Can Oklahoma Football SURVIVE Their Brutal SEC Schedule In 2024?

we continue on our Quest doing deep Dives for about the top 30 best teams in college football this upcoming season tonight or today because we're not going live at 6 but today we go to the sooner state we go to Oklahoma I'm going to do what I always do I'm going to kick it off to you first when you look at the Oklahoma suers who are now joining the SEC year One what are your thoughts about the Sooners so I am a big Brent ven fan very big advocate for what I think he is capable of doing for the longterm success of this Oklahoma program I I really think that they're going to be good and he's going to be the man to get them to a consistent clip of nine 10 maybe even some 11 win Seasons I really do but I think that if we look at the way that everything is playing out for this this 2024 season it's going to be an uphill battle I think that's the best way to put it this isn't a team that I'm going to sit here and scream and shout and go they stink like I do with some other teams I think that there is a path for them to have a good year but it is going to be very difficult there's going to be a lot of adversity there's going to be a lot of tough matchups I think that the way that they approached the transfer portal and some of the names that they brought in especially the way that their defense looks makes me feel good about how they're going to play against the tough games on their schedule Deon Burks is a player who I have been a huge advocate for I spotted him early at Purdue in the season last year and I have been banging the table for him as a draft prospect I I think Keat and Jackson Arnold are going to be in such a nice Rhythm plus the rest of that receiving room was getting better as the season went on I think that they're going to be better offensively uh potentially than they were last year defensively there's just dudes all over the place we talked about Danny stutzman we talked about Billy Bowman at times this year yeah and Billy Bowman and we got push back about Billy Bowman not being our top five DBS which I don't you know I mean it's tough that was tough but I agree with you I I think uh one name throw out there to pay attention to Adare who is going to be uh red shirt freshman this year was a highly recruited kid very impactful player potentially here's where I get some pause Blake their off their offensive line is such an enormous question mark and this isn't a situation where well you know you're losing a guy how's it gonna look you know this isn't like Notre Dame where Joe Walt's gone and you're thinking how's Charles jagas saww gonna do no they they lost Tyler ging and Walt arouse both their tackles they lost multiple guys to the point where I most of their offensive line are new players transfers guys that came in and not many of them were really big name highly sought after transfers I know from some people that I've spoke to indirectly about the Oklahoma offensive line situation they were trying as hard as they could to try and get some offensive lineman and they they struggled I think if you look in the mirror as an Oklahoma fan you can sit here and admit that their offensive line is not in a good situation to compare compared to where it was last year like this is a huge step backward from what they had last season potentially so I'm GNA stay on the thought with what you just said very quickly about their offensive line because I did a deep dive on them on our SEC part uh which we'll start picking up now that June is here I just think we started it too early but look I that's where I agree with you the most Joe Hatchet hit man no uh nahu okay three guys that they got from the portal left guard Center Right Guard okay that they're gonna have to replace now Jake Taylor and Jacob seon return at the bookends at tackle but Joe look at how many dudes they went and got in the portal yeah for that offensive line so let me just stop right there before you say that me or Joe or whoever is talking about the offensive line being bad or is talking about the offensive line issues Brent vinales is the one saying that by his actions right and so I've had this conversation with Oklahoma fans before Brent vinales excuse me clearly believes that their offensive line has issues that's not his actions are showing that now can they be better maybe I mean they did get some good ones I think Hickman can be a good Center you know there are a lot of things that we're going to have to wait and see the problem I have is not necessarily they're all offensive line but the combination of a Young quarterback going into a second start offensive line that does not have cohesion going into it I think that that's a very very big issue and a very very big deal you talk about Deon Burks I agree with you as a player that Burks is a really good wide receiver but Joe they're going into a conference that he's they're gonna need more from other guys I like Jal uh Farooq their wide receiver I liked him last year I know that we spoke about him enough I don't think that he got enough touches um and I like uh Sal uh s shuk the the the running backu yep Sawchuk who had what nine touchdowns 120 carries I thought was really effective too the issue I have is Joe when they needed something they went to Stoops okay and now that Stoops is not here anymore can Burks take that that step for them and I say this not saying that Burks is not a good player at all don't get what I'm about to say twisted but I just said can he be you don't know if he can or will be because there's so many different things offensively Joe you're having to fix an offensive line that's got to get cohesion you got a Young quarterback that's going to have to work through things you got a new leading receiver that's a lot of things that you got to work on going into a new conference now I say all that offensively to say I don't think that they're going to be bad at all like that's the key thing that needs to be pointed out here before we get yelled at by Oklahoma fans no doubt I think that they're going to be good but I think that when you look at them offensively and I look at