Putting up big numbers is something of a habit for the Oklahoma football team. It’s part of the Sooners’ DNA.
The big numbers the Sooners have been able to put up on the offensive side since Lincoln Riley became part of the OU football family in 2015 have been through the roof. Unfortunately, the defensive numbers have been bigger than Riley and Sooner fans would like, as well.
Defensive coordinator Alex Grinch did a good job of bringing down the OU defensive numbers in his first season on the job in 2019. Instead of ranking in the 100s among FBS teams in a number of team defensive categories, Oklahoma was down in the 30s, 40s and 50s in those same categories last season.
While Oklahoma did show defensive improvement across the board under Grinch, the one area where there was no improvement and that Grinch had identified in coming to OU as a primary goal for 2019 was takeaways.
Grinch maintains that the sole purpose of any defense is to get the back to the offense and a big way to do that is to force turnovers and take the ball away. Oklahoma produced just 11 takeaways the season before Grinch arrived. That was the worst total in OU history and ranked among the worst in the FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision).
Even with the added emphasis in 2019, the Sooners did no better in that category than in the year before, ending with 11 for the season. Grinch wants to see that number at least doubled in 2020.
Here are some other numbers that Oklahoma is paying close attention to in 2020:
O — The Oklahoma football program reported no new COVID-19 positive tests after testing 89 players on July 8. That is a number the Sooners would like to see as they continue to prepare for what there will be of a 2020 college football season. It may not be realistic to keep this number at zero, but clearly the protocols that are in place are designed to greatly minimize, if not prevent, exposure to the coronavirus by players, coaches and support staff, alike.
5 for 5 — In the five seasons Lincoln Riley has been at Oklahoma, the Sooners have finished no worse than the top five in the final Associated Press Poll.
5 — Oklahoma has appeared in four of the six College Football Playoffs, including three consecutively, since that format was introduced in 2014. This year OU is not only gunning for a fifth appearance, but its first Playoff win in as many tries.
7 — There are high expectations for the player wearing jersey number 7 on offense, Spencer Rattler. Not much drop off is expected from the offense despite having the fourth different starting quarterback in as many seasons. That, of course, assumes that Rattler wins the starting job over last season’s backup, Tanner Mordecai, and true freshman Chandler Morris.
10 — Oklahoma has lost just 10 times at home since Bob Stoops assumed the head-coach role in 1999. The Sooners are 18-1 at home under Lincoln Riley. OU is scheduled to play six home games this season (two nonconference games and four conference games).
6 and 14 — Oklahoma will be shooting for an unprecedented sixth consecutive Big 12 championship in 2020 and 14 Big 12 titles overall.
24 of 25 — The Sooners have always been tough to beat at home, but in recent years they’ve been nearly as invincible on the road, winning 24 of their last 25 true road games.
26 — Redshirt-junior running back Kennedy Brooks wears jersey number 26. He is being counted on the lead the OU rushing attack in 2020. Brooks gained over 1,000 yards last season, and it will be important for him to have another big year in order to provide critical balance to the Sooner offense and avoid becoming one dimensional.
129 — Coming into the 2020 season, the Sooners have played before 129 consecutive home sell-outs, dating back to the beginning of the 1999 season. That string sadly is destined to come to an end this season, assuming there is a fall college football season, because of the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing requirements.
743 and 5 — Redshirt-junior wide receiver Charleston Rambo was the Sooners’ second leading receiver last season with 743 receiving yards and five touchdowns. But those numbers were half of those produced by departed All-American receiver CeeDee Lamb. Rambo must step up into that lead role in 2020, but also keep a close eye on No. 17, true freshman Marvin Mims, who is coming off of one of the best seasons by a wide receiver in Texas high school history