Oklahoma football and Big 12 newcomer Cincinnati have very little history competing against one another, but history will be in the making when they go at each other on Saturday at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati.
While this will be the final Big 12 opener for the 16th-ranked Sooners as a member of the Big 12, it will be the first conference game for Cincinnati as a member of the Big 12. Oklahoma and Texas will officially become members of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) on July 1, 2024.
Meanwhile, the Sooners have nine regular-season games to play this season against teams from the newly expanded Big 12. The farewell journey commences on Saturday against a Cincinnati team picked to finish 13th in the league in the 2023 Big 12 Preseason Media Poll.
An intriguing storyline in this Big 12 contest is the strength-vs.-strength matchup featuring the home-field magic of Cincinnati and the road success of Oklahoma teams over the past decade.
Statistical comparisons of the two teams
(National ranking in parentheses)
                                         OU                Cincinnati
Scoring offense                         55.7 (3)             39.0 (30)
Scoring defense                         9.3 (5)             21.7 (60)
Rushing offense                        176.0 (50)         239.3 (8)
Rushing defense                        78.7 (15)         109.7 (45)
Passing offense                       358.0 (7)           286.0 (29)
Passing defense                       209.0 (63)         197.8 (46)
Total offense                          534.0 (8)           525.3 (12)
Total defense                         287.7 (32)         307.3 (44)
3rd down conversion/offense           67.6% (1)         51.1% (26)
3rd down conversion defense           30.2% (21)        34.3% (47)
Red zone offense                      94.1% (21)        82.4% (73)
Red zone defense                    100% (109)        100% (109)
Turnover margin                       +6 (4)            +3 (29)