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Oklahoma-Cincinnati GameDay: X-Factors

One last ride ... First-down success ... Road environment ... Offensive balance ... Motivation

John E. Hoover

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One Last Ride

It’s the opening game of Oklahoma’s 28th and final season in the Big 12 Conference — a league the Sooners have lorded over since 2000. OU won 14 of the first 27 league titles — more than half — and wants to head off to the SEC with just one more trophy. That starts now. OU has the talent and the makeup to compete for another crown, but they’ll have to overcome a lot of adversity this season to make it happen. That means a young team is going to have to learn how to fight through a hostile crowd and a few bad calls and a pretty quality Cincinnati team to start the league season 1-0. Nothing would make Bearcats fans happier than to take down one of college football’s all-time blue bloods and the boss of the Big 12 in their very first Big 12 game. Can the Sooners rise up and seize that moment?

— John Hoover

First-Down Success

Through non-conference play, Oklahoma excelled at third down offense. The Sooners rank No. 1 in the country, converting 67.6 percent of third downs. Part of the improvement has been staying ahead of the chains. Jeff Lebby’s offense only found itself in third-and-7 or longer four times against Arkansas State, five times against SMU and four times against Tulsa. Staying in manageable third-down situations will be key against Cincinnati, which boasts one of the most talented defensive lines the Sooners will face in the regular season. Merely getting to short-yardage situations won’t guarantee success, however. Against SMU, OU finished 2-of-5 on third-and-4 or shorter. Even if the offensive line isn’t sorted, getting to closer to the sticks on third down will give Lebby the option to run or pass, potentially keeping the Bearcats from sending the house at Dillon Gabriel to force a punt or rush him into turning the ball over.

— Ryan Chapman

Road environment

This weekend will mark OU’s first trip outside of the Sooner State in 2023. The matchup between Oklahoma and Cincinnati will also be the first game OU has ever played at Nippert Stadium, one of the oldest in the nation. While Nippert may not seat 100,000 fans, the Bearcats’ faithful will certainly create a true road atmosphere for the Sooners. For a team that hasn’t played in front of an aggressive opposing crowd yet, it will be intriguing to see how Oklahoma’s offense responds to the noise.

— Randall Sweet

Offensive Balance

Oklahoma’s passing game has been a thing of beauty in two of the three games early on. Against SMU, the Sooners were stubborn as they tried to force the run. It makes sense, as Jeff Lebby and Oklahoma wanted to prove its physicality and impose a punishing style of football — but it simply didn’t work. Cincinnati will be a stiffer test than Tulsa, and finding multiple ways to be effective on offense will be critical for this OU team. The Sooners can’t get cute on offense with trick plays and inconsistent snap counts between the running backs — conference play is here and it’s time to find an identity. Whether it’s Jovantae Barnes, Tawee Walker, Marcus Major or Gavin Sawchuk, Oklahoma needs someone to step up and compliment Dillon Gabriel’s efficient passing attack. If the ground game gets going, the Sooners might have one of the best offenses in the country.

— Ross Lovelace

Motivation

Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel is looking for his first win against Cincinnati in three tries, and the defensive line is tired of hearing about the Bearcats' talented defensive line, which includes preseason All-American Dontay Corleone, nicknamed "The Godfather." OU defensive tackle Isaiah Coe, named a captain for the game, said the Sooners' defensive line has something to prove against the Bearcats. "I take a lot of pride in myself and my group," Coe said. " ... People say they're the best, but people go by numbers and all that other stuff. But if you actually watch football, they can understand that when we do our job, there's not a lot of people in America better than us. So I take full pride in that." Gabriel, meanwhile, is putting up gaudy numbers and getting Heisman consideration, but says he is only concerned with getting a win Saturday.

— Tim Willert

Published
John E. Hoover
JOHN E. HOOVER

John is an award-winning journalist whose work spans five decades in Oklahoma, with multiple state, regional and national awards as a sportswriter at various newspapers. During his newspaper career, John covered the Dallas Cowboys, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Arkansas Razorbacks and much more. In 2016, John changed careers, migrating into radio and launching a YouTube channel, and has built a successful independent media company, DanCam Media. From there, John has written under the banners of Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Fan Nation and a handful of local and national magazines while hosting daily sports talk radio shows in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and statewide. John has also spoken on Capitol Hill in Oklahoma City in a successful effort to put more certified athletic trainers in Oklahoma public high schools. Among the dozens of awards he has won, John most cherishes his national "Beat Writer of the Year" from the Associated Press Sports Editors, Oklahoma's "Best Sports Column" from the Society of Professional Journalists, and Two "Excellence in Sports Medicine Reporting" Awards from the National Athletic Trainers Association. John holds a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from East Central University in Ada, OK. Born and raised in North Pole, Alaska, John played football and wrote for the school paper at Ada High School in Ada, OK. He enjoys books, movies and travel, and lives in Broken Arrow, OK, with his wife and two kids.

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