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Oklahoma football: Five bold not-so-great predictions for the 2018 Sooners

By Chip Rouse

Caleb Kelly
Caleb Kelly /
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ARLINGTON, TX – DECEMBER 2: Parnell Motley #11 of the Oklahoma Sooners breaks up a pass intended for Jalen Reagor #18 of the TCU Horned Frogs in the first half of the Big 12 Championship AT&T Stadium on December 2, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX – DECEMBER 2: Parnell Motley #11 of the Oklahoma Sooners breaks up a pass intended for Jalen Reagor #18 of the TCU Horned Frogs in the first half of the Big 12 Championship AT&T Stadium on December 2, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) /

OU will lead the Big 12 in turnover margin in 2018

Compounding the Sooners’ defensive struggles in 2017 is the fact they weren’t that good at forcing turnovers.

The Oklahoma defense last season had a turnover margin of plus-five, largely because they didn’t give the ball away much on offense. While the Sooners were tied for 35th in the country in turnover margin, though, their 18 takeaways were tied for 70th.

OU is expected to play a more aggressive style of defense in the coming season, according to what Lincoln Riley said last week, during Big 12 Media Days, he would like to see more of out of the Sooners on defense. That should allow OU to force more turnovers which, in turn, will take some pressure off of a Sooner defense that needs to do a better job of getting third-down stops and limiting big plays.

Texas Tech, a team whose defense was even worse than Oklahoma’s in 2017, produced 25 takeaways in leading the Big 12 in that category last season. Look for the Sooners to step up their defensive pressure and coverage in 2018 and force more turnovers. If they remain as good protecting the football as they have in recent years, the defensive turnover margin should improve commensureately.

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