College football coaches say a bye week always comes at the perfect time, but there's no doubt the timing really was spot on for the Oklahoma Sooners.
The Sooners entered their bye week at 2-2 after getting humbled by Georgia in a 41-13 beatdown. Next is No. 1 Texas in the Red River Rivalry at the Cotton Bowl.
Facing the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the country back-to-back is no doubt a massive challenge, but at least there's a cushion between the daunting tasks. The Sooners also need this week to get healthy and hopefully shorten what has been a lengthy injury list. They also have a lot of problems to find answers to, especially on offense.
While everyone in the program will obviously benefit from the break, there are five Sooners in particular who can gain more from the bye week than their teammates.
No one has stepped up yet to assert themselves as the Sooners' second receiver option behind Isaiah Sategna III yet. Parker Livingstone and Elijah Thomas have had their chance, but sophomore Manny Choice can show it is time he gets his turn to show what he can do.
Choice just logged a career-high 19 snaps against Georgia, and although that is still not much time, he made the most of it by catching a 14-yard TD. That should have caught his coaches' attention, so now he can make the most of it and continue to show during practice that he deserves more game time.
There is little argument that starting left tackle Michael Fasusi is the Sooners' best offensive lineman, but they have had him for just 17 snaps so far after he was injured in the first quarter of the season opener and has not returned since.
Fasusi at least suited up for the last two games, so that means he has been close to a return. This week should be what he needs to get healthy, while also getting back in the groove before the Sooners need him more than ever to fend off Texas edge rusher Colin Simmons, who just set the Longhorns' single-game sack record with 5.5 against Tennessee.
Just like the Sooners need someone to come alive at receiver, they need that in the backfield, too.
Lloyd Avant has been OU's clear RB1 to this point, but obviously the Sooners still need more, averaging only 99 rushing yards per game. Freshman Jonathan Hatton Jr. has suddenly emerged as the RB2, but maybe he deserves a chance to be the guy.
The talent is obviously there with Hatton as a top-10 running back recruit from the 2026 class, but he can use this week to prove to running backs coach Deland McCullough that he can also do all the little things to be trusted enough to lead the backfield and hopefully spark something.
No one has more to prove right now than quarterback John Mateer, after turning the ball over three times against Georgia and has fans questioning why he is still the starter.
Mateer has shown that the physical ability is there somewhere. He was a favorite to win the Heisman Trophy this time last year. But for some reason, Mateer just has not had it since injuring his thumb, even this season, when he was supposed to be fully healthy.
OU safety Peyton Bowen said this week that Mateer needs "his swagger back." A reset and a week to focus on himself might be exactly what Mateer needs to find it. If not, then it might be time to start seriously looking at a replacement.
Speaking of John Mateer getting benched, it seems like his job does not feel like it is in jeopardy because there is not a reliable option behind him. This is Whitt Newbauer's second season at OU after transferring from Mercer, where he really was not all that impressive as a freshman at the FCS level.
Newbauer has not taken a meaningful snap yet as a Sooner, but he did score a three-yard touchdown run in garbage time against UTEP in Week 1. With that, practice is his only chance to impress, and Venables said that reserves are getting more reps over the bye week while the starters get some extra rest. That includes Newbauer and freshman Bowe Bentley.
Mateer might be QB1 for now, but there is no doubt the coaching staff is watching Newbauer more closely than ever, so he could use those extra reps while performing right next to Mateer to prove he is worthy of a chance to run the offense if Mateer cannot figure things out.
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