The Sooners opened the 2016 campaign with an egregious loss to Houston. At the time, Sooner fans joked they wouldn't have to be emotionally invested the rest of the season. It turns out they were right. Playoff hopes were already on life support. One more loss would seal the deal. Such is life in college football. Two weeks later and Ohio State came to Norman and throttled the Sooners. The door was truly closed and deservedly so.
The Sooners still controlled their own destiny to an extent. The Big 12 was wide open. The Sooners, having started 1-2, rattled off nine straight, finishing undefeated in the Big 12 and headed for a "New Year's Eve Six" bowl game. There were brief, deluded hopes by some that the Sooners might be able to back door their way into the playoffs but mercifully it did not come to pass. An historic offense has barely managed to overshadow a pretty rancid defense. For reference, Clemson has the lowest rated defense in the Playoffs at 15 in the country. The Sooners are at 87.
I've had a month to warm up to this ballgame. Can you be that excited about another essentially wasted season? 10 wins, a Big 12 Championship and on the outside looking in come playoff time? Am I spoiled rotten? Is it disappointment for the season or anxiety about getting pasted on national television?
I think it's the latter. After a month of bowl games the oft dismissed Big 12 has held its own. The SEC is showing it's top heavy. There is some conference pride riding on this. This is a big game now that the day has come. And, oh boy, I can feel it coming. I'm not excited about the inevitable SEC coronation should Bama win another championship and Auburn win a Big Six game while the Big 12 shows their best simply isn't good enough. Damn it the Sooners need this and Clemson needs to win next week.
OFFENSE
The Sooners have faced two defenses the same caliber as Auburn's. Ohio State and Houston. Auspicious as that sounds, I would argue that the Sooner offensive juggernaut had not been fully unleashed by week three. There were times early in the season where it seemed Lincoln Riley was still trying to figure out what he had and was trying to force the ball into the hands of who he rightfully believed was his biggest weapon, Samaje Perine. But Perine was not himself really until around Texas or so. The offensive line was in major flux due to injury and overall youth. Dede Westbrook had done very little.
The Sooners have now rounded into full beast mode. The Big Three of Baker Mayfield, Semaje Perine and Joe Mixon has turned into the Big Four with Secretary Dede Westbrook. Even the supporting cast has stepped up. Dimitri Flowers is a weapon in both the running and passing game. Geno Lewis, Joe Mixon and some combination of Nick Basquine/Jeffrey Mead/AD Miller can make it tough on defenses to help with Dede. Auburn have their hands full.
For my OPOG I'm going with Baker Mayfield. The Sooners success depends on his ability to stay on the field. He greases all the skids so to speak. He might not be the MVP of the game (I think that will be Joe Mixon) but it will take all his skill for the Sooners to score enough against this Auburn D to have a shot (read: overcome the Sooner defensive shortcomings).
DEFENSE
This defense has shown some steady improvement over the last month or so. Shutting down Baylor, OSU and West Virginia back-to-back-back is no joke. Still, it's the worst defense of the Bob Stoops era, right?
The good news for Sooner fans is that Auburn is the ideal matchup for this defense, if such a thing exists.
The Auburn passing attack is on a par with Kansas State. If the Sooner secondary can lock it down without having to blitz the Linebackers I think they're golden. I'm worried about getting gashed right down the middle of the field though.
I think the conventional wisdom would be to try to shut down the Auburn running attack and force them to pass. I'm no X's and O's guru but I would do the reverse. Neutralize the passing attack and key on the run. Make it strength versus strength and see how much pride the Sooners have.
I've picked Jordan Evans for my DPOG for about six straight games and I'm trying hard to talk myself out of it. But I won't. He's the best player on D. He'll be key in stopping both the run and the pass.
THE SCORE
I'm not real impressed with Auburn in general (Being the K-State of the SEC is not a favorable comparison) and the SEC's performance in bowls to this point doesn't leave me shaking in my boots. Their best win was against Arkansas. Their D gave up 30 to Alabama and while the Sooners are not Alabama by any stretch, I do believe if there is any comparison it's on offense and offensive game planning. I do think the Auburn D will have some success though.
Again, as ever this season, it's all about the Sooner defense. Can the Sooners keep a team that apparently doesn't make a lot of big plays from making big plays? Can they physically match up with the Auburn front line and running attack?
I don't expect a shootout in the Big 12 high scoring sense but I am keeping the Depends on standby and flexing my sphincter throughout the day in preparation for a close one. I imagine Auburn holds the Sooners to less than their scoring average and the Sooners give up what Auburn normally takes.
Sooners 31, Auburn 30
Boomer to the motherfuckin Sooner.
