How the Sooners rebound vs. Tulane could define OU's season before it gets started

It's only the third game of the season, but the hopes and expectations for a strong showing in Oklahoma's first season as a member of the SEC could be on the line as the Sooners get ready to host Tulane later today.

Tulane is hardly the caliber of the teams the Sooners will be playing this season when they get into the conference portion of the schedule, and that starts up next week when 7th-ranked Tennessee rolls into Norman for OU's SEC season opener. But, trust me, the Green Wave are more than good enough to beat the Sooners, especially if the same struggling Oklahoma offense that took the field last Saturday against Houston shows up again this Saturday.

Tulane led 17th-ranked Kansas State into the fourth quarter just one week ago before K-State rallied late to avoid the upset. And need I remind Sooner fans that Tulane lost by just five points, 40-35 to then No. 2-ranked Oklahoma the last time they visited Gaylord Family--Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, in 2021.

It's hard to call Saturday's game with Tulane a make-or-break or must-win contest with three-quarters of the season still to be played, but this is a critical game for Oklahoma in that how the Sooners respond from last week's poor performance will set the tone and go a long way toward instilling the confidence OU will need in navigating through a brutal SEC schedule.

Rarely due you see an Oklahoma team on upset alert this early in the season, but the Sooners are on the radar of most every national expert, who believe the Sooners are ripe for an upset the way they have played through two games against not-very-good teams. And if the Sooners do prevail, there seemingly is little faith that they will cover the 13.0-point betting line.

Yes, Oklahoma has been hit hard by injuries, but that is not a valid reason for how badly the offense performed in Week 2. Good teams are able to adjust and find ways to overcome the challenges before them. The irony of all this is, it is the Sooner offense that seemingly has run aground, while the once much-maligned defense has become the strength of the team.

We're now three games into the season, and Oklahoma has yet to establish an offensive identity, something that most college football teams have week established by this time in the season. Sooner offensive coordinator Seth Littrell needs to remove the blinders and open up the playbook because the vanilla plays the OU offense has been running lack creativity and aren't fooling even the marginal defenses the Sooners have faced so far.

Jackson Arnold has not been able to get into a rhythm and is trying to force too many throws into tight windows and coverages. He needs to get the ball out of his hand quicker, but he also needs receiving targets who can get open and catch the ball when it comes to them. The Sooners have shown they cannot win as a one-dimensional offense. They have talented running backs, but if they aren't able to get on track and move the chains with the run game, which was the problem in spades against Houston with just 78 rushing yards for the game, the once explosive Sooner offense is doomed to spin its wheels in the mud.

If Oklahoma isn't able to beat Tulane, playing at home and still harboring the bad taste in its mouth from last week's disappointment, there will be much bigger problems ahead accompanied by a bleak prognosis for the rest of the season. Lose this game, and the Sooners will likely be the underdog against every remaining opponent except Maine. No Sooner fan wants to go down that road.

This may be an extreme position to take, but it also underscores how critical Oklahoma's game with Tulane is. While Tulane would love nothing more than to pull off the upset against the Sooners, this game has much higher importance to OU.

That's why I trust we will see a different Oklahoma team this Saturday and a victory Sooner Nation will feel much different about.