Oklahoma vs. Temple Takeaways

​Based on the reaction from fans across social media, a lot of questions about the Oklahoma Sooners football team were answered and many feel a lot better moving forward than we did a few days ago. Jackson Arnold, being the biggest question, showed signs of being elite. The defense proved that they are not to be trifled with. The Sooners even have a kicker they can rely on. How bout that.  

A lot of my questions about Jackson Arnold were answered last night. As I said the other night in my preview for the Oklahoma vs. Temple game, his decision-making speed in the pocket was my most significant question mark. While he has improved since last year's Alamo Bowl, there is still room for improvement. On the flip side, he exceeded my expectations.

Though last night's game was against Temple, Arnold was able to put the ball wherever he wanted to put it. While his decision-making in the pocket may be slow, which will get him sacked a few times this year, he stays poised under pressure and does not get flustered easily.  

The offensive line is also on everyone's mind after the game. We saw a little bit of everything coming from that position group—some really good, some good, some bad, and some really bad, which makes me nervous. There were times when I thought they looked like an elite unit and other times when Temple made them look like a DII team. If you mix that with Arnold's slow decision-making, we could be in for a rough year. 

Sooner fans can rejoice in the fact that our kicker went 3/3 on field goals, including a 50-yarder, and 6/6 on extra points. Tyler Keltner has not missed an extra point in his career (he is entering his fifth season) and has a 75.7% field goal percentage! Though we have him for just a year, field goals are an essential aspect to the game that we can be glad is something we can rely on when needed. 

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Defensively, the Sooners looked elite last night. Temple's quarterback not starting a game in two years may have something to do with that, but allowing just three points is something to be proud of. The one chink in the armor that I saw consistently is their mid-range coverage. Five yards here and 7 yards there can add up a lot over time if you're not careful. 

Luckily, the pursuit following a caught ball did not allow many yards after the catch, and the rest of the defense looked elite. If I'm being honest, I'm picking something to call the defense out on because they weren't 100% perfect, thus the three points the Owls put up. 

Jalil Farooq is expected to miss six to eight weeks due to a broken foot which absolutely sucks since his one catch last night erupted into a 47-yard play. Luckily, Deion Burks looks like an early-round draft pick, and lord willing, we may have him for this season and next year. To those who pitch into the 1Oklahoma NIL collective, donate some more money so we can keep him around. 

Bauer Sharp came out of nowhere, and honestly, last night was the first time I heard the name. The transfer from SE Louisiana TE proved to be a consistent target for Jackson Arnold, who had receptions, 47 yards (9.4 average. Remember what I said, those little 5 to 7-yard passes add up), and one touchdown. 

With Farooq out for a good chunk of the season, expect more action from JJ Hester, Nic Anderson, and Jaquaize Pettaway. Even with Farooq out, the Sooners are deep at the WR position and while this sets that unit back a few steps, next man up. 

I came into this game thinking OU would do well to win at least two SEC matchups. All offseason, I have preached that this season is going to be dependent on how well Jackson Arnold plays, and tonight, I saw the potential. I think he could be great, and I think this offense could put up some big numbers. The defense will demoralize opposing offenses.

I'm not saying Oklahoma will steamroll over all of their SEC opponents, but I think they will give each team a good fight. The fact that so many are overlooking Oklahoma will win the Sooners at least two more games than I originally had predicted.  

In the next two weeks, we play Houston and Tulane, which isn't a chump team. BV will take the boys and evaluate what can be improved and what has worked really well. I fully expect OU to be a well-oiled machine by the time Tennessee rolls into Norman on September 21. ​