The official start of the college football season is here. For the Oklahoma Sooners football team, it begins with a non-conference matchup against the Temple Owls. Non-conference games, in theory, open the door for any number of crazy dream matches. In reality, they’re used as a way to ease bigger schools into the season and give smaller schools national exposure. There are those rare cases, however, when these games become momentous upsets- as Georgia Tech once again proved this past weekend.
Previewing Oklahoma Sooners vs Temple Owls
Before the Storm
The non-conference games that begin each season are often pivotal for a team’s success. The momentum gained now is invaluable, and teams can ride the wave all the way through the season. Nowhere is that more important right now than for the Sooners.
Before the Sooners can face down the toughest teams in the SEC, they have three non-conference opponents. Each of these teams has a shot at taking them down early: The Temple Owls, the Houston Cougars, and Tulane. Their most difficult opponent out of this trio is Tulane, who went nearly undefeated last year and lost in the ACC Championship and Military Bowl games. That game is still weeks away, though, and it’s Temple who is up first.
The Owls have suffered a few rough seasons. They’ve averaged a 3-9 record since 2021, and their last winning season was in 2019. Still, that’s not necessarily worse than the Colorado Buffaloes. Colorado came off a 1-11 season to upset No. 17 TCU in their opening game last year. Who’s to say that Temple, in a whirlwind of luck, couldn’t accomplish the same thing?
What Temple Brings to Kickoff
Kickoff for Sooners football this year begins on Friday, August 30th, at 6 p.m., in the heart of Sooner country. The Owls come to Norman looking to defeat their first Top 25-level opponent since 2019. Their roster consists of multiple transfers and a few veterans, but could this finally be the year that Head Coach Stan Drayton has put together a winning combination?
In the locker room, Temple is still trying to find its starting lineup. At best, there are now three quarterbacks vying for the top spot. Forrest Brock, from Santa Monica Community College, Evan Simon, a transfer from Rutgers, and freshman Tyler Douglas are likely those top three. This, of course, doesn’t include the numerous other positions that needed filling before this season. The Sooners had similar difficulties this past year, but they had a much larger recruiting pool to draw from.
Temple is likely to showcase all three of their front runners this Friday. If one of them can find success, they could find themselves on top of the depth chart.
Tyrei Washington and Joquez Smith will likely be rotating in and out at running back for the Owls. Washington had a stellar JUCO season at San Francisco, and Smith was one of Temple’s better players last season. The wide-receiving core, on the other hand, is made up almost entirely of transfers and freshmen with varying levels of experience. How they will fare against the Sooners’ defense will be interesting to see.
Oklahoma’s Starting Offense
Head Coach Brent Venables has been planning for this season for a long time. After the initial hurdles of his first few years, it appears he’s ready. While questions of the roster remained rampant throughout the offseason, Venables looks to have solved most of them.
Jackson Arnold will be the Sooners’ starting quarterback for this year. His gunslinging style is at risk of being picked off by just about every team on the schedule. Maintaining composure in and out of the pocket will be key to getting this season off on the right foot.
Venables’ starting offense is made from truly veteran talents. Branson Hickman, who transferred from SMU, is at center. Febechi Nwaiwu, who was named to Conference USA’s All-Freshmen Team in 2022, comes in at right guard. Jacob Sexton has been with the Sooners since 2022, and he’s helping to shore up the line at left guard. Gavin Sawchuck, whose nagging injuries have hampered both of his seasons, is starting at running back. If everyone can stay healthy, this is a lineup that could make it to the end of the season.
Oklahoma’s Starting Defense
Danny Stutsman, Kip Lewis, and Peyton Bowen are taking up spots in the defensive backfield. Stutsman was a Lombardi semi-finalist last year. Lewis was a leading rush tackler last year for the Sooners and played in each game. Bowen comes in as a leader for the Big 12 in punt blocking and was a semifinalist for Freshman of the Year in 2023. Ethan Downs, Mason Thomas, and Damonic Williams will be leading the charge on the line.
Coming in behind on the depth chart are primarily seniors and sophomores. This means that, even when the Sooners rotate out their first team, they’ll still have experienced talent to lean on. Of course, just like with TCU and Colorado, there’s no reason for the Sooners to become complacent based on talent alone.
Oklahoma Sooners vs Temple Owls Prediction
The Sooners have a tough road ahead of them, that is a fact that is not in doubt. All the preparation in the world means very little past the opening kickoff, and college football is home for upsets and the unexpected. However, barring a miracle, the Owls just don’t have a chance against this Oklahoma football team. The Sooners should take advantage of their home turf and enjoy this week one action in style because this year nothing is guaranteed- and the SEC is a gauntlet unlike any other.
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