I got a chance to talk with Jesse Crittenden, the beat reporter for OU Insider, our Oklahoma team site for Rivals.
I asked him a few questions about the Sooners’ season for the second edition of Know your Foe.
Kyle McAreavy: There have been a lot of issues with Oklahoma's offense this season, leading to a change at offensive coordinator. What did you see leading to those issues early in the season and what have you seen that's different about the offense now?
Jesse Crittenden: There were A LOT of issues with OU's offense under Seth Littrell. But the easiest way to put it is that the offense simply didn't have an identity, and it led to catastrophic issues. By essentially every statistical measure, they were one of the worst offenses in the country. There was no consistency or productivity in the running game and no explosiveness in the passing game, and it led to an offense that was fundamentally broken.
The change to Joe Jon Finley as the primary play caller hasn't completely shaken up the offense, but it has led to some improvements. They ran for over 200 yards against Ole Miss — not counting the yards taken away from sacks — on over four yards per carry, and that was impressive considering how stout the Rebels have been on the defensive line. But the main thing is the offense has been similar to what they ran the last two years under Jeff Lebby, and that has given the offense some semblance of identity.
Kyle McAreavy: After getting benched, Jackson Arnold seems to have reclaimed the starting role at quarterback. How has he responded to the benching and do you see a difference in him now compared to early in the season?
Jesse Crittenden: The main difference is that he's just been more confident. In the first four games, he never threw more than 174 yards in a game. Against Tennessee, he was benched after three first-half turnovers that kept the Sooners from ever having a chance to win.
Since he returned against South Carolina, he's averaging 210 passing yards per game and has thrown five touchdowns while completing 63 percent of his passes. He's also been really effective running the ball. The stats don't show it because of the insane sack numbers, but he ran the ball for nearly 100 yards against Ole Miss.
Kyle McAreavy: OU has been famous for its high-powered offense for a long time, but the defense has been the strength of the team this year. What has led that transition to a defensive-minded program?
Jesse Crittenden: The defense has seen steady and consistent progress since Brent Venables took over as head coach, and a lot of what they're seeing now is the Year-3 jump. Venables' defensive schemes are really unique and are defined by their aggression in the backfield, and he now has more players in place who are comfortable running what he's asking them to do.
The Sooners are still prone to give up big plays in the passing game, which has always been a slight problem for Venables' defenses. For instance, they've given up 32 passing plays of 20 yards or more, which ranks 109th nationally. But they are top 10 in sacks and sacks for loss, and their rushing defense ranks 17th. Those are characteristics of a Venables-led defense.
Kyle McAreavy: Clearly the transition to the SEC hasn't gone quite to plan in the first season for Oklahoma. How are fans feeling about the season as they get used to being in a tougher conference and not automatically being the top dog like the Sooners were in the Big 12?
Jesse Crittenden: I think most Oklahoma fans were optimistic but at least somewhat realistic about the transition to the SEC. OU showed some improvement under Brent Venables in 2023, but there was definitely some hesitancy about how long it would take for Oklahoma to truly compete with the likes of Georgia and Alabama (and a litany of other teams) at the top of the SEC.
However, there's certainly been some unease with how this season has gone. More specifically, the games against Tennessee, Texas and South Carolina simply weren't competitive. Yes there have been some devastating injuries, particularly at wide receiver, but the pure chaos and dysfunction from the offense has clearly created some panic among fans, and rightfully so. I think most people knew OU might not win 11 games right away. But I don't know if anyone expected it to look this bad.
Kyle McAreavy: What has to go right for Oklahoma to get its second SEC win and what has gone wrong if the Sooners walk away from this game at 1-5 in conference play?
Jesse Crittenden: If Brady Cook can't play, things get a lot simpler for Oklahoma. OU's defense can pin its ears back and send pressure after Drew Pyne without having to worry too much about getting beat down the field, and that's where this defense thrives. From there, it'll just be about keeping things simple and consistent on offense — run the ball, and don't turn it over. That doesn't mean OU can even do those things, or that it would result in a victory, but the path to winning would be much easier. However, if Cook plays, that would put a lot more pressure on OU's defense, and therefore put pressure on OU's offense to keep up.
If they lose — regardless of who plays at quarterback — it's almost certainly because the offense struggled to put points on the board. And if that's the case, the angst and frustration from both within and outside the program would reach a boiling point. Missouri is a good team and even more dangerous if Cook plays, but this is Oklahoma's best chance at a win and becoming bowl eligible. If they lose, things could really fall apart.
Head on over to the Tiger Walk to discuss this story and so much more.
