75
You know the story
in Norman: The
offenses have been
championship
caliber. The
defenses, not so
much. After, the
Sooners ranked
101st nationally
in scoring defense
last season, Riley
fired defensive
coordinator
Mike Stoops and
replaced him
with Alex Grinch,
the 38-year-
old former Ohio
State assistant.
An emphasis of
Grinch’s scheme
will be forcing
turnovers, relying
on playmakers like
KENNETH MURRAY.
Last year OU had
only 11 takeaways,
third fewest in
the country. If
Grinch can fix the
unit’s flaws, the
Sooners will have
their best shot at
a championship
after two straight
seasons of falling
short in the playoff.
X-FACTOR
THE BIG STORY In his two years
as Oklahoma’s head coach,
Lincoln Riley’s teams have led the
nation in total offense and yards
per play, and quarterbacks Baker
Mayfield and Kyler Murray won
consecutive Heisman Trophies and
become No. 1 draft picks. Jalen
Hurts steps into Riley’s factory after
transferring from Alabama, where
he was largely a run-first game
manager. Now he’ll be in charge of
one of the most explosive offenses
in the country.
CAN’T MISS Hurts must adjust
to a new offensive scheme,
but he’ll have playmakers around
him—none more dynamic than
receiver CeeDee Lamb, who hauled in
65 passes last season and nearly
matched the production of top
Sooner receiver Marquise Brown, a
first-rounder in this year’s draft.
KEY QUESTION The unit that
won the Joe Moore Award,
recognizing the country’s top
offensive line, lost four of its
starters; only center Creed
Humphrey returns to Norman.
Junior Eric Swenson and
sophomores Marquis Hayes, Tyrese
Robinson and Adrian Ealy have
zero career starts between them but
were all blue-chip prospects. The
quartet has the size and strength—
they all clock in at over 315
pounds—but in Riley’s complex
schemes, will there be some
growing pains?
KEY MATCHUP
BIGGEST GAME
SI RANKING
SEPT. 1
HOUSTON
SEPT. 7
SOUTH DAKOTA
SEPT. 14
@ UCLA
SEPT. 28
TEXAS TECH
OCT. 5
@ KANSAS
OCT. 12
TEXAS (6)
OCT. 19
WEST VIRGINIA
OCT. 26
KANSAS STATE
NOV. 9
IOWA STATE (23)
NOV. 16
@ BAYLOR
NOV. 23
TCU
NOV. 30
@ OKLAHOMA STATE
THE RUNDOWN
3
6
9
12
15
11–2 (BIG 12 CHAM
PS)
11–2 (BIG 12 CHAM
PS)
12–2 (BIG 12 CHAM
PS)
12–2 (BIG 12 CHAM
PS)
11–1
WINS
In Riley’s two seasons as
head coach, Oklahoma has
two Big 12 championships,
two playoff appearances
and two Heisman winners.
Is this the year he
completes his résumé
YEAR 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019* with a national title?
*SI PROJECTION
5 -YEAR TREND
10.5
With likely
improvement on
defense and a favorable schedule—
outside of the Red River Showdown,
the Sooners should be big favorites
in every regular-season matchup—
Oklahoma should roll to 11 wins
for a fourth straight year.
OVER OR UNDER
2019
SCHEDULE
Oklahoma
FRO
M LEFT: BRETT DEERIN
G/GETTY IM
AGES; SCO
TT W
INTERS/ICO
N SPO
RTSW
IRE/GETTY IM
AGES
4
