It’s the Oklahoma Sooners versus the Auburn Tigers on Saturday. In their first road game of the season, the Sooners are looking to bounce back. Auburn, coincidentally, is looking for the exact same thing.
Oklahoma Sooners Versus Auburn Tigers Preview
Jackson Arnold and a Struggling Offense
It’s no secret that Oklahoma’s offense has struggled in recent weeks. They had a strong showing against Temple, a near-miss at Houston, and held on just long enough to overcome Tulane. Against Tennessee, however, injuries racked up and the starting quarterback found himself sidelined.
Jackson Arnold, the original starting quarterback this season, was always going to be a risk. Young quarterbacks always are, after all. The last time a young quarterback really shined, and led his team to success, was arguably Trevor Lawrence while he was at Clemson.
After three turnovers in a row against Tennessee, however, Arnold’s confidence was clearly gone. Head Coach Brent Venables benched him immediately after.
Nic Anderson was sidelined in the first drive of the game. Kendel Dolby’s ankle was snapped in half. Da’Jon Terry was on and off the bench during the game with injuries. Taylor Tatum was sent halfway underneath a bench and taken out of the game. The offensive line took an even further battering due to repeated injuries and substitutions. The fact that they could barely give the backfield enough time to execute a play is proof enough of how badly these injuries are affecting the team.
Position Battle in Oklahoma!
Michael Hawkins Jr., the backup quarterback, will be taking the field first against Auburn. On Sooners Sports Talk, a video podcast hosted by Venables, the head coach made it clear he was willing to give the backup a shot at the starting position: “Mike will have his opportunity to run out there and be our guy and see where we’re at and try to give us a kick start.”
Although Hawkins is a freshman, he has some key strengths. His ability to scramble kept drives alive against Tennessee and his accuracy per play so far has been higher as well. Against a very game defense, he managed to pass for over 132 yards and ensured the Sooners didn’t turn the ball over again. Arnold’s highest passing yardage, for comparison, is 174 yards against Houston. Does this mean that Arnold’s time as the starter is over?
Probably not.
Arnold is not necessarily a bad quarterback. He became the heir apparent because he was showing promise and the fundamental skills necessary to success. The gunslinging style is a risk, but it allows him to adjust as needed to still make plays on the run. With some fine-tuning, and a more solid confidence, Arnold could easily be the better man here. Without an offensive line to block for him, though, its hard to keep improving.
It’ll be an interesting few weeks to see who retains the starting position. It’s not the best circumstances to undertake a developmental battle like this to see who will helm the Sooner Schooner, but it’ll certainly make for some exciting football. Especially because the #1 rated Texas Longhorns immediately follow the Auburn game.
What Auburn Brings to Kickoff
If the Oklahoma Sooners are struggling to prove they belong in the SEC, the Auburn Tigers are fighting to prove they deserve to remain in the SEC. The Tigers are hoping not to fall behind again after a losing to Cal in a massive upset.
Of course, this is also the same team that lost to Arkansas this past Saturday. They also fell to New Mexico State and Maryland last year. So, maybe they haven’t worked everything out yet.
Payton Thorne, the transfer from Michigan State, has performed inconsistently so far. Against Alabama A&M he was throwing for massive gains, but then at Cal he threw four interceptions and found himself riding the game out on the bench. Hank Brown, the redshirt freshman, replaced him and passed for 235 yards against New Mexico. Of course, Brown struggled against Arkansas the next week and was then replaced by Thorne who played much better. Which one arrives against Oklahoma is a question only answerable on gameday.
The Auburn defense is as inconsistent as its quarterbacks. They rarely start games off hot and have been having a difficult time containing both quarterbacks and wide receivers. In their loss to Arkansas, the critical stops were beyond the defense’s grasp. On the other hand, of course, they seem to come alive in the second half of the game and give their offense time to catch up.
Oklahoma Sooners vs Auburn Tigers Prediction
Prior to the season’s start, we predicted the Sooners would defeat Auburn. Upon review, it seems that’s still the overall likelihood. Oklahoma’s defense is putting in phenomenal work week in and week out and is simply on another level. Both the Sooners and the Tigers haven’t quite figured out their quarterbacks yet, but they may be closer to finding that answer on gameday. Whatever happens, be sure to check back in with Last Word On Sports for the full recap of the Oklahoma Sooners versus the Auburn Tigers.
