Oklahoma Football vs. Texas, Part II: 3 Bold Predictions
By John Scimeca
3. Oklahoma’s defense will step up with a huge play down the stretch.
The much-maligned Sooner D has deserved most of its ridicule. Critics note that the team’s penchant for giving up huge plays and overall porousness may cause OU a spot in the College Football Playoff even with a win on Saturday.
OU has given up 32.8 points and 449 yards per game. The latter number ranks just behind Texas Tech as the Big 12’s worst-rated defense — and this is a league not known for its run-stoppers or defensive backs. The Sooners have given up 40+ points in their last four games.
Yet, those four games were all victories. It’s being a bit generous to say the Sooners are a “bend-but-not-break” defense when they gave up 56 points last week, but they have made enough plays when it’s counted.
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The pass rush was enough to force Oklahoma State quarterback Taylor Cornelius into an errant throw on a missed two-point conversion in a 48-47 win. The Sooners somehow forced three straight punts against Texas Tech the week before in a 51-46 win. The unit scored two touchdowns against West Virginia last week.
These Sooners defenders aren’t all-stars, but they’ll get the job done in Arlington on Saturday.