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Oklahoma football: 5 bold predictions for OU vs. KU

By Christopher Dukes

NORMAN, OK - SEPTEMBER 07: Head Coach Lincoln Riley speaks with quarterback Jalen Hurts #1 of the Oklahoma Sooners during warmups before the game against the South Dakota Coyotes at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on September 7, 2019 in Norman, Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Sooners defeated the South Dakota Coyotes 70-14. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images)
NORMAN, OK - SEPTEMBER 07: Head Coach Lincoln Riley speaks with quarterback Jalen Hurts #1 of the Oklahoma Sooners during warmups before the game against the South Dakota Coyotes at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on September 7, 2019 in Norman, Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Sooners defeated the South Dakota Coyotes 70-14. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images) /
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Oklahoma football is back in action on Saturday when it kicks off against Kansas for an a11 a.m. showdown.

Here are five bold predictions for Oklahoma football vs. Kansas.

Pooka Williams will be the best running back the Sooners have faced so far

Yes the Sooners have certainly seen better offenses this season (Houston when it was still at full strength and a UCLA team that put 60-plus on Washington State), but this will be the first All American-caliber skill position player the Sooners have seen since overhauling their defense.

Pooka Wililams has 308 yards on 67 carries this year so far with four games under his belt,. He had almost as many in just one game against Oklahoma a year ago when he went for 252 yards on just 15 carries for an average of 16.8 yards per tote. The Sooners still managed to pull off the victory, but 40 points from the Jayhawks and 252 from Williams should still be sticking in the Sooners’ craw.

Oklahoma has been better in all phases on defense this season, but the biggest concern would probably be sound gap assignment in the run game. Sarodrick Thompson exploited some unsound play from the Sooners to the tune of 98 yards on 15 carries last week.

Defensive coordinator Alex Grinch was happy with the way Oklahoma played in certain situations, like the four-down stop in the red zone, but also miffed that the Sooners haven’t been able to turn that kind of product out consistently.

This week will be a good litmus test to see if the Sooners have taken another step toward being a consistent defense against the run against an NFL-level talent in the Jayhawks backfield.

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