Staff Picks: Will Oklahoma Get Back on Track Against Mississippi State?

John Hoover

We’re going off the premise that Mississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor will be healthy enough to play (he was questionable earlier this week) but probably not 100 percent. If that scenario unfolds, OU will try to pressure him to see how he holds up. Brent Venables has been pretty good with the timing of his blitzes as well as the disguising of his coverages this season. And there’s no doubt Mississippi State’s offensive staff has dug deep into Venables’ tendencies. Bulldogs head coach Jeff Lebby, a one-time promising OU offensive line recruit and former Venables offensive coordinator, has surrounded himself with former OU players and coaches like Phil Loadholt (OL coach), Jon Cooper (TE coach), Kevin Johns (QB coach), Matt Wells (senior offensive consultant), Tanner Schafer (QB analyst) and Ben Tawwater (OL analyst). Former Tulsa head coach Philip Montgomery is Lebby’s chief offensive assistant. Even if Taylor doesn’t play, Lebby will have had a week to work with backup Parker Puckett, and the Bulldogs will score points. The question then becomes whether John Mateer and the OU offense can keep up.

Final: Mississippi State 28, Oklahoma 24

Ryan Chapman

Expecting growth from the Oklahoma offense has been a futile venture, but there’s reason to believe that the Sooners can have success Saturday regardless of who is playing quarterback for the Bulldogs. Kamario Taylor, for all of his upside, has turned the ball over consistently. If he gets the nod, Brent Venables’ defense will have a real chance to help the offense out directly with great field position or defensive scores. If the OU offense can just stay on the right side of the turnover battle, the Sooners will have a shot at a successful trip to Starkville. Give me a defensive score, a safety and three Tate Sandell field goals to notch the victory.

Final: Oklahoma 18, Mississippi State 17

Carson Field

Oklahoma’s self-sabotaging performance late against Kentucky makes it hard to predict the Sooners winning any of their remaining games. But considering how poorly Mississippi State played without Kamario Taylor last week, the Sooners should be able to get a win in Starkville. Backup quarterback Parker Puckett struggled mightily against LSU in the Bulldogs’ 31-0 loss. It’s hard to imagine that he’ll suddenly be more productive against OU’s pass defense, which ranks first in the SEC through seven weeks. If Puckett is the starter behind center, OU’s offense doesn’t have to put up a crazy point total — it just has to take care of the football and get into field-goal range somewhat regularly. If Taylor plays, however, this prediction changes and the game becomes much more difficult for the Sooners.

Final: Oklahoma 16, Mississippi State 7

Ryan Aber

Even if Mississippi State's Kamario Taylor plays, the Bulldogs' standout quarterback isn't likely to be his normal mobile self to the same degree. Taylor can still hurt the Sooners with his arm but the Mississippi State defense becomes much less dynamic with a limited Taylor. Oklahoma's offensive line is still a mess and John Mateer's turnover problems are a major issue. So scoring will be difficult. But the Sooners' defense continues to be elite and with the Bulldogs' offense not near 100%, here's betting that the defense does enough not only to limit Mississippi State's scoring but also to create opportunities for the offense and special teams to put points on the board.

Final: Oklahoma 17, Mississippi State 14

Brady Trantham

Mississippi State will either have no Kamario Taylor or a very limited version of him. Either way, that plays into the Sooner defense's hands. With a defense that may be somehow worse than Oklahoma's offense, the Bulldogs won't be able to last long into the game like Kentucky was able to last week. A turnover deep in MSU territory helps set up the offense to score a second touchdown before tacking on more field goals — progress.

Final: Oklahoma 23, Mississippi State 10

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