okay they're going to get in tight ends like the kid Bowers sharp from South Eastern I think it's gonna be a playmaker like I I've seen Bowers sharp okay that that kid was that kid's good he's good athlete very good athlete okay like they've got some really good pieces the question is Joe in this league all right like so Tennessee comes to town this year here God forbid God forbid that game gets into a shootout I don't know if you have enough to get in a punch free punch with them now let me flip to the other side of the ball before they oh what a better defense okay we talked about Danny stutzman I had him as my number two linebacker not necessarily off of traits but just look at him okay the dude is just a playmaking machine Joe the issue I have is though where are they getting the sack production from well this is why I brought up adab he's currently listed um as the second defensive end in the in the 2D but I he was a very highly recruited kid his brother was an athletic freak at Northwest I think right like projecting projecting projecting or two we're projecting so let me get to my other point even if that kid comes and has double digit set sacks Joe they returning from their starters four sacks on their defensive line well uh here's where I would push back slightly is that I think that what venol did when he was at Clemson he never had like a twitched up Crazy Edge rusher he had really good linebackers that were smart and had says hello Cleveland Ferell stunk Cleveland was overated dunk in the NFL in college he literally had three years of double digit sacks that's very Fair what I was trying to finish saying here is that a lot of talent s says hello too no no no I'm saying a lot of the talent was in the interior so like Dexter Lawrence like Chris Wilkins those guys they got demonic Williams in the portal as well right that's why I'm not super worried about the sack production because it's always been a collective unit playing together as a whole and I I will go as far as I say I think this is one of the better front sevens in the SEC like I don't think it's that's not an insane take to to to have here it's not one of the best on their defense on their defense line yeah what you're saying linebackers defensive line collectively I wouldn't say it's like top three but I would say it's it's it's in a big conference now I would say I think I I I would say it's top five like when I when because I thought Georgia Texas okay so I'm like are they better than those three that was the question I was going to have going back to it all ball with here's where I defensively I'm with you I don't think they're going to have issues I do worry about sack production like where they going to get that from however here's the problem I have again just just so we're clear you got hatchet from Washington okay you go and get Spencer Brown from Michigan State you go get we start well I mean you still going got went and got him I mean Joe at worse he's in your two deep at worse Spencer Brown's in your too deep yeah and God forbid Jake Taylor goes down right like God forbid okay you go and get weoo from North Texas you go and get Casey Thompson to back up um Jackson Arnold so I I just don't know about them enough offensively now the conversation that Oklahoma fans got mad at me about was let's get let's talk about Jackson Arnold for a minute okay yeah yeah why is it that I feel like that I'm always on an island when I say that we have to be patient with young quarterbacks why like I I I legitimately feel of all the national guys I was talking to PA about this a while back too I was like dude why do I always feel like I'm on the island to say like hey man if Jackson Arnold struggles like I don't or has games that he struggles that's not like brother we had Bryce young going under 50% in a meaningful SEC game a year after he won a Heisman Trophy like I I I don't I I don't understand this logic of that he's gonna just come in here and be better than Dylan Gabriel and we're gonna be fine we're gonna go nine and three he's gonna you got arguably outside of Florida you had the second toughest schedule in the SEC and you're not it's not like last year when you go into games in the Big 12 Joe their schedule is Brut bral yeah brutal so I I don't I just don't I when I look at Jackson AR do I think he's got traits do I think he's mobile enough do I think he's athletic inside the pocket all of those things yes do I think he can get on the outside and run a little bit also yes I just don't know if he's completely ready to take them where they think that they need to be well again here's where I come down on him too I I think it's okay to be optimistic about a sophomore quarterback when he when he takes over I I think that's that's completely okay football fans too we always love the backup right like we always love the backup quarterback well but but more importantly we we love the five-star kid that was highly recruited and and look very fair we saw Nico flash some things against Iowa which was a really good see Jackson flash as much as Nico th this is what I'm trying to say here is that the one opport opportunity we got to see Jackson Arnold play he threw three interceptions and was like hovering around 50% completion percentage in the bowl game that they played against Arizona in his first in his first start which wait okay wait so this is what I'm trying to get at though is you we can't if that's all the example that we have of him playing why are we suddenly propping him up to be some huge breakout star this year it's not enough content it's not enough context at all I'm not saying that he's going to be bad no I'm agreeing with you Oklahoma fans we got to wait and see before we Crown this kid the next Heisman Trophy winner we got to wait and see before he does something and for what we just talked about a young quarterback with an offensive line that has no cohesion none and we talked about this with shadur Sanders not having an offensive line with cohesion is going to be a huge question mark for his performance this year and shador Sanders Pro to us though that he is a great decision maker even when he's