Oklahoma-UCF GameDay: X-Factors

Post-Texas hype

Putting aside the cigars and the T-shirt sales and the national publicity and the new betting odds and everything that comes along with a 34-30 win over Texas and a top-five ranking won’t be easy when the open date ends and the Sooners are 18-point favorites in a home game against a Big 12 newcomer. OU got here by putting aside all the distractions and finding their own internal motivations. Saturday begins another six-week stretch of doing exactly that — or living with the disappointment and regret of letting a magical season slip through their fingers. Leadership from guys like Dillon Gabriel and Danny Stutsman must be forceful.

— John Hoover

Ball Security

Oklahoma, along with Penn State, paced college football in turnover margin through the first half of the regular season. The OU defense has forced 15 takeaways, while Dillon Gabriel and the Sooner offense have done an exceptional job taking care of the football. UCF on the other hand has struggled, with starting quarterback John Rhys Plumlee throwing four interceptions in three appearances. The Knights are in the bottom 10 in rushing defense, meaning the Sooners should have little trouble controlling the game and eating clock while moving the football. So long as Jeff Lebby’s offense doesn’t set the Knights up with great field position off a turnover, OU’s defense will have plenty of opportunities to frustrate Gus Malzahn’s complex offense. If Oklahoma wins the turnover battle, as it has consistency done so far this season, the talent advantage overwhelmingly trends toward the Sooners.

— Ryan Chapman

Discipline

As noted multiple times this week by Brent Venables, UCF runs lots of misdirection and trick plays on offense, which will test how disciplined Oklahoma's defense is coming out of the bye week. If Danny Stutsman and company are able to avoid being duped by the Golden Knights confusing playcalls, the Sooners' defense should have no problem slowing down John Rhys Plumlee and Central Florida. On offense, starting QB Dillon Gabriel and offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby are squaring off against their former squad, which should add extra fuel to the fire on Saturday. Still, Gabriel and Lebby will have to stay calm and collected to prevent sloppy mistakes.

— Randall Sweet

Focus

UCF is lurking in the weeds. The Knights, newcomers to the Big 12, are looking for their first conference win and may be without starting quarterback John Rhys Plumlee, who has missed playing time with an injury. The Sooners, meanwhile are coming off a season-changing win over then-No. 3 Texas and a bye week and could be looking past UCF, a heavy underdog. Players say they have celebrated the Texas win and have moved on to their nest opponent. We will see if that's true against the Knights.

— Tim Willert

Wide Receiver Depth

Against Texas, the Sooners took a big hit on the outside. Oklahoma’s top wide receiver Andrel Anthony was ruled out for the season, taking away Dillon Gabriel’s most consistent deep threat and a breakout star on the field. It’s not the end of the world, though, as Oklahoma’s receivers have stepped up to the challenge all year long. Nic Anderson has been a touchdown machine and Jayden Gibson’s timely contested catches have been huge. LV Bunkley-Shelton will likely get a chance at increased snaps this week and could secure a bigger role in the offense moving forward. Against UCF, Oklahoma’s receivers will have a prime opportunity to make up for the loss of Anthony and give Gabriel another target or two to feel confident in down the stretch.

— Ross Lovelace