What X-Factors Could Shape Oklahoma’s Contest Against Ole Miss?

Coaching

When we say coaching, we don’t mean Xs and Os. Brent Venables and this staff have got that part covered. In this instance, coaching refers to the mental side of the game, how Oklahoma players handle their emotions and especially their attitude about this week’s preparations to face Ole Miss. OU is in a little bit of a precarious position: they’re probably not as bad as they played against Texas, and they’re probably not as good as they played against South Carolina. The fragility comes in not knowing yet who they really are. There could be doubts, or there could be overconfidence. There’s probably a little of both. This is where Venables’ long-winded speeches before and/or after practice need to have some real substance to them, a quick-hitting but memorable message that sticks and conveys to the players not to think about what happened in Dallas or in Columbia, not think about going to Knoxville next week or Tuscaloosa a couple weeks after that. Focus on Ole Miss and focus on your own individual execution and this should be a Sooner victory.

— John E. Hoover

Oklahoma Saw the Signs

Lane Kiffin kicked off Rivalry Week™ with the Sooners by discussing Brent Venables’ ability to steal hand signals from the opposing sideline. Kiffin didn’t accuse Venables and Oklahoma of doing anything against the rules, and Venables took the high road when asked about the comment on his radio show and used it as an opportunity to praise the film study habits of his defense. But behind closed doors, an old school coach like Venables surely used the comments as motivation. The Sooners are hosting a top 10 opponent this week and have a chance to cement themselves as true contenders to make the College Football Playoff. The team was already going to be up for this contest, but Kiffin only added fuel to the fire. Now it’s on OU’s defense to show they can use that motivation to bring extra physicality while still playing within themselves and not trying to play Hero Ball to prove a point to the Mississippi coach. 

— Ryan Chapman 

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Rise and shine

Oklahoma will have the early kickoff window for the first time at home in 2025 against the Rebels, with the game scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. Early kickoffs aren’t always advantageous for home teams, as fans may be reluctant to rise out of bed early to get to the game. The good news for OU? Sooner fans are used to getting up early to see their team play after decades in the Big 12. Oklahoma and its conference counterparts were often plopped at the 11 a.m. slot while they competed in the Big 12, so this shouldn’t be anything new for the majority of the fan base. But it’s imperative that the Sooner faithful show up. Ole Miss is a quality team, and juice from the crowd would go a long way in helping OU get off to a strong start — especially in a game that could be weather-altered.

— Carson Field

The Weather

As of Thursday night, the chances of rain in Norman at kickoff were about 86% according to the National Weather Service. The wind, though, is looking fairly mild, at about 10 mph, with only a small chance that the rain includes a thunderstorm at that time.

If the weather is clear or there’s a light rain, not much figures to change with either offense, but if the rain is heavy or there are high winds, that dynamic changes and it becomes more difficult for the offenses to operate through the air. Oklahoma did get an encouraging sign from its running game last week against South Carolina, as Tory Blaylock and Xavier Robinson both had strong games and the offensive line performed better in run blocking than it had previously. OU needs to continue to establish the running game regardless, but if there is inclement weather, the value of running the football and controlling the game on the ground skyrockets.

— Ryan Aber