Oklahoma-Maine GameDay Preview: X-Factors

As the Sooners muddle through a series of external challenges, here are the X-Factors that could come into play Saturday against the Black Bears.

Oklahoma Sooners /

Energy

It’s going to be a light crowd on Saturday. The forecast calls for a 90 percent chance of rain and wind gusts will reach 20 mph. The Sooners have lost three games in a row, and face a gauntlet coming up in November. Maine is a middling FCS-level team. The Sooners are going to have to manufacture and maintain their own energy against the Black Bears. That’s never easy, and Saturday’s environment will only make it harder. If OU is sloppy and unfocused, that’s a red flag for upcoming games against Missouri, Alabama and LSU.

— John E. Hoover

Get Explosive 

Even as Oklahoma’s ground game got going against Ole Miss, the Sooners couldn’t buy an explosive passing play downfield. That’s not for lack of effort from wide receiver Brenen Thompson, who often found himself open but either Jackson Arnold couldn’t locate him or the Rebel pass rush ensured Arnold wouldn’t have the time to push the ball downfield. As underwhelming and injured as Oklahoma’s offensive line has been, there should be no issues repelling anything the Maine Black Bears throw out on Saturday, meaning Arnold must take his chances deep and start to build confidence as the Sooners inch closer to a pivotal matchup against Missouri next weekend. 

— Ryan Chapman 

The Missouri Tigers

Brent Venables probably wouldn't make it back to the locker room before Joe Castiglione took his job if the Sooners lost to Maine on Saturday. Enduring a daunting SEC schedule with a coaching switch in the mix, this will be OU's first chance since Week 3 worrying less about just surviving, and actually improving and working on things. The offense showed a pulse in the first half last week, but being gifted a late game against an FCS team, the Sooners need to be looking at where they need to improve to be able to take down a vulnerable Missouri Tigers team next week to maybe revitalize OU's first season in the SEC. 

— Dekota Gregory

Establishing the Run

After three straight crushing losses, Oklahoma needs a reset week. A non-conference game against Maine provides just that. It shouldn’t be a competitive game and the Sooners can start to establish what they wanted to see from the beginning of the season. Part of that is running the football, which the team has failed to do all season long. Last week in Oxford was a step in the right direction against a solid run defense, but there’s still much more work that needs to be done. Despite how poorly the offensive line has performed this season, this is a game where Oklahoma should dominate the line of scrimmage. Jovantae Barnes has been OU’s best running back this season, and could finally have a dominant performance on the ground with a 100-yard outing. If Oklahoma finds something that works, they could use it to spark the offense during the final stretch of the season. Getting back to the basics and establishing the run will be critical if Oklahoma is going to finish a disappointing season on a high note.

— Ross Lovelace

Takeaways

The same defense that was red-hot in the turnover margin last year and started the season strong again has only produced three turnovers in the past four weeks. It’s difficult to place blame for OU’s woes on its defense, which has been, without a doubt, the superior unit this season, but this is not a negotiable factor in winning games. The offense’s lack of possession stability is another conversation to be had. This defense can and needs to dominate the turnover battle this Saturday before its final three conference games against ranked opponents.

— Bryce McKinnis

Regaining confidence

Playing against an FCS opponent this week, the Sooners should be able to control the contest from start to finish. If Oklahoma can score early and maintain their momentum on offense throughout the game, Jackson Arnold and the offense should be able to regain some of the confidence the team has lost throughout what has been a tough season thus far. A big victory with a high statistical output from OU's offense could give the unit enough confidence to finish out the 2024 campaign with a handful of improved performances. With Missouri, Alabama and LSU still on the schedule, Joe Jon Finley and company will need to find a way to move the ball against Maine to avoid three more embarrassing losses. 

— Randall Sweet