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Oklahoma-Navy GameDay Preview: Sooners on SI Staff Picks

The Sooners on SI staff offers their predictions for the Sooners' matchup with the Navy Midshipmen in the Armed Forces Bowl.

Ryan Chapman

Oklahoma Sooners defensive lineman Jayden Jackson
Oklahoma Sooners defensive lineman Jayden Jackson / SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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John E. Hoover

Oklahoma’s roster has dwindled to 56 players. Of those, nearly half playing in Friday’s Armed Forces Bowl will be true freshmen — many of whom haven’t played this season, or have played little. Match that with a Navy squad coming off a dominating victory over rival Army — a Navy squad that’s hungry to slay a college football giant like Oklahoma — and it’s not a good matchup for the Sooners. OU’s defense must try to stop the misdirection of one of the nation’s most challenging rushing offenses (quarterback Blake Horvath is an absolute wizard), and because of the patience of that Navy offense, the OU offense must counter by trying to maximize possessions against one of the most disciplined football teams in the country — an OU offense that struggled all season and could feature up to a dozen first-year players.

Final: Navy 24, Oklahoma 21

Ryan Chapman 

Navy looked impressive in its last outing, running over Army in one of football’s great rivalry games. But the performance was just that — an emotional rivalry win. Every year we see teams play above their head in rivalry games, but when Navy has stepped onto the field against the other two good teams its played, Notre Dame and Tulane, the Midshipmen were outclassed. Factor in that the Sooners, who have excelled at stopping the run this year, got an extra couple of weeks to prepare for Navy’s unique triple option and OU should be plenty prepared to bottle up the Midshipmen — even without a few key players. So long as Oklahoma takes care of the football, the talent will win out in Fort Worth to close down a tough 2024 season on a positive note for the Sooners. 

Final: Oklahoma 27, Navy 13

Read More Oklahoma vs. Navy:

Carson Field

The motivation is far higher for the Midshipmen in this game, but ultimately, the Sooners’ talent
and size advantages will give them the win to clinch a winning season and Brent Venables’ first
bowl win as a head coach. Navy’s triple option is always hard to stop, but Oklahoma has had
more than two weeks to prepare for it. The Midshipmen will have their big runs and it might take
some early adjustments, but the Sooners will ultimately be able to stop their unconventional
offense. OU will heavily utilize the run game offensively, using the legs of Michael Hawkins Jr.
and the slew of running backs in the mix.

Final: Oklahoma 28, Navy 23

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Ryan Chapman
RYAN CHAPMAN

Ryan is deputy editor at AllSooners and covers a number of sports in and around Norman and Oklahoma City. Working both as a journalist and a sports talk radio host, Ryan has covered the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the United States Men’s National Soccer Team, the Oklahoma City Energy and more. Since 2019, Ryan has simultaneously pursued a career as both a writer and a sports talk radio host, working for the Flagship for Oklahoma sports, 107.7 The Franchise, as well as AllSooners.com. Ryan serves as a contributor to The Franchise’s website, TheFranchiseOK.com, which was recognized as having the “Best Website” in 2022 by the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters. Ryan holds an associate’s degree in Journalism from Oklahoma City Community College in Oklahoma City, OK. 

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