All Sooners

The Sooners On SI Podcast Previews Oklahoma's Showdown With No. 8 Ole Miss

Hoover, Chapman, Field and Aber take a detailed look at how the Sooners' big win at South Carolina could be setting up for a massive home win this week against the Rebels.
John Hoover|
South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers (16) and Oklahoma defensive lineman Damonic Williams.
South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers (16) and Oklahoma defensive lineman Damonic Williams. | Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

In this story:

Oklahoma Sooners

The Oklahoma Sooners' demanding, five-game finishing stretch kicks off this weekend in Norman when the No. 8-ranked Ole Miss Rebels descend on Norman.

Over the next six weekends, Brent Venables and the Sooners face five teams currently ranked in the Associated Press Top 25: Tennessee (No. 17) in Knoxville, Alabama (No. 4) in Tuscaloosa after a bye week, Missouri (No. 15) in Norman, and LSU (No. 20) in the season finale in Norman. 

First up, though, Lane Kiffin and the Rebels, who are one of college football’s most dynamic offensive teams and will surely stress OU’s formidable defense.

Sooners On SI’s John Hoover, Ryan Chapman, Carson Field and Ryan Aber preview this week’s game by taking a look at last week’s 26-7 conquest at South Carolina, in which the Sooners gave up 50 yards rushing on their first defensive possession, but then finished the game by yielding a total of just 54 yards for the entire afternoon at Williams-Brice Stadium.

OU’s defense had arguably its best performance of the season against uber-talented quarterback LaNorris Sellers and the USC offense, and they’ll need to recapture at least some of that dominance this week when Ole Miss comes to town.

Transfer QB Trinidad Chambliss is one of the most compelling stories in college football and after stepping in to replace injured starter Austin Simmons has not relented the job, but instead made it his and has played better than anyone expected.

Meanwhile, the Oklahoma offense shouldn’t be overwhelmed by the Ole Miss defense, but John Mateer and an improved run game need to continue to make improvements after the debacle in Dallas. 

Mateer’s broken thumb seems to be limiting his ability to throw it deep, which adds emphasis on the Sooners’ need to run the football. OU’s offensive line had maybe their best game of the season last week in Columbia, and running backs Tory Blaylock and Xavier Robinson were super productive.

If Oklahoma’s defense can continue to play at a high level and the Sooner offense can run the football effectively, the Sooners — a 5 1/2-point favorite — should have a good day. If not, it could fall on the OU special teams to make more winning plays.

Kicker Tate Sandell smashed a 55-yard field goal last week (his third of 50-plus), the punt team killed a ball at the 1 that produced a safety from the defense, and the punt return team collected an interception when the Gamecocks tried a sneak.

Hoover, Chapman, Field and Aber break down all the angles in this week’s Sooners On SI Podcast.

To listen on Apple Podcasts, click here. To listen on Spotify, click here.

Or to watch the video version, watch the embedded YouTube video below or click here:

Published
John E. Hoover
JOHN HOOVER

John is an award-winning journalist whose work spans five decades in Oklahoma, with multiple state, regional and national awards as a sportswriter at various newspapers. During his newspaper career, John covered the Dallas Cowboys, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Arkansas Razorbacks and much more. In 2016, John changed careers, migrating into radio and launching a YouTube channel, and has built a successful independent media company, DanCam Media. From there, John has written under the banners of Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Fan Nation and a handful of local and national magazines while hosting daily sports talk radio shows in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and statewide. John has also spoken on Capitol Hill in Oklahoma City in a successful effort to put more certified athletic trainers in Oklahoma public high schools. Among the dozens of awards he has won, John most cherishes his national "Beat Writer of the Year" from the Associated Press Sports Editors, Oklahoma's "Best Sports Column" from the Society of Professional Journalists, and Two "Excellence in Sports Medicine Reporting" Awards from the National Athletic Trainers Association. John holds a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from East Central University in Ada, OK. Born and raised in North Pole, Alaska, John played football and wrote for the school paper at Ada High School in Ada, OK. He enjoys books, movies and travel, and lives in Broken Arrow, OK, with his wife and two kids.

Share on XFollow johnehoover
Home/Football