The Past and the Future

Oklahoma proved just last season that a team can get hot down the stretch. The 2025 Sooners showed improvement after another loss to Texas and then didn’t lose a game in November. Given by ESPN’s FPI something like a 2-3 percent chance of making the College Football Playoff after a midseason loss to Ole Miss, Brent Venables’ squad simply focused on getting better and trying to run the table and then let the chips fall where they may. The 2026 team had a long way to go after suffering its third loss of the year to Kentucky. But improvements have been made. The offense is playing better. A season-high 467 yards last week produced moments of near dominance against Mississippi State. Has OU already turned this season around? Are the players intimidated by having to replicate last week’s result five more times, or — in this crazy, parity-riddled season — are they thinking they could become the CFP’s first three-loss team? According to this week’s FPI, the Sooners have a 3.3 percent chance of making the playoff. So, about the same as last year. So which scenario is more likely? That OU wins out against a manageable back half of the schedule and they finish 9-3? Or the Venables year-to-year roller coaster continues and the Sooners lose six games?

— John Hoover

Tate Finds His Groove

It's been a weird, weird year for Tate Sandell. Last year's Lou Groza winner missed a few kicks early, but seemed to find his form against Texas. After on 50-yard miss, he was able to make essentially the same field goal, then walked off the Longhorns to bring the Golden Hat north of the Red River. That should have been the turnaround. Last week, however, he missed three field goals — all kicking the same direction — that made the contest much closer than it actually was. Saturday projects to be another tight game in Norman, and the Sooners need their star kicker to be back at his best to get across the finish line against the Gamecocks.

— Ryan Chapman

Contain LaNorris Sellers

The Gamecocks have one of the nation’s most athletic quarterbacks in LaNorris Sellers. The 6-foot-3, 238-pound quarterback has already thrown for 1,548 yards and 13 touchdowns while also rushing for 507 yards and four touchdowns. Most recently, he threw for 210 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for 96 yards and two scores in South Carolina’s upset win over No. 11 Tennessee. Oklahoma’s defensive players have plenty of respect for Sellers and his dual-threat capabilities, as several of them have now faced off against him twice. The best plan for containing the versatile Sellers is to make him one-dimensional. As talented as Sellers is, he has proven to be mistake-prone when his rushing options are limited. OU’s defense can force multiple turnovers if they can take away his legs.

— Carson Field

Hit a Big Play Early

Oklahoma settled for field goals far too often against Mississippi State. The Sooners can't do that against South Carolina and expect to come out with a victory. One of the biggest factors in that figures to come in the first couple of drives. The Sooners don't necessarily have to find the end zone — though it would help — but Oklahoma needs to hit on a big play fairly early. Whether it's a long pass to Isaiah Sategna — or even better, Manny Choice — or a long run by Lloyd Avant or Tory Blaylock, hitting on an explosive play early will help take pressure off John Mateer and loosen things up for the Oklahoma offense the rest of the game. Oklahoma has been better about hitting on explosive plays so far this season but it's never been more important than it will be Saturday.

— Ryan Aber

Don't Snowball

Mistakes will happen, but they cannot lead to more mistakes. Last week, Rocky Beers fumbled on a promising drive, leading to the Bulldogs' first touchdown. The offense returned to the field and helped put three points on the board. While OU wants more touchdowns and fewer field goals, that sequence was a good example of John Mateer and the offense flushing a mistake and not letting it turn into a series of mistakes. Against South Carolina, OU will miss on some plays or even suffer a turnover. They cannot afford those mistakes to become multiple.