dealing with pressure I agree I don't know what Jackson Arnold is going to do this year there are a lot of question marks that are going to be impacting his performance you're gonna you're gonna have people and I look I'm not reading the comments but let me tell you what I know because I've done this you're going to say you have people say almost threw for 400 yards okay against a a top 10 defense who by the way had seven guys out if I'm not mistaken in a bowl game I I I'm I'm not going to entertain that that if you can't watch a film and say to yourself that there were some bad decisions that were made and not only that bad decisions in that spring game I don't know what to tell you but let me let's go here for just a second yeah yeah okay I I'm gonna concede that they beat temp they beat Temple they beat Houston they beat tane is that fair they beat Maine okay I wasn't gonna go there yet but they beat Maine okay two lane I mean I mean Tennessee at home I could see them winning that game I also can see them losing that game because at off we just got done talking about Tennessee that that that team's got a lot of weapons and if God for like Joe can they put and Tennessee defensively what Oklahoma fans aren't going to hear here Tennessee's defense is not a slouch either that front seven is ridiculously good and against a bad what could be a average line they will eat you up okay they go to the planes they go to Auburn I don't give I don't give two shits if who's who's that quarterback for Auburn let me tell you something that I know for a fact over the last 35 years that I've lived or 34 years that I've lived going to Auburn good luck brother they could legitimately roll out a dude in a wheelchair at quarterback and that atmosphere and then that place God forbid it tonight good luck you got Texas in the cottonball leby at 2:30 on ABC does Texas want to get revenge South Carolina Old Miss M Old Miss at Old Miss But Here Comes the brutal schedule at Old Miss and then you got Maine at Missouri so God like are I split Old Miss and Missouri for just a second then you got Alabama and at LSU Joe they might brutal way to end the season it's a brutal way to end the season so it comes to the part where I look at them coming in by the way the schedule's the exact same next year you're just flopping flip-flopping sec home and aways here okay I I just don't I don't know if they can get to nine wins I I I I think that that would be their ceiling if they if they got there that is you got that has got to be and by the way every LSU if they're relevant if LSU relevant I'm going to tell you that last game will be at night so good luck Alabama I don't think that they have the talent Joe that Alabama still has and we'll talk about Alabama at some point with I'm sure within the next two weeks yeah Joe I I I don't know like going to to Como are we 100% sure when they're going through this stretch that they can win that they could go two and two in that stretch I I'm on the same I'm in agreement with you here that was the projection that that I had if I was to determine a ceiling there's just too many hard games for them to go over nine wins it's just too difficult we we can't hand out for every single team and say that they're going to win 10 games we we we just we just can't do that nine is the absolute ceiling and that is a that is everything goes like amazing for them like the offensive L jail looks great I'm sorry I'm sorry go ahead say well Oklahoma fans will say that own Missouri yeah you own Missouri a a a decade ago very different Missouri team right now it's a very different Missouri team but Joe I'm just gonna be honest they don't have they have they're not in the last two well let me let me make sure well I I'll know this for a fact because I think Luther Burton's better than Xavier worthy they haven't faced anybody like Luther Burton the last two years no we didn't even talk about their corners either like I I don't their Corners are fine but do they have anyone that's going to be able to lock down and slow down Luther burden for that for what we're talking about here no nine and3 team Jimmy is going to the playoff sorry ah nine and3 SEC team could go to the playoff Joey had four 10 plus win teams in the SEC they got 16 teams yeah it's actually good point it's good point and they're going to get four in no nine and three no nine and3 team in the SEC nor in the Big 10 or Big 10 is going to get in into the playoff I'm sorry I I think the to put like an actual number on this I am and this is an optimistic take but will not be perceived as one I really think that they're capable and will win eight games in 2024 I don't think that Brent venables after he got out of his system that first bad year with everything that they were dealing with and I made a lot of excuses for him and I defended him way more than everybody else did I think that he is the type of coach that is a high floor coach and the way that this roster is built defensively focused with a really good front seven they're going to be able to pick off some of these tough teams that we're talking about here they're gonna be able toet someone at home even if they beat missou even if I conceded and said they beat missou are we a th% confident that they can go even and and beat are they going to have two wins versus Old Miss Alabama LSU Joe I don't think they're more I don't think they're more talented than those teams now if they do I think it's because they out coached and out scheme those teams I don't defensively Joe they're good but the again I think it comes to a point where you're gonna have to explain to me okay or find a way for me to justify when you're having those struggles in the Big 12 when you got this brutal of a schedule brother Alabama's still going to be very really freaking good I I think what's most plausible to actually occur here is to look at the two home games that they have like if they're gonna get pick off some of these wins which what Alabama and what who Alabama and Tennessee so if there's two games they pick off here and go eight and four I think it's probably those two games well if they go nine and three I