Oklahoma-Tulane GameDay Preview: X-Factors

These could be the X-Factors in OU's game against the Green Wave on Saturday: Show Us Your Real ID...Quick Passing Game...Pressuring a Young QB...Turnovers...Block Out the Noise...Backup U

Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Show Us Your Real ID

Enough with the plain vanilla. If anything, that coaching philosophy has hindered the Oklahoma offense these past two weeks. Sooner Nation needs to see who Seth Littrell really is, but this offense has had zero identity so far. Littrell pitched bits of the Mike Leach air raid, but that hasn’t been used. He also promoted a little of the Art Briles Baylor offense, and that’s been missing. Tempo? Not really. Power run schemes? Hardly. Big splits and sideline-to-sideline formations? Not even close. How about some deep balls? Sorry, nope. Littrell and Jackson Arnold have found some pretty decent success with play-action passes — their very nature is to trick the defense — but those have been few and far between. QB run game? Sure, in some really odd (and overly conservative) spots. OU fans have seen enough wide receiver jet sweeps to last them a lifetime. So maybe Littrell can open up the full playbook against Tulane and show just what kind of offensive coordinator he can be.

— John E. Hoover

Quick Passing Game

Oklahoma has to get its running game going to have any kind of sustained success on offense this year. That’s a given. But the Sooners need to help quarterback Jackson Arnold get into rhythm early, too, which has been absent from OU’s first two games. Stacking quick completions early against Tulane, whether it be slants, swing passes or screens, can get Oklahoma’s speedsters in space to circumvent inconsistent offensive line play while also helping the sophomore signal caller contribute to positive plays. If the Sooners are able to spread the ball around, it could also help the running game if Deion Burks and Brenen Thompson can turn short passes into big gains, forcing Tulane to pull defenders out of the box and respect Oklahoma’s weapons on the outside.

— Ryan Chapman 

Pressuring a Young QB

Tulane's downfield passing offense will be a new test for the Sooners' defense, who hasn't played a group yet that wants to push the ball downfield. The Green Wave also has a new challenge, however, as coach Jon Sumrall's bunch hasn't faced a defense as physical or talented as OU. With a redshirt freshman quarterback manning Tulane's offense, Zac Alley and company can rattle Darian Mensah by sending pressure early. If Gracen Halton, Damonic Williams or Ethan Downs is able to get to the young signal caller with consistency, Mensah will have to get the ball out his hands earlier and won't be able to target his receivers down the field. A solid secondary should give the Sooners' front a little extra time to get into the backfield, and with strong showings from Halton and Williams this far, Oklahoma should be able to get to Mensah early on.

— Randall Sweet

Turnovers

Week 1, turnovers were the difference between a blowout and a close-ish game against a terrible Temple team for OU. Those six turnovers somewhat covered up the offensive issues that were on full display against Houston. And turnovers ultimately helped the Sooners get the win in Week 2, as well. In order to avoid an upset again, the defense will have to tally up the takeaways to not only keep Tulane from scoring, but give its own offense easier opportunities to get points, and maybe the defense can even just score by itself, too. 

— Dekota Gregory

Blocking Out The Noise

Oklahoma’s reputation as a team is in question after two less-than-stellar performances. Sure, the team came away with two wins, but each win just added to the question marks building up. The Sooners’ win over Temple was fine, and the score made it look better than it really was. It was easy to chalk that game up to shaking off the rust and new units trying to gel. The performance against Houston sounded all the alarms, though. After two straight performances below the standard, everyone has an opinion on who this Oklahoma team is. The Sooners desperately need to block out the outside noise and set out to accomplish their season goals starting Saturday. It starts with Jackson Arnold and the offensive line. It’s not time to force anything or prove the doubters wrong, it’s time to play free-flowing football and relax a little bit. The offense needs to let loose and let it rip at some point, and Saturday seems like the perfect time.

— Ross Lovelace

Backup U

Two weeks ago, Hoov wrote that “Newcomer U” would play a factor in the Sooners’ performance against Temple — and it did. But with many key offensive players unlikely to play or certain to miss altogether, the less optimistic spin to this week’s X-Factor is “Injury U.” Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables announced Monday that interior offensive lineman Geirean Hatchett (who moved from right guard to center in lieu of a banged up Branson Hickman, whose status remains questionable) will miss the remainder of the year after undergoing biceps surgery. Their absences remove most of the experience on the team’s least experienced unit. Jake Taylor, who was listed as starting right tackle before the season, remains questionable. Starting receiver Jayden Gibson is out for the year and coaches are “hopeful” that Nic Anderson can be available soon while Jalil Farooq is still out for another 5-7 weeks and Andrel Anthony is still on the mend from last year’s ACL. Jaquaize Pettaway, who just returned from hamstring injury, missed last Wednesday’s practice with an unspecified knee ailment.

— Bryce McKinnis