The Oklahoma Sooners have a lot to prove, entering year two in the SEC. Though they earned a road win over Auburn and upset Alabama 24-3 at home, the Sooners went just 2-6 in SEC play. Much of that was because of an offense that only averaged 13 points per game during their conference schedule if you take away defensive touchdowns.
Oklahoma made some significant additions in the offseason to address the offense by adding offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle and quarterback John Mateer. The weight of the world will be on their shoulders in 2025. However, Paul Myerburg of USA TODAY Sports believes the Sooners could be a breakout candidate because of Oklahoma’s offensive additions.
In Myerburg’s latest SEC Power Rankings ahead of spring ball, the Oklahoma Sooners came in at No. 11 behind the South Carolina Gamecocks at 10 and Texas A&M at 9. However, if the offense hits like OU hopes it will, they could climb the conference and be contenders.
This could be the breakout team in the SEC if the offense flourishes under a pair of additions from Washington State in coordinator Ben Arbuckle and quarterback John Mateer. The Sooners desperately need to rebuild at wide receiver and stay healthy up front. If the offense rebounds, Oklahoma has the defense to be one of the most balanced teams in the conference. – Myerburg, USA TODAY Sports
The Sooners certainly have the defense to challenge the top of the SEC, but they need the offense to be much better than it was last year. With as good as Oklahoma’s defense was in 2024, it wasn’t enough to carry an offense that was one of the worst in the nation last season. But if Mateer and Arbuckle can return it to respectability, the Sooners should be able to improve their win total by a couple more games.
This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Oklahoma underrated in USA TODAY Sports…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/article/usa-today-sports-sec-power-143327534.html
Author : Sooners Wire
Publish date : 2025-03-05 14:33:00
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