OU-Georgia: Five things that must happen for an OU Round 1 win

NORMAN, OK - NOVEMBER 25: Head Coach Lincoln Riley of Oklahoma Sooners during warm ups before the game against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on November 25, 2017 in Norman, Oklahoma. Oklahoma defeated West Virginia 59-31. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images)
NORMAN, OK - NOVEMBER 25: Head Coach Lincoln Riley of Oklahoma Sooners during warm ups before the game against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on November 25, 2017 in Norman, Oklahoma. Oklahoma defeated West Virginia 59-31. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images)
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NORMAN, OK – NOVEMBER 25: Quarterback Baker Mayfield
NORMAN, OK – NOVEMBER 25: Quarterback Baker Mayfield

The Oklahoma offensive line needs to slow down the Georgia rush and keep Mayfield upright

We are hearing a lot about the Georgia defense and especially about the strength of the front seven, led by the Dawgs’ All-American linebacker Roquan Smith. Georgia is going to do everything it can to put pressure on Mayfield and disrupt his timing and accuracy. What we aren’t hearing much about is the strength of the Sooner offensive line, which is considered one of the best in college football this season.

How well the Sooner offense is able to produce against one of the nation’s best defensive units will be largely dictated by how well the Oklahoma O-line performs. The better the Sooners are able to run the ball and the more time Mayfield has to find and get the ball to the speedy OU wide receivers, the harder it will be for Georgia to slow down the high-octane Oklahoma offense and keep the Sooners off the scoreboard.