Our Oklahoma vs Iowa State preview finds both teams in similar positions. Both teams are coming off disappointing losses followed by a bye week. It should be interesting to see what, if any, changes are made this Saturday evening in Norman, Oklahoma. With all of this in mind, we will discuss Oklahoma vs Iowa State.
Oklahoma vs Iowa State Preview
Iowa State
The Cyclones come off a disappointing home loss to Oklahoma State. Iowa State fought back to tie the game in the fourth quarter, but the third Brock Purdy interception was returned for a touchdown. The last interception was the difference-maker in the loss.
The Cyclones could only manage 86 yards on the ground in the loss. Iowa State had won three previous contests before the loss to the Cowboys.
Now, the Cyclones have the benefit of an extra week to prepare for the Sooners.
Oklahoma
The Sooners upset loss to Kansas State in Manhattan dealt a huge blow to any playoff aspirations they may have had.
Offense
Fans witnessed another Heisman like performance by Jalen Hurts, 395 passing yards, and an additional 95 rushing yards. With this in mind, has Oklahoma discarded the great running back game? The quarterback should not have three times as many carries as all the running backs combined. Contrarily, the Sooners offense was not as sharp as past performances. A case in point was back to back third quarter three and outs while the defense gave up seven straight scoring drives by the Wildcats. While Kansas State was continually putting points on the board, the third quarter empty possessions by the Sooners proved to be too much to overcome.
With this in mind, it needs to be pointed out this loss is to be laid at the feet of the defense.
Defense
The defense took a huge step backward against the Wildcats. It appeared to be the defense everyone has seen the last few years that has kept Oklahoma from playing for National Championships. The defense did nothing well in this game. They tackled poorly, looked out of position, did not show any effort whatsoever. Not one player on defense played well.
Defensive coordinator Alex Grinch has stated he is fine with a few aggressive penalties by the secondary as long as they are making plays. Surely, he doesn’t mean holding and grabbing jerseys on every passing down. The defense that everyone saw looked nothing like the one that has been on display most of the season. So, was this just an anomaly or was the true Oklahoma defense revealed on this day? The defense has now gone four straight games without forcing a turnover. That was supposed to be the trademark of a Grinch defense. Clearly, changes need to be made on that side of the ball.
The Final Word
In conclusion, the same ugly monster that has reared its head the last few years has surfaced again. Of course, that monster is terrible defense and lack of effort on that side of the ball.
Barring some wild upsets the last few weeks of the season, this defensive performance will cost the Sooners another opportunity to play for a National Championship. How many great offenses and Heisman winning quarterbacks will be wasted before the defense catches up?
There are many questions to be answered when Oklahoma takes on Iowa State this Saturday evening in Norman.
Prediction
Oklahoma 42, Iowa State 27.
