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Oklahoma football: Five bold Sooner predictions for 2023 season

By Chip Rouse

Sep 3, 2022; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners sooner schooner before the game against the UTEP Miners at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 3, 2022; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners sooner schooner before the game against the UTEP Miners at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /
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We’re now one week away from what they are calling Week Zero in the 2023 college football season, but Week 1 for Oklahoma football and most everyone else is two weeks off.

One week, two weeks, doesn’t really matter. After the long wait, college football will finally be here before you know it.

We’ve seen all the way-too-early rankings and conference projections, the 2023 national award watch lists are out, as are the AP and Coaches Poll Top-25 rankings. Talking season is done, and it’s time for the games to start for real. Are you ready for some Sooner football?

I said the talking season is over, but there is one last order of business to take care of.

Here are five bold predictions for the 2023 Oklahoma football season, or as some might like to call it, “Year 2 of the Brent Venables era.”

Oklahoma wins 11 games this season

The Las Vegas handicappers have projected the Oklahoma win total in the 2023 season at 9.5. The broader wagering community will probably bet the under on that total, but I’m taking the over. The Sooners will surprise the entire nation — well, most of it, anyway, and will 11 games in the regular season, losing only to Texas.

Sooner defense will be better than anyone expected

Most experts expect there to be some improvement in the Oklahoma defense this season, but no one expects to see a dramatic turnaround. The Sooners were 122nd out of 131 FBS teams last season and allowed 461 yards of offense per contest. OU will still have challenges on defense in 2023, but the personnel will be much better. The Sooners will allow close to 100 yards fewer this season and finish in the top 50 in defensive performance.

Dillon Gabriel exceeds 3,500 yards passing and passes Josh Heupel in TDs

Dillon Gabriel begins his fifth season of college ball and second at Oklahoma. That’s a lot of experience at the sports most important position. If the redshirt-senior can stay healthy, he should have an outstanding year and exceed his career high in passing yards and touchdowns. Gabriel will exceed 3,500 passing yards, a career high. He will also pass Josh Heupel, who ranks fifth in career touchdown passes at Oklahoma. Gabriel recorded 25 TD passes in 2022 and needs 29 more to jump over Heupel.

Sooners will average 40-plus points a game

The Oklahoma offense averaged 32.1 points a game in Brent Venables first season as head coach. That ranked 33rd among FBS teams but was OU’s fewest since the 2009 season. The Sooners have multiple offensive weapons against this season and should regain the 40 points a game club again in 2023. For six consecutive seasons from 2015 to 2020, Oklahoma averaged at least 40 points a game. The Sooners also won six consecutive Big 12 championships during that span. Do you think there’s a correlation?

Brent Venables is Coach of the Year in Big 12

If the first bold prediction in this string turns up accurate, this one should also. This could also be true if Oklahoma wins nine or 10 games. Brent Venables probably won’t win a national championship in his second season, as head coach of the Sooners as Bob Stoops did back in 2000 with Venables on his staff, but he will be voted Big 12 Coach of the Year and be a candidate for 2023 National Coach of the Year.

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