think to because they'll have four I I really don't think nine and three would have to be like you everything's perfect like Jackson Arnold's a Heisman finalist I nine and three that's that's a hyperbole I'm OV exaggerating there nine and three would require a lot of things going really really well for you no serious injuries on your offensive line um they're jelling together yeah I I just don't see a way with we we named six games here one two three four five with six games here six games against tough opponents that are equal if not better than them are you 100% sure that they can beat Auburn on the road in their first true SEC Road environment that that's like that's not right that's a great point is that the other easy games that they have there's no Vanderbilt on here they they don't have Mississippi State they got handed teams that just talent-wise are in at least the middle of the SEC or better I mean Joe we saw two what should have been playoff teams last year okay and I've been preaching this about Auburn for seven years since I started all this so I again I don't care about anybody going into Auburn like I I I will always always say that I don't care that pton Thorn's there now they had bad years under M uh under uh uh uh Jean chisik that's I mean that's neither here nor there the the truth is like they got they got a lot of battles and I don't I don't know see this is what Oklahoma fans here when I when we say this because I know what you're hearing oh you just think the SEC this SEC that no we've I've lived it okay like people have lived this Joel even going to you're talking about Tennessee I I mean like look you got Texas in a neutral site that's always a neutral site but legitimately these away games are not easy going to Old Miss at night's not easy no not with that not with that team okay not with that the best Old Miss team that we've seen in the last billing Bill King is a guy who's been covering college football since the 80s and I thought that he made a great point the other the other morning on the show okay he was the you know the the the first college football analyst on XM radio and he said point to me a better team that Old Miss has ever had on paper than this one I don't think they ever have even when they had kimichi and laquan Tre God yeah they're it's it's better than that kimichi was not that great if we're being honest well and he was also the only guy on that def they had other guys but front to back there's depth on that that Old Miss defensive line so like that's one that I'm immediately like lost at Old Miss loss loss absolutely a loss they're not beating Old Miss Missouri is also a bit of a question mark because well even Z is also reshuffling their o line and dline so that there's going to be some struggles for that well Simeon bar is the guy who who might get on their defensive line now that it's looking like he's leaving Miami that's you know another topic for a different day yeah I I just think it's brutal and I still think that they're really good if they get there let me say this before we leave so I don't get canceled by Oklahoma I do think that de defense is going to be one of the better defenses in the SEC okay you add in guys like David Stone what can demonic Williams do defensively I think they're going to be fine the issue that I clearly have is I just don't know if they're going to be able to score enough I know that you're high on Burks I I know that you like them a lot but Joe they're going into a place where I I just like I I don't know if they're going to be able able to outscore these teams if they have offensive issues I don't think it's going to be from a lack of Firepower or from a lack of good quarterback it's going to be because of poor offensive line play that's where I stand on this correct and Jackson Arnold not getting protected and and look I I mean and here's the thing man look you face Temple Houston and tlane I think tane's gonna give you a little bit of a fight they still got a lot of a lot of Talent on that roster if your first real battle tested team that you're going against is Tennessee that's a hell of a way to really start battle testing yourself coming into the SEC yeah because you might win that game at home okay because you're at home but I really don't I mean what Tennessee is going to come in there and do though man I mean n but it's also Nico's first real test on the road too so a lot of storylines going into this I know that Oklahoma fans feel that they can come in here and just dominate I I don't Jo I I'm not there I I just can't get there yet and I I I will concede if wrong you know enough or I'll concede if I'm wrong anything else on the Oklahoma Sooners no I think the way to wrap this up is just if they go eight and four I don't think that is a that's not an indictment on how good the program is it's not an indictment that they can't get better in the future it's just going to be a hard year not every single program needs to go 10 and two every single season well and flipping conference you know like so it's all it's a really difficult adverse situation like the the expectation needs to be calmed a little I mean dude the games that are away from Norman are brutal if you would have if you would have told me what are the what are the toughest places to play yes uh on the road first year Auburn would be top three Texas and neutal site clearly but you do that every year yeah Old Miss when they're rolling when the Grove is popping people won't people say oh it's not that loud the it's not I've played there no the it's not um thank God you got Alabama and home and then you end the season at death in Death Valley good luck it's gonna be a tough stretch it's gonna be a tough stretch all right bet online remains your top spot for all of your live betting action and contests NFL college football UFC NHL are all in full swing bet online is your number one source for wagering news ODS Trends and predictions with both desktop and mobile access at any time head to bed online today and use promo code believe that's bav for 50% off your first deposit that is a 50% welcome bonus bet online where the game starts