Oklahoma Falls Short in SEC Debut

​Alright, so we (and when I say we, I mean OU fans) can all agree that Saturday night's matchup against Tennessee confirmed many concerns and was a significant disappointment. The offense looks horrible and committed way too many mistakes that ultimately cost us the game; Seth Littrell's playbook is paper thin, Jackson Arnold is not our guy, and the defense is freakin' elite, so there is that to get excited for. 

I've preached and preached and preached how Oklahoma's offensive line and Jackson Arnold are a match made in hell. I won't beat this dead horse too severely, but I will reiterate that Jackson Arnold is slow at making decisions. He often makes horrible decisions behind an offensive line that would allow the local PeeWee team to get to the quarterback in about three seconds. 

One thing I noticed from Arnold this weekend that I hadn't picked up on in the first three games of the season is he spends more time bracing himself for impact than he does going through his progressions and allowing himself to think. It's almost like he knows the offensive line will let the opposing defensive line through, so instead of looking to get the pass off, he looks to hold onto the ball and brace himself for impact. 

I say this as a former high school center, successful flag football quarterback, and former Football Operations Assistant for Western Carolina, so take this how you will. The quarterback should brace himself at the very last millisecond if he is going to get sacked. I understand you do not want to fumble the ball and must brace yourself accordingly, but Arnold braces himself for impact seconds before anyone gets to him. It's as if he is scared in the pocket, and I can't say I blame him with that offensive line he's got protecting him. The great quarterback in Division I football will look to make a throw, sometimes while actively being sacked. 

One of the key differences I noticed between Arnold and Hawkins is his ability to wait until the last second to do something with the ball or brace himself. Hawkins is also quick to make his decisions about what he wants to do with the ball. They may not always be the best decisions, but they're quick to make. Even if he isn't going to throw the ball, he takes off with it to try to make something out of a collapsing pocket.

Though offense is the biggest issue facing the Sooners right now, if there were a way to go back in time and eliminate the little mistakes, i.e., fumbles, interceptions, and the safety, the Sooners would have won by two points. After Jackson Arnold's interception in the first quarter, Tennessee went on to score a field goal. There was also a safety in the second quarter. Lastly, there was the fumble in the second quarter that Tennessee recovered, took advantage of the opportunity, and scored a touchdown. 

When Hawkins was put in for the second half, there were no fumbles, interceptions, or safeties. Oklahoma did outscore Tennessee 12-3 in the second half, so if nothing else, fans have something positive they can take away from the game. Of course, the debate online now is if Hawkins had been put in for the entire game, Oklahoma would have won. Maybe those 12 points Tennessee scored because of turnovers and safeties wouldn't have happened, and those drives would have ended with points for Oklahoma. But who is to say? What is done is done, and we have to move on from that. 

I'll get into my preview for Auburn later this week, but I feel better about the Sooners moving forward. A huge shoutout to Tennessee for welcoming us to the SEC and allowing us to find out a lot about ourselves. Though the offensive line may not improve this season, but I think we are good enough to clean up the little things plaguing our team. 

While it is a brutal schedule, eight games are still left this season. Oklahoma is a program that was built to withstand the tests of time. Even if this year does turn out to be a 6-6 year, the program has the resources needed to bounce back and compete for titles. This is a Welcome to the SEC year. The tone is being set. Oklahoma will learn from this experience and be much better off for it.