Oklahoma Ready to Finish Strong and 'Prove Everybody Wrong' in Cheez-It Bowl

The Sooners close a challenging season against the No. 13 Florida State Seminoles next week in Orlando.

NORMAN – The 2022 season has been an arduous and challenging one for Oklahoma.

The Sooners, who enter every season with at least conference title aspirations, were largely expected to be contenders once again despite all the turnover from a year ago under first-year head coach Brent Venables.

But, after a 3-0 start, things began to slip away as Oklahoma stumbled into three straight losses and an eventual 6-6 finish to the regular season – their worst mark in over two decades.

Now, all that remains is the postseason and the Cheez-It Bowl against No. 13 Florida State on Thursday in Orlando, FL – one last chance to try and end the year on a high note.

The Sooners certainly recognize that reality, and are determined to close 2022 the right way.

“We’ve been attacking practice every day,” running back Jovantae Barnes said. “Even when we didn’t know who we were playing, we were going in and making sure we were watching film. We knew we had to step up. Taking things in our own hands and making sure we could step up without coaches. That was one of the biggest things we did. We had our own meetings. That was a big accomplishment to do all that without the coaches.”

Part of what makes that easier, in a sense, is the amount of fresh faces who are getting thrust into larger roles and thus see this as their opportunity to make an impression.

Running back Eric Gray, offensive linemen Anton Harrison and Wanya Morris and defensive tackle Jalen Redmond have all chosen to forgo the game and begin preparation for the NFL Draft, meaning that the remaining players will have to step up to fill the void left by the key guys missing.

Eric Gray :: NATHAN J FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

While OU would certainly rather have those important pieces, moving forward without them helps drive home a big selling point on the game: the bowl game is every bit as much a jump on next season as it is a closing on this one.

“Bowl season is a season of it’s own,” defensive end Reggie Grimes said. “Not only are you getting back to basics, but your roster is a little bit different. You’ve got guys opting out, you’ve got guys gone who were contributors, so your roster’s a little bit different. But at the same time, it gives other guys opportunities to shine and that’s the main thing. I got my first meaningful start in the Alamo Bowl last year. So again, bowl season is a season of its own, it’s a time to really reflect and realize what you’ve got coming back, what you’ve lost, stuff like that.”

Matching up with the No. 13-ranked and nine-win Seminoles has most expecting Oklahoma to suffer another loss to close out the season.

This is something not lost on the team as they look to springboard their way into the offseason and finish things on a positive note for the ones playing their final game in an OU uniform.

“It’ll set us up great for Team 129,” defensive end Ethan Downs said. “We’re not looking too far ahead, though. We have to control today and what we can do today. Our ultimate goal is to win that game and to prove everybody wrong. To give motivation and inspiration to Sooner fans and people all around the world that count out somebody who’s gone through the rough of it. Overcome adversity whenever everyone has bet against them. And persevered and really been at their best when they needed to. 

"That’s what it means for us, more than just a win. More than just being 7-6 because it looks a lot better than 6-7. But, really meeting one of our team goals: Win the last one and go out with a bang. Making it happen for the seniors that are here.”

For a program like Oklahoma, the underdog role isn’t one that gets to come up often, given the Sooners’ dominance in the Big 12 and status as a perennial powerhouse over the history of the program.

But, being doubted is precisely what is happening nationally heading into the matchup, with Florida State currently sitting as a solid 9-point favorite.

For OU, though, that just makes it even easier to come to work each day ready to make a statement.

“We love it (being doubted),” Downs said. “We’re feeding off of it. Not that we needed any fuel to grow our fire. But it definitely contributed to how hard we’re working. We’ve got something to prove. Got something to prove to a lot of people, and we’re fired up to do it.”

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