I think disbelief is probably the most reasonable emotion as the dust has settled following Oklahoma’s 35-9 thrashing at the hands of South Carolina, in Norman, on Saturday. I mean, I get frustration, confusion, and even downright anger, but disbelief is still the best option. The Sooners were dominated in Dallas a week ago by the #1 team in the nation. Their only loss before then was to Tennessee, who was ranked #6 at the time. Two losses, to two Top 10 programs is frustrating, but ultimately acceptable. It tells you that you’re not an elite team in the conference. This game, though. This game showed that the Sooners are unequivocally one of the worst teams in the conference, and that’s a reality that’s simply unbelievable.
How Bad Was It?
In short, it was really bad. So very bad. Generationally bad.
It was only the second time since the 1999 season that Oklahoma has lost consecutive home games (remember, the last game in Norman was a 25-15 loss to Tennessee on Sept. 21). The only other time this happened was during the 2014 season when the Sooners suffered a 31-30 loss to No. 14 Kansas State, followed by a 48-14 loss to No. 10 Baylor.
Oklahoma outgained South Carolina in total offensive yardage, 291 to 254 (238 to 180 in passing yardage). On the defensive side of the ball, the Sooners held the Gamecocks to 3.7 yards per offensive play. They also held South Carolina to a season-low 74 rushing yards and 1.8 yards per rush, more than 100 rushing yards below its season average of 175.3 per game. Yet OU still lost by 26 points.
In the next segment we’ll talk a little more detail in regards to exactly what went wrong, but we can’t ignore this if we’re talking about how bad things were. The Sooners gave up 9 quarterback sacks on Saturday. Nine!!! That’s the most sacks an Oklahoma football team has ever allowed in one game. That’s not really the type of program record that you want to set.
How Did It Get So Bad?
There’s probably not enough time to write everything that went wrong, but there were two obvious factors here.
First, the Sooners have thrived on forcing turnovers this season. They didn’t register a takeaway on Saturday, breaking a streak of 12 consecutive games with at least one. The last time Oklahoma did not generate at least one turnover was vs. UCF on Oct. 21 last season. Entering Saturday’s game, OU ranked second nationally with its 43 interceptions since the start of the 2022 season. What the Sooners did, though, was turn the ball over… four times! Oklahoma is now +3 in turnover margin through seven games this season. They entered the game tied for eighth nationally with 12 takeaways and tied for 11th nationally with a +7 turnover margin. That’s a significant shift.
Now, let’s talk about those sacks again. Oklahoma quarterbacks had never been sacked nine times in one game before. Successfully running an offensive scheme when your team is getting blown up in the backfield is impossible. In all, there were thirteen plays made by the South Carolina defense in Oklahoma’s backfield.
Who Is At Fault?
Everyone! Coaches and players alike. There isn’t a single offensive coach who is exempt from being on the hot seat at this time. Every position group is poor, prone to penalties, and has produced costly mistakes. Sure, it’s hard to run plays when defenders are in the backfield at the same time the ball is being handed off to the running back. Absolutely, it seems impossible to get a passing game going when even a two-step drop seems impossible. That said, coaches coach, players play, and it’s all bad right now. Blame everyone, because they’re all at fault!
Was There Anything Good?
If you need the glass to be half full then here it is. Lost in Oklahoma’s offensive debacle on Saturday was a really good performance from the Sooner defense. OU tied its season-high with six sacks, and also had 11 tackles for loss. The Sooners held South Carolina to 6 of 18 on third downs (33%), and also held the Gamecocks to a season-low 74 rushing yards and 1.8 yards per rush, more than 100 rushing yards below its season average of 175.3 per game.
Danny Stutsman logged 16 tackles against South Carolina. It’s crazy to think that’s only the third most he’s ever recorded in a game during his Sooner career.
Where Do We Go From Here?
The season has now passed the halfway point and the Sooners still don’t have an offensive identity. There’s not one single thing that they do well. Noting will improve until they find that identity, but it’s hard to believe that they’ll find it at this point of the season. It’s hard to believe how Seth Littrell can keep any trust with the fanbase, and there’s real concern that trust may be waning in the locker room as well.
Now It’s Your Turn!
This post is your chance to vent. Remember, this post is therapeutic. So, tell us how you feel. Is there any hope? Tell us in the comments section below.