What X-Factors Could Shape Oklahoma's Contest Against No. 2 Georgia?

The Hostile Crowd

Remember the Oklahoma team last year that went 4-0 on the road? Yeah, well, this team looks a lot different. In their only road contest so far — a legit test, at Michigan two weeks ago — the Sooners couldn’t manage a point in the first half and then faded in the fourth quarter on John Mateer’s backbreaking interception with the game hanging in the balance. Georgia won’t have 111,000 fans, but the 93,033 assembled at Sanford Stadium will make more noise and, with a Southeastern Conference game at stake, will probably be much louder. OU will need to find some poise and maturity to weather the atmosphere in Athens.

— John Hoover

Defense Starts Fast

Oklahoma has had some tackling struggles early in games. In the end, the defense sorts things out, but needing an extra set of downs to get a stop has resulted in Michigan and New Mexico’s offense staying on the field longer. If the Sooners can maintain discipline early, they can give their offense a few more bites at the apple to try and move the ball against Georgia’s defense.

— Ryan Chapman

Move the Chains

Oklahoma recorded only 14 first downs against New Mexico. This week, the Sooners will face a much better, more athletic defense than New Mexico’s. The Sooners don’t need to make this game a shootout to have a chance. But they must be able to get out of their own end. OU went three-and-out too many times deep in its own territory against the Lobos and subsequently set them up with good field position. Thankfully for the Sooners, New Mexico didn’t have the offensive firepower to take advantage of its opportunities. The same can’t be said for Georgia. Between quarterback Gunner Stockton, running back Nate Frazier and several other weapons at wide receiver and tight end, the Bulldogs will make their opponents pay more often than not when rewarded with good field position.

— Carson Field

Keep Gunner Stockton in the Pocket

Georgia's offense is a bear to defend. The Bulldogs come into the game No. 4 in FBS in total offense with 576.5 yards per game. Georgia is No. 16 in rushing offense at 253.3 yards per game and No. 4 in third-down offense. Quarterback Gunner Stockton has thrown for nine touchdowns and just seven incompletions all season with no interceptions. So the margin for error for the defense — which is already thin due to Oklahoma's struggling offense — will be even more infinitesimal. But the Sooners remain strong against the run. No team has run for more than 150 yards against Oklahoma since the 2024 Armed Forces Bowl. No team has rushed for more than 200 yards and passed for more than 200 yards against the Sooners since the 2023 Alamo Bowl. This will be strength vs. strength. The Sooners might catch a break if Georgia star running back Nate Frazier — who is averaging 8.4 yards per carry — is out for Saturday's game. But they'll need to contain Stockton. The Bulldogs will dial up some designed runs for Stockton, who rushed for 97 yards last week against Arkansas, but the Sooners must limit Stockton's ability to move out of the pocket and create extra yardage, whether it be with his feet or finding receivers open downfield.

— Ryan Aber

Catch the Ball/Pick Up the Ball, Defense

The time for "That would have been a pick-six" or "The opponent scored on the drive after recovering their own fumble" has passed. If Oklahoma is going Between the Hedges and leaving the victors, the defense cannot miss out on any opportunities to score or put the offense into position to score themselves (or at least flip the field). OU has had four opportunities at takeaways in the last two weeks — Courtland Guillory even dropped an interception that would have been wiped away by a questionable at-best pass interference call, but the image of dropped opportunities continues to haunt an otherwise fantastic defense.

— Brady Trantham

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