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The Oklahoma Sooners are in the midst of a playoff drought. They haven’t been to the postseason since 2019 when now Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts led the Sooners to the Big 12 title and the No. 4 seed in the College Football Playoff.
The Sooners’ best chance to make the playoff came in 2021, but a loss to Oklahoma State in the Bedlam regular-season finale knocked them out of the Big 12 title discussion and College Football Playoff race. In 2020 and 2023, back-to-back Big 12 losses stunned their playoff hopes. In 2022 and 2024, the Sooners weren’t anywhere close to playoff contention.
But USA TODAY Sports College Football analyst Matt Hayes thinks the Sooners could be heading back to the playoff. Hayes included OU in his early College Football Playoff projection for 2025 as the No. 9 seed in the bracket.
What’s good: John Mateer, the difference between an ugly first season in the SEC, and a CFP run in 2025. The transfer quarterback from Washington State was the No. 1 player in the transfer portal, and is a dynamic dual threat (44 total TDs). The Sooners couldn’t get first downs in 2024; they’ll score in bunches with Mateer and transfer wideout Isaiah Sategna (Arkansas), and high-volume Championship Subdivision transfer receivers Keontez Lewis and Javonnie Gibson. – Matt Hayes, USA TODAY Sports Network
As John Mateer goes in 2025, so will the Oklahoma Sooners. He has the ability to threaten defenses as a true dual-threat option in the offense. His familiarity with new offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle’s system could create a similar offensive efficiency as we saw with Dillon Gabriel and Jeff Lebby.
But it isn’t all on Mateer. The rest of the offense has to be good around him as well, which wasn’t the case in 2024. The offensive line took a while to get going in the run game and it was a roller coaster ride in pass…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/john-mateer-lead-oklahoma-sooners-165059261.html
Author : Sooners Wire
Publish date : 2025-02-12 16:50:00
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