Thankfully for the Oklahoma Sooners, there’s another football game.
The No. 24 Sooners host New Mexico at 6:30 p.m. CT on Saturday in Norman after losing to Michigan 17-10 in Ann Arbor. This was a disregarded non-conference matchup sandwiched between trips to Michigan and Georgia, but this isn’t an opponent the Sooners can overlook, unless their season could suddenly turn worthless.
New Mexico is 2-0 with a pair of blowouts over wimpy opponents, but the Lobos are still proven to be dangerous under second-year head coach Jason Eck after going 9-4 last season. Eck has made it clear this is a massive matchup the Lobos are champing at the bit for.
Most importantly, the Sooners need to avoid a catastrophic upset, but they also need to find an identity and figure things out before going straight into an SEC gauntlet. Simply winning still might not be enough to give OU fans confidence in Team 132 or get offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle off the hot seat.
Here's predicting if the Sooners will bounce back and what else could unfold on Saturday night.
It's a one-possession game at halftime
Sooner Nation will be stressing at halftime. New Mexico is not a cupcake. The Lobos also have a stout defense, giving up only seven points per game, and have the perfect play style of relying on their ground attack to keep things close. Game flow could be slowed even more if the Sooners also emphasize their run game.
Unless the Sooners break out for some big plays that finish in the end zone, this one will be close before Oklahoma has to eventually wear down the Lobos. On the flip side, if the Lobos lull the Sooners to sleep before going big, which they often do, then OU could be on serious upset alert early.
An OU running back rushes for 100 yards
Let's try this again. I also predicted last week that one of OU's running backs would rush for at least 100 yards against Michigan. Obviously, that didn't happen, as offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle not only abandoned the ground game but also left his running backs completely in the dark, with 13 total carries among three players.
The biggest criticism of Arbuckle over the past week has been that he dismissed the run game after it appeared to be the focal point of the offense in Week 1. Arbuckle and Brent Venables both said this week that the Sooners need to run the ball this week, with Venables even mentioning that 12- and 13-personnel sets need to become a foundation for the offense.
There will likely be an overemphasis on the rushing game for the Sooners this week. Lloyd Avant will probably be the bell-cow back with the best opportunity to reach 100 yards, but Tory Blaylock, now healthy, could also surprise as RB1. Regardless, Arbuckle needs to feed his backfield.
If not, then OU fans will again be furious heading into SEC play, because that means the Sooners for the second straight week couldn't get anything going on the ground, this time against a Mountain West defense.
Sooners tally first interception of 2026
Brent Venables' defense hasn't been the problem in 2026, and really never has been. But as outstanding as the unit has been overall (don't believe the haters), the defense still hasn't forced an interception yet this season. That changes on Saturday night.
The Lobos have a two-quarterback rotation, with starter Jack Layne missing the entire season after offseason surgery. Venables will put an unfair amount of pressure on whoever is back there. Plus, it's a night game at Memorial Stadium, so it will be an environment neither QB has had to deal with before.
All that will force one of those quarterbacks into a mistake, no matter how little they throw it. But this is a bolder prediction than you might think, though, because the Lobos haven't turned the ball over yet this season.
Final score prediction: Oklahoma 27, New Mexico 10
Oklahoma fans will be sweating it Saturday, especially those inside Memorial Stadium, with the temperature projected to still be in the 90s at kickoff. But that still won't be as hot as offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle's seat if the Sooners struggle again.
It might be close at halftime, but OU will eventually put New Mexico away. These Sooners are just too talented, and whether the offense stinks or not, the defense will suffocate the Lobos.
If the Sooners lose after failing to move the ball, though, consider Arbuckle fired.
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