Why the 4-0 Oklahoma Sooners shouldn’t be fooling anyone

The historically dominant Oklahoma Sooners are now 4-0, and that’s an easy story to fall in love with. However, we probably shouldn’t do so just yet.

When discussing college football, there are few teams that carry a status like that of the Oklahoma Sooners. Regardless of what some opposing fans may think of them, it simply cannot be denied that they are royalty in the CFB history books.

With that said, them starting their 2023 campaign 4-0 should in no way come as a surprise. Speaking of which, something else that shouldn’t be a surprise is the fact that such a record has them in the top 15 of the AP Top 25 Poll.

With a star-studded history, a perfect record a third of the way into their season, and a respectable spot in the rankings, it’s safe to say that the Oklahoma Sooners are turning heads all across the country with their potential. However, being the skeptic that I am, I can’t accept that without first asking the timeless question: Do they really deserve that kind of attention?

Now especially when having this kind of discussion before the true meat of the season comes into play, I understand that one could pop that exact question regarding virtually any team in Oklahoma’s current position. So, what is it that makes the Sooners worthy of receiving doubtful press all on their own? Luckily, just one glance at their résumé tells us, as that’s all it takes to confirm how fake they really are.

Whoa whoa whoa, hold on just a minute—“fake?” Isn’t that a tad too blunt of a criticism to deal with a team that’s won all of its games so far? Under most circumstances, I’d perhaps say so, but it’s the specific circumstances surrounding OU that have me dying on the opposing hill anyway.

Firstly, the Sooners are coming off of a 6-7 season, a run so mediocre that it’s rarely seen by the iconic program. Yet, for whatever reason, AP voters still ranked them in the preseason poll. Insisting on that set them up to fail expectations before their 2023 journey even began.

Secondly, and this is the real kicker: Not a single one of Oklahoma’s four wins have shown anything indicative of an ability to be formidable at an elite level.

Where precisely have the Sooners gone wrong in their winning?

Sure, the OU offense has gotten a fair amount of praise for dropping 73 points on Arkansas State and 66 on Tulsa. Especially with both of those being FBS-level opponents, that certainly means something. But do you want to know what means even more? How they’ve played SMU and Cincinnati.

Instead of winning by scores of 73-0 and 66-17, the Sooners only beat the Mustangs 28-11 and the Bearcats 20-6; those outcomes display more than just an inconsistency, they show an offense that can be described as no other way than bipolar.

And call me crazy, but I don’t think it’s a coincidence that SMU and Cincinnati have been the far-superior half of those four squads in recent memory (though as of today, they aren’t looking too hot themselves).

Simply put, it appears to me that the Oklahoma Sooners feed on those who are exceptionally weak before struggling way more than they should with the less but still visibly weak. When considering some of the teams they are set to cross paths with over the next several weeks, I’d like to be able to say more about them than that. But who are these teams that I speak of?

Between now and the end of their regular season, the Sooners have dates with six Big 12 opponents that are currently rocking either unbeaten or one-loss records: #3 Texas (neutral site), UCF, #24 Kansas (on the road), West Virginia, BYU (on the road), and TCU.

When failing to assert much dominance over an average SMU at home and Cincinnati coming off an overtime loss to Miami (OH), a bunch like that hardly comes off as cushy.

At the end of the day, I can only hate on the Oklahoma Sooners so much, as while they have failed to wow me as much as I’d prefer, it’s not like they’ve had to “squeak by” anyone. But nonetheless, they’re just about all out of their smaller/weaker foes, so if they don’t kick things up a notch soon, their perfect record can very well be shot out of the sky before they know it.