think about. Bowden has coached on this stage before, he will absolutely have his guys ready. If you think Oklahoma hasn't been the focus of every off-season workout and fall camp scrimmage, you're sorely mistaken.
In short, this is a trap game. A no name school from a second tier conference coming in to play the big bad owners of seven national championships. OU, at last look, is favored by 31.5. If I knew a bookie, I'd absolutely take Akron and the points. I almost regret looking these guys up. I think OU absolutely should win this game, and likely will, but I'm certainly far more worried than I was yesterday.
Offense
First game of the year is always a tricky one. I think I picked Trevor Knight last year. Then he went the way of Lonnie Jones where I vowed to never make that mistake again. It's tough picking a guy based on last season, but Samaje Perine seems as safe a bet as one could want. As Mitch detailed in the Offense Preview, he's an animal that almost no one could even contain. While that would be the smart pick, I'm going to be "clever" and go in a different direction. I think Sterling Shepard returns to the field healthy for the first time in nearly a year, and goes off. I think Mayfield leans on his best receiving weapon in his first start and hits him for a pair of scores. Shepard will be the forgotten man no more after Saturday night.
Defense
Whew, at the end of last season, picking the defensive player of the game was throwing darts...with no dartboard. I'm cautiously optimistic that this unit will come together this season. If it does, it will start with the best player out there, Eric Motherfuckin' Striker. He was quieted a bit last season, likely because he was one of the few guys offenses had to game plan for. I think whomever Bowden starts in the backfield, gets acquainted with Striker early and often. 1 sack and 1 forced fumble for Striker on Saturday. Boom.
Score
As I said, I don't feel like the Sooners will cover 31.5. I think the offense will struggle early as new pieces try to assimilate and Akron comes harder than they expected. I'm hopeful that Lincoln Riley can do what Heupel never could, make adjustments. I think he will, and the Sooners will get it done in an early wake up call that might actually be a good thing. Sooners win 27-10. I'm pumped for a new season and ready to see the Crimson and Cream sprint out on the field (though I won't actually be able to do this, thanks PPV) and roll some heads. Welcome back reader(s).
Boomer to the Motherfuckin' Sooner.
The days of OU having enough talent to sleepwalk past a team like this ended about eight years ago, if you think otherwise, you've been pulling a Rip Van Winkle since then. Akron has a talented defense that ranked very highly nationally last season and they return the bulk of their starters. Cody Grice is a load that plays NT and turns around and becomes their short yardage battering ram in goal line scenarios (12 TDs last season). That type of athleticism can be found at nearly every position where Terry Bowden (yes, that Terry Bowden) has brought in many former 3 and 4 star recruits that left bigger programs for various reasons.
The Zips biggest questions lie on offense where they struggled last season. That said, they return eight starters on that side of the football. While Bowden hasn't named his starter, his two leading candidates are a two-year starter in Kyle Pohl, your more traditional pocket passer and Tra'von Chapman, a former 4 star recruit at Pitt who is the running hybrid style Q that gives Mike Stoops et al fits. Bowden is waiting to name the starter until "tee time," a smart bit of gamesmanship no doubt designed to give OU two very different styles to think about. Bowden has coached on this stage before, he will absolutely have his guys ready. If you think Oklahoma hasn't been the focus of every off-season workout and fall camp scrimmage, you're sorely mistaken.
In short, this is a trap game. A no name school from a second tier conference coming in to play the big bad owners of seven national championships. OU, at last look, is favored by 31.5. If I knew a bookie, I'd absolutely take Akron and the points. I almost regret looking these guys up. I think OU absolutely should win this game, and likely will, but I'm certainly far more worried than I was yesterday.
Offense
First game of the year is always a tricky one. I think I picked Trevor Knight last year. Then he went the way of Lonnie Jones where I vowed to never make that mistake again. It's tough picking a guy based on last season, but Samaje Perine seems as safe a bet as one could want. As Mitch detailed in the Offense Preview, he's an animal that almost no one could even contain. While that would be the smart pick, I'm going to be "clever" and go in a different direction. I think Sterling Shepard returns to the field healthy for the first time in nearly a year, and goes off. I think Mayfield leans on his best receiving weapon in his first start and hits him for a pair of scores. Shepard will be the forgotten man no more after Saturday night.
Defense
Whew, at the end of last season, picking the defensive player of the game was throwing darts...with no dartboard. I'm cautiously optimistic that this unit will come together this season. If it does, it will start with the best player out there, Eric Motherfuckin' Striker. He was quieted a bit last season, likely because he was one of the few guys offenses had to game plan for. I think whomever Bowden starts in the backfield, gets acquainted with Striker early and often. 1 sack and 1 forced fumble for Striker on Saturday. Boom.
Score
As I said, I don't feel like the Sooners will cover 31.5. I think the offense will struggle early as new pieces try to assimilate and Akron comes harder than they expected. I'm hopeful that Lincoln Riley can do what Heupel never could, make adjustments. I think he will, and the Sooners will get it done in an early wake up call that might actually be a good thing. Sooners win 27-10. I'm pumped for a new season and ready to see the Crimson and Cream sprint out on the field (though I won't actually be able to do this, thanks PPV) and roll some heads. Welcome back reader(s).
Boomer to the Motherfuckin' Sooner.
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