Oklahoma-Nebraska GameDay: Under the Radar

John Hoover: Brayden Willis

Oklahoma tight end Brayden Willis might find himself on All-Big 12 lists at the end of the season, so it’s hard to say he’s under the radar. But the way last week’s win over Kent State shook out — Marvin Mims exploded, Willis had just one catch and dropped a touchdown — look for Willis to have plenty of opportunities in the passing game. The thing is, if Willis is catching the ball downfield, it may be because Nebraska’s defense is cheating a defender into the box to stop the run, or their eyes are watching a play-action or RPO from Dillon Gabriel and Willis is wide open. Nebraska is emotionally vulnerable right now, and their coaching staff may introduce some tweaks in the scheme just to inject some life into one of college football’s worst statistical defenses. If players are trying new things, or if they’re overplaying certain techniques, or if they’re gambling where they normally wouldn’t, Willis could have a monster afternoon.

Ryan Chapman: Justin Broiles

Tuesday, Brent Venables said the Sooners are hopeful safety Key Lawrence will be back in the lineup against Nebraska. But even if Lawrence is back, Justin Broiles will have a role to play. The super senior did a nice job filling in for Lawrence against Kent State, finishing with 11 tackles on the night, and he’ll be in the rotation against Nebraska. Casey Thompson shredded Oklahoma in the first half of the Red River Shootout last year, showing he’s capable of throwing into massive windows if OU’s secondary has any troubles in coverage. The experience of Broiles will be needed at some point on Saturday to hold down the back end of Venables’ defense.

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Josh Callaway: Jalil Farooq

Nebraska's defense is bad. Really bad. The Cornhuskers struggled mightily with Georgia Southern last weekend on their home turf, which shouldn't bode well for them against the skill position talent that Oklahoma possesses. So far this year, Jalil Farooq hasn't been able to get himself going. For the most part, none of the OU receivers have proven an ability to continually dominate their man outside of Marvin Mims. What better time for Farooq to break out than in Lincoln? The Sooners need another wideout outside of Mims to showcase some big play ability to stretch the field. Farooq seems like the perfect guy for that, and this matchup is ripe for it. A couple big catches and a score could be exactly what he needs to springboard his season the rest of the way into being one of the best receiving options for the Sooners in support of Mims.

Ross Lovelace: Billy Bowman

Bowman has been one of the most impressive all-around players this season. The defensive back has helped set the tone on defense with his hard-hitting, physical play style. He’s also very elusive with the ball in his hands, which is why the Sooners have experimented with him at kick returner too. If Bowman can find a way to snag an interception on Saturday, he’ll be hard to track down in open field. Those are the types of plays that can completely change a game, and Bowman is capable. Look for him to continue to lead Oklahoma’s defense on Saturday, and maybe even a few home-run plays, too.