Stormin in Norman
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Oklahoma football: Can OU dispel enough concerns to legitimize a 2020 title run?

By Chip Rouse

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - DECEMBER 28: Creed Humphrey #56 of the Oklahoma Sooners prepares to snap the ball at the line of scrimmage against the LSU Tigers during the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 28, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - DECEMBER 28: Creed Humphrey #56 of the Oklahoma Sooners prepares to snap the ball at the line of scrimmage against the LSU Tigers during the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 28, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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NORMAN, OK – NOVEMBER 23: Defensive lineman Jalen Redmond #31 of the Oklahoma Sooners prepares for a snap by the TCU Horned Frogs in the first quarter on November 23, 2019 at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Oklahoma. OU held on to win 28-24. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
NORMAN, OK – NOVEMBER 23: Defensive lineman Jalen Redmond #31 of the Oklahoma Sooners prepares for a snap by the TCU Horned Frogs in the first quarter on November 23, 2019 at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Oklahoma. OU held on to win 28-24. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images) /

Continued overall defensive improvement

Despite the dismal defensive showing in last seasons College Football Playoff loss to LSU, the Sooner made major improvement defensively in their first season under new defensive coordinator Alex Grinch.

Most notably, the Sooner defense gave up almost 100 fewer yards per game last season than it did in 2018. Oklahoma gave up 356 yards per game in total offense in 2019, compared with 454 yards the previous season and its NCAA ranking in that category improved to 38th from 114th.

The Oklahoma pass defense also improved: From giving up 294 passing yards per game in 2018, which ranked dead last among 129 FBS teams, to 222 yards per game last season and an improvement to 38th in the nation.

The Sooners’ run defense also got better last season, although not to the same degree as in defending against the forward pass.

This shows that Grinch made definite progress in just his first season in shoring up some things defensively for the Sooners. With nine starters returning on defense and with a year of experience in Grinch’s defensive system, and with Grinch now starting to get some of his own recruits integrated into the defense, the expectation is that we will continue to see upgrades in the Oklahoma defense and a return to national respectability as a team strength and complementary unit rather than a seriously exposed limitation.

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