Oklahoma-Nebraska GameDay: X-Factors

Mickey Joseph ... Handling the Noise ... Containing Casey Thompson ... Early Offense.

John Hoover: Mickey Joseph

When a coach is fired midseason, there’s almost always an immediate uptick. Think back to 2018, when Mike Stoops was fired. For the next few weeks, players expressed how happy they were, how different things were, and the product on the field reflected their new attitude. The defense was better. But by the end of the season, Ruffin McNeill’s defense was as bad as it ever was under Stoops. That’ll happen Saturday in Lincoln, too. Nebraska players feel wounded right now, and they’ll fight to defend their honor and the honor of their new coach, interim Mickey Joseph. Will it be enough? We’ll know Saturday afternoon. But for a Nebraska team desperate to turn things around, it’s a good start. As athletic director Trev Albert said, “We had to do something.” Watch how hard the Cornhuskers play.

Ryan Chapman: Handling the Noise

Nebraska won’t be the best defense the Sooners have faced this year, but Memorial Stadium will pose the biggest test. The new offense under offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby was impressive in the first quarter against UTEP and the third quarter against Kent State, but it has shown the ability to sputter. Now, the offense will be thrown in front of 90,000 rabid fans who haven’t hosted OU since 2009. Communication will be key to keep the offense running at a fast pace.

Gabriel is confident the Sooners will be up for the challenge, though the 90,000 fans in Lincoln will be the most away fans the UCF transfer has ever played in front of.

“The way we prepare and the way we practice kind of gets us ready for it just as fast as we play, the noise at practice,” Gabriel said on Tuesday. “It’s difficult to replicate a game atmosphere but I think we do a really good job at trying to get it as close as we can.”

Josh Callaway: Containing Casey Thompson

Casey Thompson is a solid college quarterback. Is he a future NFL starter? Likely not. Is he good enough to beat a top-10 team on his own? Probably not that either. But, he's athletic, can make things happen, and has already played well against Oklahoma once - albeit under the previous OU defensive regime. If the Sooners want to keep the good times rolling on the defensive side of the ball this week, they can't let Thompson extend plays and wreak havoc with his legs. Whether that means scrambling for yardage or even just giving his guys enough time to get loose down the field - that is how this game could get hairy for the Sooners. Man-to-man, talent-to-talent, Oklahoma should win this game handily. But if Thompson starts ad-libbing with great success, that is where things could get dicey quick for OU.

Ross Lovelace: Early Offense

Oklahoma struggled to score against Kent State out of the gates, and the Golden Flashes gave the Sooners a first half scare. Thanks to a very late score, Oklahoma held a 7-3 lead at half time. In Lincoln, with 90,000 fans waiting to snatch the momentum and run with it, the Sooners can’t afford a similar start. The offense will have to click early for Oklahoma to find a rhythm, and for that to happen, the ground game will have to be established. Luckily, the Sooners return starting lineman Wanya Morris to the lineup, which should only help the offense as a whole. Marcus Major and Eric Gray should both get plenty of touches on Saturday.