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SI Writer thinks the OU Offense will be OK

JConXtsy

Sooner starter
Aug 2, 2001
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I like how they didn't finish editing before posting the article. Obvious in this sentence - "Adams saw action in xx game in 2016."

http://stormininnorman.com/2017/03/07/oklahoma-football-offense-will-reload-return-strong-next-fall/

A high-octane offense has been a hallmark of Oklahoma football under defensive-minded Bob Stoops. Don’t expect things to be much different in 2017, despite the loss of three of the Sooners’ so-called Four Horsemen.
The two-time-defending Big 12 champion Sooners will go forward without Samaje Perine and all-purpose phenom Joe Mixon, arguably the best running-back duo in the country, and Biletnikof Award-winner Dede Westbrook at wide receiver. That’s a lot of firepower being taken away from quarterback Baker Mayfield, a Heisman finalist the past two seasons.

For most college teams, that kind of loss would be more than enough to send a program plummeting from national contender to rebuild mode in less than a year’s time. Not Oklahoma, however, not this time, anyway.


Stoops and his coaching staff brought in a top-10 recruiting class for 2017, a group loaded with talent at both running back and in the receiving reinforcements.


The Sooners return two burners at the running-back position in Abdul Adamsand Rodney Anderson. Both have exceptional speed, but limited experience. Adams saw action in xx game in 2016, but his game time was very limited playing behind Perine and Mixon. Anderson, a redshirt freshman in 2016, has played in just two games in his Sooner career, suffering season-ending injuries the past two seasons.

Junior-college transfer Marcelius Sutton should make an immediate impact in the Oklahoma backfield next season. The four-star recruit was highly recruited out of the JC ranks and was rated by ESPN as the No. 2 running back prospect at the JUCO level.

Some experts, however, believe that the best of the OU running backs next season might be Trey Sermon, a prospect that virtually all the top SEC programs were courting. Sermon, from Marietta, Ga., packs both power and breakaway speed. If it also turns out he can be utilized as a pass-receiver out of the backfield, the sky is the limit in terms of his potential and his all-purpose impact. Think Joe Mixon redux.

With Westbrook gone, the big question is who will Mayfield turn to in 2017 as key weapons in OU’s Air Raid attack. Sophomore tight endMark Andrews caught 31 passes for nearly 500 yards and seven touchdowns last season. Redshirt sophomore Nick Basquine, a former walk-on, and 6-foot, 5-inch Jeffrey Mead both played very well down the stretch last season and will be expected to step up even more in 2017.

Oklahoma has three highly promising receiver prospects as part of its 2017 recruiting class. Marquise Brown, a junior-college transfer from California, is the pick of the litter, ranked as the No. 15 JUCO player overall and No. 3 wide receiver. In addition, OU signed two four-star wide-receiver prospects: Cedarian Lamb and Charleston Rambo, both out of Texas.

So don’t feel too bad for Mayfield and offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley. It appears the Sooners have no shortage of receiver targets for Mayfield next season.

Ditto that for an offense that is merely reloading, not rebuilding.
 
I think OU's defense will be better and it's offense may not be as productive....,but with Mayfield directing it, it can be pretty good.

That first game is going to be really interesting with so many offensive positions up for grab and Ohio State looming the next game.

Do you focus on finding the right runningback mix, or do you focus on the receiver rotation? Or do you half-ass both? lol
 
That first game is going to be really interesting with so many offensive positions up for grab and Ohio State looming the next game.

Do you focus on finding the right runningback mix, or do you focus on the receiver rotation? Or do you half-ass both? lol
I think that OU's running and passing won't be as good as last year......but it will be good. How good is anyone's guess at this time.
 
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Agree. We will know once we get into the season. Our defense better be much improved. If not I won't be happy.
 
though the run offense may not be as dynamic I am in hopes the WRs overall will be much better at depth and skill. No more a 1 guy show...If we can get more explosive production from the WR overall the run game will be fine. We will nearly be 2 deep on OL straight across . I like that luxury
 
I'm thinking we will be just fine. Slow start maybe, but I think the defense this next season will play a bigger role than seasons past. Even if the offense struggles a bit more this year, if the defense steps up......they should balance each other nicely and be a really good balanced team. These types of teams are tough to beat.
 
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Abdul Adams is not a burner. That guy gets gassed on long runs pretty quick, he had a DT catch him from behind on his longest run last year.

and Rodney Adams has been hurt in catastrophic ways every season, why would the 2017 expectation be different? I feel bad for the guy.

Our running game is a big concern, even with a decent line - but still one better at pass blocking than run blocking.
 
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Stoops has shown he doesn't often recruit JuCo just to sit on the bench. I wouldn't be surprised if Sutton is our starter or shares carries 50/50 with Adams or Anderson.
And can we be wrong on Sermon? A guy that every big football college wanted?
 
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I don't think 'arrogant' is the proper way to characterize the Sooners play. (especially given our current rep). I'd go with challenging the Defense to 'play with a chip on the shoulder', play clean with a 'Boz like' performance of winning every play
 
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