2016 College Football Expert Picks: Oklahoma Sooners 2016 Football Team Preview

2016 College Football Expert Picks – Oklahoma Sooners 2016 Football Team Preview: Just when people were beginning to question whether or not Bob Stoops and the Sooners were slipping a bit on the national scale, Oklahoma captured the Big 12 title in 2015 and earned a spot in the College Football Playoff. Granted, the Sooners went down to Clemson in the semifinals, but with plenty of talent back from last year’s group, expectations are sky high for the Sooners heading into the 2016 season. Now, Stoops and company just have to be able to back up the all the preseason hype.

2016 College Football Expert Picks: Oklahoma Sooners 2016 Football Team Preview

The Good News

Quarterback Baker Mayfield emerged as a dual-threat weapon last year and ended up finishing fourth in the Heisman voting. He is back under center for what should be one of the top offenses in the country, and with running back Samaje Perine also back in the mix, defenses will have to pick their poison when deciding who to try to shut down. The offensive line should also be better since both tackles will have a year of experience after being thrust into the fire as freshmen last year. Defensively, the secondary should be one of the best around, and the Sooners should have a rock solid defensive unit overall. Last but not least, Austin Seibert proved to be clutch and reliable in the kicking game last year, and he was only a freshman.

The Bad News

As good as Mayfield was for the Sooners last year, he did suffer a couple of concussions. Part of what makes him special is his ability to make plays with his legs, especially in the red zone. If he has to miss extended time with an injury, Oklahoma’s high-powered offense will become a lot less intimidating. The Sooners will also have to replace their two best pass-rushers, and if Oklahoma can’t put some pressure on opposing quarterbacks, it is going to be bad news in the pass-happy Big 12. The conference schedule is actually favorable, but out-of-conference matchups against Houston and Ohio State within the first three weeks of the season make for a ridiculously tough start to the year. If the Sooners start slow, their title hopes will be over before they even begin.

Bottom Line

Oklahoma returned to prominence last season, and while reaching the College Football Playoff was a feat in its own right, the Sooners have all the pieces in place to return to the playoff this year and win the whole thing. The Sooners have balance on both sides of the ball, and they also have balance on offense thanks to Mayfield and Perine. Over the course of the year, there are going to be games when a team just doesn’t fire on all cylinders, but when a team has balance, they can still win those games.

Yes, Oklahoma faces a tough schedule, but getting Ohio State early on benefits the Sooners more than the Buckeyes since Urban Meyer’s bunch just lost 14 starters to the NFL. An early road game against TCU is also to Oklahoma’s benefit since the Horned Frogs lost their four best offensive weapons, including quarterback Trevone Boykin. Meanwhile, the Sooners get Baylor and Oklahoma State at home, and who knows what state the Bears will be in after all the controversy swirling around that program. I wouldn’t rule out one misstep along the way, but Oklahoma is the team to beat in the Big 12.

Prediction: 11-1, Big 12 Champions

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