Oklahoma coach Brent Venables BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oklahoma-Illinois State GameDay Preview: X-Factors

Originally posted on Oklahoma Sooners on SI | Last updated Aug 30, 2025 12:41 PM ET

Great Expectations

Illinois State is the No. 6-ranked team in FCS. The Redbirds don’t have the scholarships or the athletic talent to keep up with the Sooners. OU is a 35 1/2-point favorite, per FanDuel Sportsbook, but Sooner Nation feels pretty strongly that the point spread should be more than that. Now, with so much disappointment from 2024 still lingering in the air, and so many newcomers on offense and defense, and so many new faces in the staff room, can Oklahoma manage all that — and the natural emotion of a season opener — and meet whatever expectations there may be on Saturday? Brent Venables just wants a clean game — no pre-snap penalties, no emotional flare-ups, no mental busts, no turnovers. Can this OU squad even meet those modest expectations against a pretty good FCS team?

— John E. Hoover

Saturday Night Fireworks

The Sooners forced six turnovers in last year’s season opener against Temple, yet Oklahoma still underwhelmed. The offensive line struggled to move the Owls off the ball, and as a result, put shockingly few explosive plays on tape. With Saturday serving as the full debut for new play caller Ben Arbuckle and quarterback John Mateer, the Sooners need to produce multiple chunk plays both on the ground and in the passing game. It took until OU hosted Maine last year for Oklahoma to get its first 100-yard rusher or receiver of the season. No matter how quickly the offense comes together, that should be an easy benchmark to clear against the Redbirds — especially as No. 14 Michigan looms next weekend.

— Ryan Chapman

Stay Disciplined

Because of the gaps in talent and athleticism, Oklahoma should win this game comfortably. Illinois State is a quality team at the FCS, but that doesn’t hold a ton of weight at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, where the Sooners will be 35.5-point favorites. Still, there will be good plays and bad plays. What’s most important is that the Sooners look like a disciplined squad in their opener. OU coach Brent Venables has consistently raved about the leadership in the Sooners’ locker room, and he named his seven permanent captains for the 2025 season earlier this week. It’s time for the Sooners to prove him right. They need to avoid turnovers, costly penalties and other unforced errors. Those things likely wouldn’t cause OU to lose to the Redbirds. But it would be a bad segue into next week’s game against No. 14 Michigan — those things can’t happen against the Wolverines.

— Carson Field

This article first appeared on Oklahoma Sooners on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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