Breaking Down Oklahoma's Strengths, Weaknesses & 1 Thing That Could Surprise Ole Miss

The Rebels will be faced with a battle against an Oklahoma team that only got better in the offseason.

Oklahoma's Kip Lewis and John Mateer greet following during the University of Oklahoma Sooners Spring Game | SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It is hard to believe that last year's Oklahoma team did not go further.

They had a lot of players who had great seasons. They also had one of the best defenses in the country.

Fortunately for them and unfortunately for Ole Miss, Oklahoma kept a lot of those players and got key pieces in the transfer portal that could put them in contention for a national title.

Oklahoma’s strengths

Oklahomas Taylor Wein pursues Alabama's Ty Simpson for a sack in the second half | SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oklahoma’s strength is in the players they retained. They retained a lot of key players on offense, like quarterback John Mateer and star wide out Isaiah Satenga III, but they also retained the heart of their defense.

The Sooners' defense ranked 7th in the country for points per game last season. They only allowed 15.5. Their starting linebacker, Kip Lewis, starting safety Payton Bowen, and defensive end Taylor Wein all led their defense in a significant stat and will affect Ole Miss’ offense.

Lewis led his team in tackles with 76 and tacked on four sacks as a linebacker. Bowen led the Sooners in interceptions with two and pass breakups with seven.

Wein is the player who could wreck the entire Rebels' game plan. He had a team-leading seven sacks last year and 15 tackles for loss.

The Rebels' offense will have to get creative against this defense. Last year, they used a lot of play action, which worked. Ole Miss will have to prepare properly again this year, or they will not get anything going against this defense.

Oklahoma's weakness

Alabama Crimson Tide defensive lineman London Simmons (90) tackles Oklahoma Sooners running back Tory Blaylock (6) | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

One weak spot from the Sooners' team last season was their rushing attack. They ranked 113th in the nation, averaging 118.5 yards per game. Their two starting running backs, Tory Blaylock and Xavier Robinson, rushed for less than 1,000 yards combined.

However, this didn’t make the Sooners predictable. The Sooners had more rushing attempts than passing. They just didn’t have a great ground game.

The Rebels cannot forget about Oklahoma’s running game, but it shouldn't be on the forefront of Pete Golding's mind.

Oklahoma's surprise

Virginia Cavaliers wide receiver Trell Harris celebrates a touchdown against the Duke Blue Devils | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

As mentioned, the Sooners are returning wide receiver Isaiah Satenga, who led his team in receiving yards and touchdowns.

He will be a big focus for the Rebels' secondary, but they will also have to look out for transfer wide receiver Trell Harris.

Harris is coming from the University of Virginia, where last season he had 847 yards on 59 catches and five touchdowns. He had a gunslinger quarterback in Chandler Morris throw to him last year, and will get that same exact play style from Mateer.

If the Rebels put too much attention on Satenga, Harris will find the open field and create big plays for the Sooners.

Ole Miss will have a lot to worry about against the Sooners. It is crucial that the Rebels' offense gets off to a hot start and their defense shuts down a high-powered offense.  

Sign up to our newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news.