Oklahoma Football: Five reasons why Sooners win Big 12 in 2015

Oct 18, 2014; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver Sterling Shepard (3) leads the team onto the field before the game against the Kansas State Wildcats at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

5. Switch Back to the Spread Offense

When Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops first took the job in 1999, he hired Mike Leach away from Kentucky to be his offensive coordinator. Stoops had been the defensive coordinator at Florida before taking the head job at Oklahoma.

Leach’s spread offense had always given Stoops’ defense fits. He ran the spread on offense when he got to OU and it was one of the reasons they were able to win the national title in Stoops second year in Norman in 2000.

During Stoops tenure in Norman, the Sooners have adjusted the offense to fit the talent available. They have featured power running games and high-powered passing attacks depending on the year. In 2014 injuries at the quarterback position forced Cody Thomas into the starting lineup.

The Sooners deployed a read-option scheme on offense to take advantage of Thomas’ mobility and their talent at running back. That resulted in the Sooners leading the Big 12 in rushing with 261.2 yards per game. An inconsistent passing game kept their offense from really ever gaining any traction.

The Sooners are going back to a pure spread offensive attack in 2015. Stoops hired Lincoln Riley to install his version of the spread in Norman. Riley came to Oklahoma from East Carolina, where he led an offense that averaged 371.9 passing yards and 533 total yards per game.

The move to the spread on offense should allow the Sooners to get the ball to their play-makers in space. It will also help them keep up in the point-per-minute Big 12 conference games.

Next: Baker Mayfield