3 Things That Worry Me About Oklahoma
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First, here’s why I’m NOT worried about the fightin’ Chuckwagons:
1. Oklahoma thrived on turnovers last season. They won 1 score games on the road at Tennessee and Alabama in 2025 picking up 3 turnovers in each contest. Without those, does Oklahoma win those close away games? And if they don’t, they don’t make the playoffs. Maybe OU was blessed by Lady Luck more than they were a top 12 team.
So far in 2026, they’ve lost 3 fumbles and thrown 3 interceptions. And they’ve picked off no passes and only recovered 2 fumbles for a -4 turnover margin. Does the law of averages mean Georgia gifts them free possessions? Or more likely does it mean they aren’t quite as good as one would believe?
2. You can’t say Georgia is one-dimensional. In just a quarter of the season, the Bulldogs have scored via the run, the pass, the defense, and returning a kickoff. There’s also a blocked punt (by a starting wideout, no less). What else is there?
I guess we need to block a field goal, return a punt to the house, and get a safety. Any of those 3 would be nice this weekend to keep the momentum.
3. You have to be able to run the ball to win in the SEC. Not necessarily all the time, but unless you have Dan Marino or Matt Stafford under center, you’d better have a semblance of a ground game to keep the defense honest. Oklahoma really doesn’t.
The Sooners rank 123rd (of 138) in rushing offense a quarter of the way through the season. They were 112th in 2025 with a mobile quarterback who likes to scramble. OU OC Ben Arbuckle hasn’t really gotten the rushing attack going, averaging only 118 yards a game thus far. By contrast, the Georgia defense is allowing a paltry 45.7 yards on the ground this season, thanks to opponents having to play catchup after establishing early leads. If we can continue that, I like our chances of seeing if they can beat us through the air.
Now forgive me, as I was weaned at the nipple of Larry Munson’s scratch so here’s what does worry me about hosting a historical powerhouse looking for a bounceback on national televsion:
1. The Bulldog Offensive Line have got to clean up the blocking assignments, especially in pass protection. Arkansas has some dudes, and the busts and 1v1 wins by the Hogs up front were evident. Six different Razorbacks logged a stat in the UGA backfield last week. And one of the sacks was 3 of them converging on Stockton at the exact same time. That is troubling.
Oklahoma has some dudes too, and will apply even more pressure and give Stockton even less time to scan the field. Even without standout DT David Stone, they have 10 other players with at least a full TFL, and 6 other guys with a full sack through 3 games. This isn’t one guy you need to doubleteam – it is scheme, fundamentals, and a lot of players on that Sooner defensive front 7 who know how to get off blocks. If the OU secondary does a serviceable job, the big guys up front will have a field day at our expense.
2 . #10 to #1. Individually they’re not big, but together they can be huge. The 6’1” John Mateer may not have gaudy numbers compared to the Jayden Maiava’s of the world, but he can throw, and he can buy time to find receivers who get separation.
And the 5’10” Isaiah Satenga is him. He’s again leading the Sooner wideouts in both receptions and yards, where he averaged over 5 catches a game last year and a hair shy of 1,000 yards. Most of his career was also spent returning punts, so you can imagine his speed and shiftiness. Satenga can hit the homerun on the post, and break one from a short-medium cross.
After watching Arkansas stud receiver Chris Marshall torch the Bulldog secondary just a few days ago for over 100 yards from an offense that can’t even decide on a quarterback, this has me worried.
3 . Oklahoma has been underwhelming in the early season after a typical beatdown of UTEP, then a loss 17-10 at Michigan, and squeaked by New Mexico 14-6 at home. So will they come into Athens and roll over? HA!!! Hardly.
Not only is head coach Brent Venables a pretty good motivator, but he has a top notch staff and the team is loaded with elite athletes and football players. Then there is the UGA effect: this game has been circled on calendars in Norman for months now, as Sooners and their faithful wish to knock off the 2 time reigning SEC champ. And the added factor that Georgia can bring out the best in any opponent, sometimes to our collective detriment. Our boys better be ready for a battle into the fading light Saturday.
Call me crazy, just don’t call me late for dinner. Let us know in the comments what you’re feeling about hosting the Oklahoma Sooners for a historic first visit to Sanford Stadium. And as always…
GO ‘DAWGS!!!
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