It goes without saying Oklahoma football has absolutely dominated the Big 12 the past few years, winning the conference championship four years in a row. With a young, fresh team this year, a lot of fans wonder if the Sooners can turn that four into a five.
The concern OU may not be top dog in the Big 12 anymore quickly faded not only because of the Sooners stellar performance last week, but also because with the exception of the team who shall not be named (The University of Texas, there I said it) and West Virginia, the rest of the Big 12 that played last week looked… lackluster.
With Texas Tech barely beating Houston Baptist and a loss from both Kansas State and Iowa State, which were expected to have promising seasons, it seems like OU will not have too much to worry about coming into conference play.
Of course, It is important to note Baylor, who seemed to be the No. 1 team to give the Sooners problems last year, has yet to play a game with two pre-conference games canceled. Baylor has a new head coach and lost virtually no one last year, making me believe it will be Oklahoma’s toughest competition yet again this year.
Texas did not look bad last weekend beating UTEP pretty handily. However, meeting UT at the Red River Shootout will be the first time, I think, we will really see how many problems the team down South will really give the Sooners this year.
Every year it seems Oklahoma dominates on the offensive front with its defense causing a perfect season to turn into a one-loss year. After last weekend’s game, it looks like defensive coordinator Alex Grinch may have finally whipped the Sooner defense into shape and up to par with the offense.
If the Sooners’ defense keeps the energy it had against Missouri State up, no other team in the Big 12 can really compete at the level the Sooners have set as their standards for the season.
It is easy to say we are probably going to see the Sooners play at AT&T Stadium in the Big 12 Championship this season, but college football, especially in these crazy times, is unpredictable. OU football is definitely equipped for another trip to the College Football Playoff, but only time will really tell whether the Sooners will remain on top or not.
