In the first place, no Sooner fan or follower could possibly be pleased with today’s performance.\u00a0 On the other hand, credit must be given to the Green Wave coaching staff and players. Being out maned and out talented Tulane never gave up.\u00a0 Formerly, Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley<\/strong> has come under fire for ultra-conservative play calling with a lead. In no way is this the case in this game. In light of this, what actually happened? These questions and more will be answered shortly. To enumerate, let’s discuss Oklahoma vs Tulane in review.<\/p>\n Were some of the Sooner stars more focused on name, image, and likeness, and reading press clippings than actual on-field performance?\u00a0 It would be hard to argue that the Sooners weren\u2019t concerned about social media than Tulane. It seemed as though the Sooners got out to a comfortable lead midway through the second quarter and expected the Green Wave to give up.\u00a0 Simply that just wasn\u2019t the case.<\/p>\n In general, the Sooners were totally inconsistent, especially on the defensive side.\u00a0 At times the defense was dominant.\u00a0 In contrast, at times the defense looked much like the defenses before defensive coordinator Alex Grinch\u2019s <\/strong>arrival.\u00a0 At times the allegedly much-improved secondary looked totally lost and utterly confused. This being said, the responsibility lies with the players and not the coaching staff.<\/p>\n On the positive side, the offensive live did well in regards to pass protection. In terms of the run blocking, the offensive line was absolutely abysmal. One of the biggest concerns was running back depth. It would have made no difference if the Sooners had multiple five-star running backs.<\/p>\n As mentioned before due to inconsistency between pass blocking and the running game the offensive line gets a C- for game one.<\/p>\n The receiving group was really a bright spot.\u00a0 Marvin Mims<\/a> and Mario Williams<\/a> were definitely elite, and Mike Woods<\/a> showed signs of greatness. With that in mind, the receiver group has earned an A-.<\/p>\n The running back group is not so easy to judge due to poor offensive line play in the running game. Kennedy Brooks<\/a> pretty much appeared that he hasn\u2019t missed a beat since he last played in 2019.\u00a0 By the same token, newcomer Eric Gray<\/a> was relatively ineffective mostly due to poor offensive line play. With all of this in mind, the running backs get a B+.<\/p>\n The quarterback group was very disappointing. Spencer Rattler<\/a>, the Heisman trophy leading candidate played like a true freshman. Granted Rattler had moments of brilliance, at the same time he threw two interceptions. Rattler missed many open receivers and his decision-making process was less than impressive.\u00a0 With this in mind, the quarterback group garners a D+.<\/p>\n The defensive side of the ball was even more disappointing.\u00a0 The major focus in the fall has been the improvement and depth on the defensive side of the ball.\u00a0 On the positive side, the defensive line played really well across the board.\u00a0 Notably, Isaiah Thomas<\/a> was virtually unblockable.\u00a0 Equally important, Nik Bonitto<\/a> had a typically great performance. With this said the defensive line is awarded an A-.<\/p>\nSocial Media and NIL<\/h3>\n
Play to Play Consistency<\/h3>\n
Position Grades<\/h3>\n
Offensive Line Group<\/h4>\n
Receiving Group<\/h4>\n
Running Back Group<\/h4>\n
Quarterback Group<\/h4>\n
Defensive Line Group<\/h4>\n
Linebacker Group<\/h4>\n