Apr 20, 2024; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver Deion Burks (6) celebrates after catching a touchdown pass during the Oklahoma Sooners spring game at Gaylord Family OK Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
The Oklahoma Sooners kick off the 2024 college football season on Friday night when they welcome the Temple Owls to Norman. The Sooners come into the contest No. 16 in the nation in both the US LBM Coaches Poll and the AP Top 25.
The Sooners are No. 13 in the final SP+ rankings prior to their opener, while Temple ranks No. 132 out of 134 teams in the FBS.
On paper, it’s a mismatch and the Oklahoma Sooners should be able to do whatever they want on the gridiron. This game won’t tell us everything we need to know about Oklahoma, but if they put on a performance similar to their 2023 outing against Arkansas State, then odds are this team will be pretty good in 2024.
Oklahoma is a heavy favorite. Fan Duel has OU as 42.5-point favorites heading into Friday’s opener.
As we will each week of the season, here are the predictions from our staff here at Sooners Wire.
More: SEC week 1 predictions
Sooners Wire Staff Predictions
Oklahoma starts fast in week one, showing off their supreme talent on both sides of the ball against Temple.
[autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag]’s debut as OU’s full-time starter at quarterback goes well as he begins the process of getting more comfortable in Seth Littrell’s offense at game speed.
The starters on defense pitch a shutout before the backups give up a fourth-quarter field goal.
As with any first game, there will be things to clean up, but Brent Venables is happy with his team on Saturday morning.
Sooners 59, Owls 3
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After a long wait, Oklahoma is set to finally take the field as a member of the SEC. The new era we envisioned for the future of OU football is here. Brent Venables, as he was brought in to do, has Oklahoma set to roll in the SEC.
[autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] is no longer the starter, and [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag], formerly a five-star, is set to lead this program in the toughest conference in America.
The storylines run deep for the season, but let’s focus on Temple.
The Owls are not a great football team, and Oklahoma should win by 20+ points. We should also see [autotag]Michael Hawkins[/autotag] get some reps after he beat out [autotag]Casey Thompson[/autotag] and [autotag]Brendan Zurbrugg[/autotag] for QB2.
I expect OU’s much-hyped defense to set the tone early, giving up no more than 10 points in the first half. We’ll see two interceptions from this secondary and four sacks from the defensive line. I’m putting my belief that [autotag]Adepoju Adebawore[/autotag] gets one of those sacks.
Offensively, [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] finds [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag], [autotag]Brenen Thompson[/autotag], and SELU transfer [autotag]Bauer Sharp[/autotag] for scores. We also see touchdowns for [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag] and [autotag]Jovontae Barnes[/autotag].
Sooners 55, Owls 10
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Up Next: More Sooners Wire Staff Predictions
The Oklahoma Sooners offensive line is one of the biggest questions of the 2024 season. That unit has heard all of the talk all offseason and is ready to quiet the doubters. This won’t be their toughest challenge, but the guys up front will come out with an edge, ready to prove a point.
The offense is going to be humming from the opening whistle to the end of the game. Jackson Arnold, another source of criticism, will connect with a number of receivers for an efficient but explosive outing.
Brent Venables and [autotag]Seth Littrell[/autotag] will look to establish a physical mindset early, pounding away with the running game before giving way to some play action deep shots from Arnold to speedsters [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag] and [autotag]Brenen Thompson[/autotag].
Oklahoma’s defense will come out on fire and keep the Owls from finding a whole lot of success on offense. OU’s pass rush will be relentless, putting pressure on whoever starts or plays quarterback for Temple and they won’t find much running room on the ground either.
Look for true freshman starter Jayden Jackson to find his way into the backfield for multiple splash plays. [autotag]R Mason Thomas[/autotag] and [autotag]Ethan Downs[/autotag] harass the Temple quarterbacks. The revamped starting safety unit of Billy Bowman, Peyton Bowen, and Robert Spears-Jennings to lock down the Temple passing game.
Oklahoma 56, Temple 6
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: No. 16 Oklahoma Sooners vs. Temple Owls: Sooners Wire Staff Predictions
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Publish date : 2024-08-29 09:04:00
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