How Does the Sooners on SI Staff Believe Oklahoma Will Fare at No. 2 Georgia?

John Hoover

Let’s be honest: Georgia hasn’t played anyone yet. Tennessee State and Western Kentucky are no threat. Neither was Arkansas in Fayetteville last week. So the Sooners have had a sterner test over the first quarter of the season, facing Michigan in Ann Arbor and a scrappy New Mexico team last week that clearly punches above its weight. But the Bulldogs’ talent is unmistakable. There’s a reason UGA is on an historic scoring burst: these guys are good. QB Gunner Stockton has the arm, the accuracy and even the speed to take on an OU defense hungry for redemption. He also has the running game behind Nate Frazier (8.4 yards per carry, five TDs), a bunch of big, dynamic wideouts and a defense that ranks No. 7 overall and No. 3 against the run. That’s a bad combination for an OU offense that can’t run the ball (3.3 yards per carry, 61 last week against UNM) and turns it over in the passing game.

Final: Georgia 31, Oklahoma 13

Ryan Chapman

This isn't the Georgia juggernaut of a few years ago, but the Bulldogs are still elite. Kirby Smart's team has dominated lesser opposition in each of the first three weeks of the season, while the Sooners struggled against mighty New Mexico. OU's offensive line will again be without left tackle Michael Fasusi, but this time they'll have to repel one of the best defensive lines in the country. There would need to be a drastic change for John Mateer's uneven play to suddenly fall into place on the road, and the Sooner offense is good for at least one turnover in a terrible part of the field that will hurt the OU defense. Brent Venables' team was able to notch a pair of massive road wins last year in Knoxville and in Tuscaloosa, but this Georgia team is much better than last year's Tennessee or Alabama squads. Crucially, Smart's teams don't mess around with challengers who are not worthy. Georgia has won 51 straight against unranked opposition and it simply doesn't lose in Athens. Don't expect Oklahoma to find the secret formula all of a sudden with a floundering offense.

Final: Georgia 34, Oklahoma 9

Carson Field

OU’s offense has evidently regressed since 2025. And that doesn’t bode well for this week’s matchup against No. 2 Georgia — a team that is elite in all three phases of the game. Oklahoma struggled to move the ball against New Mexico. Yes, New Mexico is a quality Group of Six team — but the Sooners should have been able to dominate up front, thanks to their size and talent advantages. UGA’s defense is, obviously, better than New Mexico’s. The Sooners must be able to get out of their own end to have a chance to stun the college football world. And it’s hard to imagine that they’ll be able to after last week’s pitiful showing. Quick, unproductive drives from the offense will force the defense to be on the field more often, thus wearing the unit down. OU’s defense will hold its own early, but it will be worn out late in the game.

Final: Georgia 31, Oklahoma 10

Ryan Aber

The path to victory was always going to be fairly treacherous in Athens. But now it is so narrow it might as well be walking a tightrope over the Grand Canyon. Oklahoma needs better blocking up front, needs John Mateer to be able to avoid putting the ball into dangerous situations, needs to figure out a way — somehow — to establish a semblance of a ground game and then needs to defend a supercharged Georgia offense, perhaps without their best interior defensive lineman. Oklahoma also must avoid major mistakes in special teams, which was an issue last week against New Mexico. Even with significant improvement in those areas, the Sooners might get beat by a touchdown or two. When your defense is as good as Oklahoma's is there's always a path to victory, but this time feels like it will be just too much to overcome. The Sooners' defense will hold strong for a while, but they will get worn down, and the offense will put them in difficult positions.

Final: Georgia 31, Oklahoma 10

Brady Trantham

The offense will show flashes and give Sooners fans reason for optimism, but without consistency, a reliable running game or cleaner quarterback play, it will be difficult to sustain success against the Bulldog defense. The defense may be outstanding, but an offense that cannot sustain drives, let alone score, leads to fatigue due to guys either being out or dealing with injuries. Until the offense gets it together (if it ever does), it's difficult to be optimistic about this team going on the road in conference play.

Final: Georgia 31, Oklahoma 16

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