Instant thoughts, reactions and takeaways in rapid fire fashion from Oklahoma football’s embarrassing 35-9 loss to South Carolina
It’s time for some instant thoughts, reactions and takeaways in rapid fire fashion. Here’s some snap judgments from the action:
– There are going to be multiple opinions as far as what’s the primary issue with Oklahoma’s offense. From play calling to the quarterback position, from wide receiver injuries to offensive line performance, then whatever else in between, the amount of conversation centered around specific issues will be plentiful. But make no mistake, it’s okay to say it’s all bad right now. This is the worst offense Oklahoma’s program has put on the field in recent memory. This unit is challenging the days of the John Blake era and those arguing it’s even worse won’t get an objection on this end. There is no singular fix, there is no individual adjustment. It’s all bad and in all honesty, it’s hard to figure out how it can get much better.
– It really does not matter who is at quarterback for Oklahoma right now considering the state of the offensive line. It just doesn’t. The front five situation is as bad as it’s ever been and there are no answers right now. Players who were supposed to be dependable are not, new faces have fallen well short of expectations, miscommunication continues to be an issue, an overall lack of play strength is very evident and overall, the talent simply is not there. The Sooners have to hope the current recruiting class stays intact because it’s quite clear none of the older presences in that room can get the job done right now.
– That being said, it was time to make the switch back to Jackson Arnold. But with the move made, it likely has to be Arnold the rest of the way. At this point, however much can actually be accomplished, one of these quarterbacks deserves the chance to develop. With the way things have played out to this point, Arnold likely has to be the guy unless things somehow get even worse.
– Right now, as things stand today, freshman walk-on Jacob Jordan is arguably Oklahoma’s best wide receiver. First off, give Jordan a ton of credit. And yes, the injuries are still very relevant. But what a situation this is. And to add onto that, the tight end room is as bad as it’s been in years and that’s even without injuries. Yes, the offensive line is very poor, but the pass catcher and perimeter playmakers aren’t without blame either.
– We’ve now seen multiple teams basically messing around against a program like Oklahoma. South Carolina and Texas both brought out trick plays, fakes and whatever else at times where it wasn’t even needed. Opposing squads now have the ability to play backyard football against OU and that should never, ever be the case.
– The defense had another outing where it played to a winning level on-paper. Holding your opponent to 3.7 yards per play should put yourself in a position to compete, but this unit simply cannot get any help from the other side of the ball. It’s putting a really good group in an awful spot and really takes away from the true progress made defensively.
– Without diving too far into the situation, it’s more than fair to have your ‘head on a swivel’ out there. Change felt inevitable, but most of that felt centered around the offensive side of the ball. With the way the rest of the season could go, there’s really no telling what the future could hold for this program. Everything feels possible in all the wrong ways for Oklahoma.
Oklahoma, Brent Venables draw major criticism after lopsided home loss to South Carolina
The national media has serious questions about the future of Oklahoma football.
Arnold threw Oklahoma’s first touchdown pass since the Week 4 loss to Tennessee in the third quarter, but it was too little and too late for the Sooners. The Oklahoma offensive line allowed nine sacks — its most in nearly a decade — from nine different Gamecocks.
Here’s what the media had to say about Oklahoma’s humbling loss to South Carolina:
