The Oklahoma Sooners finally made a massive change this week, but will that actually mean a different result?
Brent Venables fired offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle ahead of the Sooners' first trip to Gainesville to play No. 24 Florida on Saturday night. With that move, tight ends coach Jason Witten was promoted to play-caller for OU's final four games of the season.
It feels like a fresh start for the Sooners, which makes it maybe the most difficult game to predict anything for this season. Regardless, here are three bold predictions, plus a final score.
1. Jack Van Dorselaer catches first TD as Sooner
After not catching a single pass in the first six weeks of the season, tight end Jack Van Dorselaer has had two catches in both of the past two games, bringing his season total to four receptions with 25 yards. That uptick in usage even came before his position coach was calling the shots.
Van Dorselaer's recent outings unveil that quarterback John Mateer has already started looking his way. Now, Witten will probably start giving some love to his own guys whom he trusts, especially Van Dorselaer, who OU needs to return next season.
Witten will dial something up to get either Van Dorselaer, Hayden Hansen, or Rocky Beers into the end zone. Since Van Dorselaer is the only one who hasn't scored yet and has recently been more productive, I predict it's his turn.
2. Tory Blaylock posts season-high in rushing yards
Lloyd Avant has led the backfield all season, but all of a sudden, Tory Blaylock has quietly emerged as RB1 now that he's healthy.
Freshman Jonathan Hatton Jr. actually led the backfield last week with seven carries, but Blaylock had the most rushing yards, with 32 on six rushes. He also did against Mississippi State the week before, when Arbuckle actually committed to the running game. Blaylock took 12 carries for 71 yards against Mississippi State.
Witten should rely on the ground game and his hefty tight ends to block the outside. Enter Blaylock, who is clearly the hot hand right now. Predicting 100 rushing yards in this offense seems irresponsible, no matter who's calling the plays, but Blaylock should at least surpass that 71-yard total if Witten frees him to lead the way.
3. Whitt Newbauer proves he exists
There are doubts that backup quarterback Whitt Newbauer actually exists. He's like the Bigfoot of Norman. There are rumors that people have seen him in warmups and once during Week 1, but he's never taken a real snap to prove anything. Newbauer truthers get their proof on Saturday.
Mateer will finally be on a short leash, with the OC who brought him to OU no longer vouching for him. It might take just one turnover or a few straight dormant drives for Mateer to get benched. It's been a tough week for Mateer, and now he's headed into an even tougher environment at The Swamp, so a mistake is inevitable.
Newbauer will be thrown to the wolves to run what should be a conservative offense. If he's at least functional, it'll be another week of QB controversy before Newbauer gets his first OU start next week at home.
Final score prediction: Florida 13, Oklahoma 10
Some things just can't be changed.
It doesn't matter who's calling plays, OU's offense still hasn't proven it has the means to be productive. Mateer is still turnover-prone. The offensive line is still leaky. The receivers are still inconsistent. The running backs have yet to catch fire.
Witten knows he can't perform a miracle in only five days. What he can do is lay out a conservative game plan that highlights his tight ends, who have been the lone bright spot on offense. OU's defense can give the Sooners a chance against anybody, as long as the offense doesn't get in the way.
The Sooners will have a chance in this one, as both teams rely on their run game and drain the clock. OU will still need more, though. The Gators benefit from a ruckus environment and a turnover, while the Sooners drop below .500.
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