Auburn Facing Oklahoma Team That Made Significant Changes in Offseason

"Mateer continues to exceed expectations, throwing for 944 yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions, after Saturday’s blowout win against Temple. Additionally, he adds a running component, rushing for 161 yards and four rushing scores. Most importantly, his 67.6 percent completion rate means that he consistently gets the ball out in rhythm, allowing for yards after catch. Furthermore, Mateer does not hesitate to tuck and run if it's not there."

In bringing in Jim Nagy to the front office and hiring a new OC, does the program feel a little different this season?

"The changes were definitely a source of hope in the offseason. I'm not sure Nagy's hiring made all that much difference externally, but the addition of Ben Arbuckle as offensive coordinator—and his ability to convince John Mateer to come with him—infused the fanbase with all sorts of positivity. The offense was such a mess last season that getting arguably the hottest young offensive coordinator AND arguably the best quarterback prospect in the portal had folks all fired up.

"Internally, though, I do think the additions of Nagy and his staff have done a ton to help. They make the day-to-day operations flow more easily. They give the coaching staff all sorts of assistance in recruiting and evaluating. The job of coaching college football has become so much bigger that having someone like Nagy has no doubt allowed Venables and his coaches to focus more on the Xs and Os.

"The Arbuckle/Nagy dynamic is an interesting one. Arbuckle brings a scheme that is predicated on motion and tempo. Additionally, he loves the run game, showing love for the counter and inside zone. Arbuckle wants to take the fight to the defense. You can tell by his scheme that passivity is not one of his hallmarks.

"Nagy's hiring makes sense. His connections to the NFL are something the program can hold his hat on. As a result, that makes the program attractive to players in the portal, as some could see the Sooners as a quicker pathway to the NFL."

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